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Brand X

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For other uses, see Brand X (disambiguation).

Brand X
OriginLondon, England
GenresJazz fusion
Years active1974–1980, 1992–1999, 2016–2021
LabelsCharisma, Passport

Brand X were a British jazz fusion band formed in London in 1974. They were active until 1980, followed by a reformation between 1992 and 1999, and were active following a 2016 reunion until 2021. Members have included John Goodsall (guitar),[1] Percy Jones (bass), Robin Lumley (keyboards), and Phil Collins (drums). Jones was the sole constant member throughout the band's existence until October 2020 when he left the band.[2] Founding member Goodsall died on 10 November 2021 and Lumley died on 9 March 2023.[3][4][5]

History

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1974–1980: Original run

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Brand X co-founder Percy Jones

In 1974, rehearsals began for developing a five-piece instrumental jazz fusion group at Island Studios in London, which was set to include Percy Jones on bass and Phil Collins of Genesis on drums. They had secured a recording deal with Island Records and prepared tracks for a studio album which originally included vocals. However, the vocals were negatively received from Island management, leaving the group to write new material,[6] at the suggestion of Island A&R man Richard Williams.[7] With Collins tied up with Genesis commitments, the band settled on a founding line-up of Jones, John Goodsall on guitar, Robin Lumley on keyboards and vocals, Pete Bonas on guitar, John Dillon on drums and percussion, and Phil Spinelli on percussion and lead vocals. Dillon had left by the end of 1974, and a newly available Collins took his place in 1975.[7]

Jones, Goodsall, Lumley and Collins recorded Unorthodox Behaviour in September and October 1975 at Trident Studios with Jack Lancaster guesting on saxophone.[8] They were named Brand X after Island Records staffer Danny Wilding wrote down "Brand X" to keep track of their activity on the studio calendar, and the name stuck. In preparation for their upcoming gigs, the four were joined by Geoff Seopardi on percussion by December 1975.[9][10] Genesis manager Tony Smith became their manager.[7]

Brand X played their first gigs with a series of low key warm-up shows in November and December 1975. These were followed by a full-scale tour across the UK from February 1976, mainly on the college circuit. They had little funds, resorting to renting a synthesiser and PA system, operated with a small road crew, and often played support for the headlining act.[9]

Phil Collins, a band member in 1975–1976, in 1977 and in 1979

Moroccan Roll was released in April 1977 and peaked at No. 37 in the UK[11] and No. 125 in the US. With Collins leaving the group for Genesis commitments, Kenwood Dennard of Pat Martino's group was recruited in New York City in time for their 32-date US tour in May and June 1977. Collins briefly returned later in 1977 for a series of dates, including a spot at the tenth Crystal Palace Garden Party in London and the Fête de l'Humanité in Paris on the same day on a specially chartered plane, the latter attended by an estimated 200,000 people.[12] Livestock, a live album culled from several shows (some with Collins and some with Dennard), was released in November 1977.

Following the 1977 tour, the band recruited keyboardist Peter Robinson and drummer Chuck Burgi to record the Masques album, which was released in 1978. It was the only Brand X album during the band's original run without Phil Collins. The band toured to promote with a couple of different drummers in place of Chuck Burgi.

During 1979, Brand X began operating with two line-ups. Goodall has stated that this was in order to cope with musician unavailability or scheduling problems, while Jones cited his own battles with the band's publishers, Hit & Run, who were demanding that Brand X produce more accessible/commercial music in order to sell more records.[13] With Jones disgruntled and briefly absent (having been determined that Brand X should create music without "pandering"[13] to external demands, Goodall began working with bassist John Giblin. Despite Jones' subsequent return, Giblin remained in the band while the musicians in Brand X collectively agreed to form the two simultaneously working line-ups. The first of these featured Phil Collins, Robin Lumley and John Giblin, and the second featured Peter Robinson, Percy Jones and Mike Clark, with Goodall becoming the only musician linking and playing in both groupings. Jones has subsequently admitted that the results were "schizophrenic" and that "there was really no another solution, apart from me to concede to Hit & Run. I have thought about the situation since and I probably would have done the same thing again. It became a musical marketing construct, actually. As for whether it worked, the proof was in the pudding."[13]

Both line-ups travelled to Startling Studios in Ascot to record an extensive set of material, with the first line-up working by day and the second by night. During these sessions they recorded the albums Product (released that same year), Do They Hurt? (released 1980), and Is There Anything About? (released 1982). Following the completion of these sessions, a concert line-up of Goodsall, Jones, Collins, Lumley, and Robinson embarked on a world tour, after which Collins departed for the final time (continuing with Genesis and eventually launching a solo career). Clark returned to the drum stool for the Brand X tours of the UK in April and May 1980 (for which they co-headlined with Bruford).[14]

By the time Is There Anything About? appeared in 1982, Brand X had officially ended, with Jones relocating to New York City.[13] A compilation album The Plot Thins: A History of Brand X was released in 1992.

1992–2021: Reunions

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Jones and Goodsall reformed the band in 1992 with new drummer Frank Katz for the album X-Communication. The record was originally planned as a Jones solo album, but the project evolved into a Brand X reunion. This was followed in 1997 by the album Manifest Destiny. Gong's Pierre Moerlen replaced Katz for the Manifest Destiny tour.[citation needed]

2012 saw an abortive attempt to reunite the band with Goodall, Jones and keyboard player David Sancious. The management for this line-up were unable to organise the necessary concerts and touring, resulting in Sancious withdrawing. For a while, former Yes/Moody Blues keyboard player Patrick Moraz was in the frame to replace Sancious, but continuing problems in arranging concerts resulted in this line-up foundering as well.

The band reunited once more in July 2016 with a line-up of Goodall, Jones and Kenwood Dennard joined by keyboard player Chris Clark and percussionist/producer Scott Weinberger (with Dennard later replaced by Kenny Grohowski).

After bassist Percy Jones refused to continue performing live with Brand X in 2020, Jeff Berlin was briefly announced as his replacement, but quickly backed out. Jones says that Berlin, and other bassists, refused offers to join Brand X because they were warned about unethical behavior of management.[15][16]

Following John Goodsall's death in November 2021, Percy Jones and Robin Lumley confirmed on Facebook on 14 November that the Brand X name was now officially retired, and that no further activity would be done under that name. In a 2022 interview, Jones explained that he left the band due to tensions with management and percussionist Scott Weinberger. Jones alleges that the band's management has used the Brand X Facebook account to misrepresent the band's status following Goodsall's death and the official retirement of the name.[17][18] The recent history of the band is explained on their official website which is endorsed by Jones.[19][20]

Discography

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Studio albums

Live albums

  • Livestock (1977) - largely recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Aug/Sept 76[21] - US No. 204
  • Live at the Roxy L.A. (1997) - recorded 23 September 1979 (taken from a band members' cassette from the venue's PA mixing desk)
  • Timeline (2000) - live concerts 16 November 1977 Chicago & 21 June 1993 NYC
  • But Wait... There's More! - LIVE 2017 (2017) - recorded on 6 January 2017 at the Sellersville Theatre, PA
  • Locked & Loaded (2018) - recorded live June 2017, Longs Park Amphitheater, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Live from the Rites of Spring Festival (2018) - recorded on May 6, 2018, at the Majestic Theatre, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Compilation albums

  • The Plot Thins: A History of Brand X (1992) - select tracks from Unorthodox Behaviour, Moroccan Roll, Livestock, Masques, Product and Do They Hurt?

Members

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Main article: List of Brand X members

Last members

  • Percy Jones - bass guitar (1974–1980, 1992–1997, 2016–2021)
  • John Goodsall - guitars (1974–1978, 1979–1980, 1992–1999, 2016–2021; his death)
  • Chris Clark – keyboards, synthesisers (2016–2021) (guest member only)
  • Scott Weinberger – percussion (2016–2021) (guest member only)
  • Kenny Grohowski – drums (2017–2021) (guest member only)

John Goodsall died on 10 November 2021 at The Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota from complications due to COVID-19. Robin Lumley died on 9 March 2023 from heart failure.

The official Brand X website has asserted that the only official legal members of Brand X since its reformation were original members Jones, Goodsall, and Lumley. All other musicians during this time period are described as legally being "employees" and "guests".[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Band Approved Videos". YouTube. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  2. ^ Jerry Ewing (3 October 2020). "Percy Jones quits Brand X". Loudersound.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  3. ^ "John Goodsall Passed Away". Dmme.net. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. ^ "/ Brand X: John Goodsall has died". Genesis-news.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Fallece el tecladista de Brand X, Robin Lumley". Rockaxis. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ Fudger, Dave (13 March 1976). "Which xciting, xtravagant, xtremely x-rated, xquisitely xtroverted band sends you into flights of xtasy?". Sounds. p. 43. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Welch, Chris (17 December 1977). "Brand X: This is a stick-up!". Melody Maker. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  8. ^ Unorthodox Behaviour (Media notes). Brand X. Charisma Records. 1976. CAS 1117.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ a b Johnson, Derek (6 December 1975). "Brand X: Genesis drummer debuts new group". New Musical Express. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. ^ Dallas, Karl (10 January 1976). "Collins cleans up with Brand X". Melody Maker. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  12. ^ Fudger, Dave (1 October 1977). "A gig too far". Sounds. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d [https://www.innerviews.org/inner/percy-jones "Percy Jones: Evolving Macrocosm" - interview by Anil Prasad in Innerviews, 2017
  14. ^ "Percy Jones interview". Globalbass.com. December 2000. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  15. ^ "Jeff Berlin to Join Brand X for Tour".
  16. ^ "Percy Jones Interview".
  17. ^ "Percy Jones (Brand X, PAKT) Interview December 30, 2022". 30 December 2022.
  18. ^ "Percy Jones Interview, 2024".
  19. ^ "Brand X History".
  20. ^ a b "Brand X thieves".
  21. ^ "Brand X Performances". Edensongs.com. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
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