As we all know, things that were once in fashion eventually come back. This can apply to clothes or music, and sometimes, the two collide. In the ‘80s, a successful combination of the two was Martin Fry and his uber-hip band, ABC. They were in fashion then, and they are coming back – just like every good trend.
ABC | LEXICON of LOVE ALBUM COVER 1985
A true gem from the ‘80s, ABC formed in Sheffield, England in 1980 and helped bring in the Second British Invasion. They immediately blew up in the UK with the post-punk-kissed single “Tears Are Not Enough.” The song later appeared on what many consider to be the band’s crowning achievement: 1982’s “The Lexicon of Love.”
The album has been described as a lavish, smoking jacket-clad nod to Roxy Music-style glam-pop, lounge-jazz crooning, and plush synth-pop. Through the years, ABC hit it big in North America with songs that got a lot of radio love as well as airtime on MTV and VH-1…. songs like “How To Be a Millionaire,” “When Smoke Sings,” “Lexicon of Love,” “The Look of Love,” “Poison Arrow,” and “Vanity Kills.”
It was 1985 when they literally blew up with their third studio album “How To Be a Zillionaire.” The album had one song that endeared them to the nigh club dancing masses, it was a remix of “Be Near Me.” That song alone brought them to Main Street America and made them a household name.
ABC remains fronted by original member Martin Fry and earlier this week, the dapper crooner announced that the band will be playing dates throughout the UK over the next several months. Luckily though, there are three US dates on the 2021 schedule, and they’re all in Southern California.
On November 18th, ABC will play The Canyon (Agoura), on November 20th they’ll slide on over to at The Canyon (Montclair), and finally, they’ll finish up on November 21st at The Canyon (Santa Clarita).
MARTIN FRY | PHOTO FROM MARTIN FRY WEBSITE
Return to the wonderfully fashionable ‘80s in style by checking out ABC live.
