Eddy Grant
Encyclopedia
Edmond Montague "Eddy" Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a musician
, born in Plaisance, Guyana
.
, UK
, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town
and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park
. He had his first number one
hit in 1968, when he was the lead guitarist
and main songwriter
of the group The Equals
, with his self-penned song "Baby Come Back
". The tune also later topped the UK Singles Chart
again when covered by Pato Banton
. Notably, he openly used his songwriting for political purposes, especially against the then-current apartheid regime of South Africa
. The Clash recorded a version of "Police On My Back" for their Sandinista!
set.
and the Coach House studio, but more recently has returned to the West Indies from London
, choosing Barbados
as a more realistic venue for a recording company, rather than his country of origin. He has also produced for the likes of Sting, Mick Jagger
and Elvis Costello
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, born in Plaisance, Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
.
Life and career
When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town
Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park
Tufnell Park
Tufnell Park is an area of north London, England which straddles the border of the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of Camden.-Origins:...
. He had his first number one
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit in 1968, when he was the lead guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and main songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
of the group The Equals
The Equals
The Equals were a pop/reggae/rock group that formed in North London, England in 1965. They are mainly remembered for its million-selling chart-topper, "Baby Come Back". Eddy Grant, then sporting dyed blonde hair, founded the group...
, with his self-penned song "Baby Come Back
Baby Come Back (The Equals song)
"Baby, Come Back" is a song written by Eddy Grant, and originally performed and recorded by him and the rest of his band The Equals.-The Equals version:...
". The tune also later topped the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
again when covered by Pato Banton
Pato Banton
Pato Banton is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname 'Pato' from his stepfather, and 'Banton' from the disc jockey slang for a "heavyweight DJ".-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Banton first came to public attention in the early 1980s when he worked with The...
. Notably, he openly used his songwriting for political purposes, especially against the then-current apartheid regime of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The Clash recorded a version of "Police On My Back" for their Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
set.
Musical achievements
- In 1982, his solo recording of "I Don't Wanna DanceI Don't Wanna Dance (Eddy Grant song)"I Don't Wanna Dance" was a UK number one single for three weeks in November 1982 for Eddy Grant. It was also released in the US in the fall of 1983....
" spent three weeks at Number one in the UK Singles Chart. He scored a Top TenRecord chartA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
album in the same year, with Killer on the RampageKiller on the RampageKiller on the Rampage is an album by Eddy Grant. It remains his most successful album, hitting the top 10 in the US and the UK. It features the hits "Electric Avenue" , "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "War Party"...
. - "Electric AvenueElectric Avenue (song)"Electric Avenue" is a song by Eddy Grant, from his 1982 album Killer on the Rampage. It was released as a single in 1982, and went on to be very popular, reaching #2 on both United States and United Kingdom singles charts...
" was both a UK and USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
number 2 in 1983, selling over a million copies. A later remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
also made the UK Top Ten, in 2001. - In 1984 Grant had a minor hit single in the USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his original song written to accompany the Michael DouglasMichael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Kathleen TurnerKathleen TurnerMary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
film, Romancing the StoneRomancing the StoneRomancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile....
. Despite being commissioned by the film's producers, all but the guitar solo (which played when Douglas and Turner were in a small house in the jungle) would be cut from the film during its final edit. The song, which was Grant's last Hot 100 hit, did not appear on its soundtrack. Grant released the song as a single with the original video that featured scenes from the film. Later the video was re-edited without the Romancing the Stone clips. - His later single, "Gimme Hope Jo'annaGimme Hope Jo'anna"Gimme Hope Jo'anna" is a song originally by Eddy Grant, a well-known anti-apartheid reggae anthem from the 1980s, written during the apartheid era in South Africa. The song was banned by the South African government when it was released, but was widely played in South Africa nonetheless...
", during the apartheid regime ("Joanna" stands for JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa) was a song about apartheid in that country, and was subsequently banned in South Africa. This song was later adapted for use on a commercial for YopYopYop, created and marketed by Yoplait, is a yoghurt drink sold in supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Canada and occasionally in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, a commercially available yogurt-based drink, with the altered non-political lyrics "give me Yop (me mama) when the morning come". - Other songs, such as "War Party" were also political protest songs. "The only decoration is the one upon the grave". "Living On The Front Line" was another. "They got me living on top of my existence, oh appreciating my resistance".
Ice Records
Grant set up his own recording company, Ice RecordsIce Records
Ice Records is a record label based in Barbados that is owned by musician Eddy Grant. In addition to Grant's music, the label also seeks "to record, promote and market classic calypso, soca and Ringbang ." Ice Records lays claims to owning the largest catalog of Caribbean music in the...
and the Coach House studio, but more recently has returned to the West Indies from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, choosing Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
as a more realistic venue for a recording company, rather than his country of origin. He has also produced for the likes of Sting, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Information | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| 1977 | Message Man Message Man Message Man is the debut album by Eddy Grant. He plays every instrument and sings every voice on this album. The album is significant for its socio-political stance in songs such as "Race Hate" and "Cockney Black"...
|
- | - | - |
| 1979 | Walking on Sunshine Walking on Sunshine (Eddy Grant album) Walking on Sunshine is the title track of the critically acclaimed 1979 album by Reggae and Soca artist Eddy Grant on the Parlophone music label. It was the follow-up to his 1977 album Message Man. It features the hits singles, 'Living On The Front Line' and the title track... |
- | - | - |
| 1980 | Love in Exile
|
- | - | - |
| 1981 | Can't Get Enough Can't Get Enough (Eddy Grant album) Can't Get Enough is an album by Eddy Grant. It was his UK chart debut, peaking at #39 on the album charts. It features the UK hits "Do You Feel My Love", "Can't Get Enough Of You" and "I Love You, Yes I Love You".-Track listing:... |
39 | 43 | - |
| 1982 | Killer on the Rampage Killer on the Rampage Killer on the Rampage is an album by Eddy Grant. It remains his most successful album, hitting the top 10 in the US and the UK. It features the hits "Electric Avenue" , "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "War Party"... |
7 | 9 | 10 |
| 1984 | Going for Broke Going for Broke (album) Going for Broke is a 1984 album by Eddy Grant. Following the major success of the previous Killer On The Rampage, this album takes a similar approach but was not as successful. It featured the U.S... |
- | - | 64 |
| 1986 | Born Tuff
|
- | - | - |
| 1988 | File Under Rock
|
- | 24 | - |
| 1990 | Barefoot Soldier
|
- | - | - |
| 1992 | Paintings of the Soul
|
- | - | - |
| 1993 | Soca Baptism
|
- | - | - |
| 2001 | Hearts and Diamonds
|
- | - | - |
| 2006 | Reparation Reparation (album) Reparation is an album by Reggae musician Eddy Grant. The title of this album is a call for restitution for the transatlantic slave trade.- Track listing :#"Concern Number One" - 4:14#"Everything Irie" - 3:56#"Everybody Rappin'" - 3:33... |
- | - | - |
Compilation albums
- All The Hits (1984, K-telK-telK-tel International is an "As-Seen-On-TV" company, which is most noted for its compilation music albums, such as "The Super Hits" series, "The Dynamic Hits" series and "The Number One Hits" series...
) UK #23 - Walking on Sunshine (The Best of Eddy Grant) (1989, Parlophone Records) UK #20
- Greatest Hits (1997, EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - Hits From the Frontline (1999, MCI)
- Hit Collection (1999, Wagram Records)
- The Greatest Hits (2001, Sire RecordsSire RecordsSire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
) UK #3, NZ #3 - Greatest Hits Collection (2001, Ice/Sequel-Castle) UK #94
- The Very Best of Eddy Grant - Road To Reparation (2008, Greenheart Music) UK #14
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NZ |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Dan |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||||||
| 1979 | "Living on the Front Line" | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Walking on Sunshine | ||||
| "Walking on Sunshine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | ||||||
| 1980 | "Do You Feel My Love Do You Feel My Love "Do You Feel My Love" is a song by British reggae musician Eddy Grant from his album Can't Get Enough. It peaked at number 8 on the charts.... " |
8 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — |
|
Can't Get Enough | |||
| 1981 | "Can't Get Enough of You" | 13 | 22 | 19 | — | 26 | — | — | — | |||||
| "I Love You, Yes I Love You" | 37 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1982 | "I Don't Wanna Dance I Don't Wanna Dance (Eddy Grant song) "I Don't Wanna Dance" was a UK number one single for three weeks in November 1982 for Eddy Grant. It was also released in the US in the fall of 1983.... " |
1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 53 | — | — |
|
Killer on the Rampage | |||
| 1983 | "Electric Avenue Electric Avenue (song) "Electric Avenue" is a song by Eddy Grant, from his 1982 album Killer on the Rampage. It was released as a single in 1982, and went on to be very popular, reaching #2 on both United States and United Kingdom singles charts... " |
2 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 6 | 18 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Platinum |
||||
| "War Party" | 42 | 47 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Till I Can't Take Love No More" | 42 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Going for Broke | |||||
| 1984 | "Romancing the Stone" | 52 | 42 | — | — | 28 | 26 | 12 | — | |||||
| "Boys in the Street" | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1988 | "Gimme Hope Jo'anna Gimme Hope Jo'anna "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" is a song originally by Eddy Grant, a well-known anti-apartheid reggae anthem from the 1980s, written during the apartheid era in South Africa. The song was banned by the South African government when it was released, but was widely played in South Africa nonetheless... " |
7 | 4 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | File Under Rock | ||||
| "Harmless Piece of Fun" | 90 | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Put a Hold on It" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1989 | "Walking on Sunshine" (re-issue) | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Best of Eddy Grant | ||||
| 2001 | "Electric Avenue" (remix) | 5 | 68 | 11 | 31 | — | — | 16 | — | The Greatest Hits | ||||
| "Walking on Sunshine" (remix) | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
Other charted songs
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1984 | "Living on the Front Line" | 47 | Non-album song |
See also
- List of black Britons
- List of disco artists (A-E)
- List of Eastern Caribbean people
- List of reggae musicians
- Afro-GuyaneseAfro-GuyaneseAfro-Guyanese people are the inhabitants of Guyana of Black African origin...
- Culture of GuyanaCulture of GuyanaGuyanese culture reflects the influence of African, Indian, French, Amerindian, Chinese, British, Dutch, Portuguese, Caribbean, and American and Nepalese culture....
- Music of GuyanaMusic of GuyanaThe music of Guyana is a mix of Indian, African, European and Amerindian elements. Important American, Caribbean, Brazilian and other Latin musical styles are popular. Popular Guyanese performers include Terry Gajraj, Mark Holder, Eddy Grant, Dave Martins & the Tradewinds, Aubrey Cummings and...
- Caribbean music in the United KingdomCaribbean music in the United Kingdom- Music from Trinidad :Large-scale Caribbean migration to England began in 1948. The Empire Windrush carried almost 500 passengers from Jamaica, including Lord Kitchener, a calypso singer from Trinidad. By chance, a local newsreel company filmed him singing "London Is The Place For Me" as he got...