Alphabet City (album)

Alphabet City is the fourth studio album by English pop band ABC. It was originally released in October 1987, on the labels Mercury, Phonogram and Neutron, two years after their previous album How to Be a ... Zillionaire! Following a hiatus in which singer Martin Fry was being treated for Hodgkin's disease, it was recorded over a period of nine months between November 1986 and August 1987, in sessions that took place at Marcus Recording Studios in London, assisted by Bernard Edwards, best known for his work with the American band Chic.

Alphabet City
Studio album by ABC
Released	12 October 1987
Recorded	November 1986 – August 1987
Studio	Marcus Recording Studios, London
Genre	Sophisti-pop[1] blue-eyed soul[2] dance-pop[3]
Length	40:55
Label	Mercury Phonogram Neutron
Producer	Mark White Martin Fry Bernard Edwards
ABC chronology
How to Be a ... Zillionaire! (1985) Alphabet City (1987) Up (1989)
Singles from Alphabet City
"When Smokey Sings" Released: 22 May 1987 "The Night You Murdered Love" Released: 1987 "King Without a Crown" Released: November 1987

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]

The album's title and the titles of several tracks were inspired by the Alphabet City section of Manhattan, New York City, where Fry and Mark White lived for a time prior to the album's release. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK, making it their first album to reach the Top 10 since their debut The Lexicon of Love. The album launched three charting singles in the UK. "When Smokey Sings", a tribute to Smokey Robinson, peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart; "The Night You Murdered Love" peaked at No. 31; "King Without a Crown" at No. 44.

In 2005, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released with six bonus tracks.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Martin Fry and Mark White, except where noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Avenue A"	Mark White Anne Dudley	0:56
2.	"When Smokey Sings"		4:22
3.	"The Night You Murdered Love"		4:53
4.	"Think Again"		3:41
5.	"Rage and Then Regret"		3:34
6.	"Ark-Angel"		4:54

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"King Without a Crown"		4:41
8.	"Bad Blood"		3:56
9.	"Jealous Lover"		3:36
10.	"One Day"		5:35
11.	"Avenue Z"	White Dudley	0:42
Total length:			40:55

Additional tracks on initial CD pressing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Minneapolis"	White Bernard Edwards	2:57
13.	"When Smokey Sings [The Miami Mix]"		7:05
14.	"The Night You Murdered Love [The Whole Story]"		8:16
15.	"Chicago [Abridged]"	White Edwards	3:42

Additional tracks on 2005 version

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Minneapolis"	White Edwards	2:57
13.	"Chicago [Abridged]"	White Edwards	3:42
14.	"24 Carat Plastic"		3:34
15.	"The Night You Murdered Love [The Reply with Contessa Lady V]"	Martin Fry White Vaughan Arnell Anthea Benton	4:50
16.	"One Day [Instrumental with Real Strings]"		5:47
17.	"King Without a Crown [Monarchy Mix]"		8:46

Personnel

ABC

• Martin Fry – lead and backing vocals
• Mark White – guitars; keyboards; programming

Additional personnel

• David Clayton – keyboards
• Brad Lang – bass guitar
• Danny Thompson – double bass
• Graham Broad – drums
• Pandit Dinesh – percussion; tabla
• Luís Jardim (misspelled as "Louis Jardin" on album notes) – percussion
• Howie Casey – saxophone
• Judd Lander – harmonica
• Miriam Stockley – backing vocals
• Tessa Niles – backing vocals
• Dolette McDonald – backing vocals
• Linda Taylor – backing vocals
• Alan Carvell – backing vocals
• Richard Niles – string arrangements on "When Smokey Sings" and "The Night You Murdered Love"
• Anne Dudley – string arrangements on "One Day" and "Bad Blood"

Production team

• Martin Fry – producer
• Mark White – producer
• Bernard Edwards – producer
• Martyn Webber – engineer
• Tim Burrell – assistant engineer
• Julian Mendelsohn – mixing
• Ian Cooper – mastering at the Townhouse Studios, London
• Andy Earl – photography
• Keith Breeden – artwork
• Peter Curzon – artwork

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart[5]	45
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[6][7]	47
Dutch Mega Albums Chart[8]	19
Japanese Oricon LP Chart	82
New Zealand Albums Chart[9]	25
Swiss Albums Chart[10]	26
UK Albums Chart[11]	7
US Billboard 200[12]	48
West German Media Control Albums Chart[13]	20

References

1. Stylusmagazine.com
2. AllMusic
3. Itunes.apple.com
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC – Alphabet City". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
7. "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
8. Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
9. Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". charts.nz. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
10. Steffen Hung. "ABC – Alphabet City". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
11. "The Official Charts Company – Alphabet City by ABC Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
12. ABC. "ABC – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
13. "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 23 June 2012.

External links

• Alphabet City at Discogs (list of releases)