The Lexicon of Love is the critically acclaimed chart-topping debut album by British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 band ABC

ABC (band)

ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...

, released in 1982. It is a concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship.

It was produced by Trevor Horn

Trevor Horn

Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....

, engineered by Gary Langan

Gary Langan

Gary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...

, and featured orchestration

Orchestration

Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...

 by Anne Dudley

Anne Dudley

Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...

 and Fairlight CMI

Fairlight

Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean Michel Jarre. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio...

 programming by JJ Jeczalik; Horn, Langan, Dudley and Jeczalik would later form the Art of Noise. Indeed, most of the production team and sessions players listed below would form the basis for the ZTT label, and their work with Horn meant all concerned would be in constant demand throughout the industry in years to come.

"Tears Are Not Enough

Tears Are Not Enough (ABC song)

"Tears Are Not Enough" was the first single to be released by New Wave group ABC. It was released in 1981 on two formats . The two singles versions of the song are both different from the version on their first album The Lexicon of Love. Originally produced by Steve Brown it was rerecorded for the...

" (in its initial release produced by Steve Brown), "All of My Heart

All of My Heart

"All of My Heart" is a song by the British synthpop group ABC from their album The Lexicon of Love. It was released as a single in the UK in October 1982 and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart. It was written by lead singer Martin Fry and released by Neutron Records...

", "Poison Arrow

Poison Arrow

"Poison Arrow" is a New Wave single released and popularised by ABC in 1982 and also included on their 1982 debut album, The Lexicon of Love. It reached #6 on the UK singles chart, #4 in Australia and also was their first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, at #25...

", and "The Look of Love (Part One)

The Look of Love (ABC song)

"The Look of Love" is a song recorded by ABC in 1981, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love.- History :Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it went to number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian pop singles chart...

" were all Top 20 hits in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

; the last two also charted in the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, peaking at #25 and #14 respectively. The album reached #1 on the British charts, and peaked at #24 in the U.S. charts.
In 2004, a deluxe 2-disc reissue including outtakes and early demos and a live performance of the album from 1982 was released on the Neutron label.

Critical acclaim

• NME
  NME
  The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
  
  listed it number 15 on its list of 50 albums of the 80s.
• NME
  NME
  The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
  
  listed it number 3 on its list of 50 albums of the year 1982.
• Uncut
  UNCUT (magazine)
  Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
  
  listed It number 52 on its list of 100 greatest debut albums.
• Mojo
  Mojo (magazine)
  MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
  
  listed it in its list of 9 albums of the year 1982.
• The Village Voice
  The Village Voice
  The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
  
  listed it number 19 on its list of 20 albums of the year 1982.
• Q magazine listed it number 40 on its list of the 100 greatest British albums ever.
• Q magazine
  Q (magazine)
  Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
  
   readers voted The Lexicon of Love the 92nd greatest album of all time.
• The Observer Music Monthly listed it number 42 on its list "Top 100 British Albums".

Original release (Neutron NTRS 1)

Side One

1. "Show Me" – 4:02
2. "Poison Arrow
   Poison Arrow
   "Poison Arrow" is a New Wave single released and popularised by ABC in 1982 and also included on their 1982 debut album, The Lexicon of Love. It reached #6 on the UK singles chart, #4 in Australia and also was their first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, at #25...
   
   " – 3:24
3. "Many Happy Returns" – 3:56
4. "Tears Are Not Enough
   Tears Are Not Enough (ABC song)
   "Tears Are Not Enough" was the first single to be released by New Wave group ABC. It was released in 1981 on two formats . The two singles versions of the song are both different from the version on their first album The Lexicon of Love. Originally produced by Steve Brown it was rerecorded for the...
   
   " – 3:31
5. "Valentine's Day" – 3:42

Side Two

1. "The Look of Love
   The Look of Love (ABC song)
   "The Look of Love" is a song recorded by ABC in 1981, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love.- History :Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it went to number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian pop singles chart...
   
   " (Part One) – 3:26
2. "Date Stamp" – 3:51
3. "All of My Heart
   All of My Heart
   "All of My Heart" is a song by the British synthpop group ABC from their album The Lexicon of Love. It was released as a single in the UK in October 1982 and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart. It was written by lead singer Martin Fry and released by Neutron Records...
   
   " – 5:12
4. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 5:30 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
5. "The Look of Love
   The Look of Love (ABC song)
   "The Look of Love" is a song recorded by ABC in 1981, included on their debut album, The Lexicon of Love.- History :Released as a single and as a 12" remix, it went to number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian pop singles chart...
   
   " (Part Four) – 1:02

1996 Digitally re-mastered edition (Mercury 514942-2)

1. "Show Me" – 4:02
2. "Poison Arrow" – 3:22
3. "Many Happy Returns" – 3:58
4. "Tears Are Not Enough" – 3:29
5. "Valentine's Day" – 3:40
6. "The Look of Love (Part One)" – 3:29
7. "Date Stamp" – 3:51
8. "All of My Heart" – 5:18
9. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 5:30 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
10. "The Look of Love (Part Four)" – 0:56
11. "Tears Are Not Enough (Demo)" - 3:29*
12. "Poison Arrow (Jazz Re-Mix)" - 6:54*
13. "The Look of Love (U.S. Special Remix - Edit)" - 5:43 [mislabelled as "The Look of Love (1990 Re-Mix)"]*
14. "Alphabet Soup (12" mix)" - 8:02*
15. "Theme from Mantrap
    ABC Mantrap
    Mantrap was a short film featuring songs by the musical group ABC.The film also features James Villiers as the band's manager.-Plot:...
    
    " - 4:19*
16. "The Look of Love (Live)" - 6:07*

• Tracks with * are bonus

1998 Re-issue (Mercury/Neutron 538 250-2)

1. "Show Me" – 4:02
2. "Poison Arrow" – 3:24
3. "Many Happy Returns" – 3:56
4. "Tears Are Not Enough" – 3:31
5. "Valentine's Day" – 3:42
6. "The Look of Love" (Part One) – 3:26
7. "Date Stamp" – 3:51
8. "All of My Heart" – 5:12
9. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 5:30 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
10. "The Look of Love" (Part Four) – 1:02
11. "Theme from Man Trap" - 4:19*

• track with * is bonus

Disc one

Part 1: The Original Album

1. "Show Me" – 4:02
2. "Poison Arrow" – 3:24
3. "Many Happy Returns" – 3:56
4. "Tears Are Not Enough" – 3:31
5. "Valentine's Day" – 3:42
6. "The Look of Love" (Part One) – 3:26
7. "Date Stamp – 3:51
8. "All of My Heart" – 5:12
9. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 5:30 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
10. "The Look of Love" (Part Four) – 1:02

    Part 2: The Original Singles

11. "Overture" – 3:59 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
12. "Tears Are Not Enough" [original single version] – 3:36
13. "Alphabet Soup" – 8:03
14. "Theme from Man Trap" – 4:19
15. "Poison Arrow" [North American Jazz Mix] – 7:06

    Part 3: An Oddity and An Out-Take

16. "Into the Valley of the Heathen Go" – 2:00
17. "Alphabet Soup" [BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
    
     Swapshop
    Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
    Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, more commonly known simply as Swap Shop, is a UK children's television programme. It was broadcast on Saturday mornings on BBC1 for 146 episodes in six series between 1976 and 1982...
    
     version] – 3:13

Disc two

Part 4: The Route to the Lexicon

1. "Tears Are Not Enough" [Phonogram
   Phonogram Records
   Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
   
    Demo 20 July 1981] – 3:32
2. "Show Me" [Phonogram
   Phonogram Records
   Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
   
    Demo 20 July 1981] – 4:03
3. "Surrender" [Phonogram
   Phonogram Records
   Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
   
    Demo 20 July 1981] — (song deleted from album’s original release at "the 11th hour") – 3:29

   Part 5: The Lexicon of Love—Live at Hammersmith Odeon November 1982

4. "Overture" – 3:56 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
5. "Show Me" – 4:21
6. "Many Happy Returns" – 7:02
7. "Tears Are Not Enough" – 5:33
8. "Date Stamp" – 7:07
9. "The Look of Love" [Complete Suite] – 5:59
10. "All of My Heart" – 6:45
11. "Valentine's Day" – 4:44
12. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 6:53 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
13. "Alphabet Soup" – 8:26
14. "Poison Arrow" – 5:22

Band lineup

• Martin Fry
  Martin Fry
  Martin Fry is lead singer of the band, ABC.-Biography:He grew up in Bramhall, Stockport, alongside his younger brother Jamie .-ABC:...
  
  : vocals
• David Palmer: drums and percussion
• Stephen Singleton
  Stephen Singleton
  Stephen Singleton is a British musician, currently residing in Sheffield, England. According to an interview Singleton did for the documentary Made in Sheffield, he was friends with Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott when the two were young children. Along with Mark White and David Sydenham, he...
  
  : alto and tenor saxophones
• Mark White
  Mark White (musician)
  Mark White is an English musician, best known for being part of the pop band ABC, from 1980 to 1992. His last contribution to the band was their 1991 album, Abracadabara....
  
  : guitars and keyboards

Guest musicians

• Anne Dudley
  Anne Dudley
  Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
  
  : keyboards and orchestration
• Brad Lang: bass guitar
• Mark Lickley: bass guitar on "Tears Are Not Enough", "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love"
• J. J. Jeczalik: Fairlight
  Fairlight
  Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean Michel Jarre. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio...
  
   programmer
• Kim Wear: trumpet
• Andy Gray: trombone on "Tears Are Not Enough"
• Luis Jardim
  Luís Jardim
  Luís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.-Family:Jardim is a cousin of Alberto João Jardim...
  
   (mis-spelled as "Louis Jardin" on album notes): Additional percussion
• Tessa Webb
  Tessa Niles
  Tessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
  
  : female vocal lead on "Date Stamp"
• Gaynor Sadler: harp
• Karen Clayton: female speaking voice in "Poison Arrow"

Production crew

• Trevor Horn
  Trevor Horn
  Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
  
   — producer
• Gary Langan
  Gary Langan
  Gary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
  
   — engineer
• Gered Markowitz — film photography
• Paul Cox — band photography
• Pete Bill — cover photography
• Visible Inc. — design
• Neutron Records — design

2004 deluxe edition credits

• Gary Moore — digital remastering
• Daryl Easlea — album coordinator and compiler
• Martin Fry — compiler
• Deluxe Graphics@Green Ink — artwork restoration and adaption