The Brains

The Brains were an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, led by songwriter Tom Gray in the early 1980s.^[1] Their 1980 debut album was entitled The Brains, and was produced by Steve Lillywhite for Mercury Records. The album included "Money Changes Everything", which became a hit single for Cyndi Lauper when she covered it three years later.^[1] After a second Mercury recording in 1981, Electronic Eden (also produced by Lillywhite) and then an independently released EP, Dancing Under Streetlights, the band split up. A song from Electronic Eden, "Heart in the Street", was covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band on their 1980 album Chance as "Heart on the Street."^[2]

The band appeared many times at Atlanta's premier New Wave/alternative rock venue, 688 Club, referred to locally as simply "688." The video for Dancing Under Streetlights was filmed one night in Spring Street, out in front of the club. They were also the opening act for the July 1980 Devo concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre, an April 1981 headlining performance at JB Scotts in Albany, New York, and the May 22, 1982, headlining performers at the Milestone Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Drummer Charles Wolff died of cancer on September 10, 2010.^[3] Keith Christopher went on to join The Georgia Satellites, but was replaced as bass player in that band by Rick Price, guitarist for the Brains. The Brains' last drummer Mauro Magellan was the original drummer for the Satellites. Tom Gray also remained in the music industry and formed Delta Moon in the late 1990s.^[1]

Group members

Final lineup

• Tom Gray – keyboards, vocals
• Keith Christopher – bass
• Rick Price – guitar, vocals
• Mauro Magellan – drums

Past members

• Charles Wolff – drums
• Brian Smithwick – bass

Albums

• 1980: The Brains
• 1981: Electronic Eden
• 1982: Dancing Under Streetlights (EP)

References