John Martin

Apologies to all those John Martyn fans hovering over their keyboards, poised to point out my typo. Of course, I'm talking about John Cale and Martin Fry, both celebrating their birthday today.

 

This is the third time I've celebrated John Cale's birthday, starting with his 80th in 2022 and then belatedly last year. First time for Martin, though he (and ABC) have been regulars here, most recently with a Dubhed selection in January.

Whilst John will be blowing out 82 candles today, Martin will be taking a deep breath to tackle 66. Between them, they have been responsible for some of the greatest music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Not bad for a couple of lads out of Garnant and Stockport respectively.

 

I had the very great honour of seeing John Cale live in concert last August. I've not (yet) seen ABC, though I know a man who has and I see that Martin is back on the road with an intimate night of music and conversation later this year.

 

To celebrate, rather than the usual format of six videos, I've picked one for each gent and refreshed the two Dubhed selections that I've previously posted for each, with links at the bottom of this page.

 

The first video is Pretty People, posted just over a month ago, and one of the two tracks exclusively available on a bonus 7" with the double vinyl of Mercy, John Cale's most recent album.

 

The second is an archive clip of ABC on TopPop, Netherlands music TV show and favourite here since I discovered it on YouTube. Dating from May 1987, not only does Martin perform When Smokey Sings, but he also gets to meet Smokey Robinson for the first time in a linking segment. 

 

It's a delightfully awkward moment and the presenter sticks with an understandably fazed and nervous Martin whilst Smokey pops off for a remarkably swift costume change and performance of his own song, Just To See Her. A lovely 10 minutes.

 

Many happy returns, John and Martin!

 

 

Try To Separate Me From My Life: John Cale (2023)

 

Waiting For My Hearing To Return: John Cale (2023)

 

The Kindest Cut's The Cruelest Part: ABC (2022)

 

It's Fry Day, I'm In Love: Martin Fry & ABC (2023)

It's Fry Day, I'm In Love

It might not be Martin Fry's birthday until March but what the heck, let's celebrate with ABC anyway!

 

I last (and first) posted an ABC selection here back in November 2022, but I had the privilege of having a follow-up Imaginary Compilation Album hosted by JC at The Vinyl Villain in April 2023. So, adhering to the (made up right now) mandatory requirement to observe Fry Day randomly once per year, here's a brand new 12-song selection, split into two slightly overlong vinyl sides. Heck, if Ronco and K-Tel could do it in the 1970s and 1980s, so can I.

 

I've intentionally included one song from each of ABC's nine studio albums to date, from 1982's The Lexicon Of Love to it's eventual - and inevitable - sequel in 2016. I've included a couple of late 80s 12" A-sides too, plus a collaboration with David Arnold covering a James Bond theme tune, all of which choices were more by feel than design. 

 

Overall, I think it's a fairly representative overview of how much - and little - has changed in over four decades: the line-up, the lame suit, the lush orchestration, the lyrics. Things may come and go, but Martin Fry's vision (and incredibly, his voice) remain undimmed. 

Side One

1) Love Is It's Own Reward (1997)

2) The Ship Of The Seasick Sailor (2016)

3) Validation (2008)

4) The Night You Murdered Love (Sheer Chic Mix By The Funky Sisters ft. Contessa Lady V) (1987)

5) Poison Arrow (Album Version By Trevor Horn & Gary Langan) (1982)

6) This Must Be Magic (1991)

Side Two

1) Thunderball (Cover of Tom Jones): David Arnold ft. Martin Fry (1997)

2) Unzip (1983)

3) Love Conquers All (Extended Version By Dave Bascombe) (1991)

4) Never More Than Now (Album Version By Graeme Park & Mike Pickering) (1989)

5) Fear Of The World (Album Version By ABC & Julian Mendelsohn) (1985)

6) Jealous Lover (1987)

1982: The Lexicon Of Love: A5

1983: Beauty Stab: B2

1985: How To Be A... Zillionaire!: B5

1987: Alphabet City: B6

1987: The Night You Murdered Love EP: A4

1989: Up: B4

1991: Abracadabra: A6

1991: Love Conquers All EP: B3

1997: Shaken And Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project: B1

1997: Skyscraping: A1

2008: Traffic: A3

2016: The Lexicon Of Love II: A2

 

Side One (26:30) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (25:47) (KF) (Mega)  

 

You can find my previous ABC selection from 2022 here

 

Health warning: Side 1, track 4 features The Funky Sisters who are neither sisters nor women, but rather Hit Factory head honcho Pete Waterman and PWL remix artists Phil Harding and Pete Hammond.

The Kindest Cut's The Cruelest Part

The Lexicon Of Love by ABC regularly features in "Greatest Albums Of The 1980s", usually to be found in the Top 10, often in the Top 5. I loved the singles, I loved Martin Fry's gold lamé suit, I loved the lush orchestration of the songs. All that and I didn't own the album until I bought the 30th anniversary deluxe CD of The Lexicon Of Love in 2012. 

 

It was buying belated sequel The Lexicon Of Love II in 2016 that finally prompted me to catch up with ABC's back catalogue, seven further albums in the 34 years between each Lexicon.

 

Through the 1980s, the stable core of a revolving line-up was Martin Fry and Mark White. White retired from music after 1991's Abracadabra album and ABC has continued with Fry as the sole founding member ever since.

 

It's been an interesting ride: second album Beauty Stab tried so hard not to be The Lexicon Of Love II and was a relative commercial failure, but the album reveals some great pop songs nevertheless. How To Be A... Zillionaire! and Alphabet City brought back some of the more familiar ABC sounds whilst being more firmly rooted in the 1980s than their arguably timeless debut. I remember being appalled by how awful When Smokey Sings was when I first heard it. The UK record buying public disagreed and I'll admit that I've grown to like the song over subsequent years.

 

Up and Abracadabra were blatant attempts to tap into the dance/pop crossover, 1991's Unlock The Secrets Of Your Heart name checking Shoom and The Hacienda (808 State's Lift, anyone?) At the time, I considered ABC past their sell-by date. Martin Fry already seemed old as the hills - he was actually in his early 30s - and it was hard to imagine him throwing shapes in a club. These songs have perhaps dated the most but on reflection, Fry and White's knack for a good tune and lyrics was pretty spot on.

 

The 'solo' albums Skyscraping (1997) and Traffic (2008) are lost gems, familiar ABC characteristics intact, both recalling Beauty Stab's (synth) guitar-heavy sound. Something that I'd missed/forgotten until returning to write this post was that much of Skyscraping was co-written with Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory, who also contributes keyboards. On Traffic, Fry reunited with former ABC drummer David Palmer, one of two co-writers and performers on the album, the other being Rod Stewart collaborator Chuck Kentis.

 

So, here's my first ABC selection, a C90-friendly side of eleven songs, spanning all nine albums providing a healthy dose of sunshine pop, grit and glitter, strings and tears. 

 

The title for today's selection is a line from All Of My Heart. The cover photo is from a school trip to Paris, circa 1986, and I'm guessing is a view atop the Arc De Triomphe. As the photo was taken on an (even at the time) crappy old camera and is blurred, dull and out of focus, I've applied a Leonardo Da Vinci filter from LunaPic to zhuzh it up a bit.

 

1) The Love Inside The Love (2016)

2) When Smokey Sings (7") (Remix By Bernard Edwards & Julian Mendelsohn) (1987)

3) Unlock The Secrets Of Your Heart (1991)

4) That Was Then But This Is Now (1983)

5) All Of My Heart (Album Version By Trevor Horn & Gary Langan) (1982)

6) Ocean Blue (Pacific Mix By Julian Mendelsohn) (1985)

7) One Better World (Album Version By ABC, Graeme Park & Mike Pickering) (1989)

8) Think Again (1987)

9) Life Shapes You (2008)

10) Ask A Thousand Times (1997)

11) Be Near Me (Album Version By ABC, Martyn Webster & Julian Mendelsohn) (1985)

1982: The Lexicon Of Love: 5

1983: Beauty Stab: 4

1985: How To Be A... Zillionaire!: 11

1985: Ocean Blue EP: 6

1987: Alphabet City: 8

1987: When Smokey Sings EP: 2

1989: Up: 7

1991: Abracadabra: 3

1997: Skyscraping: 10

2008: Traffic: 9

2016: The Lexicon Of Love II: 1

The Kindest Cut's The Cruelest Part (46:25) (KF) (Mega)