Spandau Ballet - Parade

Today (May 25th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Parade, the fourth studio album from Spandau Ballet. Here in the US, it spent sixteen weeks on the Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 50. Around the world, it went to number 38 in Greece, number 9 in Sweden and Switzerland, number 8 in New Zealand, number 7 in Germany and Norway, number 2 in the UK, and number 1 in Italy and the Netherlands.

Spandau Ballet - True (30th anniversary)

Today (March 4th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of True, the third studio album from Spandau Ballet. It would be an understatement for me to say that I love this album. It is easily in my top three albums of my high school and college years. I most definitely will be pulling this one up on my iPod today and enjoying.

For my complete review, please click here.

Spandau Ballet - Journeys To Glory

Today (October 16th) we celebrate the fifty-third birthday of English guitarist, songwriter and actor Gary Kemp. He and his bass-playing younger brother Martin Kemp (who celebrated his fifty-first birthday last week on October 10th) were the foundation of Spandau Ballet along with singer/keyboardist Tony Hadley, saxophonist/guitarist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble.

Spandau Ballet released their first album Journeys to Glory on March 6th, 1981, just ten days after completing its recording. The album hit number 12 in New Zealand and number 5 in their native UK (where it eventually achieved Gold sales status). It generated a trio of hit singles in the UK as well.

Spandau Ballet - True

Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US, so I thought it would be nice to review one of those records I’ve always been “thankful” for. Here is one of those albums.

On March 4th of 1983, UK band Spandau Ballet followed up their second album Diamond (click here for that review) with a record that would become a huge seller for them and finally give them a breakthrough in the US market. True, with a strong mixture of jazz, soul and R&B, went to number 1 on the UK charts, going Platinum there, number 1 on the New Zealand charts and number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 200.