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, All Music Guide
ABC (Main Performer), Anne Dudley (Arranger), Anne Dudley (Keyboards), Anne Dudley (Orchestration), Martin Fry (Vocals), Andy Gray (Trombone), Trevor Horn (Producer), Trevor Horn (Engineer), Luis Jardim (Percussion), Johnathon J. Jeczalik (Synthesizer), Johnathon J. Jeczalik (?), Johnathon J. Jeczalik (Fairlight), Brad Lang (Guitar (Bass)), Gary Langan (Producer), Gary Langan (Engineer), Mark Lickley (Bass), Gaynor Sadler (Harp), Steve Singleton (Sax (Alto)), Steve Singleton (Sax (Tenor)), Kim Wear (Trumpet), Tessa Webb (Vocals), Tessa Webb (Vocals (Background)), Mark White (Guitar), Mark White (Keyboards), David Palmer (Percussion), David Palmer (Drums), Gered Mankowitz (Photography), Visible Ink Ltd. (Cover Design)
The Lexicon of Love is the acclaimed chart-topping debut album by Britishpop band ABC, released in 1982. It is a concept album in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship. It was produced by Trevor Horn and featured orchestration by future Art of Noise member Anne Dudley.
Most of the production team and sessions players listed below would form the basis for the ZTT label, and their work with Horn meant all concerned would be in constant demand throughout the industry in years to come. "Tears Are Not Enough" (in its initial release produced by Steve Brown), "All of My Heart", "Poison Arrow", and "The Look of Love (Part One)" were all Top 20 hits in the UK; the last two also charted in the US, peaking at #25 and #14 respectively. The album reached #1 on the British charts, and peaked at #24 in the U.S. charts.
In 2004, a deluxe 2-disc reissue including outtakes and early demos and a live performance of the album from 1982 was released on the Neutron label.
In 1998, Q magazine readers voted The Lexicon of Love the 92nd greatest album of all time. In 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 40 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.
The woman who says "goodbye" in "The Look of Love (Part One)" is the woman who dumped Martin Fry and the album is about his feelings of outrage about it. The idea of getting her to speak the line came from producer Trevor Horn.
