ABC

Sticking with another 1980s pop record, very much the sound of an era in Britain. This was never meant to be ‘serious music’, there were plenty of other bands taking themselves seriously enough at the time. However, it was a good dose of strong vocals, slick production, and songs that were that little bit ‘different’. You remember the chorus, and sometimes all of the lyrics. They were played on the radio, the videos were shown on TV, and (almost) nobody really hated them.

ABC is an English pop band that originated in Sheffield in 1980, evolving from the earlier ensemble Vice Versa. The band’s classic formation featured Martin Fry as the lead vocalist, Mark White on guitar and keyboards, Stephen Singleton playing the saxophone, and David Palmer behind the drums. They had a lot of hits at the time, and developed a good following. Lead singer Martin Fry is still performing as ABC, with different band members.

Ah, mm
Whoa, whoa, whoa
When your world is full of strange arrangements
And gravity won’t pull you through
You know you’re missing out on something
Well that something depends on you
All I’m saying
It takes a lot to love you
All I’m doing
You know it’s true
All I mean now
There’s one thing yes one thing
That turns this gray sky to blue
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
When your girl has left you out on the pavement (goodbye)
Then your dreams fall apart at the seams
Your reason for living’s, your reason for leaving
Don’t ask me what it means
I don’t know the answer to that question
(Where’s the look)
If I knew I would tell you
What’s the look
Look for your information
Yes there’s one thing, the one thing
That still holds true
(What’s that)
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
The look of love
If you judge a book by the cover
Then you judge the look by the lover
I hope you’ll soon recover
Me I go from one extreme to another
And all my friends just might ask me
They say, “Martin, maybe one day you’ll find true love”
And I say, maybe there must be a solution to
The one thing, the one thing we can’t find
Sisters and brothers
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
Should help each other
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
Heavens above
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
Hip hip hooray aye
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
Yippie aiy yippee yaye
(That’s the look, that’s the look)
Be lucky in love
Look of love
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: David Gerald Palmer / Mark Andrew White / Martin David Fry / Stephen Barry Singleton
The Look of Love lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

The Look Of Love

Not the famous Bacharach song, far from it. I have already covered that one and this only shares its title. In 1980, a new band emerged on the scene. They were part of the trend know as the ‘New Romantics’, most famously represented by groups like Spandau Ballet, and Duran Duran. They were called ABC, and though thought to be in the same genre, they had a harder edge, and a sharper look than most of their contemporaries.

The lead singer, Martin Fry, had an obvious talent for singing, and a voice that had power and style. I liked them immediately, and bought their 1982 debut album ‘The Lexicon Of Love’. This went to number one on the UK charts, and produced four top-selling singles too. However, despite a few subsequent albums, they were destined never to enjoy such success again. Some members began to leave the band, and before long, Fry was all that was left.

He has since tried a couple of comeback tours, and even managed to sell out the Albert Hall, in 2017. But it is only die-hard fans who remember them now, and music has moved on. They are unlikely to ever hit the charts again, and their heyday is just a memory. But it’s a fond memory, at least for me.