Eddy Grant ~ Electric Avenue 1982 Disco Purrfection Version

Eddy Grant started life as Edmond Montague Grant born in Plaisance, Guyana on March 5, 1948. His parents left Guyana for England while he was still a child of 12. He played the trumpet for the Camden Schools' Orchestra. In 1965, sporting bleached blond hair, he founded The Equals, a racially integrated band whose sound fused Brit Pop, R&B and rock. Three years later, they released "Baby, Come Back" as the B Side of "Hold Me Closer" which bombed in the UK but hit #1 in Germany and The Netherlands. "Baby Come Back" was considered perfect Europop and used to fill the dance floors of many clubs hungry for that 4/4 beat. The band had a setback in 1969 when all five group members were reportedly injured in a car accident in Germany. In 1970 they achieved a disco hit in "Black Skin Blue-Eyed Boys" with its relentless energy, driving bassline, solid drumming, woodblock percussion and a latin flavored guitar style that gave it a dark funk sound. More hit singles followed with the band until Grant suffered a collapsed lung and and a heart infection in early 1971. Once he healed up, he left The Equals for a solo career. He considered producing instead of performing because of his ill health. However, bit by the music bug, he returned to recording in 1977 with the album "Message Man". Moving to Barbados in 1982, he put together the album "Killer On The Rampage" with its centrepiece "Electric Avenue", a commentary on the 1981 Brixton riot, the title referring to a market street incident in London. The Brixton riots were the result of massive unemployment, especially with the African Caribbean community. The flashpoint occurred when a black youth was seen fleeing three other black youths. He was stopped by police, and then promptly fled on, where he was again stopped by police who were trying to ascertain what happened even though the youth had suffered a four inch stab wound. They were trying to get him into a car when citizens found him. Since tensions were already high and it seemed the police were taking their time seeking aid for the injured youth, the community took to the streets and the rumours flew that the youth had died in custody or while he laid on the street as police had left him to die. "Electric Avenue" took its time to reach the #2 position, 12 weeks after its release, however it spent five weeks at that position unable to dislodge Irene Cara's "Flashdance...What A Feeling" and then the Police's "Every Breath You Take". Grant had more troubles in the 90's when he tried to buy out the Bob Marley publishing rights over the objections of Marley's family in 1991.

Видео Eddy Grant ~ Electric Avenue 1982 Disco Purrfection Version канала DJDiscoCat