Gary Kemp (Photo courtesy the artist)
Gary Kemp, best known for his dazzling work with Spandau Ballet, releases a solo album, titled INSOLO, on July 16. Gary now shares a single and video for “Too Much” from the upcoming album.
“Too Much,” featuring Queen’s Roger Taylor on drums is the follow up to “Ahead of the Game.” The song came out of a feeling of being overpowered by the global bad news that constantly seems to beat us down.
Gary said, “That feeling of helplessness and exhaustion that it sometimes creates in us. That sense that there’s too much going on to ever be able to change anything can make you retreat into the shell of your family. I was hit by it one day and sat at the piano – my usual solace along with the guitar – and this tune and lyric came out in one sitting. If felt like comfort to declaim it and not write a song about what we should all be doing.”
As with “Ahead of the Game,” Charlie Lightening directed the stunning video for “Too Much.” The film complements the reflective nature of the song by showing Meaghan Grace, a lead dancer with the Royal Ballet at The National Opera, in an urban setting. The ballet routine was choreographed by Melanie Hamrick, formerly of the American Ballet Theater, and performed in Camden’s Alexandra Road Estate, a post-war brutalist masterpiece designed by Neave Brown, featured in many films including Clockwork Orange and Kingsman.
“I wanted the dancer to be like my alter ego, my wish-fulfillment character, feeling free and expressive, while the real me is struggling to deal with the crisis surrounding him,” Gary said.
Watch the official music video for “Too Much” by Gary Kemp on YouTube:
The track features Richard Jones from The Feeling and Loup Garoux on bass, along with Matt Clifford who plays keyboards for the Rolling Stones playing French Horn.
For the drums on “Too Much,” Gary turned to someone whom he’d known since the mid ’80s: “During recording I sent a couple of songs over to my friend Roger Taylor from Queen, wondering if he fancied playing drums on anything. He chose this and I’m so glad he did. The power in his playing seems to help the lyric and lift the song just at the right moment.”