David Brent

Comedian Ricky Gervais introduced the fictional character David Brent during 2001. His initial appearance occurred in the BBC mockumentary series The Office, where his socially awkward behavior and habit of generating embarrassing situations rapidly attracted notice.

A decade after the program concluded, Brent resurfaced through the charity single “Equality Street,” issued for Comic Relief. Conceived around the premise that Brent now managed the emerging rap artist Doc Brown—portrayed by comedian/rapper Ben Bailey Smith—the track fused rap and reggae within an appropriately awkward framework. The release registered as the most downloaded track on the iTunes store in 2013. Still in that year, Gervais created the web series Learn Guitar with David Brent, delivered as five-minute YouTube videos in which Brent instructed viewers on performing assorted songs, among them previously unheard tracks such as “Ooh La La” and “Life on the Road.”

Gervais broadened Brent’s musical venture in 2016 via the feature-length film Life on the Road, which followed Brent leading his band Foregone Conclusion on a regional tour across Berkshire. The accompanying soundtrack appeared at the same time, blending fresh compositions with refreshed earlier material—all co-written with Andy Burrows—and every track appeared in the film.