Watch this short doc exploring how Universal Togetherness Band went from college chancers to stars in Numero Group’s parallel universe.

Is there a better advertisement for college education than Universal Togetherness Band? Probably not.

In spring 1979, Columbia College student Andre Gibson spotted an engineering department flyer for an audio production class looking for bands to record in their studios. Gibson jump at the opportunity, assembling a motley crew from several chapters in his life into the Universal Togetherness Band.

The band went off on a five semester recording bender and without parting with a single buck for studio sessions. Mercury Records expressed an interested in signing them on but somehow the deal fell through the cracks and UTB failed to release any material.

Over three decades later, the archivists at Numero Group stumbled across the band’s guest appearance on ’80s television show The Chicago Party. Dazzled by UTB’s erudite dancefloor sound, drawing on funk, soul, disco, new wave and jazz-fusion, they tracked down Gibson and set about releasing a highlights collection, simply titled Universal Togetherness Band.

Credits
Directed by Simon Brubaker
Shot by Simon Brubaker, Brendan Carney, James Bernal
Edited by Simon Brubaker, Chris Cascarano
Graphics by Michael Fernandez