Get Even


Get Even is the debut album by British boy band Brother Beyond, released on the EMI/Parlophone label in two different editions, both in 1988, generally referred to as Get Even I and Get Even II. The second edition of the album included two songs by Stock Aitken Waterman, "The Harder I Try" and "He Ain't No Competition", which replaced two songs written by the band.

Background

The album's songs were composed between 1986, when Brother Beyond's first single "I Should Have Lied"—the only single by the band not to make the UK Top 75—was issued, and 1988. The two Stock Aitken Waterman tracks, "The Harder I Try" and "He Ain't No Competition", were added to the album after EMI won the production team's services at a charity auction and became the band's only UK Top 10 hits.
Like many British bands at the time, Brother Beyond enjoyed more success in continental Europe than at home, especially in Italy where their second single "How Many Times" was a big hit in 1987. In their native Great Britain it would take until the summer of the following year and the release of the Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman produced track "The Harder I Try" for the band to score a hit. The song reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. "The Harder I Try" samples the drum intro from The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine"; its successor "He Ain't No Competition" reached number 6 in November 1988. The 12" version of the song had already topped the Hi-NRG charts in October.
Brother Beyond's final significant hits were two remixed versions of self-penned Get Even II album tracks "Be My Twin", which got to number 14 in January 1989, and "Can You Keep a Secret?", which got to number 22 in April. The latter would be the last significantly successful single for the group in the UK.
Get Even also spawned a 57-minute live concert video, entitled Brother Beyond – The Get Even Tour – Live 1989, issued on the VHS format in 1991, the same year of release as the band's final single, "The Girl I Used to Know", which found little success in the UK, but was a minor hit in the United States. The group broke up shortly after its release.

Personnel

''Get Even I''

Line up

Musicians

Production

Same as Get Even II, plus:

Recording studios

Staff

  • Three Associates – design
  • Sheila Rock – photography
  • Simon Carter for Management One – management

''Get Even II''

Line up

Musicians

  • Eg White – drums, percussion
  • Belva Haney, Dee Lewis, Eric Robinson, Flakey C, Frankie Madrid, Leroy Osbourne, Mae McKenna, Vicki St James – background vocals
  • Dave Mattacks, Steve Ferrone – drums
  • Peter Vetesse, Richard Cottle, Rob Fisher – keyboards
  • Ian Curnow – keyboards
  • Steve Pigott – keyboards
  • Luis Jardim – percussion
  • Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion
  • Bimbo Acock, Phil Todd – saxophone

Production

  • Stock Aitken Waterman – production
  • Brother Beyond – production
  • Richard James Burgess – production
  • Don Was – production
  • Michael H. Brauer – production ; remix
  • Mike Pela – production ; sound engineer
  • Stephen Hague – remix
  • Ian Curnow – production ; programming
  • Steve Pigott – programming
  • Chris Blair – mastering @ Abbey Road Studios
  • Mike Duffy – sound engineer
  • Phil Harding – sound engineer, mix, production
  • Frank Roszak – sound engineer
  • Phil Brown – additional sound engineer
  • Phil Legg – sound engineer
  • Mike Ging – additional sound engineer
  • Mark Stent – sound engineer
  • Rafe McKenna – sound engineer, mix
  • Karen Hewitt – sound engineer
  • Yoyo – sound engineer
  • Mark McGuire – sound engineer
  • Pete Hammond – mix

Recording studios

Same as Get Even I, plus:
  • Olympic Studios
  • The Manor

Staff

  • The Artful Dodgers Ltd – design
  • Cindy Palmano – front cover photography
  • Simon Fowler – other photography
  • Simon Carter for Management One – management