ABC

ABC are an English pop band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, formed in 1980 after emerging from the earlier electronic group Vice Versa. The group remains active and is fronted by Martin Fry, who is the only constant member.

Style and line-up

ABC work across pop, new wave, new romantic, dance-pop and sophisti-pop, with elements of synth-pop, orchestral music and jazz. The classic line-up also includes Mark White on guitar and keyboards, Stephen Singleton on saxophone, and David Palmer on drums. Other members listed with the group include John Wesley Barker, Dave Clayton and Mark Lickley.

Recorded work and chart success

Their debut album, The Lexicon of Love, reaches number one on the UK Albums Chart and includes the singles “Poison Arrow”, “All of My Heart” and “The Look of Love”. The band follows it with Beauty Stab in 1983 and How to Be a ... Zillionaire! in 1985, the latter producing singles that chart in both the UK and the US. Across 1981 to 1990, ABC have ten UK top 40 singles and five US top 40 singles.

Later career

ABC continue to perform live, issue reissues and occasionally release new material. Martin Fry releases The Lexicon of Love II in 2016 as a sequel to the debut album. The group’s wider studio catalogue also includes Alphabet City (1987), Up (1989), Abracadabra (1991), Skyscraping (1997) and Traffic (2008).

Context

Their early-1980s success in the United States links them with the Second British Invasion.