The Lexicon of Love

by ABC

Overview

ABC's debut album combined the talents of the Sheffield, U.K.-based band, particularly lead singer Martin Fry, a fashion plate of a frontman with a Bryan Ferry fixation, and the inventive production style of former Buggles member Trevor Horn and his team of musicians, several of whom would go on to form the Art of Noise. Horn created dense tracks that merged synthesizer sounds, prominent beats, and swaths of strings and horns, their orchestrations courtesy of Anne Dudley, who would follow her work with the Art of Noise by becoming a prominent film composer, and who here underscored Fry's stylized romantic lyrics and dramatic, if affected, singing. The production style was dense and noisy, but frequently beautiful, and the group's emotional songs gave it a depth and coherence later Horn works, such as those of Yes ("Owner of a Lonely Heart") and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, would lack. (You can hear Horn trying out the latter band's style in "Date Stamp.") Fry and company used the sound to create moving dancefloor epics like "Many Happy Returns," which, like most of the album's tracks, deserved to be a hit single. (In the U.K., four were: "Tears Are Not Enough," "Poison Arrow," "The Look of Love," and "All of My Heart," the last three making the Top Ten; in the U.S., "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow" charted Top 40.) ABC, which began fragmenting almost immediately, never equaled its gold-selling first LP commercially or artistically, despite some worthy later songs. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	08/11/2023
Label:	Emi Records / Umr
UPC:	0602445227310

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Show Me
2. Poison Arrow
3. Many Happy Returns
4. Tears Are Not Enough
5. Valentine's Day
6. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1
7. Date Stamp
8. All Of My Heart
9. 4 Ever 2 Gether
10. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4

Disc 2

11. Overture
12. Surrender[Phonogram Demo]
13. Show Me [Phonogram Demo]
14. Tears Are Not Enough [Phonogram Demo]
15. Tears Are Not Enough [Steve Brown 12"]
16. Alphabet Soup [Steve Brown 12"]
17. Theme From `Man Trap'

Disc 3

18. Tears Are Not Enough
19. Poison Arrow [Jazz Mix]
20. The Look Of Love [Special Remix]
21. Overture [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
22. Show Me [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
23. Many Happy Returns [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
24. Tears Are Not Enough [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]

Disc 4

25. Date Stamp [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
26. The Look Of Love [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
27. All Of My Heart [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
28. Valentine's Day [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
29. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]
30. Poison Arrow [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, November 1982]

Disc 5

31. Show Me [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
32. Poison Arrow [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
33. Many Happy Returns [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
34. Tears Are Not Enough [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
35. Valentine's Day [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
36. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1 [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
37. Date Stamp [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
38. All Of My Heart [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
39. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
40. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4 [Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix]
41. Show Me [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
42. Poison Arrow [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
43. Many Happy Returns [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
44. Tears Are Not Enough [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
45. Valentine's Day [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
46. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1 [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
47. Date Stamp [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
48. All Of My Heart [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
49. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
50. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4 [Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix (96/24)]
51. Show Me [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
52. Poison Arrow [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
53. Many Happy Returns [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
54. Tears Are Not Enough [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
55. Valentine's Day [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
56. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1 [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
57. Date Stamp [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
58. All Of My Heart [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
59. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
60. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4 [Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
61. Show Me [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
62. Poison Arrow [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
63. Many Happy Returns [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
64. Tears Are Not Enough [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
65. Valentine's Day [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
66. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1 [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
67. Date Stamp [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
68. All Of My Heart [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
69. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
70. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4 [Steven Wilson Instrumental Hi-Res Stereo Mix]
71. Show Me [Original Stereo Mix]
72. Poison Arrow [Original Stereo Mix]
73. Many Happy Returns [Original Stereo Mix]
74. Tears Are Not Enough [Original Stereo Mix]
75. Valentine's Day [Original Stereo Mix]
76. The Look Of Love, Pt. 1 [Original Stereo Mix]
77. Date Stamp [Original Stereo Mix]
78. All Of My Heart [Original Stereo Mix]
79. 4 Ever 2 Gether [Original Stereo Mix]
80. The Look Of Love, Pt. 4 [Original Stereo Mix]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

ABC   Primary Artist
Anne Dudley   Guest Artist,Keyboards
Karen Clayton   Vocals,Spoken Word
David Palmer   Percussion,Drums
Mark White   Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background),Guitar
Brad Lang   Guitar (Bass)
John Thirkell   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Mark Lickley   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Martin Fry   Vocals
Gaynor Sadler   Harp
Andy Gray   Trombone
David Robinson   Drums
J.J. Jeczalik   Fairlight
Tessa Webb   Vocals,Lead Vocals
Kim Wear   Trumpet
Stephen Singleton   Saxophone

Technical Credits

David Palmer   Composer,Composer
Mark White   Composer,Composer
David Robinson   Composer,Composer
Steven Wilson   Mixing
Gered Mankowitz   Photography
ABC   Composer
Anne Dudley   Composer,Orchestration
Gary Langan   Engineer
Steve Brown   Producer
Mark Lickley   Composer
Peter White   Composer
Stephen Barry Singleton   Composer
Trevor Horn   Producer
Steve Singleton   Composer
Dee Palmer   Composer
Martin Fry   Composer,Liner Notes
Maurice White   Composer
Giles Smith   Liner Notes
Dick Beetham   Digital Remastering
Paul Cox   Photography
Doug Robinson   Composer
Stephen Singleton   Composer
Mark Christopher Lickley   Composer