The Great Leap Forward is a band formed by former Big Flame member Alan Brown, when his previous band split up in 1987. Robb, John (2012)
June Brides, Great Leap Forward headline John Peel night in Preston : live review
, ''

Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by the English musician and journalist John R ...

'', 22 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2021 After several releases the project was put on hold in 1990, but revived in 2008 with subsequent album releases in 2008, 2012 and 2021.

History

The Great Leap Forward is essentially Brown's solo project, although various musicians were added for live performances. The sound is more melodic and accessible than his earlier band bIG fLAME, but still with overtly political lyrics. After two

EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

(which were described by the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' as "conspicuously excellent")Mitchell, Steve (1988) "Leap Year Resolution", ''

'', 23 January 1988, p. 21 and a 12-inch single on

Ron Johnson Records Ron Johnson Records was a UK independent record label based in Long Eaton operating between 1983 and 1988.Robb, John (2009) ''Death To Trad Rock'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 19, 383 The label contributed five tracks to the NME's C86 compilation. Run ...

, that label's collapse led to a move to Communications Unique for debut album ''Don't Be Afraid Of Change'' in 1988, which ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' described as Brown meeting "the advent of the synthesizer ethic head-on". Manchester publication ''Up Town'' described it as "the most definitive Manchester release this year...pop shimmering down urban lanes, sprinkling hard dance diatribes, infectious melodies, and lyrics with substance". Ian Gittins, writing in ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'', described it as "full of wordy thoughts on the state of this nation set to an infectious, chirpy dance beat". Simon Williams, reviewing the album for the ''NME'' gave it 8/10, stating "at least half of tis damn near astonishing". A 12-inch single, "Heart and Soul", was followed by the LP compilation ''Season 87-88'' which largely comprised tracks from the three Ron Johnson singles, and the CD compilation ''Great Leap Forward'', before Brown put the project on hold in early 1990.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, A

mini-LP A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...

, ''Tolerance & Respect'' had been planned for a Spring 1990 release but was shelved.

Stuart Maconie Stuart John Maconie (born 13 August 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He is a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark Radc ...

, writing for ''NME'', summed up the band's late 1980s sound: "First there's the jagged guitar melodics, sweet but never tacky. Then there's the ferocious rhythmic drive. But best of all there's the stylish and witty use of found voices...snatches and snippets of speech and propaganda that are integral to the songs." The Great Leap Forward recorded two sessions for

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

show, in May 1987 and January 1988.

James Dean Bradfield James Dean Bradfield (born 21 February 1969) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He is known for being the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. His cousin Sean Moore is a ...

included the debut Great Leap Forward EP in his top 10 favourites from the 'C86' era. In October 2008, Brown revived The Great Leap Forward and released a CD of new material, ''Finished Unfinished Business'', followed in 2012 by a further album ''This Is Our Decade of Living Cheaply and Getting By''. In Spring 2021, Brown released his latest album ''Revolt Against an Age of Plenty'' on A Turntable Friend Records. Between 2007 and 2014 Brown also played bass in Sarandon, and guitar in a reformed

A Witness A Witness are an English post-punk/indie rock band, who were originally active in the mid-1980s alternative music scene. Their first EP ''Loudhailer Songs'' and début album ''I am John's Pancreas'' brought them to the attention of BBC Radio 1 ...

, although both these bands have since ceased to perform. Since 2008 live performances by The Great Leap Forward have been exceedingly rare, performed either as a two-piece (over backing-tracks with Brown on guitar and Simon Williams (Sarandon) on bass), or Brown playing solo acoustic sets.

Discography

Albums

*''Don't Be Afraid Of Change...'' (1988), Communications Unique *''Finished Unfinished Business'' (2008), Communications Unique *''This Is Our Decade Of Living Cheaply And Getting By'' (2012), Communications Unique *''Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty'' (2021) A Turntable Friend / Communications Unique ;Compilations: *''Season 87–88'' (1988), Communications Unique *''Great Leap Forward'' (1990), Communications Unique

Singles, EPs

*''Controlling The Edges Of Tone'' (1987),

Ron Johnson Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Rep ...

*''A Peck on the Cheek À La Politiqué'' (1988), Ron Johnson *"Who Works the Weather?" (1988), Ron Johnson *''Heart and Soul'' (1989), Communications Unique

Tracks on other compilations / formats

*''Bereavement Of Speech'' (flexidisc 1987) No Idea fanzine *''Friction'' (flexidisc tbc)tbc *''(When It's) Cold In Summer'' on ''Commercially Unfriendly'' (CD, 2005) Gott Discs *''My Grandfather's Cluck'' on ''C87'' (CD, 2016
Cherry Red Records
*''Who Works The Weather?'' on ''C88'' (CD, 2017) Cherry Red Records *''A Peck On The Cheek À La Politique'' on ''Manchester North Of England'' (CD, 2017), Cherry Red Records

References

External links

* * https://thegreatleapforward.bandcamp.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Great Leap Forward English indie rock groups Musical groups from Manchester