ABC's Bio - Miscellaneous - http://maxpages.com/amusicbios/ABC

Refer This Site
To A Friend

A Bios

A Day For Honey
A House
A Man Called Adam
A Reminiscent Drive
A Tribe Called Quest
AC
AJ Croce
Alambama 3 or A3
Aaliyah
Aaron Carter
Aaron Hall
Adam Jeoffry
Aaron Tippin
Abba
ABC
Abe Lincoln Story
Abhorner
Abigail
Ablaze My Sorrow
Above the Law
Abra Moore
Abraxas
Abseloute Zeros
Abstract Rude and Tribe Unique
Abstract Tribe Unique
Abyssinians
AC DC
Acanto
Accept
Ace and the Ragers
Ace of the Base
Acheron
Acid Bath
Acrimony
Action Figures
Adam and the Ants
Adam Brand
Adam Cohen
Adam F
Adam F and Tim
Adamski
Add N To X
Addict
hOmEs

dAwOrKz

MuSiC hOmE

AlL mUsIc BiOs

Visit Our FREE Template Gallery & Create Your FREE Web Site!

NEW! Poetry and Doll Maker with Galleries! [Learn About Our Ecommerce]

Graphics Gallery!

ABC's Bio

In 1979 two young musicians from Sheffield decide to form their own band: Vice Versa. The two, Mark White and Stephen Singleton, set up their own record label, Neutron records, and start making weird electronic music using cheap synthesizers. They release a four track EP entitled Music 4 which quickly sells out its thousand copies. Things really start to roll for them when they do an interview with the editor of a local fanzine called Modern Drugs. The editor, an English Lit. student named Martin Fry, is apparently "the first person in the world who understands what we are doing". The three get on very well and Martin joins the band. By accident he becomes the singer and the three record a few tracks in Rotterdam before changing their name and direction.

They have a new name, ABC, add a rhythm section (drummer Dave Robinson, quickly replaced by David Palmer, and bassist Marc Lickley) and change their style. One of the tracks recorded in Rotterdam, Stilyagi, is posthumously released as the last Vice Versa single and the five piece ABC start rehearsing and creating their own songs. After half a year of hard work their first single is recorded: the rough and funky Tears Are Not Enough. Helped by a buzz created around the group, it reaches the UK top twenty. The group have already signed a massive deal with Phonogram and then decide to record an album with the young Buggles and Dollar producer Trevor Horn.

It appears to be a masterstroke as the first two singles with Horn hit the mark. Poison Arrow and The Look Of Love both hit the UK top 6 and make a big impact. Bassist Marc Lickley leaves then group and when the debut album The Lexicon Of Love is released it is an immediate success. It enters the UK chart at number one and stays there for four weeks. A fourth single of the album, All Of My Heart gives the group another top five hit.

ABC then embark on a world tour and create an 55-minute espionage thriller with director Julien Temple. The movie, Mantrap, is set against the decor of the world tour. David Palmer has left the group immediately after the tour and the remaining three start working on their second album.

They decide to switch their style and opt for a rawer sound. They skip the glamorous parts of their sound and replace it with rough guitars and saxophone solos. Aided by a rhythm section consisting of Andy Newmark and Alan Spenner they record an album that sounds like a live album in the studio. There is social and political awareness in the lyrics and the record heavily contrasts to The Lexicon Of Love. It is a fine record though but the critics and public fail to see it as such. Still it sells well (a UK number 12) but not as much as Lexicon.

After the album, Stephen Singleton leaves the band. Fry and White start looking for replacements and audition 700 musicians. They don't find similar minds and change their minds. They add the extravagant Eden and David Yarritu to the band. They don't play on the records but only make a ABC look like a group. Aided by some guest musicians the band records How To Be A Zillionaire, an electro-dance record which gives them a lot of success in the US. Be Near Me gives them their first US top 10 hit and How To Be A Millionaire and Vanity Kills become massive dance floor favourites as well.

Then the group have to put all activity on hold. Martin Fry gets very ill (Hodgkins Disease, a form of cancer) and has to fight for his life. Still not fully recovered he gets married and records the fourth album Alphabet City with Mark White as a duo. The first two singles, produced by Bernard Edwards, bring ABC back to the top of the Eurpean charts and When Smokey Sings even gives them their biggest US hit ever(number 5). After the release of a third single ABC try their hands at production and produce records for Lizzie Tear and Paul Rutherford.

Having already signed to another major record company (EMI) they record their latest album on Phonogram: Up. Helped by DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park, the album is very house influenced and the songs are danceable and uplifting. The record is about "Joy, Euphoria, Deep Pain and a greater sense of humanity", as Martin helpfully explains what ABC is all about in 1989.

The pair contribute a track, the fantastic Mythical Girl, to a solo record by Arthur Baker before Phonogram starts exploiting the ABC catalogue. First of all they bring out a remix of The Look Of Love. Mark and Martin hate the remix and urge fans not to buy the remix which they describe as shoddy. The compilation album Absolutely is much better and gives ABC another UK top 10 album. This is an essential record for people who want to learn their ABC.

Abracadabra is re-recorded a couple of times before its final release mid 1991 and it fails to give EMI the success they demand. Mark White subsequently leaves the group as he feels he hasn't got anything more to say in ABC. Martin Fry goes on and starts recording new tracks. One of the tracks, Viva Love, is scheduled for a release but then EMI decide to drop the act and Martin signs up for Deconstruction.

First of all he records tracks by himself and then teams up with Heaven 17 singer Glenn Gregory and guitarist Keith Lowndes. The three start making music for enjoyment as the Magic Skulls and record about nine techno tracks. Then they switch their style and start recording an ABC comeback album. Skyscraping is released early 1997 and ABC even return to the stage as they do two UK tours within four months, as well as playing at the Phoenix festival. Three singles from the album are released: Stranger Things, Skyscraping and Rolling Sevens.

Martin Fry also records Thunderball for an album of James Bond themes by David Arnold, entitled Shaken Not Stirred.. Then he leaves Deconstruction but re-emerges in December 1998 with a superb band, supporting Culture Club together with the Human League at an UK sell-out Arena tour.

To be continued!

Sign Guestbook

View Guestbook

JAdaveyo6@aol.com

Visitors: 00442

Page Updated Tue Apr 25, 2000 10:27am EDT