0027 - ABC

In my previous posting on A Flock Of Seagulls, much of what I had to say was gushing praise for two of their three singles released in 1982.  ABC also released 3 singles in 1982, but go one better than A Flock Of Seagulls - they're all excellent.

All three singles - Poison Arrow, The Look Of Love and All Of My Heart  - are taken from the album The Lexicon Of Love, an undoubted classic of the era which, to my shame, I don't actually own a copy of.  Instead, I once again have a smattering of ABC tunes - the three singles already mentioned, and When Smokey Sings and Bad Blood, both from their 1987 album Alphabet City.

Poison Arrow was the second single from The Lexicon Of Love.  The first, Tears Are Not Enough, was a top 20 hit in 81, but it was Poison Arrow, their first top 10 hit, that really announced ABC's arrival.  Obligatory Top Of The Pops performance:

I'm impressed by their showmanship - not simply the sneering and gold lamé, but even more so, the grand piano, timpani, gong and vibraphone.  It's highly doubtful that any of these instruments actually appear on the record, but they look damn good.

Follow up single The Look Of Love is even better.  I have a weird memory of this song playing on a car radio when I was being driven to some sports event in primary school - I was in the 4x100m relay team.  Strange how a song can make such an impression on you...  Anyway, yes.  Terrific song with a smashing video:

Best of The Lexicon Of Love's singles though, is the final one, All Of My Heart, a dramatic epic of a ballad:

Besides being a classic album of the era, The Lexicon of Love was also important in that it cemented the reputation of producer Trevor Horn and provided the template for his raft of 80s successes.  It also brought together all the major players of the record label ZTT for the first time

By the time we get to 1987 and the other two tracks I have here, ABC have morphed from stylish leading purveyors of the New Pop into something of a blue eyed soul band.  I've no idea why I have Bad Blood - it's just an album track from Alphabet City  - but while it's a bit smooth and glossy for my tastes, it's not a bad tune.  When Smokey Sings is much better.  A homage to the fabulous Smokey Robinson and a pastiche of his classic Tears Of A Clown, it was ABC's last big hit.

It would be remiss of me not to have Smokey and The Miracles at this point, wouldn't it? Dig those dance moves: