Living Colour

This article is about the band. For the television series, see In Living Color.

Living Colour is an American hard rock band formed in New York City in 1983 by guitarist Vernon Reid. They rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. Stylistically their music is a creative fusion influenced by heavy metal, funk, guitar-based rock, free jazz, hardcore punk and hip hop. They are linked to the funk metal movement of the late 1980s typified by bands such as Fishbone, Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Primus, and 24-7 Spyz. They are best remembered for the hits "Cult of Personality", which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989, and "Type" - their highest charting single. They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.

Living Colour was ranked #70 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

History

Living Colour grew out of the Black Rock Coalition, a non-profit organization founded by (among others) guitarist Vernon Reid for black musicians interested in playing rock music. Reid, British-born but a longtime New York resident, was well known on the downtown New York jazz scenes courtesy of his tenure in Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society. A guitarist of unnerving technique and speed, he assembled a number of bands under the name Living Colour from 1983 to 1986. Early band members included bassists Alex Mosely, Jerome Harris and Carl James. Drummers Greg Carter, Pheeroan Aklaff and J.T. Lewis. Keyboardist Geri Allen and vocalists D.K. Dyson and Mark Ledford with Reid occasionally singing (or delivering) lead vocals himself. The band's sound was vastly different than the songs that showed up later on their major label recordings. Material from this period included instrumental jazz/funk workouts, politically pointed punk rock burners, experimental excursions via Reid's guitar synth, and an early version of the song "Funny Vibe," which was reworked for their debut album Vivid.

In 1986, the lineup became bassist Muzz Skillings, drummer Will Calhoun, who had graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music, and vocalist Corey Glover (who Reid met at a birthday party and was suitably impressed with a rendition of "Happy Birthday"). In Calhoun and particularly Skillings, Reid had a rhythm section with the ability to express themselves in dozens of forms, and in Glover he had a vocalist who could produce depths of soul or rage upon demand. Soon after they became regulars on the touring circuit, including regular gigs at the seminal club CBGB's. Aided by a demo produced by fan Mick Jagger, they scored a record deal with Epic Records, and released Vivid in the middle of 1988, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200. The album gathered sales momentum only when in late 1988 MTV began playing the video for "Cult of Personality." They gained further exposure as an opening act (with Guns N' Roses) for the 1989 Rolling Stones tour of stadiums throughout the USA.

In 1990, the band's second effort, Time's Up, was a sprawling affair that capitalized on the ability of its members to work in numerous musical contexts; thrash metal, punk, jazz fusion, delta blues, hip hop (cameos by Queen Latifah and Doug E. Fresh), funk, jive, and hints of electronica were all represented. The album reached #13 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Album. Other guests included Maceo Parker and Little Richard. In 1991 they joined the inaugural Lollapalooza tour and released an EP of outtakes entitled Biscuits. In 1992, bass player Muzz Skillings left the group soon after due to creative differences and was replaced by Doug Wimbish. This new incarnation released the album Stain in 1993, revealing an emotionally darker, more personal side of the group. The album only reached #26 on the Billboard 200. Despite retaining their strong fan base, the band split on January 1995 after failing to settle on a common musical goal during sessions for their fourth full-length album. Four of these tracks were included on the compilation Pride.

Individual members released a variety of solo efforts until the band finally reformed for good on December 22, 2000. The reunion was followed by the release of another dark record, Collideøscope, in 2003.

Sony Records released Live From CBGB's recorded on December 19, 1989 at the legendary CBGB's as well as another "best of" compilation titled Everything Is Possible: The Very Best of Living Colour with songs from Vivid to Collideøscope.

As of August 2006, Glover is taking on the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar touring with Ted Neeley but has not left the band [1]. Doug Pinnick, vocalist and bassist of King's X, filled in for Glover on lead vocals.

On September 22, 2006, original bassist Muzz Skillings joined the band for the first time in 14 years. The occasion was a private party drummer Jack DeJohnette threw for his wife Lydia. Current bassist Doug Wimbish was unable to come back from London for the event and Skillings agreed to do it.

Living Colour performed a weeklong European Tour starting December 12, 2006. In May 2007, the band released their first live DVD - On Stage At World Cafe Live. The band is planning to record a new album for early to mid 2008 release.

Miscellaneous

Candidates for the bass player position vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings and eventually filled by Doug Wimbish included Melvin Gibbs (most known for having spent a long tenure with Rollins Band) and Me'shell Ndegeocello.
Gibbs and Reid were both in the Decoding Society led by Ronald Shannon Jackson, and played together in Defunkt for a short time.
"Cult of Personality" was part of the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas repertoire of radio songs, and was also one of the theme songs used by professional wrestler CM Punk.
In May 2007, "Cult of Personality" was the very first song to be confirmed for the tracklist of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As the master track could not be found, the band re-recorded the song specifically for the game; admittedly being fans of the game, they requested the song being one of the hardest in the soundtrack, and made so by adding a new guitar solo. ^{[citation needed]}
In October 2006, "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" was ranked and voted 303 out of 2006 songs featured in the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown.
Lead singer, Corey Glover, as of August 2006, is taking on the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, touring with Ted Neeley through 2008

Discography

Studio albums

Vivid (1988, re-released in 2002 with bonus tracks) - #6 on the Billboard 200, RIAA: 2x Platinum
Time's Up (1990) - #13 on the Billboard 200 RIAA: Gold
Stain (1993) - #26 on the Billboard 200
Collideøscope (2003)

Live albums

Live from CBGB's (2004, recorded live in 1989)
Instant Live: Avalon, Boston, MA 10/17/04 (2005, recorded live in 2004)

EPs

Biscuits (1991) - #110 on the Billboard 200

Videos

Compilations

Dread (1994)
Pride (1995)
Super Hits (1998)
Play It Loud (1998)
What's Your Favorite Color?: Remixes, B-Sides and Rarities (2005)
Everything Is Possible: The Very Best of Living Colour (2006)

Singles

Year	Song	Chart Positions				Album
Year	Song	US Hot 100	US Mainstream Rock	US Modern Rock	UK Singles Chart	Album
1988	"Cult of Personality"	#13	#9	-	#67 (1991 UK)	Vivid
1989	"Glamour Boys"	#31	#26	-	-	Vivid
1989	"Open Letter (To a Landlord)"	#82	#11	-	-	Vivid
1989	"Middle Man"	-	-	-	-	Vivid
1989	"Funny Vibe"	-	-	-	-	Vivid
1990	"Type"	-	#5	#3	#75	Time's Up
1991	"Elvis Is Dead"	-	-	#25	-	Time's Up
1991	"Love Rears Its Ugly Head"	-	#28	#8	#12	Time's Up
1991	"Solace of You"	-	-	-	#33	Time's Up
1991	"Pride"	-	-	-	-	Time's Up
1991	"Time's Up"	-	-	-	-	Time's Up
1992	"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothin'"	-	-	#12	-	Biscuits (EP)
1993	"Nothingness"	-	-	#17	-	Stain
1993	"Ausländer"	-	-	-	#53	Stain
1993	"Leave It Alone"	-	#14	#4	#34	Stain
1994	"Sunshine of Your Love"	-	-	-	-	True Lies Soundtrack
2003	"Song Without Sin"	-	-	-	-	Collideøscope