From their early gigs at London’s legendary Blitz Club, Spandau Ballet just dropped their never-before-released track, ‘Eyes,’
Legends of the New Romantic era – band members Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble recorded the gothic post-punk gem when the group was still called Gentry.
Though it was not included in 1981 their debut LP, Journeys to Glory, ‘Eyes’ had its live debut on December 5, 1979 at the Blitz Club’s iconic Christmas party.
About the song Gary said “It’s kind of gothic post-punk. It suits what was going on at the time with Joy Division, Siouxsie and Magazine… We liked the dirty garage quality of that period.”
The never-before-released track comes ahead of Everything Is Now – Vol 1: 1978–1982. a new box set dropping September 12, The definitive early-years collection features the iconic act’s first two albums, Journeys To Glory and 1982’s Diamond, rare demos, and unreleased material featuring Spandau Ballet before they became chart royalty.
The set also includes a 44-page book with original photos from fellow Blitz Kid Graham Smith and new commentary from the whole band, Dolby Atmos remixes by Steven Wilson, and much more.
The new song and box set coincides with London’s Design Museum’s exhibition Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s, which opens on September 20.
A must for fans of the ’80s, the exhibition tells the story of the Blitz Kids who pioneered new music, fashion, film, design and more from the tiny Soho nightclub. Spandau Ballet were the only act to ever play the club. At the True band’s debut show at Blitz Club they were offered a record contract mid-set by Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records, and the rest is history.
Singer Hadley recalled: “The Blitz was a real sweatbox when we performed there, but we just had this sense that things were changing. As a young person you want to create a stir. And we did.”
Pre-order Everything Is Now – Vol 1: 1978–1982 is now via spandauballet.lnk.to/EverythingIsNowPS.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Distributed by Chrysalis Records (U.S.) – Public Domain