True (Spandau Ballet album)
| True | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 March 1983 | |||
| Recorded | Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, October–November 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop, new wave | |||
| Length | 35:36 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Steve Jolley, Tony Swain | |||
| Spandau Ballet chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative album cover | ||||
| File:Spandau Ballet - True.jpg 20th Anniversary edition | ||||
| Singles from True | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
True is the third studio album by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet. It was released on 4 March 1983 on Chrysalis Records. While Spandau Ballet's first two albums earned them European popularity, True made them worldwide stars and was heavily influenced by jazz, soul and R&B. It reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart,[3] the Top 20 on the US Billboard 200,[citation needed] and charted in numerous other countries around the world. The title track spent four weeks at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and went to number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also Spandau Ballet's first album to be recorded outside of London (at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas).[citation needed]
Other singles from the album included "Gold" (a no. 2 UK hit and a Top 30 hit in the US), "Lifeline", "Communication", and "Pleasure". Later album releases by the band never equalled the success of True.[citation needed]
A remastered version of "True" was released on 3 July 2003 to commemorate its 20th anniversary. It was re-released as a single CD with the original eight tracks along with the music video for "Gold" and some home video footage of the band. The original 8-track album was also issued on the high-resolution super audio CD format as a Hybrid SACD (in stereo only). In 2008, the album was given away free with copies of the Daily Mail newspaper.[4] In June 2010, a special edition was released on 2 CDs and DVD as part of the 2010 Spandau Ballet reissues series, featuring remastered 12" remixes and B-sides, plus a live concert.[citation needed]
Tracklisting
All tracks are written by Gary Kemp
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pleasure" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Communication" | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Code of Love" | 5:11 |
| 4. | "Gold" | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Lifeline" | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Heaven Is a Secret" | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Foundation" | 4:08 |
| 8. | "True" | 6:30 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Home Video Footage" (multimedia) | |
| 10. | "Gold" (music video) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lifeline" (7" short dub) | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Communication" (7" edited club version) | 2:44 |
| 3. | "Gold" (12" version) | 7:14 |
| 4. | "Lifeline" (12" version) | 5:26 |
| 5. | "Communication" (12" version) | 4:28 |
| 6. | "Lifeline" (12" dub) | 5:17 |
| 7. | "True" (2002 version) | 6:42 |
| 8. | "Gold" (instrumental) | 2:44 |
| 9. | "Lifeline" (acappella) | 2:02 |
| 10. | "True" (instrumental) | 5:36 |
| 11. | "Code of Love" (Live At Sadler's Wells, 1 May 1983) | 5:39 |
| 12. | "The Freeze" (Live At Sadler's Wells, 1 May 1983) | 2:16 |
| 13. | "Glow" (Live At Sadler's Wells, 1 May 1983) | 3:42 |
| 14. | "Heaven Is A Secret" (Live At Sadler's Wells, 1 May 1983) | 4:51 |
Personnel
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | UK Albums Chart[3] | 1 |
| 1983 | NZ Album Chart | 1 |
| 1983 | US Billboard 200 | 19 |
Singles[5]
| Year | Song | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Lifeline" | UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| 1983 | "True" | UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| 1983 | "True" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| 1983 | "True" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1983 | "Gold" | UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| 1983 | "Gold" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 29 |
| 1983 | "Gold" | Adult Contemporary | 17 |
| 1983 | "Communication" | UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| 1984 | "Communication" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 59 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (BVMI)[6] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[7] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[8] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[10] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Legacy
The song was first famously sampled by P.M. Dawn in their 1991 song Set Adrift On Memory Bliss. Later it was sampled and/or covered by 60 other artists.
References
- ^ LeRoy, Dan. "True – Spandau Ballet". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Spandau Ballet". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 764. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ a b "True". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "Spandau Ballet – True". discogs.com. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
This CD was given away free with the Saturday edition of British national newspaper, The Daily Mail.
- ^ "True > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Spandau Ballet; 'True')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Spandau Ballet – True" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 20 September 2019. Enter True in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1983 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Spandau Ballet – True". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Mike Watts, Mike Allen with Lars Olof-Helen (Sonet, Sweden) Presenting Gold Albums for "True" to Spandau Ballet Very Early Morning…" (PDF). Music & Media. 25 June 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – Spandau Ballet – True". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 September 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type True in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.