Black (English band)
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Black is the musical vehicle for singer/songwriter Colin Vearncombe (born 26 May 1962, in Liverpool, England).
Contents |
[edit] Career
Black's first release was "Human Features" on Rox Records in 1981. This was followed by another independent release in 1982 "More Than The Sun" (Wonderful World Of Records), after which Black was signed by WEA Records.
The first release for WEA was "Hey Presto" (1984), which got them noticed outside the UK: the video for this track featured on the satellite music channel Music Box, and the single was released in Australia. The second WEA single was a re-recording of "More Than The Sun". After this, Black was dropped from the record label.
1985 was a gloomy year for Vearncombe, causing him to write the ironically entitled minor key song "Wonderful Life". Released independently at first, this track got Black noticed by A&M Records. They signed them and their career took off. At first, the singles "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Sweetest Smile" were moderately successful in the UK alone, but the third single, a re-release of "Wonderful Life", was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.
Black then went on to sell over two million records worldwide with Comedy 1988 and Black 1991. In the meantime, Vearncombe's personal life took a turn for the better when he married Swedish singer Camilla Griehsel, formerly from the band One 2 Many. Disillusioned with having to deal with a big record company, Black's remaining member Vearncombe founded the independent label Nero Schwarz, and released one album Are We Having Fun Yet? (1993).
After a prolonged hiatus, Vearncombe returned in 1999 to release a string of critically acclaimed recordings under his own name.
Returning to the band format and name in 2005, a new recording, entitled Between Two Churches was released in November.
[edit] Trivia
From 1981 to 1988, the band also included Dave Dix.
[edit] Discography
Notes: Data for singles and albums from UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart.
[edit] Main albums
| Year | Album Name | Credited as | Label | UK Top | WW sales mil. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Wonderful Life | Black | A&M Records | 3 | 1.5 | |
| 1988 | Comedy | Black | A&M Records | 32 | 0.5 | |
| 1991 | Black | Black | A&M Records | 42 | 0.2 | |
| 1993 | Are We Having Fun Yet? | Black | Nero Schwarz Records & Various | |||
| 1999 | The Accused | Colin Vearncombe | Nero Schwarz Records & East Central One | |||
| 1999 | Abbey Road Live | Colin Vearncombe | Nero Schwarz Records | |||
| 2000 | Water On Snow | Colin Vearncombe | Nero Schwarz Records | |||
| 2001 | Live At The Bassline | Colin Vearncombe | Nero Schwarz Records | |||
| 2002 | Smoke Up Close | Colin Vearncombe | Nero Schwarz Records | |||
| 2005 | Between Two Churches | Black | Nero Schwarz Records |
[edit] Compilations
| Year | Album Name | Label | UK Top | WW sales mil. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Master Series | A&M Records | ||
| 1996 | Collection | Spectrum Music | ||
| 2000 | Millennium Edition | A&M Records |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single Name | Label | UK Top | WW sales mil. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Human Features | Rox Records | ||
| 1982 | More Than The Sun | Wonderful World Of Records | ||
| 1984 | Hey Presto | WEA | ||
| 1984 | More Than The Sun | WEA | ||
| 1985 | Wonderful Life | Ugly Man | 72 | |
| 1986 | Everything's Coming Up Roses | A&M Records | 76 | |
| 1987 | Sweetest Smile | A&M Records | 8 | |
| 1987 | Wonderful Life | A&M Records | 8 | |
| 1987 | I'm Not Afraid | A&M Records | 78 | |
| 1988 | Paradise | A&M Records | 38 | |
| 1988 | The Big One | A&M Records | 54 | |
| 1988 | You're A Big Girl Now | A&M Records | 86 | |
| 1988 | Live At The Tokyo Powerstation (EP) | A&M Records | ||
| 1989 | Now You're Gone | A&M Records | 66 | |
| 1991 | Feel Like Change | A&M Records | 56 | |
| 1991 | Here It Comes Again | A&M Records | 70 | |
| 1991 | Fly Up To The Moon (duet with Sam Brown) | A&M Records | ||
| 1993 | Don't Take The Silence Too Hard | Nero Schwarz | ||
| 1993 | Wishing You Were Here | Nero Schwarz | ||
| 1993 | Just Like Love | Nero Schwarz | ||
| 1994 | Wonderful Life | PolyGram | 42 | |
| 2005 | Two Churches (EP) | Nero Schwarz |
