The Great Leap Forward is the long-term music project of ex-BIG*fLAME singer and bassist Alan Brown, a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and lyricist who has UK indie heritage from 1982 onwards.
Agit-postpunk icons BIG*fLAME of course also featured on the influential NME C86 cassette, with The Great Leap Forward recently featuring on Cherry Red's ‘C87’, ‘C88’ and ‘Manchester North Of England’ box set releases.
Formed following the disbandment of bIG*fLAME in 1986, The Great Leap Forward has essentially been Brown’s solo project in which he writes the songs and lyrics, and plays / programs all instruments on recordings. The style and sound is much more melodic and accessible than bIG*fLAME, but still with overtly political lyrics founded on a deeply socialist and humanist ethos, manifesting in incisive political and social commentary layered over sharp yet melodic guitar pop, and with a touch of electro and humour thrown in for good measure…
Stuart Maconie, writing for NME at the time, summed up the band's 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." Little wonder that as with McCarthy, The Great Leap Forward were loved by a young James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers.
1988 also saw the release of the debut LP ‘Don't Be Afraid Of Change’ on Brown’s own Communications Unique label, critically acclaimed and praised by The Guardian, Melody Maker, NME amongst others, and tours of the UK and Europe took place including guest support to That Petrol Emotion.
A further singles compilation album 'Season 87-88' was released later that year, but following the release of the ‘Heart & Soul’ EP in 1990, Brown became dissolutioned with the music industry and for the next fourteen years focused on other aspects of life. With the untimely death of John Peel in 2004 he had a 'musical re-awakening' and has since revived his The Great Leap Forward project with the release of albums ‘Finished Unfinished Business’ in 2008 and ‘This Is Our Decade Of Living Cheaply And Getting By’ in 2012, both on his own Communications Unique label.
In 2021 Brown released his most recent album ‘Revolt Against an Age of Plenty’ in conjunction with A Turntable Friend Records. The culmination of four year’s writing, this double vinyl and CD album has a more varied approach than previous releases, yet through the thirteen songs it still provides the trademark TGLF political and social vignettes, taking a wider view on what can inspire as well as challenge in an increasingly disparate and dangerous world of mass consumerism, media control and authoritarianism.
Over the years, Brown has added various musicians for what are rare live performances, but in 2025 he has recruited experienced musicians and long-time friends Richie Dempsey on drums (Stretchheads, Dawson, DeSalvo,Sumshapes) and Anthony Chapman on bass and electronic organisation (Collapsed Lung, Super Burner, Arndales).
With Brown on guitar and vocals, The Great Leap Forward will be playing live again from 2026.
The Great Leap Forward recorded two sessions for Peel's shows and were frequently played on his programmes.
John Peel was a great supporter of both bIG*fLAME and The Great Leap Forward, with Brown in his time recording nine sessions for Peel’s late night show - not only with bIG*fLAME (four sessions, recently released on the 'Precious Recordings Of London' label) and The Great Leap Forward (two sessions), but also for A Witness (two sessions) and Inca Babies (one session), for whom Brown played the drums and featured on some of their vinyl releases.
On his 30 November 1987 show, Peel mentioned the appalling driving he saw, when travelling to Nottingham to see the Great Leap Forward, Twang and A Witness for a Ron Johnson label night.[1]
