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Artist Bio

Black is a British pop band that is primarily a musical vehicle for British singer-songwriter Colin Vearncombe.

Black's first release was "Human Features" on Rox Records in 1981. This was followed by another independent release in 1982 "More than the Sun", after which Black were signed by WEA Records.

In 1982, Black played with the Thompson Twins on their "Quick Step and Side Kick" tour. The live sound of synth/percussion/guitar and the use of reel-to-reel tapes got them noticed.

The first release for WEA was "Hey Presto" (1984), which got the band noticed outside the UK: the video for this song featured on the satellite music channel Music Box, and the single was released in Australia. The second WEA single was a re-recording of "More than the Sun". After this, Black were dropped from the record label. During this period, the band also included producer Dave Dix.

1985 was a gloomy year for Vearncombe, causing him to write the ironically entitled minor key song "Wonderful Life". Released independently at first, this track got Black noticed by A&M Records who signed Vearncombe and launched his international career. At first, the singles "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Sweetest Smile" were moderately successful in the UK alone, but the third single, a re-release of "Wonderful Life", was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.

Black then went on to sell over two million records worldwide with Comedy (1988) and Black (1991). In the meantime, Vearncombe's personal life took a turn for the better when he married Swedish singer Camilla Griehsel, formerly from the band One 2 Many. Disillusioned with having to deal with a big record company, Vearncombe founded the independent label Nero Schwarz (which is the word "black" in Italian and German, respectively), and released one album Are We Having Fun Yet? (1993).

After a prolonged hiatus, Vearncombe returned in 1999 to release a string of critically acclaimed[citation needed] recordings under his own name.

Vearncombe returned to the band format and the name "Black" to release a new recording entitled Between Two Churches in November 2005. On this album he included a song mocking the success of his hit "Wonderful life", where he poignantly re-asked the question, "Are you having a wonderful life?".

2009 saw two album releases. The Given was issued on 4 July, initially available as a free download under Vearncombe's name; and Water On Stone on 17 November, the first Black studio album in four years.