Vivid (album)
Encyclopedia
Vivid is the debut album by the American heavy metal
band Living Colour
, which was released on May 3, 1988. The band was discovered by Mick Jagger
while playing a show at punk
club CBGB's in 1987. The fact that Living Colour is an all-black
heavy metal
band drew much attention to the band and the album, which contained three singles and became one of the most popular albums of 1988, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200
and certified double platinum
by the RIAA
. The band would later receive a Grammy for their next studio release, Time's Up. The song "Funny Vibe" features a cameo appearance
from Public Enemy's Chuck D
and Flavor Flav
. Vivid is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. It also contains a cover version
of the Talking Heads
' "Memories Can't Wait."
, except where noted.
Singles
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
, which was released on May 3, 1988. The band was discovered by Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
while playing a show at punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
club CBGB's in 1987. The fact that Living Colour is an all-black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band drew much attention to the band and the album, which contained three singles and became one of the most popular albums of 1988, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and certified double platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The band would later receive a Grammy for their next studio release, Time's Up. The song "Funny Vibe" features a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
from Public Enemy's Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
and Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
. Vivid is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
. It also contains a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
' "Memories Can't Wait."
Track listing
All songs written by Vernon ReidVernon Reid
Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
, except where noted.
Living Colour
- Corey GloverCorey GloverCorey Glover is an American singer, guitarist and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the hard rock band Living Colour.-Career:...
: vocals - Vernon ReidVernon ReidVernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
: guitar - Muzz SkillingsMuzz SkillingsMuzz Skillings is an American bassist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for having been the original bassist with Living Colour....
: bass - Will CalhounWill CalhounWill Calhoun is an American drummer, who graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music.-Career:...
: drums
Additional personnel
- Mick Jagger: harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, backing vocals - Chuck DChuck DCarlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
: rappingRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”... - The Fowler Family: additional backing vocals on tracks 2 and 5
- Dennis Diamond: CarnivalCarnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
Barker on track 8
Production
- Produced by Ed Stasium; Tracks 9 and 11 Produced by Mick Jagger
- Recorded and Engineered by Ed Stasium and Paul Hamingson; Tracks 8 and 10 Recorded and Engineered by Ron St. Germain
- Mixed by Ed Stasium
- Assistant Mix Engineer: Paul Hamingson
- Mastered by Greg Calbi
Charts
| Chart | Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
6 | |
| Norwegian Charts VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
7 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Cult of Personality" | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
13 |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
9 | ||
| "Middle Man" | Denmark Singles Chart Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
55 | |
| 1989 | "Glamour Boys" | Billboard Hot 100 | 31 |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | 26 | ||
| "Open Letter (To a Landlord)" | Billboard Hot 100 | 82 | |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |
Awards
Grammy Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Cult of Personality" | Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre... |
External links
- "Vivid" at discogs Retrieved 7/09/10