The Singles Collection (Spandau Ballet album)

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The Singles Collection
Greatest hits album by
Spandau Ballet
Released4 November 1985
Recorded1980–1984
GenrePop
Length60:05
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Spandau Ballet chronology
Parade
(1984) 		The Singles Collection
(1985) 		The Twelve Inch Mixes
(1986)

The Singles Collection is a greatest hits album by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 November 1985 by Chrysalis Records. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) within six weeks of release. It is the band's best-selling album in the United Kingdom, though despite its success, the album was released without the band's approval as they were leaving Chrysalis Records and signed to CBS Records for their next album.

Background[edit]

Spandau Ballet had their first pop hit in the US in 1983 when their number 1 UK single "True" [1] reached number 4 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100.[2] Their next single, "Gold", went to number 2 in the UK[1] and made the top ten in several other countries[a] but only reached number 29 in the US.[2] The band's guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp began to suspect that the American office of Chrysalis Records was neglecting them, and the fact that their next US single, number 12 UK hit "Communication", stalled at 59 on the Hot 100 was further proof.[9][b] "Only When You Leave", the first single from their next album, Parade, went to number 3 in the UK and also made the top ten in several other countries[c] but only managed a number 34 showing in the US.[2]

Kemp felt certain the disappointing US numbers were because Chrysalis founders Chris Wright and Terry Ellis had an interpersonal conflict that was distracting them from promotional efforts.[9][d] Wright refused to license the band to a bigger label in the US, so they first sought legal advice to get out of their contract.[15] They eventually sued Chrysalis for breach of contract in 1985 because they felt they had "not received the 'support and promotion' stipulated" therein.[16] Chrysalis released The Singles Collection during the dispute but only notified them of the album a week before it was in stores.[17] An out-of-court settlement was reached in which Chrysalis was given access to their back catalog but had no rights to any new recordings.[18]

Release and commercial performance[edit]

The Singles Collection was released on 4 November 1985[19] and entered the UK Albums Chart on 16 November to begin a 54-week run, during which time it peaked at number 3.[20] It reached double platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry on December 16 of that year for reaching the 600,000 units of shipment threshold.[19] It got as high as number 2 in New Zealand,[21] number 3 in Australia,[8] number 9 in Spain,[22] number 17 in the Netherlands[23] and number 32 on the European Albums chart.[24]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]
Record Mirror[26]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[27]
Smash Hits[28]

The Singles Collection had mostly negative reviews from music magazines upon its release, the one exception being Smash Hits, whose William White described it as a "plainly-packaged compilation" that gave "everyone an opportunity to appreciate Gary's consistently developing talent as a songwriter."[28] Number One's critic Max Bell replaced the star-rating system in its 16 November 1985 issue with the categories "Buy It", "Hear It" and "Forget It", the last of which he used to summarize his thoughts on the compilation.[29] Nancy Culp of Record Mirror was not as terse in her review:

From the gauche plinkety-plod of "To Cut a Long Story Short" to the Mecca ballroom tack of "Gold", this album shows just how much money you can get for a bit of old rope. There is, however, a diamond in the dustbin—"Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)". It still manages to evoke the essence of the club scene circa 1981. It's the closest to the edge they ever got and still steams and crackles like sweat hitting a hotplate. "If only" could be the motto of this band. If only the singer had tried less to be a Las Vegas trouser splitter. If only the bad had not knocked so many rough edges off that they had skid marks on their G majors. In 1981 Spandau looked set to scale the heights—but tastefully. Come 1985 the money spoke louder than their hearts.[26]

Retrospective reviews were more complimentary. Dave Thompson of AllMusic described it as "excellent".[25] Paul Evans wrote a brief summary review of most of the Spandau Ballet album discography in The Rolling Stone Album Guide and gave The Singles Collection two-and-a-half stars out of five while describing it as "an all right greatest hits package ".[27]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are composed by Gary Kemp.

  1. "Gold" – 3:54
  2. "Lifeline" – 3:21
  3. "Round and Round" – 4:34
  4. "Only When You Leave" – 4:48
  5. "Instinction" – 3:35
  6. "Highly Strung" – 4:10
  7. "True" – 5:36
  8. "Communication" – 3:25
  9. "I'll Fly for You" – 5:10
  10. "To Cut a Long Story Short" – 3:20
  11. "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" – 4:06
  12. "She Loved Like Diamond" – 2:55
  13. "Paint Me Down" – 3:43
  14. "The Freeze" – 3:30
  15. "Muscle Bound" – 3:58

The 12″ Collection Some copies of the vinyl album contained an extra record. This disc was composed of 12″ remixes and extended versions. This was somewhat similar to Ultravox's The Collection a year earlier.

Side one

  1. "To Cut a Long Story Short – 6:30
  2. "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) (Remix) – 8:03
  3. "Glow – 8:10

Side two

  1. "Communication (Club Mix) – 4:28
  2. "Gold (Extended Version) – 7:12
  3. "Highly Restrung – 5:27

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for The Singles Collection
Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[34] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] 2× Platinum 600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Gold" reached number 2 in the Netherlands,[3] number 3 in Belgium,[4] number 4 in Ireland[5] and Spain,[6] number 8 in New Zealand[7] and number 9 in Australia.[8]
  2. ^ "America was not going to plan. 'Gold' had been a hit, although not as big as 'True', but 'Communication' and 'Only When You Leave' had fallen away early ... While we were selling large amounts in Europe and the rest of the world, Chrysalis America were not pulling their weight."[9]
  3. ^ "Only When You Leave" reached number 2 in Ireland[10] and the Netherlands, [3] number 3 in Greece, [11] number 4 in Spain,[6] number 5 in Belgium,[12] number 8 in Norway[13] and number 10 in New Zealand,[14]
  4. ^ "The spat between Wright and Ellis, the two company owners, was worsening and it seemed to us we were being affected like the children of a disintegrating marriage."[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Spandau Ballet | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Spandau Ballet Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Spandau Ballet – Top 40 Hitdossier-artiesten". top40.nl. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Spandau Ballet – Gold – ultratop.be". Ultratop. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  5. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Spandau Ballet". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  7. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Spandau Ballet – Gold". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Kent 1993, p. 286
  9. ^ a b c d Kemp 2009, p. 224
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Only When You Leave". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1, no. 19/20. 13 August 1984. p. 12. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 25 March 2023 – via World Radio History.
  12. ^ "Spandau Ballet – Only When You Leave – ultratop.be". Ultratop. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  13. ^ "norwegiancharts.com – Spandau Ballet – Only When You Leave". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Spandau Ballet – Only When You Leave". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  15. ^ Hadley 2004, pp. 237–238
  16. ^ Jones, Peter (23 February 1985). "Special Report: U.K. Newsline" (PDF). Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Mutterings". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 23. 20 November – 3 December 1985. p. 90. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  18. ^ Smith, Robin (21 June 1986). "Spandau Come Back Fighting" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 2. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  19. ^ a b c "British album certifications – Spandau Ballet – The Singles Collection". British Phonographic Industry. 16 December 1985. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Charts.nz – Spandau Ballet – The Singles Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  22. ^ a b Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  23. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Spandau Ballet – The Singles Collection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  24. ^ a b "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 51/52. 23 December 1985. p. 31. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  25. ^ a b Thompson, Dave. "Spandau Ballet: The Singles Collection > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  26. ^ a b Culp, Nancy (16 November 1985). "Spandau Ballet: The Singles Collection (Chrysalis)". Record Mirror. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  27. ^ a b 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.
  28. ^ a b White, William (6 November 1985). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. Vol. 7, no. 22. p. 46.
  29. ^ Bell, Max (16 November 1985). "Spandau Ballet: Singles Collection (Chrysalis)". Number One. No. 126. p. 53. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985)" (PDF). Music Week. 18 January 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  31. ^ Kent 1993, p. 438
  32. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  34. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Spandau Ballet – The Singles Collection". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 18 October 2021.

Bibliography[edit]

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