Y Kant Tori Read was a 1980s synthpop

Synthpop

Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...

 band, fronted by singer-songwriter Tori Amos

Tori Amos

Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...

. The band released one album, also called Y Kant Tori Read

Y Kant Tori Read (album)

-Personnel:*Tori Amos – lead singer, acoustic piano*Paulinho Da Costa – percussion*Richard Bernard – bouzouki*Gene Black – guitar*Kim Bullard – acoustic piano, programming, keyboards*Steve Caton – guitar*Vinnie Colaiuta – drums*Devon Dickson – bagpipes...

, which was largely unsuccessful, perhaps in part because Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

 abandoned promoting the record completely after only two months of release. The band originally consisted of Amos, Steve Caton

Steve Caton

Steve Caton is a professional guitarist/singer, song writer, producer, and visual artist, whose career has spanned almost three decades.Catons first time in a band was in Tedd Armstrongs' band "PEGASUS" in the late 1970s into early 1980s. Even as a beginner, Caton's talent as a lead guitarist was...

, Matt Sorum

Matt Sorum

Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...

 (later of Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

), and bassist Brad Cobb. The band worked with record producer Joe Chiccarelli, and Kim Bullard, later of Kajagoogoo

Kajagoogoo

Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...

. The name comes from an incident in Amos's childhood where she was asked to leave the Peabody Conservatory because she refused to read sheet music.

A music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for their song "The Big Picture" was made, but the only member of the band featured was Amos, since by then, unable to withstand pressure from Atlantic Records, she had jettisoned the entire band with the exception of Steve Caton.

Two singles were released. The first, "The Big Picture", was commercially issued exclusively as a 7" vinyl single (and without a picture sleeve.) A 12" vinyl promo did have a picture sleeve, however. The second single, "Cool on Your Island", was issued as a cassette single

Cassette single

A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.- History :...

 and 7" vinyl single, this time with a picture sleeve; and in various promo 7" vinyl singles. Neither single was successful. The company has honored Amos' request that no Y Kant Tori Read material be re-released, although bootleg copies do exist.

Discography

• Y Kant Tori Read
  Y Kant Tori Read (album)
  -Personnel:*Tori Amos – lead singer, acoustic piano*Paulinho Da Costa – percussion*Richard Bernard – bouzouki*Gene Black – guitar*Kim Bullard – acoustic piano, programming, keyboards*Steve Caton – guitar*Vinnie Colaiuta – drums*Devon Dickson – bagpipes...
  
  (1988)
• "The Big Picture
  The Big Picture (song)
  "The Big Picture" is a song by Y Kant Tori Read, commercially released by Atlantic Records in 1988 exclusively as a 7" vinyl single in a generic picture sleeve. Two versions of a promotional 7" vinyl were also released, one with light blue labels and one with dark blue labels. A 12" promotional...
  
  " (single, 1988)
• "Cool on Your Island
  Cool on Your Island
  "Cool On Your Island" is a song by the band Y Kant Tori Read, commercially released by Atlantic Records in 1988 as a 7" vinyl single and a cassette single. Two versions of a promotional 7" vinyl were also released, one with light blue labels and one with dark blue labels. The song was a commercial...
  
  " (single, 1988)