Brilliant (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Martin Glover (Youth) |
| Defunct | 1986 |
Key people | Martin Glover (Youth), Jimmy Cauty, Ben Watkins, David Balfe (management), Bill Drummond (A&R), Stock Aitken Waterman (producers) |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Brilliant was a British pop/rock ensemble active during the 1980s, distinguished by members such as Martin Glover (Youth from Killing Joke), Jimmy Cauty (who later gained fame with the KLF), and Ben Watkins (of Juno Reactor). Their management team included David Balfe, with A&R duties handled by Bill Drummond (the other half of the KLF), and production led by the acclaimed trio Stock Aitken Waterman.
Career
The group originated in 1982 following tensions within Killing Joke, prompting Youth to leave and record "That's What Good Friends Are For..."—a pointed reply to his former bandmates—under the name Brilliant, a term previously used as a B-side by Killing Joke. Initial lineups encompassed several musicians, including Marcus Myers (vocals/guitar), June Montana (vocals), Guy Pratt followed by Stephane "Tin Tin" Holweck (bass), drummers Andy Anderson and Peter Ogi, along with synthesist Rob Waugh. Their early outputs comprised singles like "That's What Good Friends Are For..."/"Push" and "Colours," alongside a 1982 session for BBC's John Peel.
Throughout four years, Brilliant saw nearly 30 different members rotate before stabilizing as a trio featuring Youth, Cauty, and Montana. Their first single as this core unit—a rendition of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's World"—peaked at No. 58 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985. The band's only album, Kiss the Lips of Life (1986), predominantly produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, reached No. 83 on the UK Albums Chart. Further singles released included "Love Is War" (UK No. 64), "Somebody" (UK No. 67), and a cover version of "The End of the World." In 2009, U.S.-based independent label Wounded Bird reissued the album on CD.
Brilliant dissolved towards the end of 1986; however, members continued their musical ventures: Cauty and Drummond went on to establish the KLF in 1987; Montana became a founding member of Disco 2000; while Youth and Cauty later collaborated within the Orb.
Kiss the Lips of Life
Ira Robbins of Trouser Press dismissed Kiss the Lips of Life as "dismal," labeling the band as both "cynical" and "wretched," and noted its primary cultural relevance stemmed from featuring former Zodiac Mindwarp member Jimmy Cauty, who subsequently partnered with Bill Drummond in the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (JAMs).AllMusic offered a somewhat more positive perspective, describing Brilliant as an act with potential that delivered a soulful interpretation of aggressive funk-rock; however, they critiqued the collaboration with Stock, Aitken and Waterman for resulting in a bland pop-dance record that failed to meet expectations. Awarding two out of five stars, AllMusic pointed out that Cauty's metallic guitar work was the sole source of intensity, overshadowed by SAW's sterile synthesizers, while vocalist June Montana lacked individuality. Music Week acknowledged Brilliant's strong visual presence in 1986 but faulted the album for lacking energy and featuring weak vocals. Helen Mead rated it 7/10 in Smash Hits, commending its memorable soul influences and electro experimentation, highlighting the band's continual stylistic evolution.
Bill Drummond, who signed Brilliant during his tenure as an A&R executive, later reflected on the project as both an artistic and financial disappointment: "We spent £300,000 making an album that was useless. Useless artistically, useless... commercially." Pete Waterman recalled: "We recorded with this band called Brilliant; although reviews were fantastic and it reached number 58 on the charts, I remember telling everyone that critically acclaimed music doesn’t pay the bills."
Singles
- Love Is War
Jerry Smith from Music Week commended the SAW-produced "Love Is War" along with the rendition of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" as "outstanding" tracks. Conversely, Robin Smith of Record Mirror criticized "Love Is War" as a "heavy" single featuring a "rather uninspired melody, lacking ambiance and noticeably watered down." In that same publication, James Hamilton observed that the producers Stock-Aitken-Waterman emulated Change's "Change of Heart" to create an intentionally driving 107⅚ bpm tension-building track. Simon Braithwaite of Smash Hits praised it as a "fantastic" and "dynamic dance tune" reminiscent of Princess' earlier releases, deserving chart success. In 2023, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian placed the song at number 17 in his list titled "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!", emphasizing its elegant US soul-influenced production.
- Somebody
Stuart Bailie of Record Mirror highlighted June Montano's increased prominence and Youth's participation in external projects, describing the track as a decent yet unremarkable dance number with subtle echoes of Man Parish. Jerry Smith of Music Week regarded "Somebody" as well-crafted and produced, though not as impactful as earlier singles.
Albums
- Kiss the Lips of Life (1986), WEA/Food Records/Atlantic - UK chart position: 83
Singles
- "That's What Good Friends Are For..."/"Push" (1982), Limelight Music - UK Indie chart position: 22
- "Colours"/"Colours Monster Mix" (1983), Risk Records/Rough Trade - UK Indie chart position: 11
- "Soul Murder" (1984), Food Records - UK Indie chart position: 14
- "Wait for It" (1984), WEA/Food Records
- "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1985), WEA/Food Records - UK chart position: 58
- "Love Is War"/"The Red Red Groovy"/"Ruby Fruit Jungle" (1986), WEA/Food Records - UK chart position: 64
- "Somebody" (1986), WEA/Food Records/Atlantic - UK chart position: 67
- "The End of the World" (1986), WEA/Food Records