New Wave Outpost Forum

I'm currently reading Gary Kemp's autobiography (So sue me--I've recently gotten back into listening to Spandau Ballet's early stuff after 20 years or so...) and found an interesting passage discussing Trevor Horn's work with Spandau in remixing "Instinction". In that passage Gary says something to the effect that "Trevor Horn had just come off an incredibly difficult project with ABC and The Lexicon of Love..."

So, given that ABC is one of my favorite bands and I think that The Lexicon of Love is one of greatest NW albums of all time, I tried my (poor) Google-fu to find any information about Trevor's experience with ABC on the making of the album, but came up empty. Any of the gurus here have any info and/or the scoop on this subject?

Thanks and happy holidays to all you Outposters

Trevor Horn was the producer for ABC's Lexicon of Love album. The difficulty he may be referring to is likely the use of new technology and getting the album to sound like it does. It's unlikely that Martin Fry was the subject of his comment. He's never had anything but praise for Trevor Horn.

Here are links to two Sound on Sound articles about Trevor Horn:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1994_ar ... rhorn.html

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/a ... orhorn.htm

Great album, Lexicon of Love, as well as How to be a Zillionaire.

there is almost a whole chapter in the Rip It Up book by Simon Reynolds on Trevor Horn and ABC on the Lexicon of Love recordings

[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>there is almost a whole chapter in the Rip It Up book by Simon Reynolds on Trevor Horn and ABC on the Lexicon of Love recordings
[/quote]

I'll get that book, thanks. In the interim, what's the gist of the chapter?

Very interesting interviews with Horn--thank AstroZon. Based on those, I would guess that by "difficult" he did indeed mean the pioneering use of sequencers and drum machines and that he did a lot of the programming manually in real time. Not that the band members of ABC were difficult. Thanks much [:)]

how ABC was formed and how Trevor Horn worked with them and devised their pop sound

[quote][i]Originally posted by NuWaveRx[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>there is almost a whole chapter in the Rip It Up book by Simon Reynolds on Trevor Horn and ABC on the Lexicon of Love recordings
[/quote]

I'll get that book, thanks. In the interim, what's the gist of the chapter?

Very interesting interviews with Horn--thank AstroZon. Based on those, I would guess that by "difficult" he did indeed mean the pioneering use of sequencers and drum machines and that he did a lot of the programming manually in real time. Not that the band members of ABC were difficult. Thanks much [:)]
[/quote]

Yea, Trevor was breaking new ground. The Fairlight CMI was rather massive sampler - and very cutting edge for its day. In London, they were usually rented (hired) and required a trained operator. Trevor owned his and knew it as well as anyone in England at the time.

He was also right there when what we now know as New Wave was taking off like a rocket. There wasn't much in the way of established precedences for recording synths, drum samples, sampled instruments, using digital delays, etc. It was all new, and all there at once.

Plus, he was still using reel to reel, 16 track. That means that everything had to be synced by hand. I do it now on my computer in minutes - it took them hours or days.

By the way, I was recovering from the flu Monday and sat in front of my computer and synths and made this: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11318797 A little nod to the Art of Noise.

It was probably incredibly difficult making the world's first 278-track recording.

Seriously, I love the hit singles on that album as much as the next guy but you could have stripped about 8 things out of each one of the arrangements and made a better record. The standout track, "The Look of Love," needed the whomp-bomp keyboard line taken OUT. It adds nothing -- it actually takes away from it.

For what it's worth, Paul McCartney asked Trevor Horn to produce 2 tracks on his 1989 Flowers In The Dirt album ("Rough Ride" and "How Many People"), the stipulation being that Trevor had to do each in one day since McCartney mentioned in interviews to promote the album that Horn had a reputation for laboring over a single track for months on end and Paul wanted to work fast.

Neither song is any good. Perhaps if both Paul and Trevor had worked a little harder they might've come off better (then again, perhaps not):

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q5UAMKPR3Lk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The collaboration with Elvis Costello produced better results:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2rJ2LRxzxbI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lexicon stands as one of the greatest moments in both ABC's and Horn's. Everything clicked together, and for me it was an excellent team effort which resulted in some great and innovative music.

As for ABC's music through the years, I love Beauty Stab for the excellent left-turn that it is faults and all and Zillionare for another fresh angle, but it's still the debut album that works the best. One of the few definitive debuts in my opinion.

Horn had produced too many records for a short judgement, but Lexicon is a major highlight of many.