Abracadabra (ABC album)

Abracadabra is the sixth studio album by English band ABC. It was originally released in August 1991, on the label EMI. It was the final ABC album to feature founding member Mark White, who departed the band in 1992.

Abracadabra
Studio album by
ABC
Released12 August 1991 (1991-08-12)
Recorded1990–1991
Genre
Label
Producer
ABC chronology
Absolutely
(1990)		 Abracadabra
(1991)		 Skyscraping
(1997)
Singles from Abracadabra
  1. "Love Conquers All"
    Released: 15 July 1991
  2. "Say It"
    Released: 30 December 1991

ABC moved to the EMI label, where they recorded the album Abracadabra, a tightly produced fusion of early 1990s techno sounds and 1970s dance grooves which was met with muted critical approval and appreciation from the band's fan base.

The first single, "Love Conquers All", peaked at No. 47 on the UK Singles Chart and remixes of "Say It" (done by Black Box) were well received on the US dance charts.

Background

In a 1997 interview, ABC's lead singer Martin Fry summed up the making of the album, saying, "Went round in circles making this. Started in the U.S. in Detroit, Chicago and New York City. Scrapped a lot of music to get to the finished record. Finished it at the Townhouse, Shepherd's Bush. A low."[1]

In a 2006 interview, Fry spoke of the album, relating to the duo returning to dance beats and the club scene since the Up album. Fry said, "Well, actually, Abracadabra... we got a massive deal with EMI, but, by then, the group had really burned out, but we were making Abracadabra. Some of the record worked. "Love Conquers All," and "Spellbound," with Phil Manzanera (from Roxy Music), worked. There's some moments on it. What can I say? I'm very critical, very critical."[2]

In a 2009 interview, Fry summed up each ABC album, and said of Abracadabra that it was "A hybrid of different genres, it's idealistic really. You can hear the civil war internally as our lucrative opportunity to make the album of our career slithered through our hands. We perfected the music and atmosphere that became the record, yet the process was indirectly intense."[3]

In 2004, VH1 attempted to reunite the original four members of ABC as part of their Bands Reunited television program. During the episode, Fry was interviewed by the host, Aamer Haleem, who noted, "In '92, Mark [White] decided that he had said all he needed to say with ABC." Fry replied by mentioning the album, saying "You know Mark White, he's a very talented guy, you know he's a very inventive guy. We'd spent like 10 years solid making records. We signed this big record deal with EMI in Europe and the level of expectation was so high. You felt it every day. And we made a record, and midway through it Mark just says 'I can't do it any more, I've had enough'. And I said to him 'you should persist, you know, let's finish the record'. And at that point he just said 'look I quit, I've had enough, I don't want to do it any more'."[4]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Billboardfavourable[6]
The Michigan Daily (USA)unfavorable[7]
St. Petersburg Times (USA)favourable[8]
The Rough Guide to Rock (Book)unfavorable[9]
The Rough Guide to Cult Pop (book)unfavorable[10]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described Abracadabra as a "disheartening latter-day album from ABC". He felt that ABC had tried to sound modern by "incorporating both house and smooth Philly soul flourishes to their sound". Although he felt that sometimes the results were supple and alluring", he felt the album lacked "strong, melodic songs".[11]

In the official American Billboard magazine of 12 October 1991, a positive review of Abracadabra was included under the 'Dance' album section. The reviewer described the "lushly produced" album as focusing on "state-of-the-charts dance grooves". They praised Fry's "reliably theatrical vocals" and felt that "Club DJs will heartily devour this delicious set."[6]

In his review of the album for the 8 November 1991 issue of the St. Petersburg Times, Richard Riccio felt that since 1981, ABC had "matured as musicians and songwriters". He felt that Abracadabra "finally brings the band full circle, a ride around a six-album arc that has never once been unpleasant and demonstrates why this band is one of the most durable members of the Second British Invasion."[8]

The Michigan Daily on 6 December 1991, had a review of the album by the author Tom Nixon, who believed most of the album was musically similar to "many of the disco hits of the late 1970s". Although he felt that most of the album's songs had "little individuality", and probably used the "same drum machine" and "keyboard arrangement", he noted the "simple, slightly danceable" rhythms. He praised the "crisp" production and highlighted the Black Box remix of "Say It" - which "turns a so-so disco tune into an energetic, '90s-style dance tune." He felt that "What's Good About Goodbye" was the album's "most exciting tune and certainly its most interesting". He concluded: "ABC fans may be disappointed with the band's latest effort".[7]

In his 2003 book The Rough Guide to Rock, Peter Buckley felt that the album was a "half-hearted attempt to reheat the tried and tested formula created and perfected a decade earlier".[9] In the 2003 book The Rough Guide to Cult Pop, author Paul Simpson spoke of the album under the "You've been warned" section for ABC. He stated: "Abracadabra probably won't reach out and grab ya".[10]

UK track listing (1991 EMI/Parlophone CDP 7 96821 2)

All tracks are written by Martin Fry and Mark White.

No.TitleLength
1."Love Conquers All"5:03
2."Unlock the Secrets of Your Heart"4:53
3."Answered Prayer"6:05
4."Spellbound"4:15
5."Say It"4:21
6."Welcome to the Real World"4:02
7."Satori"2:58
8."All That Matters"4:29
9."This Must Be Magic"4:20
International track listing (1991 MCA MCAD-10184)
No.TitleLength
10."What's Good About Goodbye"4:47
11."Say It (Black Box Mix)"4:36
Download only bonus track listing (2005 EMI)
No.TitleLength
10."What's Good About Goodbye"4:51
11."Love Conquers All (Extended Version)"6:17
12."Say It (The Black Box Mix)"6:20
13."Unlock the Secrets of Your Heart (M People Mix)"5:00
14."Love Conquers All (Boilerhouse Mix)"4:51
15."Love Conquers All (The Morales Eclipse Mix)"5:45
16."Viva Love (Brother in Rhythm Edit)"4:14
17."Snakebite"4:52
18."Kiss Me Goodbye"5:20

Personnel

ABC

Additional personnel
  • Marius de Vries – keyboards
  • Tony Patler – keyboards
  • Matt Rowe – keyboards, programming, backing vocals
  • Don Campbell – guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Phil Manzanera – guitar
  • Gota Yashiki – drums, percussion, programming
  • Steve Sidelynk – drums, percussion
  • Phil Smith – saxophone
  • Derek Green – backing vocals
  • Gina Foster – backing vocals
  • Paul Lee – backing vocals
  • Zeetah Massiah – backing vocals
  • Frankë Pharoah – backing vocals
  • Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
  • Cleveland Watkiss – backing vocals

Production
  • Producers – Martin Fry and Mark White (All tracks); David Bascombe (Tracks 1-9 & 11).
  • Engineers – David Bascombe (Tracks 1-9 & 11); Andy Falconer (Track 10).
  • Mixing – David Bascombe (Tracks 1-9 & 11); Phil Bodger (Track 10).
  • Assistant Engineer and Mixing on Tracks 1-9 & 11 – Richard Arnold
  • Remix on Track 11 – Black Box
  • Sleeve Design – Area (10)
  • Photography – Lewis Mulatero
  • Management – Bennett Freed

Chart performance

Weekly charts
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart[12] 39
German Gfk Entertainment Chart[13] 22
UK Albums Chart[14] 50
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References
  1. "80s Server – Lexicon of ABC Martin Fry". Abcmartinfry.de. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  2. Harris, Will (26 September 2006). "ABC interview, Martin Fry interview". Bullz-eye.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. "99xs – Lexicon of ABC Martin Fry". Abcmartinfry.de. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. ABC Martin Fry Bands Reunited Full - YouTube
  5. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC: Abracadabra" at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  6. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (12 October 1991). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 80. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  7. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=df1JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Nh4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2943,4245393&dq=abc+abracadabra&hl=en
  8. "ROMANCE WITH A DANCE BEAT Series%3A AUDIO FILES". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 8 November 1991. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  9. Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
  10. Simpson, Paul (2003). The Rough Guide to Cult Pop. Rough Guides. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-84353-229-3.
  11. Thomas, Stephen. "Abracadabra – ABC : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  12. Steffen Hung. "ABC – Abracadabra". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  13. "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  14. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19344/abc/
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