Brand X – Livestock(1977)

Biography
Brand X is a jazz fusion band, originally active between 1975–1980 and 1992–1999. Noted members included John Goodsall (guitar), Percy Jones (bass), Robin Lumley (keyboards), Kenwood Dennard (drums) and Phil Collins (drums). Goodsall and Jones were the sole constant members throughout the band’s existence. In 2016, Goodsall, Jones and Dennard reunited with new musicians Chris Clark on keyboards and Scott Weinberger on percussion. Genesis drummer Phil Collins replaced Spinelli and in early 1976 Unorthodox Behaviour was released to coincide with an extensive UK tour. Collins had previously taken over lead vocals from Peter Gabriel in Genesis starting with the 1976 album A Trick of the Tail. Due to Genesis schedules conflicting with those of Brand X, Collins would depart the band on several occasions, before departing permanently in 1979. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_X

Album & Cover
Livestock is a live album by British jazz fusion group Brand X released in 1977. The album has five tracks. It is the first album on which Kenwood Dennard appears as a replacement drummer for Phil Collins on two of the five tracks.

Phil Collins of Genesis performed on drums and introduced Hipgnosis to the band. The front cover is about the endless travel by musicians on tour and the loss of normal life when in this ‘touring bubble’. Audrey Powell explains: the half invisible expensive limousine equates to a life half missing, the girl is temptation within the bubble, the landscape is normality disappearing over the horizon. According to Richard Manning, this is the poster advertising the new album. The album artwork was overlaid on the base print at the printing. The photograph of the girl leaving the car was cut out with a scalpel and the edge thinned and greyed. She was then montaged in position with Columbia Cement. Once positioned the glass was cut away from the door to reveal the background image. With watery white gouache I airbrushed the slight opacity of the removed glass and with a Sable brush drew in the highlight along the top edge. http://www.richardmanning.co.uk/hipgnosis-album-cover-art/brand-x-livestock-poster–1977/42

Cover Location: Rolling Hills of Berkshire.
Who Did What: Photography  – A. Powell
Label: Passport PB 9824(US), Charisma Class 5(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Credits
Bass – Percy Jones
Drums – Phil Collins (tracks: A2, A3, B1)
Engineer – Jerry Smith
Engineer [Assistant] – John Brand, Neil Ross, Steve Short
Guitar – John Goodsall
Keyboards – Robin Lumley
Management – Alex Sim, Brian Murray-Smith, Hit & Run Music, Tony Smith
Other [Equipment] – Pete Donovan, Steve Hall
Percussion – Morris Pert
Producer – Brand X