Spandau Ballet and the story of how image and expert marketing came before the music

The Twelve Inch 133 "To Cut A Long Story Short" (Spandau Ballet)

Welcome, I’m Pe Dupre and this is “The Twelve Inch”, a newsletter that tells the history of dance music between 1975 and 1995, one twelve inch at a time.

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A Night in London: Rediscovering New Romanticism

In the late '90s, I was lucky enough to have a friend living in London, which meant frequent visits to the city’s cutting-edge nightlife. My friend had an uncanny ability to find the best places to eat, explore, and party. One night stands out in particular: we stumbled into a club hosting a "Romo" night—a revival of the early ‘80s New Romantic movement. Looking back, it was a miracle we were even let in. We certainly didn’t look the part, but everyone else did. I vividly remember standing next to someone in a frilly white shirt, wearing makeup, and balancing what looked like a vintage lampshade (with some pieces missing) on his head.(I've never felt more underdressed than I did that night)

It felt like a time machine had transported us back to London in 1980, dropping us at The Blitz Club with Rusty Egan on the decks. That night, I danced like I never had before (and possibly never since), fully immersing myself in the glamour, the eccentricity, and the sheer joy of a movement that was more than just fashion—it was a way of life.

The Rise of the New Romantics: A Rebellion in Fashion and Mascara

The New Romantic movement emerged in the late 1970s as a stylish counter to punk's raw, aggressive energy. While punk rebelled against the harshness of life in the UK, New Romanticism embraced glamour, excess, and indulgence. Bold and flamboyant, it brought outlandish hairstyles, frilled shirts, and men confidently wearing mascara into the spotlight. This wasn’t just about fashion—it was a celebration of self-expression, where individuals were participants in a cultural revolution, not mere consumers. Drawing inspiration from pirate swagger to 18th-century dandyism, dressing up became an art form, with each person transforming into a walking masterpiece.

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Fun Fact : Vivienne Westwood

The rise of the New Romantic movement into the mainstream aligned perfectly with Vivienne Westwood’s launch of her iconic "Pirate Collection." This bold fashion statement was championed by bands like Bow Wow Wow and Adam and the Ants, both managed by her then-partner, Malcolm McLaren.

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The Blitz and the Architects of a Movement: Steve Strange and Rusty Egan

The epicenter of the New Romantic scene was The Blitz Club, spearheaded by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. What started as "Bowie Nights" at Billy’s quickly evolved into the hub of a new cultural movement when they moved to the Blitz. Strange hated the word "movement," “I hate to call it a movement. It’s moving into, like, a whole style of people’s self expression” “The whole idea : a complete change, all the time moving with the music, with the style, with the clothes” In hindsight, it's clear that much of it was carefully orchestrated—a brilliant example of expert marketing.

Rusty Egan provided the soundtrack, spinning a blend of electronic beats, Bowie, Roxy Music, disco and cutting-edge sounds like krautrock. Essentially anything that he could get his hands on and that sounded electronic and futuristic.It was space-age dance music that accelerated way beyond the disco of the late seventies.

Just like Studio 54 in New York, Blitz had a strict door policy. Steve Strange personally decided who was worthy of entry, famously turning away Mick Jagger one night while welcoming David Bowie with open arms. Bowie’s iconic "Ashes to Ashes" video, featuring Blitz kids like Steve Strange, helped launch New Romanticism into mainstream pop culture. In the video, Bowie takes on a Pierrot (sad clown) persona, with Steve Strange and three Blitz kids, including fashion designers Judith Frankland and Daria Jane Gilroy, making appearances. Bowie invited them to join the video after meeting them at the Blitz club, offering £50 each for their roles.

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Fun Fact : The rejection

A lot of bands that were considered New Romantic, weren’t keen to be associated with the movement. Adam Ant, Japan, Soft Cell all rejected the association. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) frontman Andy McCluskey ridiculed the movement in a 2010 interview, saying, "Completely separate from electronic music or the future there was all the fucking Southern New Romantic bollocks. I mean, if we were ever called New Romantics there'd be a fight... 'Am I wearing a kilt? Am I wearing enough eyeliner? Is my shirt frilly enough?' Oh, fuck off!” OMD have, nevertheless, been labeled as part of the New Romantic movement, a classification that keyboardist Paul Humphreys compares to"calling a Scotsman 'English'."

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Spandau Ballet: Crafting a Legacy Through Image and Innovation

The New Romantic movement opened doors for emerging talent, giving artists a platform to make their mark. Steve Strange launched his own project, Visage, while others like Marilyn, Martin Degville of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and Boy George rose as notable “Blitz Kids.” Among them were Gary Kemp and Steve Norman, who would go on to form Spandau Ballet.

Gary and Steve first decided to start a band in October 1976 after seeing the Sex Pistols perform. As close friends and schoolmates, they brought in John Keeble on drums, Michael Ellison on bass, and Tony Hadley as lead vocals. When Ellison left in 1977, Gary’s brother Martin Kemp stepped in on bass. Early regulars at Billy's in Soho, the band shifted their sound to align with the burgeoning electronic music scene. Writer Robert Elms, another Blitz Kid, suggested the name change from “Cut” to Spandau Ballet, after seeing the phrase “Rudolf Hess, all alone, dancing the Spandau Ballet” scrawled on a wall during a trip to Berlin.

The launch of Spandau Ballet’s career was a masterclass in strategic marketing, almost like a blueprint for creating something from nothing. It wasn’t the music that came first—it was the image they wanted to project. Their goal was to be seen as part of the exclusive, trendy crowd that gathered at The Blitz every Tuesday. To make a splash with these tastemakers, they needed their guitarist and songwriter, Gary Kemp, to craft a sound that could impress the elite.

Gary coined their style as "white European disco music," and the band quickly worked on developing this concept. Their manager, Steve Dagger, emphasized the urgency, knowing they had to make an impact soon with competition heating up among their peers to be the next breakout act.

When you listen to their lyrics, it’s clear that image was everything. There wasn’t a deep narrative or message—just a collection of phrases, with the perfect Blitz Kids mantra: "We are beautiful and clean and so very, very young."

Music, Marketing, and Mystique: Spandau Ballet’s Rise to Fame

Their first performance was an exclusive, invitation-only showcase. The goal? To gauge the reaction of the key influencers in the emerging scene. After successfully passing this 'audition,' Spandau Ballet's official debut took place at The Blitz’s Christmas party on December 5, 1979. Recognizing the power and influence of The Blitz’s popularity, the band strategically began planning their next moves to secure the best possible record deal.

Media attention quickly followed, with photographers and film crews gathering outside The Blitz every Tuesday night. However, the band had little interest in engaging with the music press, viewing them as out of touch. Gary Kemp described the atmosphere created by the band's exclusivity: “No demo tapes were sent out, and although our name was spreading quickly around town and beyond, very few people knew what we sounded like. It made them want to hear us even more”

Dagger, however, recognized the need for more media exposure to maintain the band's momentum. He arranged for profiles in two London newspapers and secured a review of one of their concerts in New Musical Express. When the producer of a Sex Pistols documentary expressed interest in featuring Spandau Ballet, the band jumped at the chance. On May 13, 1980, they performed in front of television cameras and an audience filled with journalists and record label executives. The documentary aired on July 13, sparking immediate interest from several major labels. This set the stage for a bidding war that soon followed.

The winners are: Chrysalis Records and.. Richard James Burgess

After signing with Chrysalis Records, the band released "To Cut a Long Story Short" on October 31, 1980. The track was produced by Richard James Burgess of Landscape, a natural choice for the role. They had a connection from their days at The Blitz, and as Burgess later explained in an interview, it was a case of mutual support: I was very excited about that and I had seen the band at nearly all of their first six gigs. I knew them personally from The Blitz and liked them. I also knew that we could make a great album that would be a hit and that the Landscape album would be more likely to chart if I had a hit with Spandau Ballet first.

Spandau Ballet’s contract with Chrysalis Records included a unique clause that covered the costs of remixing their tracks specifically for dance clubs. It also granted them full creative control over how their music was presented, allowing them to collaborate with the talented regulars from The Blitz—experts in graphic design, hairstyling, and fashion. The emphasis on image was crucial. "To Cut a Long Story Short" quickly became a top five hit on the UK charts in late 1980 and also cracked the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, and Spain.

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Fun Fact : The influence on another synth-pop standard

Former Depeche Mode keyboardist and songwriter Vince Clarke revealed to Rolling Stone in 2000 that Spandau Ballet's "To Cut a Long Story Short" was the key inspiration behind his 1981 hit, "Just Can't Get Enough." Clarke admitted, "Up to that point, I didn't like dance music or disco at all." But hearing the Spandau Ballet track changed everything: "It was the first time I was genuinely impressed by a rhythm that went 'boom-thwack, boom-thwack, boom-thwack.' It was my first real discovery of dance music, and building a song around that rhythm was a revelation. 'Just Can't Get Enough' was born from that moment."

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The Legacy of the New Romantics: Fashion, Freedom, and Fun

By the early '80s, the New Romantic movement had started to fade, but its impact on music, fashion, and culture was undeniable. Many 80s artists created their finest work during the new romantic era. The songs had more raw energy, were less polished, and were indeed more interesting to listen to. New Romantics were more than just fashionistas. They were a cultural movement challenging societal norms and celebrating self-expression. Their legacy is a reminder that fashion can be a powerful tool for rebellion, creativity, and pure, unadulterated fun. The New Romantic period has had a major influence on what happened the rest of the eighties. (In episode 125 about Scritti Politti I tell the story of New Pop). New Pop is the successor of the New Romantics. It’s the logical next phase and wouldn’t have happened without it. The New Romantic movement was also the kickstarter of a lot of the successful eighties artists like Boy George & Culture Club, Depeche Mode, Blancmange..etc..

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Fun Fact : What If..

They were ahead of their time, embodying a mix of escapism and narcissism, always taking pictures of one another. It’s intriguing to imagine how New Romanticism might have evolved if it had emerged in the age of smartphones—where self-expression and image-sharing would have been instantly amplified.

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Spandau Ballet : a textbook case

Spandau Ballet smoothly reinvented their image as the New Romantic movement faded. Their most successful era came with their third album, True, where they shifted from the electronic sound of their first two records to a more polished, radio-friendly pop, thanks to the production of Swain & Jolley. This transition set the stage for their breakthrough in the U.S.

Many Years later !

Spandau Ballet is a perfect example of brilliant marketing. While such a strategy might not work in today's world, it was pure magic in the early '80s. I have a soft spot for their first two albums, especially "To Cut a Long Story Short," so I wouldn’t say it was all about marketing. But you do have to wonder—would we still be talking about Spandau Ballet today if they hadn’t mastered the art of creating an image before anything else?

What Are Your Memories of "To Cut A Long Story Short"?

I’m curious to know if you knew “To Cut A Long Story Short” before reading this? What are your memories of this song and the New Romantics ?

Further reading (or should I say watching)

There are a number of interesting video’s/links :

1. The official video

2. Top Of The Pops

3. The riffs of the song replayed on the synthesizer it was recorded with

4. A BBC Newsnight report on the New Romantics

So You Wanna Hear More ?

I thought you would !

It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.

Every week, together with this newsletter, I release a 1 hour beatmix on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. I start with the discussed twelve inch and follow up with 10/15 songs from the same timeframe/genre. The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.

The MIXCLOUD Mix Of The Week

So what’s in this week’s mix ?

I set out to create a mix that captures the spirit of Rusty Egan’s playlists at The Blitz. While beatmatching and seamless mixing might not have been tools he used—or even had access to—at the time, the track selection is designed to transport you straight back to early '80s London.

The mix kicks off with a blend of the dub and club versions of "To Cut A Long Story Short," before diving into electro and early new wave staples. Expect tracks from Ultravox, Visage, Devo, OMD, The Human League, and Yellow Magic Orchestra. I've also included danceable new wave gems from Joy Division (tying back to what I discussed in episode [...] about how they were always destined to become New Order, even if Ian Curtis had lived), alongside Thomas Leer.

Rounding it out, there’s some disco flair with Gino Soccio (in French) and Telex, plus a few deep cuts from Cowboys International, Taxi Girl, and Planning By Numbers for those who love a hidden gem.

Enjoy !

Next week, we visit one of the side projects of Duran Duran.