A&M Press Biography

With the dramatic success of last year's "Wonderful Life" LP (it has, to date, sold over 1.2 rnillion copies worldwide) Black finally reaped what had been sown some seven years before. Indeed, with a first public appearance dating back to New Year's Day 1981, recognition has been a long time in coming. Since the release of the debut LP Black has earned Gold Albums in five countries (Platinum in Spain), with the title-track single scoring top 10 chart success in over a dozen.

Having achieved such a drarnatic turnaround in fortunes, the obvious question was could Black continue the success? The answer, this auturnn, could hardly be more emphatic; "Comedy", the follow-up album produced, like its predecessor, by Dave Dix and Robin Millar, delivers ten sparkling new Colin Vearncombe compositions, including the first single "The Big One" (released on September 12th).

If any one feature marks out "Comedy" from the debut LP it is a greater maturity in both the songwriting and in the overall sound of the album. Less apparant is the melancholyof "Wonderful Life", replaced by a warmer and more lyrical flavour. The LP also sees Black stepping out musically, a diversity in instrumentation and arrangements (compare "Let Me Watch You Make Love" with "You're A Big Girl Now") providing the perfect soundscape for the emotive lyrics.

Black formed in Liverpool in 1981 around a creative core of vocalist/songwriter Colin Vearncombe. Signing to WEA in '83, having teamed up with producer Dave Dix, Black released two critically-acclaimed singles in "Hey Presto" and "More Than The Suri".." Commercial success, however, never arrived and Black parted with the label in 1985. Shortly after, Colin and Dave separated, in order that Dave could pursue a career as a producer.

The next twelve months was not a happy time - "everything that could possibly go wrong did", Colin recalls. The release of "Wonderful Life" in June of the following year saw Black enjoying indie chart success on the Ugly Man Label. It also brought Black to the attention of A&M, with whom he signed at the end of 1986.

"Everything's Coming Up Roses", Black's A&M debut, paved the way for the sublime "Sweetest Smile" which gave Colin his first UK top 10 and launched Black throughout Europe (where Black undertook two hugely successful tours). "Wonderful Life" set the seal on this Black renaissance, and the rest, as they say, is history.

With song titles like "I Can Laugh About It Mow" and "All We Meed Is The Money" to point the way, it is clear that the Black/black humour, so evident on the first album, is still very much a part of Colin Vearncombe's songwriting psyche. "Comedy", however, sees him expanding his musical horizons, triumphantly entering territory only hinted at on "Wonderful Life". In the autumn of 1988, seven years out of Liverpool, Black has truly come of age..... .