In 1983, Spandau Ballet delivered a track that defined the New Wave era.
Driven by a standout vocal performance and lush production, “True” immediately shot up the charts and became a signature moment for 80s pop. The tune became a benchmark for the band’s sound, opening doors and defining their career.
Fox News reported that lead guitarist Gary Kemp wrote the track when he was just 22 years old. Other group members included frontman Tony Hadley, bassist Martin Kemp, saxophonist Steve Norman, and drummer John Keeble.
Kemp explained that “True” was inspired by a “platonic relationship” he was having with a fellow singer. The songwriter added, “I think I wanted to write a song that was a bit like a Marvin Gaye, Al Green song, a blue-eyed soul song. It was at a time when I was concentrating on melody first rather than the sort of riff and the groove.”
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Kemp concluded, “My brother and I, being the kind of ordinary chaps that we are, we were still living at home with our parents. So I mean, probably I would be playing that song to him in our bedroom and then our Mum would go, ‘Come down, your dinner’s ready!’”
Bandmate Norman added, “You never know if a song is going to be a classic. “We’re in the studio recording it, and then we started to sing. Gary was sort of playing the guitar, I believe, and we were all there sort of singing along, and then there was a little bit of magic in the studio there. That was the first indication that we were onto something special.”
Rolling Stone Australia cited “True” as one of its 200 Best Songs of the ’80s. They wrote, “Spandau Ballet gave us all a New Romantic slow-dance classic with ‘True,’ one of the decade’s most divisive hits—you either love this one or hate it. But some of us cherish every moment, especially the way Tony Hadley turns the word ‘true’ into a 17-syllable sob.” The tune ranked at 104.
The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 1983. It had an astonishing 18 week run on the chart and was the group’s only Top 10 hit in the United States. The band would land three more songs in the Top 100 in 1984 including “Gold,” “Only When You Leave,” and “Communication.”
Spandau Ballet captured pure magic with “True,” crafting a single that easily outlasted the 1980s. Decades later, the track still defines the era.
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