Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp proud that songs have ‘stood the test of time’
His songs have featured in films, TV shows and advertising campaigns, and have been sampled by artists such as the Backstreet Boys and Nelly.
Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp has said he feels “proud” that some of his music has become part of the British songbook as he was recognised by the BMI London Awards.
The 63-year-old was a guitarist in the 1980s new wave group and wrote all of their hit singles including True, Gold and Through the Barricades, before going on to pursue his own solo music.
His songs have featured in films, TV shows and advertising campaigns, and have been sampled by artists such as the Backstreet Boys and Nelly.
On Monday night, he was presented with the BMI Icon award at a ceremony in central London for his contribution to music.
He told the PA news agency it is “very nice” of the BMI to honour him but feels he is not good at the spotlight being shone upon him.
“I’m the same whenever I get told anything about me that’s nice, I feel a great sense of imposter syndrome. (I think) ‘They must have made a mistake’,” he said.
“This is the way I’ve been all my life. But, I suppose, I’m still here. I’m still making records, I still made music, my records are still being played and embraced in different ways, and become part of the ether really, so it’s nice.”
The musician said the recognition has energised him to continue creating as he revealed he enjoys writing now more than he has ever done.
“It’s not as easy to have the same success as I did in those years because every writer has a moment, a period of 10 years when everything happens for them,” he explained.
“They are riding the wave, their age is right, you’re in the zeitgeist and and things happen for you.
“Certain generations of people hearing music in their formative years will carry that music under their skin for the rest of their lives and that is something to be thrilled about.”
He recalled he was attending an Arsenal football match as a fan with his son recently and felt a sense of “pride” when the crowd began to chant to one of his songs.
Kemp said: “Some songs have stood the test of time and become part of the British songbook, you feel very proud.
“At the same time, it becomes extra baggage every time you sit down to write a song now.”
In the 1980s band, which had an original line-up of Kemp and his brother Martin, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble, they created six studio albums, with a reunion album featuring some of the members being released in 2009.
Reflecting on what is the secret to creating a good song, he recalled how Spandau Ballet’s hit song True was “much more personal” than any he had written for the band before which may have impacted its success.
However, he noted that a lot of other factors come into play nowadays such as an artist’s presence on social media while it was previously if you could get played on the radio.
He added that he has noticed British bands have not been dominating the music industry like they did when Spandau Ballet was at its peak, but feels it was as hard to climb the charts then and now, adding: “The competition has always been high, it’s always been hard to get yourself heard.”
Asked if he has any worries about AI being introduced into the music industry, he said: “The authenticity of the industry has always been changing anyway.
“Most records you listen to now don’t even have musicians on them, they’ll just have a singer and computerised music, it’s been leaning that way for a long time.
“Whatever tools you can use to be creative, that’s what counts.”
He added that AI was not something he was interested in exploring in his work but feels as long as people are honest with their usage of it then it “doesn’t matter”.
