Martin Kemp and pop star wife Shirlie have finally made an album together

Amy West
·Contributor
Updated
Married musicians Martin and Shirlie Kemp appeared on 'Lorraine' to announce that they've finally made an album after nearly 40 years together (ITV)
Married musicians Martin and Shirlie Kemp appeared on 'Lorraine' to announce that they've finally made an album after nearly 40 years together (ITV)

Martin Kemp and his wife Shirlie have announced that they have recorded their first album together.

Speaking with Lorraine Kelly on her popular ITV morning show, the former Spandau Ballet bassist revealed that the pair - who have been together for nearly four decades - worked with a 40-piece swing orchestra over the summer to put together a new record called In The Swing of It.

“What we found... what I discovered... when we sing love songs nowadays they always make you feel a little bit down,” he said, explaining their decision to pay homage to an older genre of music. “But in those days, love songs made you feel happy and how good love is.

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“When we sing love songs to each other, it’s not like two singers getting together to sing a love song who don’t know each other, acting out the words. It’s kind of like an open love letter that everyone can look in on our relationship.”

During the interview, Shirlie - who found fame as a backing singer for 1980s pop group Wham! - touched on the couple’s late friend George Michael and how he would “be annoyed” that he didn’t come up with the idea for them to do the album first.

Bassist Martin Kemp of British pop group Spandau Ballet, with his wife, singer Shirlie Holliman of Pepsi & Shirlie, 1985. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Bassist Martin Kemp of British pop group Spandau Ballet, with his wife, singer Shirlie Holliman of Pepsi & Shirlie, 1985. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

“He would have come around my house and sat with a cup of tea listening to all of this,” she joked, fondly.

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Kemp added: “He would have loved it and I swear, me and Shirlie have spoken about it a lot, he would be up there now looking down smiling.”

Following their appearance on the ITV morning show, Shirlie added on Twitter: “[This] experience was one of the most wonderful things I have ever worked on and you can really hear it.”

She also confirmed that the album is available to pre-order as of today (Friday 6 September).

ITV’s Lorraine airs weekdays from 8.30am