Probably on nobody’s bingo card for 2025, Brilliant’s 1985 album will receive a 2CD deluxe reissue coming in November.
With the original album including a mere nine tracks at the time of release, the expanded edition brings the total track count up to 32 (!) thanks to a generous selection of alternate single mixes, early demos, and unreleased B-sides.
Marking the 40th anniversary of a ‘sliding doors’ moment in pop history, ‘Kiss the Lips of Life’ is released on CD in the UK for the first time, comprehensively expanded and mastered from the original archive tapes.
Initially envisaged as a post-punk funk rock collective, Brilliant was formed by former Killing Joke bassist Youth in 1982. A few singles and a little over three years later, at the behest of their manager, Food Records supremo David Balfe, the band’s shifting line-up was slimmed down to a trio consisting of striking vocalist June Montana, Youth and erstwhile Zodiac Mindwarp guitarist and keyboardist Jimi Cauty. Their A&R man, industry maverick Bill Drummond, sent them into the studio to rework their album with up-and-coming pop powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman.
Amid considerable hype, the new-look Brilliant debuted in October 1985 with a bold cover of James Brown’s ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’, which nevertheless climbed no higher than #58. The performance of subsequent singles ‘Love Is War’ (UK #64) ‘Somebody’ (UK #67) and ‘The End of the World’, along with the #83 peak of the album itself almost a year later led to the band going their separate ways, with Youth establishing a hugely successful production career and Cauty teaming up with Bill Drummond to form the legendary KLF. With hindsight, if Brilliant had succeeded, so much might have been different.
This new deluxe edition features a multitude of bonus tracks, including all the released 12” mixes (many on CD for the first time), B-sides, alternative takes and the mythical ‘Hold Each Other Tight’, a SAW co-write which had been lined up as the third single in place of ‘Somebody’, but was omitted from the album at the eleventh hour. It also boasts a 20-page booklet with additional photos, new sleeve notes, lyrics and an illustrated discography.
DISC ONE
1. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD
2. SOMEBODY
3. RUBY FRUIT JUNGLE
4. HOW HIGH THE SUN
5. KISS THE LIPS OF LIFE
6. LOVE IS WAR
7. CRASH THE CAR
8. I’LL BE YOUR LOVER
9. THE END OF THE WORLD
BONUS TRACKS
10. HOLD EACH OTHER TIGHT *
11. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD [NIGHT TRAIN MIX] +
12. SOMEBODY [7” MIX]
13. I’LL BE YOUR LOVER [ORIGINAL PWL MIX] +
14. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD [EXTENDED VERSION]
15. LOVE IS WAR [EXTENDED VERSION]
16. SOMEBODY [EXTENDED VERSION]
17. HOLD EACH OTHER TIGHT [EXTENDED VERSION] *
18. THE END OF THE WORLD [EXTENDED VERSION] +
DISC TWO
1. I’LL BE YOUR LOVER [EXTENDED VERSION] *
2. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD [THE TRANS GLOBAL MIX] +
3. LOVE IS WAR [ALTERNATIVE 12” MIX]
4. SOMEBODY [NEW EXTENDED MIX]
5. RUBY FRUIT JUNGLE [ORIGINAL PWL MIX] *
6. HOW HIGH THE SUN [ORIGINAL PWL MIX] *
7. KISS THE LIPS OF LIFE [ORIGINAL PWL MIX] *
8. I’LL BE YOUR LOVER [12” CLUB MIX] *
9. SOMEBODY [NEW DUB MIX]
10. CRASH THE CAR [MULTIPLE PILE-UP MIX] +
11. THE RED, RED GROOVY [EXTENDED VERSION] +
12. THE BURNING NECKLACE +
13. LOVE IS WAR [INSTRUMENTAL]
14. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD [IT’S A DUB DUB DUB WORLD]
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
+ FIRST TIME ON CD
While some of the mixes of Somebody and Love Is War were already included in the SAW box set there is still plenty of unheard music here.
The new edition will be released by Cherry Red Records on their Cherry Pop sub-label on November 28th just in time for Christmas.
