Brilliant (band)
Encyclopedia
Brilliant were a British pop/rock group active in the 1980s. Although not commercially successful and mauled by the critics, they remain notable because of the personnel involved - Martin Glover
aka Youth, formerly of Killing Joke
and subsequently a top producer/remixer; Jimmy Cauty
, later to find fame and fortune as one half of The KLF
; and (prior to the band signing with WEA
) Ben Watkins aka Juno Reactor. Equally notable was their management (David Balfe
), their record company A&R
manager (Bill Drummond
, the other member of The KLF), and songwriting and production team (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken
and Pete Waterman
known as Stock Aitken Waterman
).
Brilliant first came to life in 1982, as post-punk band Killing Joke
was crumbling under internal conflicts. Unsatisfied with his bandmates' following of the occult
lifestyle, Killing Joke's bass player Youth
decided to call it quits and recorded an angry slandering song against his former bandmates. The song, That's What Good Friends Are For..., an obvious mock of Killing Joke's second album What's THIS for...?, was credited to "Brilliant", which was a name of a Killing Joke b-side and a general 1980s buzzword
.
For the first incarnation of Brilliant as a full band, Youth recruited Marcus Myers on vocals and guitar, a second bass player Guy Pratt
(who left for the Australian band Icehouse
and was replaced by Frenchman Stephane "Tin Tin" Holweck prior to their first live performances), and the two drummers Andy Anderson (The Cure) and Peter Ogi, along with synthethist Rob Waugh. They released two singles, 'That's What Good Friends Are For.../Push' (Limelight Music LIME 001/A/B with a sleeve by Mark Alleyne) and 'Colours' (through Rough Trade Records with a sleeve by Mark Manning) and recorded a BBC session for John Peel
. Overall through its four years of existence the band hosted a roster of roughly 30 players until reducing to the trio of Youth, Cauty and female vocalist June Montana.
The debut single with this lineup, a cover of James Brown
's "It's A Man's Man's World
", was critically acclaimed by the music press and became the group's biggest hit on the UK charts, albeit only peaking at #58 in October 1985. The group released their only album "Kiss The Lips Of Life" in 1986, and three further singles, "Love Is War" (UK #64), "Somebody" (UK #67) and a cover of "The End Of The World". The album was produced by famed British production team Stock Aitken & Waterman (except the song "Crash The Car"), but it only peaked at #83 in the UK. The album was reissued on CD by independent U.S. record label
, Wounded Bird, on 11 August 2009.
The band split in late 1986, but group members continued working with each other on subsequent years. Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond formed The KLF in 1987. June Montana formed the female duo Disco 2000
with Cauty's wife Cressida, releasing several singles on the KLF Communications
label. Youth and Cauty worked together again in the band The Orb
.
reviewer Ira Robbins called Kiss the Lips of Life "dismal" and the band "cynical" and "wretched", adding that "[their] lasting cultural significance amounts to its inclusion of ex-Zodiac Mindwarp
keyboardist/guitarist Jimmy Cauty
, with whom [Bill] Drummond concocted the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (JAMs)".
Allmusic were a little more generous, calling Brilliant an initially "promising act: a more soulful take on the aggressive funk-rock of Killing Joke" but added that, after being teamed up with Stock, Aitken and Waterman, they "came up with a generic pop-dance album that fell well short of the original concept". Awarding Kiss the Lips of Life two stars out of five, they added that "What aggression there is comes courtesy of Jimmy Cauty's metallic guitar solos; the sterile synth whitewash of SAW dominates the rest of the mix, and vocalist June Montana isn't strong or distinctive enough to fight through it".
However, even Bill Drummond - the A&R man who had signed them - had harsh words to say about the project: "I signed a band called Brilliant, who I worked with, we worked together, and it was complete failure. Artistically bankrupt project. And financially deaf. We spent £300,000 on making an album that was useless. Useless artistically, useless... commercially."
"We did a record with this band called Brilliant, the reviews were phenomenal and it got to 58 in the charts. I remember saying to the guys, fuck that for critically acclaimed music, you can't pay the fucking rent with that." - Pete Waterman
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
aka Youth, formerly of Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
and subsequently a top producer/remixer; Jimmy Cauty
Jimmy Cauty
James Francis Cauty is a British artist and musician born in Liverpool, England, in 1956...
, later to find fame and fortune as one half of The KLF
The KLF
The KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
; and (prior to the band signing with WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
) Ben Watkins aka Juno Reactor. Equally notable was their management (David Balfe
David Balfe
David Balfe is most notable for playing keyboards with The Teardrop Explodes, founding the Zoo and Food record labels, signing Blur and for being the subject of their number one hit - "Country House".-Biography:...
), their record company A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
manager (Bill Drummond
Bill Drummond
William Ernest Drummond is a Scottish artist, musician, writer and record producer. He was the co-founder of late 1980s avant-garde pop group The KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with which he burned a million pounds in 1994...
, the other member of The KLF), and songwriting and production team (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken
Matt Aitken
Matthew James Aitken , is a British songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as the creative force behind the 1980s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman....
and Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
known as Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
).
Brilliant first came to life in 1982, as post-punk band Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
was crumbling under internal conflicts. Unsatisfied with his bandmates' following of the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
lifestyle, Killing Joke's bass player Youth
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
decided to call it quits and recorded an angry slandering song against his former bandmates. The song, That's What Good Friends Are For..., an obvious mock of Killing Joke's second album What's THIS for...?, was credited to "Brilliant", which was a name of a Killing Joke b-side and a general 1980s buzzword
Buzzword
A buzzword is a term of art, salesmanship, politics, or technical jargon that is used in the media and wider society outside of its originally narrow technical context....
.
For the first incarnation of Brilliant as a full band, Youth recruited Marcus Myers on vocals and guitar, a second bass player Guy Pratt
Guy Pratt
Guy Pratt is a session bassist and also a songwriter, actor and comedian. He is the son of actor Mike Pratt. In Kensington and Chelsea, London, in 1996, Pratt married Gala Wright, the daughter of Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright...
(who left for the Australian band Icehouse
Icehouse (band)
Icehouse is an Australian rock band, formed as Flowers in 1977 in Sydney. Initially known in Australia for their pub rock style, they later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synthpop style music and attained Top Ten singles chart success in both Europe and the U.S...
and was replaced by Frenchman Stephane "Tin Tin" Holweck prior to their first live performances), and the two drummers Andy Anderson (The Cure) and Peter Ogi, along with synthethist Rob Waugh. They released two singles, 'That's What Good Friends Are For.../Push' (Limelight Music LIME 001/A/B with a sleeve by Mark Alleyne) and 'Colours' (through Rough Trade Records with a sleeve by Mark Manning) and recorded a BBC session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. Overall through its four years of existence the band hosted a roster of roughly 30 players until reducing to the trio of Youth, Cauty and female vocalist June Montana.
The debut single with this lineup, a cover of James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's "It's A Man's Man's World
It's a Man's Man's World
It's a Man's Man's World is the second solo album by Australian soul/R & B singer Renée Geyer, and the one that set her on the road to major success over the next 30+ years...
", was critically acclaimed by the music press and became the group's biggest hit on the UK charts, albeit only peaking at #58 in October 1985. The group released their only album "Kiss The Lips Of Life" in 1986, and three further singles, "Love Is War" (UK #64), "Somebody" (UK #67) and a cover of "The End Of The World". The album was produced by famed British production team Stock Aitken & Waterman (except the song "Crash The Car"), but it only peaked at #83 in the UK. The album was reissued on CD by independent U.S. record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Wounded Bird, on 11 August 2009.
The band split in late 1986, but group members continued working with each other on subsequent years. Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond formed The KLF in 1987. June Montana formed the female duo Disco 2000
Disco 2000
Disco 2000 was a British pop band, a side project of The KLF. Vocals were handled by Cressida Cauty and June Montana, also known as Mo...
with Cauty's wife Cressida, releasing several singles on the KLF Communications
KLF Communications
This discography lists the key British and notable international releases of The KLF and the other pseudonyms of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. It also details the other releases on their independent record label, KLF Communications, by KLF-spinoff Disco 2000 and Space...
label. Youth and Cauty worked together again in the band The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
.
Reviews
Trouser PressTrouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
reviewer Ira Robbins called Kiss the Lips of Life "dismal" and the band "cynical" and "wretched", adding that "[their] lasting cultural significance amounts to its inclusion of ex-Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp
-Overview:The band is the brainchild of Mark Manning, a graphic artist and editor of London's Flexipop magazine. Deciding to experience the debauchery of life as a decadent rock star, he assumed the alter ego, Zodiac Mindwarp, and formed the Love Reaction in the mid 1980s together with guitarist...
keyboardist/guitarist Jimmy Cauty
Jimmy Cauty
James Francis Cauty is a British artist and musician born in Liverpool, England, in 1956...
, with whom [Bill] Drummond concocted the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (JAMs)".
Allmusic were a little more generous, calling Brilliant an initially "promising act: a more soulful take on the aggressive funk-rock of Killing Joke" but added that, after being teamed up with Stock, Aitken and Waterman, they "came up with a generic pop-dance album that fell well short of the original concept". Awarding Kiss the Lips of Life two stars out of five, they added that "What aggression there is comes courtesy of Jimmy Cauty's metallic guitar solos; the sterile synth whitewash of SAW dominates the rest of the mix, and vocalist June Montana isn't strong or distinctive enough to fight through it".
However, even Bill Drummond - the A&R man who had signed them - had harsh words to say about the project: "I signed a band called Brilliant, who I worked with, we worked together, and it was complete failure. Artistically bankrupt project. And financially deaf. We spent £300,000 on making an album that was useless. Useless artistically, useless... commercially."
"We did a record with this band called Brilliant, the reviews were phenomenal and it got to 58 in the charts. I remember saying to the guys, fuck that for critically acclaimed music, you can't pay the fucking rent with that." - Pete Waterman
Singles
- "That's What Good Friends Are For..." (Brilliant) / "Push" (Brilliant), 1982 UK (Limelight Music Lime-7-001) (UK IndieUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#22) - "Colours" (A.Anderson/M.Glover/M.Myer/S.Holweck) / "Colours Monster Mix" - 1983 UK (Risk Records/Rough Trade, RTT105) (UK Indie #11)
- "Soul Murder", 1984 UK (Food Records) (UK Indie #14)
- "Wait For It", 1984 UK (WEA/Food Records)
- "It's A Man's Man's Man's World", 1985 UK (WEA/Food Records) (#58 UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
) - "Love Is War" (Youth/Montana/Cauty/Stock/Aitken/Waterman) / "The Red Red Groovy" (Youth/Montana/Cauty) / "Ruby Fruit Jungle" (Youth/Montana/Cauty/Holwick/Le Mesurier), 1986 UK (WEA/Food Records, FOOD 6) (#64 UK Singles Chart)
- "Somebody", 1986 UK (WEA/Food Records) U.S. (Atlantic) (#67 UK Singles Chart)
- "The End Of The World", 1986 UK (WEA/Food Records)
Albums
- Kiss The Lips Of Life, 1986 UK (WEA/Food Records) U.S. (Atlantic) (#83 UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - Kiss The Lips Of Life, 2009 U.S. CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(Wounded Bird) Released 11 August 2009
External links
- Listen to "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by Brilliant http://www.iamnotthebeatles.com/?p=596