Music of 1983: Spandau Ballet release True

New Romantic survivors Spandau Ballet broke through internationally with their third album, 'True' released in March 1983. Although they had vied with Duran Duran for top pop group in the UK over the previous two years, Spandau had gradually moved away from their New Romantic leanings and by the time of their third album, were seen wearing sharp suits and playing a more sophisticated style of music more influenced by jazz and soul. This new sound and image resonated with the times, with the rise of the 'yuppie' - a term for a new breed of young professionals who either were already a part of, or aspired to, greater social status. Looking like clean-cut 'yuppies' themselves, the North London outfit struck gold with singles from the album such as 'Gold', 'Lifeline' and the title track 'True'.  As part of this transition, Spandau member Steve Norman, originally a guitar player, switched to playing saxophone and main songwriter Gary Kemp took over the guitar.

The album became an international hit, and the band continued with this direction for the next two albums. However subsequent records, although producing hit singles, did not replicate the runaway success of 'True' and the band eventually broke up at the end of the decade. Brothers Gary and Martin Kemp went on to star as the Kray twins in a biopic of the infamous gangland leaders, and the latter carved out an acting career and enjoyed a long run starring in the BBC soap 'Eastenders'. After some legal tussles between the Kemp brothers and the remaining members, the band eventually patched up their differences and reunited in 2009 for a successful arena tour of the UK.

The song 'Gold' was used during coverage of the London Olympic games of 2012 by the BBC, with a short extract of the song being played each time a British competitor won a gold medal. With the team notching up 29 gold medals, that meant a lot of play for the song.

'True' was sampled several years later by hip-hop outfit PM Dawn for the song 'Set Adrift on Memory Bliss'; the video for the song featured a cameo from Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley.

Here is the title track from the band's breakthrough album, showing the group in their Sunday best and with another typically 1980s touch, the use of Simmons drums rather than a traditional kit.