IN MEMORIAM: BLACK (COLIN VEARNCOMBE)

Again I seek a lesser known name to celebrate, part of the tragedy being the unnatural cause of his death, following a road traffic accident, in which he sustained ultimately fatal head injuries. He was 53.

Best known, possibly only known for 1987 UK number 8 single, 'Wonderful Life', an intentionally sarcastic summation of how he then saw his life. However, coupled with his gloriously lugubrious baritone, it struck a chord and took off, albeit only within Europe and Australia Sadly nothing else ever made the same impact, although I feel I prefer some of the other songs on his initial and eponymous LP, so, because I can, I will include them in this piece.

                                                                      (Sweetest Smile)

A little known fact is that he was a touring member of the Thompson Twins ahead of his solo career, which continued, in kicks and starts until his untimely death.

                                                      (Everything's Coming Up Roses)

Sure, the never more 80s production values have dated, but still wonderful songs. Enjoy and explore.

Here

Darkness: Black is Black

purchase Los Bravos: Black is Black


It doesnt get much darker than black. Black, as when your baby's gone. When you are so blue that everything is black. And black is bad - at least that's what the lyrics say.

I recall first listening to this piece on a portable transistor radio with short-wave band. It would probably have been Radio Luxembourg in the mid/late 60s, and the signal strength, coming from 1/4 of the way around the world, meant that it was like listening to everything filtered thru a wah-wah sine wave, and you would have to re-tune the radio as the frequency drifted in and out.

Los Bravos didnt have many other hits, but they made it big for a while - at least in the fall of '66 with Black is Black - even in the US. The band was originally from Spain, the lead singer being German, what success they had came about when they moved to the UK.

For what it is and for when it was, the song is fairly effective. Compare with other hits of the same year: Paperback Writer, Groovy Kind of Love, Strangers in the Night, Green Green Grass of Home ... Consider the state of the art and the state of the equipment.

For some reason - probably the "dark" message, the song ignominiously appeared on the Clear Channel list of songs that would best be avoided for airplay after 9/11: deemed a little too dark for a grieving nation.

 

Segue to "Their Satanic Majesties Request" the following year for more darkness...