Song of the Day: 'Instinction' by Spandau Ballet

Probably the first song I ever heard by the British New Romantics -- either on "Rock Over London" or when we belatedly got MTV in '82. ("Paint Me Down" is even better.) If you haven't seen the documentary about the boys -- in which they're seen on a quiz show with Duran Duran pretending like they've never heard one of their far-more-popular rival's biggest hits -- it's worth a watch! They make the Eagles seem like they get along!

Song of the Day: 'In Love With You' by Freestylers

Best use of this bass line since Spandau Ballet's wrote it for "To Cut a Long Story Short" in 1980!

7-inch single cover

I'd Tumble 4 Them

Loved Michael Musto's list of the 10 Cutest Guys From the 1980s New Wave. Did my own and found we had surprisingly little overlap.

Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes were all the girls at Dobson High ever talked about. But Roger Taylor was the stud in the band for me. 

Bono who? Larry Mullen Jr. was all I was looking at back in U2's heyday ...

The Kemp brothers were handsome, but Spandau Ballet saxophonist/jack-of-all-instruments Steve Norman (and Larry) had me doubting I wasn't "into blond guys." 

Kooky-looking Dale and Terry Bozzio were the focal point of Missing Persons, but guitarist Warren Cuccurullo (left) was the sexy one ... 

and he only got sexier when he joined Duran Duran and started dabbling in home-made pornography.

Easy to see why Boy George was so lovesick back in the '80s -- his bicurious drummer boyfriend, Jon Moss, could cause anyone's self-esteem to take a tumble.

Pretty boys aren't usually my thing, but Adam Ant had just the right hint of masculinity mixed in to make him irresistible.

Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet is the dictionary definition of tall, dark and handsome.

Annabella Lwin was an underage sex kitten, but I barely noticed she was in Bow Wow Wow with David Barbarossa behind her on drums.

Michael Hutchence was definitely sexy, but I always thought the hottest man in INXS was Jon Farriss. Maybe I have a thing for drummers.

Lloyd Cole's face was almost as sexy as his brain.

BONUS BOYS:

Not that I'd kick John Taylor out of bed for smoking cloves.

  Nick Heyward was the pretty-boy face of Haircut 100. But percussionist Mark Fox -- who became lead singer after Nick's nervous breakdown -- was my love plus one.

He was a pretty boy, indeed, but KajaGooGoo singer Limahl was too cute to resist.

UPDATE:

Billy Idol should have been on there, huh?

Spandau Ballet's Still Got It

Been dragging my feet writing about this, but ended up buying 11th hour tickets to see Spandau Ballet at the Beacon last weekend. When they first announced the big reunion tour, my first reaction was "Wow, finally the news dozens have been waiting to hear" -- they're widely remembered as a one-hit wonder here in the states -- but the near-capacity and fully engaged crowd proved I was wrong. Unlike every person I asked to go with me, I wasn't a "I only know 'True'" kind of guy, nor did I own every song they ever put out, which I tend to do when I'm really into an artist. Still, it was only when seeing them live -- and then going to see the documentary about the group, "Soul Boys of the Western World," -- did I really come to appreciate how tight and influential a band they are. Unlike many of his blue-eyed soul counterparts, Tony Hadley's pipes sound every bit as strong as the day "To Cut a Long Story Short" first came out nearly 35 years ago. Steve Norman is as hunky and dynamic as ever -- playing nearly a dozen instruments throughout the night. The Kemp brothers are still movie-star handsome and as gifted as ever. (Martin survived a life-threatening brain tumor and Gary has spent the last decade trying to get the guys to stop hating him for his heyday egomania). Drummer John Keeble is a better drummer than he was then, and seemed to be enjoying the reunion most of all. While I was a little disappointed "Musclebound" and "She Loved Like Diamond" were skipped to make way for new songs and later-era material, a rousing rendition of "Chant No. 1" as well as a heavy dose of tunes from the "True" album reminded me why that album did become the group's signature release. "Round and Round," "Communication" and especially "Lifeline" are all pure pop perfection, and had me wondering how Gary Kemp could have been such a gifted songwriter at such a tender age. 

When the boys closed it out with "Gold" -- and the entire theater sang along, this time unprompted -- I realized this was a reunion I was dying to see, even if I didn't realize it at the time.

Set list:

Soul Boy
Highly Strung
Only When You Leave
How Many Lies
Round and Round
This Is the Love Steal
Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
Blitz Medley: Age of Blows Intro / Reformation / Mandolin / Confused / The Freeze
To Cut a Long Story Short
Raw
Glow
Empty Spaces
Gold (sing along, brief version)
Once More
I'll Fly for You
Instinction
Communication
Lifeline
True

Encore:
Through the Barricades
Gold

P.S. Even if you're not a hardcore fan, lovers of '80s music or just '80s history in general will love "Soul Boys of the Western World." Chock-filled with rare footage of the Blitz club, Band Aid, Margaret Thatcher, the U.K. miners' strike and everything in between, it's a real pleaser.

To Cut a Long Story Short

I'm so bummed I missed the premiere of this Spandau Ballet documentary at IFC last night, but my friend Mark saw it on DVD and said it's brilliant! I'm probably going to go this weekend, though. (And who's going to the Beacon gig?)

SYNOPSIS Relive the music, fashion, and spirit of the 1980s via the incredible saga of the rise, fall, and comeback of New Wave legends Spandau Ballet. From the streets of working class London to the top of the pop charts, Spandau Ballet conquered the airwaves in the '80s with international hits like “True” and “Gold.” But the behind-the-scenes story was just as compelling, as the band overcame ego clashes and a bitter breakup to reunite triumphantly for their current tour. Featuring never-before-seen home movies, archival footage, and interviews with the band, "Soul Boys of the Western World" is a captivating chronicle of the roller-coaster ride of fame and an awesomely retro time capsule of the sounds and styles of an unforgettable decade.

Release Dates:
April 29 - Nationwide on VOD 

April 29 - New York, NY - IFC Center
May 8 - Los Angeles, CA - Arena Cinema
May 8 - Columbus, OH - Gateway Film Center 
May 13 - Minneapolis, MN - Trylon Microcinema 
May 15 - Chicago, IL - Gene Siskel Film Center

Music Box: Spandau Ballet

I was a bit of Spandau Ballet queen back in high school -- was anyone immune to the charms of "True" "Only When You Leave" or "Lifeline"? -- yet for some reason never followed through on it in the digital age. When a friend recently invited me to what I think was a corporate event at which singer Tony Hadley was performing, I kind of assumed the band had long called it quits.

   

Silly me, though (this is the era of '80s nostalgia, after all), as I found out after I discovered these fun photos of the guys performing last week at Liverpool Echo Arena -- all still looking very good. (Anyone see those Kemp brothers in "The Krays"?) It appears they're in the middle of a major European tour and while I don't see any U.S. dates scheduled as of yet, I'm thinking it's time to revisit their first few albums that I had back in the day.

 

While I certainly enjoyed their music, truth be told it was my profound attraction to sex sax player/percussionist Steve Norman (so hot "for a blond") that kept me glued to the (M)TV when the band's videos would come on. He was all prep business by the time "True" hit big, but who could forget his earlier incarnation as a leather-daddy in training? To cut a long story short I (nearly) lost my mind.

   

Three classics songs ...