<TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">Black is the musical vehicle for singer/songwriter Colin Vearncombe (b. 26 May 1962, in Liverpool, England).</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">Black&apos;s first release was &quot;Human Features&quot; on Rox Records in 1981. This was followed by another independent release in 1982 &quot;More Than The Sun&quot; (Wonderful World Of Records), after which Black was signed by WEA Records.</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">The first release for WEA was &quot;Hey Presto&quot; (1984), which got them noticed outside the UK: the video for this track featured on the satellite music channel Music Box, and the single was released in Australia. The second WEA single was a re-recording of &quot;More Than The Sun&quot;. After this, Black was dropped from the record label. During this period, the band also included producer Dave Dix.</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">1985 was a gloomy year for Vearncombe, causing him to write the ironically entitled minor key song &quot;Wonderful Life&quot;. Released independently at first, this track got Black noticed by A&amp;M Records who signed Vearncombe and launched his international career. At first, the singles &quot;Everything&apos;s Coming Up Roses&quot; and &quot;Sweetest Smile&quot; were moderately successful in the UK alone, but the third single, a re-release of &quot;Wonderful Life&quot;, was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">Black then went on to sell over two million records worldwide with Comedy 1988 and Black 1991. In the meantime, Vearncombe&apos;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, Black&apos;s remaining member Vearncombe founded the independent label Nero Schwarz, and released one album Are We Having Fun Yet? (1993).</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">After a prolonged hiatus, Vearncombe returned in 1999 to release a string of critically acclaimed recordings under his own name.</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0"></FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT><TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Verdana" SIZE="10" COLOR="#0B333C" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">Vearncombe returned to the band format and name to release a new recording entitled Between Two Churches in November 2005.</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT>