The News: The new Andre Betts produced Living Colour album Shade was unleashed today!  Living Colour is supporting Prophets of Rage at the Apollo Theater on this Tuesday.  Prophets of Rage members are Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk along with DJ Lord and Chuck D of PE, and B-Real of Cypress Hill.  

The first taste of the album was their cover of the Notorious B.I.G. track Who Shot Ya that originally appeared in ’95.   It’s a powerful statement against gun violence that people can rally behind as an alternative to throwing their hands up at the omnipotent NRA.  Vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun are just the guys to serve it up.  I spoke with them about it after their show at City Winery on Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016.

I have enormous RESPECT for these guys as artists and as people and our conversation was significant to me personally.  It was meaningful not only because I enthusiastically support what they are trying to accomplish in speaking out against gun violence but also because Living Colour was the first major band that I interviewed as a college radio DJ.  It was live on the air at WICB in 1991 making it a 26 year old interview.

Something else that I got a boot out of is after the interview with all four members wrapped up, I got to speak with Doug Wimbish a little bit and enjoy some brief recollections of his days as a session man in the house band of Sugarhill Records.  It’s him playing arguably the most famous bass line of all time, White Lines by Melle Mel!  He was also on The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five among a million others.  Something Doug told me that I didn’t know was that he was guy who, years before he joined the band, took Mick Jagger (who he played with on Primitive Cool among other things) and Jeff Beck to see Living Colour at CBGB.  This moment was also referenced in the ’91 interview as it was a key one in getting their career rolling…

Here’s a bonus bit:  Corey speaking about The Notorious B.I.G….

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Living Colour Covers Biggie In Stand Against Gun Violence – Who Shot Ya Mixtape Coming Next Month

Living Colour have offered a sneak peek at their new video that will accompany their song Who Shot Ya to be released on September 9th as part of an Andre Betts produced mixtape that will also include contributions from Chuck D and Black Thought. The name of the mixtape is also Who Shot Ya and not “Mixtape” as reported by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. The cover of the Notorious B.I.G. track that originally appeared in ’95 is a powerful statement and vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun are just the guys to serve it up. I spoke with them about it after their show at City Winery on Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016.

I have enormous RESPECT for these guys as artists and as people and our conversation was significant to me personally. It was meaningful not only because I enthusiastically support what they are trying to accomplish in speaking out against gun violence but also because Living Colour was the first major band that I interviewed as a college radio DJ. It was live on the air at WICB in 1991. I listened to the, gasp, 25 year old interview recently and one thing that knocks me out about it is that Fishbone is mentioned. None other than the bone will be sharing the stage with Living Colour next Sunday the 28th as part of the Afropunk Festival. In fact, Will explained that they would be playing in various permutations with members of Fishbone, and – it keeps getting better – Bad Brains. The three bands will be collaborating with each other in what one must figure will be a never to be repeated event. This is not to be missed!

Something else that I got a boot out of is after the interview with all four members wrapped up on Wednesday night, I got to speak with Doug Wimbish a little bit and enjoy some brief recollections of his days as a session man in the house band of Sugarhill Records. It’s him playing arguably the most famous bass line of all time, White Lines by Melle Mel! He was also on The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five among a million others. Something Doug told me that I didn’t know was that he was guy who, years before he joined the band, took Mick Jagger (who he played with on Primitive Cool among other things) and Jeff Beck to see Living Colour at CBGB. This moment was also referenced in the ’91 interview as it was a key one in getting their career rolling…

Vernon mentioned that they had recently received a verse from Talib Kweli that was too late to be included on the mixtape coming out next month. That could very well inspire a part two to the Who Shot Ya project. In any case, Living Colour is putting the finishing touches on their next studio album, Shade, that we can expect in early 2017.

Here’s a bonus bit: Corey speaking about The Notorious B.I.G….

In early 1991 while I was in my last semester at Ithaca College and a jock on IC’s radio station WICB, Living Colour was enjoying a high point of commercial success. The album they released the previous summer, Time’s Up – their second – was on its way to gold status and the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Album. However, bass player Muzz Skillings, who is the subject of this interview along with singer Corey Glover, would leave the band not long afterwards and the band broke up in 1995.  They re-formed in 2000 and still kill.

I remember Muzzy as friendly and Corey as a bit stand-offish at first although he warmed up as the interview went on.  He wound me up a bit (as you’ll hear if you listen) with that crack about watching me turn red but I got a little payback in the exchange about Queen Latifah.  They gave some excellent insight into the band.  Specifically, they spoke about lyrics (like on Someone Like You)  which could fairly be characterized as overtly political but, as Skillings pointed out, merely reflected issues the guys were confronted with on a daily basis.  Radio airplay, the BRC (Black Rock Coalition), the Mick Jagger connection, Fishbone, and the Urban Dance Squad enter into the conversation.

I post as it will still be of interest to fans of this essential New York (although still underrated) rock bank.