Living Colour
Living Colour is an American Funk Metal band from New York City, formed in 1983. A prominent black band of that movement, which also included Jane's Addiction, Faith No More, Fishbone, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and 24-7 Spyz in the late 1980s, Living Colour rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by Heavy Metal, Funk, Hard Rock, free jazz, Hardcore Punk and Hip Hop, containing lyrics that attack the Eurocentrism and racism of America. Although the band scored a number of hits, they are best remembered for their anthemic single "Cult of Personality", which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989, and their highest charting single "Type". They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. After disbanding in 1995, Living Colour reunited in 2000.
Not to be confused with the American TV show In Living Color. If it helps: Living Colour use the British spelling of "colour", and the TV show uses the American one.
Members:
- Corey Glover - vocals
- Vernon Reid - guitar
- Muzz Skillings - bass (1988-1992)
- Doug Wimbish - bass (1992-present)
- Will Calhoun - drums
Discography:
- Vivid (1988)
- Time's Up (1990)
- Stain (1993)
- Collideøscope (2003)
- The Chair in the Doorway (2009)
- Cult of Personality: Their hit song of the same title explores the phenomenon of a cult of personality from the point of view of the subject of one, although at the same time it subverts the trope by encouraging its followers to break free of its groupthink.
- Elvis is Dead
- One-Hit Wonder: For "Cult of Personality". Although "Glamour Boys" also reached the top 40, that song may not even be their second most-well known song.
- Pop Culture Isolation: Criticised in the song "Wall".
- Protest Song: "Open Letter to a Landlord", "Time's Up".
- Revival by Commercialization: "Cult of Personality" popped up in Guitar Hero III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but when CM Punk switched to this theme (which he used in Ring of Honor) in the WWE in the midst of a red-hot storyline and persona change, it resulted in the song cracking the Top 200 on the iTunes download list and increased airplay on major rock stations such as KROQ.
- Sampling: Hit single "Cult of Personality" samples speeches by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X.
- Special Guest: Guest vocalists have included Public Enemy ("Funny Vibe"), Queen Latifah ("Under Cover of Darkness") and Little Richard ("Elvis Is Dead").
- This Is Sparta: "I! AM! THE! CULT! OF! PER! SON! AL! ITYYYY!"