True Gold For Star

Newcastle Herald

Thursday October 16, 2008

writes Anita Beaumont

EVER since Tony Hadley's first visit to Australia with Spandau Ballet in 1985, he has had fond memories of the place.

He remembered that the band, which had already had worldwide hits with the songs True and Gold at the time, had just finished a three-month tour in Europe in the middle of winter.

"We were feeling dreadful," he recalled.

"I think we'd had two days off in three months, so we were absolutely exhausted, but the good thing was we were having 10 days' break in Sydney in Australia before we even started the tour here.

"It was great. I mean, you're 25, you're in Australia doing all these fantastic shows and everybody loves you it was pretty good fun."

The British singer/songwriter is about to embark on another Australian tour, this time with good friend Paul Young (of Every Time You Go Away fame).

They kick things off at Wests Leagues Club on Wednesday night.

It promises to be a rollicking trip down memory lane for those who love pop music from the 1980s.

"We've worked together on a couple of occasions; I've known him for years," Hadley said.

"We thought we'd go over together together to do something a bit different.

"We want people to walk away with a smile on their face, so we're doing all the hits.

"I'm looking at doing a couple of covers that might be interesting, and we're working on some duets together as well."

Hadley still embraces the songs that gave him pop star status as the frontman of Spandau Ballet.

"I think there was one point a few years ago where I changed the arrangement of True quite dramatically.

"I remember my mum said to me, 'Oooh you're making a mistake there, you shouldn't mess with the original.'

"And actually, she was right.

"We've gone back to pretty much the same version as the original.

"It's like if Frank Sinatra hadn't have sung My Way or New York, New York , you'd walk away disappointed; if Sting didn't do Roxanne; if David Bowie didn't do Ziggy Stardust . . .You've got to acknowledge what put you there in the first place."

Hadley said songs like True, Gold and Through The Barricades his personal favourite were like little timepieces of people's lives.

He'd lost count of how many people told him True had been their wedding song, or the song they'd conceived their child to, he said with a laugh.

"I've seen artists who deny their pasts, and say they are only going to do songs from the new album, and people just walk out.

"The only reason I'm still here now, doing what I love, is because of the past, and also what has happened since."

Hadley is working on a new project with Young and Peter Cox from Go West.

He is also on the cusp of releasing his solo swing album.

But for Hadley, the winning formula for writing a hit remains a mystery.

"I think you have to be honest, but you just don't know what's going to connect with people.

"True connected with people all over the world.

"There was just something about the song and the lyrics and the melody that just connected, and then there are other great songs that for some reason don't.

"I remember that Natalie Imbruglia song Torn, it was originally recorded by a Norwegian band, and the version that she did is almost identical.

"The Norwegian band didn't have a hit with it, but Natalie Imbruglia had a worldwide hit with it.

"Sometimes it's not about the song; it's about the luck of the draw as well.

"It's a worrying business sometimes, it really is, but it's exciting," Hadley said.

Tony Hadley and Paul Young perform at Wests Leagues Club on Wednesday from 8pm. Tickets are $89. Phone 4935 1200.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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