Brand X Reunite to Tour US 2016/2017

Legendary Jazz-Rock-Fusion band Brand X has reunited and is preparing to celebrate their reunion with a Fall 2016/Spring 2017 U.S. tour, including a headline performance at Progtoberfest in Chicago on October 21st. Also on this initial run will be shows in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland and Boston to name a few.

Brand X are recognized as true musical pioneers, as they helped create an entire musical genre and influenced a broad spectrum of musicians and bands, from Phish to Dream Theatre. They are unrivaled in their creativity, originality and approach. Their contemporaries include bands such as Weather Report, Headhunters, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jaco Pastorious and Chick Corea, all crafting a unique blend of Jazz, Rock, and Ethic influences now widely known by fans worldwide as Fusion.

After years of rumors of a potential reunion, it is finally happening. Three of the four main members came together recently in New York, and according to sources present at the rehearsals, listening to them play was “...like traveling back in time to the legendary Livestock album – there was no question this was Brand X! Their sound was uncannily identical to the Brand X of Livestock – and that in itself speaks volumes”

The Band:

John Goodsall (Guitars): Original Brand X guitarist says, “It's a better version now. We’re all a lot more experienced – a lot more skilled… And that goes for every one of us.”

Percy Jones (Bass): Original Brand X bassist says, “This music takes us back to a certain space – which was really cool. I wasn't sure I’d ever feel that feeling again – and yet here it is!”

Kenwood Dennard (Drums): Original Brand X drummer who’s also played with Sting and Jaco Pastorious says, “When we used to play this music, it felt eternal. We used to get into a zone where it felt so deep. Now that's exactly how it felt again.”

Chris Clark (Keyboards): Formerly of John Entwistle Band (The Who), and Richie Cannata's Band (Billy Joel).

Scott Weinberger (Percussionist): Sessions with Adrian Belew, and live with The Security Project (Jerry Marotta, formerly of Peter Gabriel and Trey Gunn formerly of King Crimson)

The reunited Brand X will be performing material from their first three albums on these initial tours in October and November 2016: Unorthodox Behaviour, Moroccan Roll, and Livestock.

Brand X on the web:
https://www.facebook.com/Official-Brand-X-1715531621998359/
https://twitter.com/BrandXOffical

Rare Brand X CDs To Be Released

Although typically considered an off-shoot band for Genesis legend Phil Collins, UK prog-fusion group Brand X was much more than that. Featuring several virtuosic musicians (as well as Collins), Brand X took the genre of fusion to a whole new level of expertise. Along with Collins on drums, the band featured Percy Jones (bass), John Goodsall (guitar) Robin Lumley (keyboards), and Morris Pert (percussion), with sometimes Mike Clark, Kenward Dennard (drums), and John Giblin (bass).

Active from 1975-1980, Brand X was another one of those bands who were beloved by other musicians, and the more discerning critics, but despite everything never had the commercial success they deserved. The band released several critically acclaimed albums on the Charisma label in the UK and Passport label in the US, including Unorthodox Behaviour, Moroccan Roll, Livestock and Product. Now much to the excitement of Brand X fans and fusion music fans worldwide, Gonzo Multimedia is releasing 3 rare Brand X titles on CD (Missing Period, Live at The Roxy LA 1979, Is There Anything About?), as well as bassist Percy Jones' hard to find solo offering from 1989 Cape Catastrophe.

Missing Period: This album represents the earliest known recordings of Brand X circa 1975-76. Recorded shortly before the group's debut album Unorthodox Behaviour, the source tapes for this material were recently recovered by John Goodsall from family members in England, who presented John with a box containing all sorts of Brand X memorabilia. At the bottom of the box were some old reels of tape of unknown origin. Upon review John and Percy realized that they had uncovered a long lost treasure – excellent quality recordings of Brand X's classic lineup performing previously unreleased material. This documents a period of the band's history which has been missing for over 20 years.

To purchase Missing Period CD.

Live at The Roxy LA 1979: Recorded at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, September 23, 1979 shortly after the release of Product. This is a previously unreleased soundboard recording of Brand X captured live at the peak of the band's career.

To Purchase Live at The Roxy LA 1979

Is There Anything About?: Not long after Brand X released their 1980 album Do They Hurt?, the band members went their separate ways (until their comeback in 1992 which only featured Goodsall and Jones). However, they still owed their record label one more album. The solution? Release a rarities album! The problem was that there was very little unreleased material in the vaults – about three or four tracks at the most. But with a little doctoring and remixing of tapes, keyboardist Robin Lumley extended that number to six tracks and the label released Brand X's appropriately-titled collection Is There Anything About? in 1982.

To purchase Is There Anything About?

 

Cape Catastrophe: Several years after the release of Brand X's final album, bassist Percy Jones moved to New York City and began infiltrating the music scene there. He recorded Cape Catastrophe in 1988/89 at a studio in East Harlem. Using an array of hardware and instruments available at the time, including a Casio synthesizer, Roland sequencer. Yamaha drum machine and Korg digital delay, Percy recorded a several tracks ranging in length from 2-and-a half minute to 23minutes.

 

To purchase Cape Catastrophe

 

Says music writer Dave Lynch, “There is certainly a lot here for electric bass-aholics to enjoy: Jones' burbles, pops, and plonks are all here, and his tone on sustained notes is rich with harmonic overtones as expected. But the music through which the bass slips and slides is often more like twisted instrumental techno-funk than fusion, along with ominous electronic textures that sometimes sound like an ethereal chorus or gruff, agitated shouts distorted beyond recognition.” Gonzo Magazine's Jon Downes adds, “Jones composed everything on the album himself, except for the closing number. The album is a peculiar, though satisfying mix of jazz fusion and electronica, and is another one of those classic albums that slipped through the cracks at the time, which is just unfair.”