The Brilliant Corners

The Brilliant Corners

The Brilliant Corners are a British indie pop group from Bristol, active from 1983 to the present. Formed in 1983, they take their name from Thelonious Monk’s album Brilliant Corners. Their music sits within indie pop, with associations to c86, twee and new wave.

Line-up

The group’s line-up includes Davey Woodward on vocals and guitar. Other members include Chris Galvin on bass guitar, Winston Forbes on lead guitar, percussion and backing vocals, Bob Morris on drums, and Dan on occasional trumpet and keyboards. Phil Elvins later joins on guitar.

Recording history

The band records throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. Their first releases are three singles issued in 1984 on their own SS20 label, followed by the mini-album Growing Up Absurd in 1985. In 1986, the Fruit Machine EP brings them wider attention and radio play, and they also release the mini-album What’s In A Word.

The single “Brian Rix” is a re-recorded version of an earlier album track, with added trumpet, and serves as a tribute to Rix, with proceeds going to Mencap, the charity he chairs. Its video appears on The Tube, which further raises the band’s profile.

Labels and later releases

In March 1988, the band sets up the McQueen label and releases the album Somebody Up There Likes Me. This is followed by the compilation Everything I Ever Wanted, a collection of early singles. Further albums follow with Joy Ride in 1989 and Hooked in 1990, then the compilation Creamy Stuff in 1991. They release A History Of White Trash in 1993 before splitting up.

After the group

After the band ends, Woodward and Galvin form the Experimental Pop Band in 1995. Chris Galvin dies of cancer in 1998, and Winston Forbes dies in August 2019.

Selected releases

The Brilliant Corners’ discography includes the singles “She’s Got Fever”, “Big Hip”, “My Baby’s In Black”, “Brian Rix”, “Delilah Sands”, “Teenage”, “Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me?”, “I Love It, I Lost It” and “The Pope, The Monkey and The Queen”. Their albums and compilations include Growing Up Absurd, What’s In A Word, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Joy Ride, Hooked, A History Of White Trash, Everything I Ever Wanted, Creamy Stuff and Heart on Your Sleeve: A Decade in Pop 1983–1993.