Living Colour

Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). Stylistically, their music is a creative fusion influenced by heavy metal, funk, jazz, hip hop, punk, and alternative rock. The band's lyrics range from the personal to the political, including social commentary on racism in the United States.
Living Colour has released six studio albums so far. The band rose to fame with their debut album "Vivid" in 1988. Although they scored a number of hits, Living Colour is best known for their signature anthem "Cult of Personality", which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards and won their second Grammy Award for their follow-up album "Time's Up" (1990). Their third album, "Stain" (1993), was also well received by music critics. After disbanding in 1995, Living Colour reunited in late 2000, and has released three more studio albums since then: "Collideøscope" (2003), "The Chair in the Doorway" (2009) and "Shade" (2017). The band has been in the process of working on new material for the follow-up to "Shade".
History.
Early years (1984–1986).
English-born guitarist Vernon Reid had formed a number of bands, and after a few years, he formed Living Colour in New York in 1984, using the British spelling of "colour". Reid assembled a number of bands under the name Vernon Reid's Living Colour from 1984 to 1986. Reid was well known on the downtown New York jazz scenes because of his tenure in Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society.
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 lead vocals himself. The band's sound was vastly different from 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".
Mainstream success (1986–1991).
In 1986 a stable lineup was formed, consisting of vocalist/actor Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Muzz Skillings, and drummer Will Calhoun (who had graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music), and the band hired managers Jim Grant and Roger Cramer. Soon after, the band became experienced at touring, including performing regular gigs at the club CBGB. "Vivid", released on May 3, 1988, gathered sales momentum only when later that year, MTV began playing the video for "Cult of Personality". The album reached No. 6 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 chart. On April 1, 1989, the band performed on NBC's "Saturday Night Live". Four months later, the band gained further exposure as an opening act, along with Guns N' Roses, for The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour.
In 1990 the band's second full-length album, "Time's Up", featured songs in numerous musical contexts; jazz fusion, punk rock, Delta blues, hip hop (cameos by Queen Latifah and Doug E. Fresh), funk, thrash metal, jive, and hints of electronica were all represented. The album reached No. 13 on the "Billboard" 200, and won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Other guests included Maceo Parker and Little Richard.
In 1991, Living Colour joined the inaugural Lollapalooza tour, and released an EP of outtakes entitled "Biscuits".
Second line-up and breakup (1992–1995).
In 1992, Skillings left the band and was replaced by Doug Wimbish. This new line up released their third full-length album, "Stain", in March 1993. The album reached No. 26 in the U.S., a further drop since their debut.
Despite retaining their strong fan base, Living Colour disbanded in January 1995, after failing to settle on common musical goals during sessions for their fourth studio album. Four of these tracks were included on the compilation "Pride".
Following the breakup, individual band members released a variety of solo efforts.
Reunion and subsequent events (2000–present).
Living Colour re-formed on December 21, 2000, at CBGB as a gig billed "Head»Fake w/ special guests". Head»Fake was the current drum and bass project headed by Calhoun and Wimbish. Glover was on the bill to sing a few songs and Reid came on after three songs. The reunion was followed by the release of the band's fourth studio album, "Collideøscope", in 2003, their first album not to chart in the United States, although it was critically praised. In 2005, Sony Records released "Live from CBGB's", a live album recorded on December 19, 1989, as well as another best-of compilation, "", with songs from "Vivid" to "Collideøscope".
On September 22, 2006, Skillings joined the band for the first time in fourteen years when they played at a private party which drummer Jack DeJohnette threw for his wife Lydia. Wimbish was unable to come back from his base in London to play for the event, so Skillings agreed to take over for the special private event.
The band performed a week-long European Tour starting on December 12, 2006. In May 2007, the band released their first live DVD - "On Stage At World Cafe Live". On July 11, 2008, the band performed at the 1980s hard rock-themed Rocklahoma festival at Pryor, Oklahoma. Once again, Skillings performed with them in August 2008 for a Black Rock Coalition Band of Gypsys tribute in Harlem. They performed "Them Changes" and "Power of Soul".
On October 25, 2008, MVD Audio and CBGB Records released "CBGB OMFUG MASTERS: August 19, 2005 The Bowery Collection", a soundboard collection of songs from the Save CBGB's benefit show. On November 25, 2008, Inakustik and MVD released "The Paris Concert", a DVD recorded at New Morning, in Paris, France, during their 2007 European Tour. The band released their fifth studio album, "The Chair in the Doorway", on September 15, 2009 on Megaforce Records. The album sold approximately 2,800 copies in its first week and landed at No. 159 on the "Billboard" 200. This was the band's first album to chart since "Stain" in 1993. The band toured the world in support of the record.
In an interview on breakdownroom.net, Glover hoped to release another album with the band next year. "We're going to do something different [for us] and make a real record, right now, right after we've done this one," Glover said with a laugh. The band's song "Cult of Personality" received fresh exposure from 2011, as it was used as the entrance music for professional wrestler CM Punk. In 2013, Living Colour performed the song live during Punk's entrance at WrestleMania 29.
On July 2, 2014 Living Colour announced on their official website that they were putting the finishing touches on their upcoming sixth album "Shade", which was released on September 8, 2017. ""Shade" is the sound of a band coming to terms with its shadows and light, From the blue pulpit of Robert Johnson to the mean red streets of Brooklyn to the golden lure of Hollywood, "Shade" is the next chapter of a unique American journey," Reid stated on the official website. The album includes 10 originals and 3 covers: Robert Johnson's "'Preachin' Blues", Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?" and Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues'" available on CD, MP3, and vinyl.
On August 19, 2016 the band released a cover of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?", from an upcoming EP entitled "Mixtape" which was released on September 9. It features appearances from Chuck D, Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch, Prodigal Sunn, and Kyle Mansa.
Living Colour is currently working on new material for a possible EP or seventh full-length studio album. When asked about a month after the release of "Shade" if fans would have to wait another four years for the follow-up album, Reid replied, "Well I don't know about all that. It's intriguing to be back in this cycle."
Acclaim and legacy.
Living Colour was ranked No. 70 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
"Cult of Personality" was part of the ' repertoire of radio songs in . It was also the first song to be confirmed for the track list of '. The version featured in "Guitar Hero III" is a new master recording of the song that features an updated solo, as the original masters could not be used.
In October 2006, "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" was ranked and voted 303 out of the 2006 songs featured in the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown.
"Rolling Stone" have called the band "funk metal pioneers."
In early 2009, WWE used "Cult of Personality" in the video promoting the induction of Stone Cold Steve Austin into its Hall of Fame. WWE performer CM Punk used the song as his entrance theme in Ring of Honor for a period of time. CM Punk used other licensed music while working with WWE, but, after feigning a departure from the company in July 2011, he returned with "Cult of Personality" as his entrance theme. CM Punk also entered to the song at his debut in the world of mixed martial arts at UFC 203 and subsequently at UFC 225 for his fight versus Mike Jackson.