Spandau Ballet — Communication

JUL 01 1983 · 12:00

Spandau Ballet — Communication (1983) Director: Chris Springhall Era: New Romantic / Early Synth-Pop Maturation (1983) - The post-New Romantic pivot toward polished blue-eyed soul and synth-pop, concurrent with the release of Spandau Ballet's landmark third album True on Chrysalis Records. A significant and underappreciated artefact of the early British music video canon, offering a rare example of a full narrative crime-thriller structure deployed for a synth-pop act at the height of the New Romantic era. Directorially and stylistically distinct from contemporaneous Spandau Ballet videos, it preserves authentic early-1983 production values, fashion, and the band's pre-superstar persona, making it valuable for both popular music history and moving-image cultural heritage collections. Context: Released on 4 February 1983 as the second single from Spandau Ballet's third album True, 'Communication' arrived at a pivotal commercial moment for the band — bridging their cult New Romantic origins with a broader pop-soul crossover audience. Written by Gary Kemp and co-produced with Tony Swain and Steve Jolley (who had recently worked with Bananarama), the track marked a stylistic shift toward polished synth-pop and blue-eyed soul. The music video, shot in a crime-thriller mode invoking British television series such as The Sweeney and The Professionals, reflects the era's appetite for cinematic, narrative-driven promotional films that positioned pop acts as aspirational lifestyle figures. The single reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart, preceding the band's commercial zenith with 'True' and 'Gold' later the same year. Director notes: Directed the official promotional film for Spandau Ballet's 'Communication' (1983), produced by Greg Mills. The video is notable for its crime-thriller narrative structure, with band members performing acting roles amid a storyline involving private investigation, chases, and mystery sequences. Gary Kemp described the result as 'a gritty, Sweeney-esque film,' and critic Betty Page of Record Mirror likened it to an action-packed episode of The Professionals. Springhall is credited as both director and writer on the IMDB listing, suggesting significant creative input into the script or storyboard beyond direction alone.