The Brilliant Corners
Encyclopedia
The Brilliant Corners, a British
indie pop
band from Bristol
, England
, recorded throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The group formed in 1983, taking their name from a Thelonious Monk
jazz album
. The line-up included Davey Woodward (b. Avonmouth, Bristol, England; vocals, guitar), Chris Galvin (1959 – 22 December 1998; bass), Winston Forbes (lead guitar, percussion, backing vocals), Bob Morris (drums) and Dan (occasional trumpet and keyboards). A later addition was Phil Elvins on guitar.
The band's first releases were an early example of indie pop, with three singles being released in 1984 on their own SS20 label. Debut (mini-)album Growing Up Absurd appeared the following year. With 1986 seeing an explosion of indie pop groups, their May Fruit Machine EP saw them gain both attention and radio airplay, followed by a second mini-album, What's In A Word. "Brian Rix", a re-recorded version of a track from the LP, with added trumpet, and a tribute to Rix, the "king of farce", was issued as a single, the proceeds going to Mencap
, the charity of which Rix was chairman. The video, featuring Woodward running Rix-like around a couch with his trousers around his ankles, was shown on The Tube
, further raising the band's profile.
In March 1988 the band set up another label - McQueen - and released third album Somebody Up There Likes Me, followed by a collection of their sought-after early singles, Everything I Ever Wanted. Two more albums followed in 1989 (Joyride) and 1990 (Hooked), followed by a second compilation, 1991's Creamy Stuff. They released one last effort, 1993's A History Of White Trash, before splitting up.
Woodward and Galvin formed the Experimental Pop Band in 1995. Galvin died from cancer in 1998.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, recorded throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The group formed in 1983, taking their name from a Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
jazz album
Brilliant Corners
Brilliant Corners is a 1957 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It was his third album for the Riverside label and the first, for this label, to include his own compositions. The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio, and is considered one of his most difficult...
. The line-up included Davey Woodward (b. Avonmouth, Bristol, England; vocals, guitar), Chris Galvin (1959 – 22 December 1998; bass), Winston Forbes (lead guitar, percussion, backing vocals), Bob Morris (drums) and Dan (occasional trumpet and keyboards). A later addition was Phil Elvins on guitar.
The band's first releases were an early example of indie pop, with three singles being released in 1984 on their own SS20 label. Debut (mini-)album Growing Up Absurd appeared the following year. With 1986 seeing an explosion of indie pop groups, their May Fruit Machine EP saw them gain both attention and radio airplay, followed by a second mini-album, What's In A Word. "Brian Rix", a re-recorded version of a track from the LP, with added trumpet, and a tribute to Rix, the "king of farce", was issued as a single, the proceeds going to Mencap
Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
, the charity of which Rix was chairman. The video, featuring Woodward running Rix-like around a couch with his trousers around his ankles, was shown on The Tube
The Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
, further raising the band's profile.
In March 1988 the band set up another label - McQueen - and released third album Somebody Up There Likes Me, followed by a collection of their sought-after early singles, Everything I Ever Wanted. Two more albums followed in 1989 (Joyride) and 1990 (Hooked), followed by a second compilation, 1991's Creamy Stuff. They released one last effort, 1993's A History Of White Trash, before splitting up.
Woodward and Galvin formed the Experimental Pop Band in 1995. Galvin died from cancer in 1998.
Singles
- "She's Got Fever" (1984, SS20) (#43)
- "Big Hip" (1984, SS20) (#16)
- "My Baby's In Black" (1984, SS20) (#14)
- The Fruit Machine EP (1986, SS20)
- "Brian Rix" (1987, SS20) (#11)
- "Delilah Sands" (1987, SS20) (#9)
- "Teenage" (1988, McQueen) (#9)
- "Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me?" (1988, McQueen) (#10)
- "I Love It, I Lost It" (1990, McQueen)
- "The Pope, The Monkey and The Queen" (1990, McQueen)
Albums
- Growing Up Absurd mini-album (1985, SS20) (#26)
- What's In A Word (1986, SS20) (#8)
- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1988, McQueen) (#6)
- Everything I Ever Wanted (1988, McQueen) (compilation) (#17)
- Joyride (1989, McQueen) (#6)
- Hooked (1990, McQueen)
- Creamy Stuff (1991, McQueen) (compilation)
- A History Of White Trash (1993, C.M.P.)
See also
- List of Bands from Bristol
- Culture of BristolCulture of BristolBristol is a city in South West England. As the largest city in the region it is a centre for the arts and sport. The region has a distinct West Country dialect.-Events:...
- List of Record Labels from Bristol