Spandau Ballet are a popular British pop band most prominent during the 80s… Read Full Bio ↴Spandau Ballet are a popular British pop band most prominent during the 80s, at the beginning of which they were forerunners of the British new romantic movement. Its members are singer-songwriter Tony Hadley on vocals, brothers Gary Kemp and Martin Kemp on guitar and bass respectively, with Gary also supplying background vocals, Steve Norman on saxophone, and John Keeble on the drums. Gary Kemp also wrote or co-wrote most of the group's music and lyrics.
Initially formed in 1976 in London, England, they didn't reach a stable line-up or decide on the Spandau name until 1978. Their odd title allegedly came from a piece of bathroom graffiti observed during the members early days. Inspired by a mixture of avant-garde synth pop and slick funk. as typified by their early track "Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", also known by other titles such as "Chant # 1", the band commercially broke through with an artistic public image as remarked upon as their music. Said track reached the #2 spot in the U.K. and was notable for inclusion of the horn section from the group Beggar & Co, which proved a fruitful collaboration on record.
Spandau Ballet's first two albums, 1981's 'Journeys to Glory' and 1982's 'Diamond', found them also mining their art rock and glam rock roots as their fan-base expanded, the group looking to the works of David Bowie and Roxy Music for inspiration. Both albums charted in the U.K. top 20 and were later certified gold by the RIAA. Additional popular songs from the band in this era include "To Cut a Long Story Short" and "Freeze" (also known as "The Freeze". The group also notably picked up a semi-friendly rivalry with new wave contemporaries Duran Duran.
After four hits in the U.K. followed by a couple of less successful releases, however, Spandau Ballet's chart career appeared to be on the wane. Yet Instinction, re-ignited their fortunes and became the first of eleven consecutive singles to reach the Top 20
Immensely popular in the UK, the New Romantic group eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop act. As with Duran Duran they 'broke America', albeit briefly - the title track of their 3rd album True peaked in the Top 5 of the Singles charts. The song gained a new life in the 1990's and beyond by being sampled in the songs Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn and N Dey Say by Nelly.
After a split in 1990 and a court case almost ten years later involving Hadley, Keeble & Norman suing Gary Kemp over royalties, they announced in March 2009 a reformation.
Initially formed in 1976 in London, England, they didn't reach a stable line-up or decide on the Spandau name until 1978. Their odd title allegedly came from a piece of bathroom graffiti observed during the members early days. Inspired by a mixture of avant-garde synth pop and slick funk. as typified by their early track "Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", also known by other titles such as "Chant # 1", the band commercially broke through with an artistic public image as remarked upon as their music. Said track reached the #2 spot in the U.K. and was notable for inclusion of the horn section from the group Beggar & Co, which proved a fruitful collaboration on record.
Spandau Ballet's first two albums, 1981's 'Journeys to Glory' and 1982's 'Diamond', found them also mining their art rock and glam rock roots as their fan-base expanded, the group looking to the works of David Bowie and Roxy Music for inspiration. Both albums charted in the U.K. top 20 and were later certified gold by the RIAA. Additional popular songs from the band in this era include "To Cut a Long Story Short" and "Freeze" (also known as "The Freeze". The group also notably picked up a semi-friendly rivalry with new wave contemporaries Duran Duran.
After four hits in the U.K. followed by a couple of less successful releases, however, Spandau Ballet's chart career appeared to be on the wane. Yet Instinction, re-ignited their fortunes and became the first of eleven consecutive singles to reach the Top 20
Immensely popular in the UK, the New Romantic group eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop act. As with Duran Duran they 'broke America', albeit briefly - the title track of their 3rd album True peaked in the Top 5 of the Singles charts. The song gained a new life in the 1990's and beyond by being sampled in the songs Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn and N Dey Say by Nelly.
After a split in 1990 and a court case almost ten years later involving Hadley, Keeble & Norman suing Gary Kemp over royalties, they announced in March 2009 a reformation.
Only You
Spandau Ballet Lyrics
Layin' in the after glow
I only wanna learn what you know
But now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
And how many calls must I make
But now you're leavin'
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Ooh, only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
I only wanna make things last
So how could this have gone so fast
And now you're leavin'
How many times must I learn
It's only when you've gone that I burn
And now you're leavin'
In the end, all that is left has come unbearable
It's hard to change your mind
So leave it all behind
Ooh, only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
Layin' in the after glow
I only wanna learn what you know
Ooh, but now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
How many calls must I make
But now you're leavin'
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away, uh, no, no, no, no
I only wanna learn what you know
But now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
And how many calls must I make
But now you're leavin'
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Ooh, only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
I only wanna make things last
So how could this have gone so fast
And now you're leavin'
How many times must I learn
It's only when you've gone that I burn
And now you're leavin'
In the end, all that is left has come unbearable
It's hard to change your mind
So leave it all behind
Ooh, only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
Layin' in the after glow
I only wanna learn what you know
Ooh, but now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
How many calls must I make
But now you're leavin'
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Only when you leave
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away, uh, no, no, no, no
Lyrics © REFORMATION MUSIC INC
Written by: GARY KEMP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Luis Najle
Laying in the after glow,
I only want to learn what you know,
But now you're leaving...
How many hearts must you break?
How many calls must I make?
But now you're leaving...
In this world, all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
Only when you leave
I need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
Fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Oh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
I only want to make this things last,
So how could this have gone so fast?
And now you're leaving...
How many times must I learn?
It' s only when you've gone that I burn,
And now you're leaving...
In the end, all that I left has come unbearable
It's hard to change your mind,
So leave it all behind
Only when you leave
I need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
Fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Oh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
Mark Stevenson
Have always thought this is by far their best song still feels fresh after all this time
Gloria González paredes
La buena música nunca muere
Mark Stevenson
@Gloria González paredes Hi Gloria what is your comment in English please👍
Marklar9156
@Mark Stevenson Google translate is not difficult to use?! "Good music never dies." I was a young schoolboy back when this came out and quite liked it even though I was into heavy rock and tended to hate all the bands girls in our class liked! :D (But here in Finland they didn't often listen to Spandau Ballet but likes of Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo) This is a good track, but producer should have noticed the sound and volume level of bass would better suit some band like Whitesnake or Saxon! :D I also liked 'Through the barricades' very much. 'Gold' and 'True' on the other hand are lame as lame can be.
mcmaximon1
This a fantastic song but my favourite by far is " I'll Fly For You" What an excellent group they were!
Träumerei
@mcmaximon1yes, only when you leave, ill fly for you and be free with your love are my top 3 from Spandau.
Mae grace Portugalete
Back in the 80's decade whenever i hear songs played in the radio one after the other these songs were all beautiful & magical to hear i never seem to get tired hearing them. I can hardly find songs that are played like these ones nowadays. 🤔 🎉💕 😊
Ricardo Synthes
1984: Essa música é demais.
2023: Essa música ainda é demais.
Trevor Thompson
This song is a work of art. A band at the very top of their game. The saxophone takes it to a completely different level. Simply brilliant.
Roberta Assis
Why music from the 80’s was so good? And why we can’t have music like this now? 😢