Living Colour stops in Dewey in support of new album

DEWEY BEACH — Fans who go to Living Colour’s concert at the Bottle & Cork nightclub in Dewey Beach on Wednesday will hear all of the band’s hits from its various albums, but they’ll also be among the first people on the planet to hear a few brand-new tunes.

The show will be the second night of the quartet’s 25-date tour in support of its new studio album, “The Chair In The Doorway.”

“The album doesn’t come out until Sept. 15, so there’s going to be a two-week vacuum where people won’t be familiar with the new material,” said bassist Doug Wimbish.

Wimbish spoke by telephone from the band’s New York City rehearsal facility on Monday. “We’re in the middle of a two-week lock-down getting ready for the tour,” he said. “A lot of the first week was focused on planning and organizing things. As far as the music, I’m excited. We play something twice and we have it down.”

The bass player’s bandmates include vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid and drummer Will Calhoun.

There are two generations of music fans who know Living Colour for its hard-rocking song “Cult of Personality.” Older fans remember when the single and its video were radio and MTV staples in 1988; younger fans may know it due to its more recent inclusion on “Guitar Hero III.” While the tune is a metallic shredder, Living Colour has always blended funk, jazz and other styles into its rock ’n’ roll stew, influencing younger bands such as Rage Against the Machine in the process.

While Wimbish didn’t join the group until the time of its third album, 1992’s “Stain,” he helped the New York City-based band get its first break. “I was playing bass for Mick Jagger when he recorded his second solo record. Vernon had also auditioned to play on that record,” Wimbish recalled. “The Stones have always been supportive of black blues musicians, so I told Mick he really needed to check out these friends of mine in this rock band called Living Colour. Mick and Jeff Beck went down to CBGB to see them play and the next thing you know he was helping them record a demo.”

The demo led to a record deal and the 1988 album “Vivid.” Not surprisingly, Jagger tapped the band to open the Stones’ “Steel Wheels” stadium tour in 1989.

Living Colour’s sophomore album, 1990’s “Time’s Up,” included the singles “Love Rears Its Ugly Head” and “Type.” Original bassist Muzz Skillings left the band in 1992; while the “Stain” album didn’t sell as well as its predecessors, it did spawn a minor hit single in “Leave It Alone.”

“Vernon pulled the plug in ’95,” Wimbish recalled.

The Rolling Stones connection continued, however. Wimbish played bass on two songs on the Stone’s 1997 album “Bridges to Babylon,” album; meanwhile, Jagger encouraged drummer Calhoun to try to reunite Living Colour.

The first single from the album, “Behind the Sun,” is one of the band’s poppiest efforts to date. As usual, it includes some inventive guitar work from Reid; the sound almost resembles a keyboard.

“Vernon always has a few tricks up his sleeve,” Wimbish said. “He’s doing some finger tapping on that some in addition to some other things, plus I’m playing some bass stuff underneath of that. Vernon has a very interesting way of meshing sounds together.”

While playing two-dozen shows in the span of two months would be daunting for many vocalists, Wimbish said Glover is disciplined when it comes to taking care of his voice.

“It’s not for kids,” Wimbish said. “Corey’s a trooper. He stays on top of things and knows how to pace things and how to take care of himself.”

Glover performed at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury last year as part of the cast of the touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Wimbish, who also plays in the experimental band Tackhead and is an in-demand session bassist, said Living Colour’s members have become adept at juggling projects. “You want to make sure there isn’t too much down time,” he said. “If the band is going to take a hiatus between tours and albums, you want to make sure you’re working on something else and staying busy.”