Vintage Eddy Grant radio station vinyl! Played on the air, back in the day...this vinyl sold a LOT of records in New Jersey! (Craig Allen photo).

Eddy Grant is best known for his musical "rock" down "Electric Avenue" in the "Big 80's," but he had been on the scene for quite a while by the time he found worldwide fame!

He was born Edmond Montague Grant in Plaisance, Guyana on March 5, 1948.

Eddy emigrated to London, with his family, in 1960. He lived in Kentish Town. He attended school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park.

Along with singing, Grant would play the bass guitar, drums and piano.

He would form the band the "Equals" in 1967. He would play lead guitar, and be the main songwriter. With this band, he would score his first hit in England!

"Baby Come Back," written by Eddy Grant, would go to #1 on the U.K. singles chart in 1968.

The Equals would have three Top-10 hits in England through the end of the 1960's...and would be the first multi-racial band to find success in the U.K.

Grant would openly use his songwriting for political purposes over the years...especially against the apartheid government of South Africa.

In 1982, as part of a growing solo career, "I Don't Wanna Dance" went to #1 in England, for three weeks.

His solo album "Killer On The Rampage" went Top 10 in 1982.

One of Jersey's Favorite Hits, "Electric Avenue," would become a #2 hit in both New Jersey, and England, in 1983. It would be Grant's biggest solo hit.

Do you know what the song is about?

Eddy Grant says that "Electric Avenue" is a serious song, the story of a poor man reflecting on the many things in life that he can never achieve.

"Electric Avenue" is a shopping area in the Brixton section of London, so named because it was the first street in the area to get electric lights. Brixton saw riots between police and protesters in 1981, which Grant refers to in the hit song's opening line: "Down in the street, there is violence."

Timing would play a role in the success of "Electric Avenue."

It would hit #2 in England in January 1983. It would take until July for the song  to reach its highest chart position here (then, it would be stuck at #2 for 5 weeks...held out of #1 by the Police hit "Every Breath You Take").

Why did it take months longer for Eddy Grant to happen here? The difference between New Jersey hit charts and England?

MTV.

"Electric Avenue" surged in popularity when it made the regular rotation on the then-music-based channel. The prior success of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" made MTV more accepting of black artists.

"Electric Avenue" is one of the highest-charting reggae-influenced pop songs...ever.

1984 Vinyl in the NJ101.5 studio...and not a turntable in sight! (Craig Allen photo).
1984 Vinyl in the NJ101.5 studio...and not a turntable in sight! (Craig Allen photo).
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Eddy Grant  would return to the pop charts in 1984 with "Romancing The Stone."  (#26/1984).

He wrote the song...which was commissioned for the movie soundtrack...but it barely appears in the movie!

Only the guitar solo made it to the movie. It plays while Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner are seen in a small house in the jungle. The rest of the song was cut in the movie's final edit!

So, "Romancing The Stone" was not included on the soundtrack album!

Eddy Grant would release his last chart-appearing song as a single.

An early video (above) would be produced, using scenes from the movie...a later music video would be released without the movie clips!

A later Eddy Grant single, "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" (short for Johannesburg, South Africa), a song about apartheid, was banned in South Africa.

Other Eddy Grant protest songs include: "War Party" and "Living On The Front Line."

Grant would go on to define a Caribbean music genre and philosophy called "ringbang."

As he described it in 1994, Grant wanted ringbang to encompass Caribbean rhythms. But, he didn't want any single country or culture to lay claim to the style (that he trademarked). Its stylistic influences include calypso and reggae.

The name coming from scat singers, singing "Ringa-ringa-ringbang," Grant said in 2000:

"Ringbang is the thing that makes the soul quiet. That in a musical concept is rhythm. A child is given ringbang when a mother rocks it in her arms. Ringbang...is a concept predicated on our being able to communicate with one another."

Grant established his own recording company, Ice Records (which published ringbang music), and Coach House studio.

In recent years, Eddy Grant has relocated from London to Barbados, thinking it to be a better location for his music... Many artists, including the Rolling Stones have recorded at Eddy's Barbados studios...

Wouldn't it be cool if Eddy Grant's recording studio was on...Electric Avenue...

Play Cut # 5! (Craig Allen photo).
Play Cut # 5! (Craig Allen photo).
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