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June 13th 2020

 

Welcome back everybody. After going out the charts for a few years this website is back for all things Brilliant Corners.

 

Try the Penny Black Music website if you want to read a few interviews & reviews.

  

 


Help!

If anything is inaccurate please let us know. Any other info preferably true or stuff like supporting Belinda Carlisle in front of 49,000 in Berkeley California would be very welcome.

 

 



 

The Brilliant Corners hailed from Bristol & lasted a decade, 1983-93, the pillar to post members being Davey Woodward (singer/guitarist/writer), Chris Galvin (bass) & Bob Morris (drums). Various members helped complete the line-up along the way, most notably being Winston Forbes (guitar) who was there at the start & Dan Pacini (trumpet). The Brilliant Corners initial sound was something-abilly but with so many prefixes given there isn't the space to list them here. 

 

Davey   Chris  

    

Their first release was at the start of 1984 a fast, stomping, yawp 'She's Got Fever'. Only 500 pressings were made & the band say they wrecked a lot of them with their D-I-Y not being up to much & some covers getting glued to the actual record. Two more singles followed that year, 'Big Hip' coming out in May, it was in the same vein as the previous release but you had to wait until midway through the song before the beat was cranked up to top gear. 'My Baby In Black' saw the band get bigger, well it was their first record to be released as a 12". Out in October this was to be the last single release for well over a year, but gave a taster that not-so-fast & more melodic songs were to come.

 

Which 'Growing Up Absurd' a 6 track mini-album was to prove, this was their only release of 1985. Although Dan was missing from this recording, it certainly bridged the gap of the sound of what had been released & the sound of what was to come. The title track was probably the stand out song with it's catchy tune, prominent bass line & Davey's observational lyrics.

 

   Bob      Winston

 

The spring of '86 saw the release of 'Fruit Machine' ep, four great tunes which included the 'classic' 'Meet Me On Tuesdays'. The other stand-out tracks being all the other three. The band certainly arrived on the jangle-scene a few months later with their 'What's In A Word' mini-lp. Eight great slices of pop which contained possibly their most famous track 'Brian Rix', or maybe infamous, as it became a weight around the band's neck as they struggled to shrug off the jangle label as their music moved on. It was re-recorded & released as a 7" inch only in aid of Mencap. October saw the release of 'Delilah Sands', another single overflowing with catchy tunes.

 

By now The Brilliant Corners were one of the main players on the Indie scene & in 1988 they were to release what many claim to be a masterpiece. As a taster, 'Teenage' was released in March just to warn the world what was about to be unleashed. Then in May their first full length album 'Somebody up there Likes Me' hit the shops. Sharing one full wall of Tower Records on Piccadilly Circus with The Sugarcubes latest. A dozen songs full of great tunes & equally as good lyrics, & quite faultless from start to finish. During the Autumn the record for longest song title was attempted with 'Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me?'. Also 'Everything I Ever Wanted' lp, a compilation of 'Growing Up Absurd' & 'Fruit Machine' plus two bonus tracks were released.

 

      Phil      Paul

 

Seven months of vinyl hunger followed for fans until 'Joyride' was released to quell their famine in May 1989. The sound of guitars was still there but the rhythm section was much more prominent. After the critical acclaim for 'Somebody...' this was a brave decision by The Corners to change their sound. But this seemed to be a theme throughout their existence. Never scared to change a winning formula. Or maybe The Brilliant Corners is the winning formula. The year ended with a tour & a new guitarist. Phil Elvins had joined the band due to Davey breaking his arm. This was no temporary measure as Phil continued to be part of the band. Giving Davey chance to whaff his arms around on stage while singing.

 

'Love It I Lost It' hit the record shops in March 1990 & as previous releases changed from song to song this seemed to change from verse to verse. This was a stand alone single as if to fill the gap & have a tour before 'Hooked' was released in the Autumn. Hooked was greeted with mixed opinions but what was new there. 'The Pope The Monkey & The Queen' preceded it as a taster, but one of the standout tracks if not the best on the long player must be the acoustic 'Positively Lips'. During it's recording the band were back down to a four-piece as Winston left the band, & Davey having to pick the guitar up again.

 

'Creamy Stuff' was released the following year, a compilation charting the bands history in A-sides & some B-sides. A great addition to any fans collection who may of missed out on the early limited releases, but the odd classic song from previous LPs wouldn't have been frowned upon if included, or maybe even a couple of unreleased numbers. The band didn't disappoint though & released it's namesake on VHS showing all  promos for the singles (plus a diy shoot for Teenage) & the band being very natural if not the World's most talented presenters in between songs.

 

As time passed it seemed that The Brilliant Corners had concluded their charity to the DJs turntable. Just the odd mini-tour teased the fans that they were still together. Then in 1993 'A History of White Trash' was released. Paul Sandrone was now part of the gang (replacing Phil) & as well as playing guitar added plenty of backing vocals. The guitar sound was back with a very mature feel. 'I Like It Here' possibly summing up the history of The Brilliant Corners sound. Sounding very old Brilliant Corners in a very new Brilliant Corners way. The author saw the band at The Princess Charlotte Leicester the day the Grand National was cancelled never to see them again.

 

Davey & Chris resurfaced as The Experimental Pop Band in 1995. That band lasted nearly 20 years. But tragically in 1998 Chris was diagnosed with terminal cancer & died on December 22nd of that year.

 

Seven years pass since The Brilliant Corners last release & it's like stepping back in time. Vinyl Japan release the BBC Sessions of The Brilliant Corners, 20 songs many unreleased dating from 1984 to 1987.

 

This site is dedicated to The Brilliant Corners & their music. Although I'd like to particularly dedicate it to the memory of Chris Galvin who along with the other Brilliant Corners gave us some great days out & happy times only for his life to be cut tragically short.

 

Encore

 

Without Chris it seemed, well certainly felt like The Brilliant Corners were to be confined to the turntable. However in early 2013 sources mentioned the surviving Corners had been rehearsing for a possible 30th anniversary reunion. It transpired they were on the bill to perform at 229 The Venue in London along with another nine bands on June 22nd to promote the release of 'Scared To Get Happy' a 5 cd box set by Cherry Red Records championing guitar music through the 1980s. If that wasn't enough to give you 'dreamy eyes' it was announced that they'd be doing sporadic gigs for the next year. This line-up was made up of Davey, Bob, Winston & Phil, & joining them on trumpet was James, along with Falk Bennett on bass. No new material was released though 'Heart On Your Sleeve' a double cd with studio & live tunes was released to coincide with their 30 year meet up. The band didn't disappoint & played a number of gigs around England & a few in Europe before ending it in September 2014 with a sold out performance in Bristol.

 

During the autumn of 2019 more sad news was to hit the band with the passing of Winston.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                           

 

 

 

 

Live Dates

Davey is appearing at The Peer Hat in Manchester on the evening of Saturday October 15th to answer questions about his career. Possibly focusing on The Brilliant Corners but if you've got a question about any of his time in music then he's there to be asked it. He'll be breaking the Q&A up with a few solo tunes before getting up on stage for a full band gig with his band The Winter Orphans Get Your Tickets Here .....

Davey

Davey has also just released an Album with his other band Karen.

Bob has never rested either & for a good few years has been whacking the drumsticks for Bristol's Hooper.

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