Black

Originally a three-piece pop outfit from Roby, near Liverpool, England, the group featured Colin Vearncombe (vocals), Dave Dickie (keyboards) and Jimmy Sangster (bass). Vearncombe was previously in the Epileptic Tits at the age of 16, playing punk covers. He then moved on to producing his own tapes until Dickie (ex-Last Chant), then Sangster formed a unit together. A previous incarnation had released Human Features on a local label. Black's next base was the Liverpool independent record label Eternal, sponsored by Pete Wylie and Wah. However, Vearncombe's distinctive voice soon attracted the attention of WEA. Unfortunately, after the failure of two singles, Hey Presto (written about existentialist novel THE DICE MAN) and More Than The Sun, they dropped the band. Despite this setback, Black soon found themselves with an unexpected hit on their hands. Vearncombe was approached by two brothers after a gig who wanted to put one of the band's singles out on their Ugly Man label. The single was the seductive, bittersweet ballad Wonderful Life, and after using a record plugger it was played regularly on the radio and took off in the independent charts. Its success attracted the attention of A&M, and the second single for the label, Sweetest Smile, gave them a Top 10 UK hit. Their debut album followed, though 1988's COMEDY was the more impressive long player, highlighting Vearncombe's natural romanticism. A hiatus followed which allowed Vearncombe time for marriage and new material, before a third album, titled simply BLACK. Produced by Robin Millar, guest vocalists included Robert Palmer and Sam Brown. A single featuring the latter, Fly To The Moon, also boasted an ironic cover of Janet Jackson's Control.