ABC back with Lexicon Of Love II and Sheffield homecoming date

ABC's Martin Fry back with Lexicon Of Love II and UK tour

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If I were to say to you...can you keep a secret? Well the secret is out, Sheffield music icons ABC are back with a sequel to 1982 chart-topper Lexicon Of Love and full UK tou

It's 34 years since the release of their debut and one of the greatest landmark albums of the 1980s.

Now frontman Martin Fry and his big, lush orchestral pop trademark sound and clever wordplay lyrics is back, with The Lexicon of Love II, on the Virgin EMI label, out on May 27.

And there was more great news for fans today with the announcement that ABC will be touring across the UK this October accompanied by the Southbank Sinfonia.

It includes a homecoming concert at Sheffield City Hall on Saturday, October 29. All tickets go on sale Friday, May 13, at 10am - full details below.

VIDEO: Press the play button on the YouTube embedded player to watch the new ABC music video for Viva Love.

On tour ABC will be performing in its entirety, as on previous recent tours, The Lexicon Of Love, which sold over a million copies - plus all their greatest hits and tracks from new follow up, The Lexicon Of Love II.

Fans have already had a taste of the new offering, with Viva Love featured on the BBC Radio 2 playlist.

Hatter boy! Stylish Martin Fry and ABC are back

Sonically doffing its cap to the original, The Lexicon of Love II features 10 brand new songs from the pen of ABC kingpin Martin, abetted by various musical cohorts.

Foremost among collaborators on the new album is Academy Award winning musician and composer Anne Dudley, who arranged the strings on the original Lexicon and has been the long standing conductor on ABC’s critically acclaimed sold out orchestral shows.

Anne has provided orchestral arrangements that give The Lexicon Of Love II its signature sound, and has co written two of the key songs on the album: The Love Inside The Love and Brighter Than The Sun.

Martin admits it might take a less innocent, more experienced view on affairs of the heart than its million selling predecessor, but it still concludes that all you need is love.

Music icons ABC back with homecoming date at Sheffield City Hall

“We performed a show at the Albert Hall a couple of years ago to mark the 30th anniversary of The Lexicon of Love. It struck me there and then that it was time to make a sequel. To explore those themes once again and to look at love through the eyes of a man in later life," he said.

"Now the years have passed, my perspective on life and love has changed. I wanted to make an album that reflected that.”

ABC were formed in Sheffield in the early 1980’s when they decided they wanted fuse the world of disco funk with their own unique post punk vision.

This will be thir first album in eight years, To date ABC have released eight studio albums, The Lexicon Of Love’ (’82); Beauty Stab (’83); How To Be A Zillionaire’ (’85); Alphabet City’ (’87); Up’ (’89); Abracadabra’ (’91); Skyscraping (’97) and Traffic (’08).

* Tickets for ABC's tour dates go on sale Friday, May 13, at 10am at venues, also www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

ABC UK TOUR DATES

Fri 21 Oct 16 Manchester Bridgewater Hall

Sat 22 Oct 16 Newcastle City Hall

Mon 24 Oct 16 Birmingham Symphony Hall

Tue 25 Oct 16 London Royal Festival Hall

Wed 26 Oct 16 Brighton Dome

Fri 28 Oct 16 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

Sat 29 Oct 16 Sheffield City HallSun 30 Oct 16 Bristol Colston Hall

For more follow www.abcmartinfry.com Twitter @ABCFRY Facebook www.facebook.com/ABClexicon