THE ROUGH GUIDE TO ROCK

LIVING COLOUR

Formed New York, 1985; disbanded 1995.

"We're black. We play rock and roll. Now maybe everybody will give that a rest."

Corey Glover

Living Colour's fusion of hard rock, jazz, dance and soul, although similar to that of Cheap Trick and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was distinctive in that it was being made by an all-black band. This became a platform for strong social comment on black issues: Reid was a founding member of the Black Rock Coalition movement, formed with journalist Greg Tate to combat racial stereotyping in music, and his band drew music press journalists as an ever-quotable act.

Their route to success was helped by a very useful contact - Mick Jagger, who saw one gig at CBGB's and invited them to play on his 1986 album, Primitive Cool. He produced two demos of the band's own songs and was a considerable factor in their signing to Epic, the label which put out the debut album, Vivid (1988).

Vivid was a critical favourite, and in the US a commercial one too, reaching #6 and staying in the charts for a full year. Driven by hard rock backings and characterized by Reid's skilfully untidy guitar work, it was among the more thoughtful of late 80s rock albums. The opening track and first single, "Cult Of Personality", began with a sampled Kennedy speech played under a biting lyric, while "Open Letter (To A Landlord)" took a swipe at the negative aspects of gentrification. "Which Way To America" contrasted the idealism of the American Dream with the black America that 'looks like hell/Tell me where to go to get to your America'.

Living Colour maintained a high profile by supporting a diverse selection of acts on tour (Robert Palmer, Cheap Trick, Anthrax and Billy Bragg) and collaborating with other artists, like Reid's appearances on Keith Richards' Talk Is Cheap and Bernie Worrell's Funk Of Ages. In 1989 they took three MTV awards - Best New Artist, Best Group Video and Best Stage Performance - then received similar accolades the following year from Rolling Stone and at the Grammy Awards.

They headlined huge benefit concerts across America, wrote tracks for B. B. King, and set about recording the next album, with Jagger, Little Richard, Queen Latifah and Carlos Santana all happy to help out. Released in September 1990, Time's Up was an award winner and chart success on both sides of the Atlantic. It featured their best-known single, the wry "Love Rears Its Ugly Head", but the sheer eclecticism made it an interesting rather than a listenable experience.

The Biscuits mini-album, which followed in August 1991, failed to make any waves, and in November Skillings left the band, to be replaced by ex-Tackhead bassist Doug Wimbush. Stain (1993) was an indisputably solid rock album, and was another strong seller, but despite flawless musicianship and intriguing lyrics, it made no further ground on the previous releases. In any case, Reid's extracurricular activities - sessions for Garland Jeffreys and The Ramones, as well as a photo exhibition - hinted at an artist in transition.

It seems that Living Colour's career came to a halt in early 1995. They were a ground-breaking black group, but perhaps such status was a distraction for a band that basically wanted to be known for making great music.

Vivid (1988; Epic). Samples, engaging and provocative lyrics, and great rocking make this one of the 80s most enduring albums.

Time's Up (1990; Epic). An advance in some ways, but self-indulgent and inspiring by turns. "Elvis Is Dead" proved controversial with fans of the King, who thought it a bit flippant to say 'Elvis has left the building'.