The Equals тобы: Тарихы мен құрамы

English rock band

The Equals are an English rock band. They are best remembered for their million selling chart topper "Baby, Come Back", though they had several other chart hits in the UK and Europe. Drummer John Hall founded the group with Eddy Grant, Pat Lloyd and brothers Derv and Lincoln Gordon, and they were noted as being "the first major interracial rock group in the UK" where Grant, Lloyd and Hall were school friends at Acland Burghley. In late 1964, Hall suggested that they form a band. John Hall (drums), Eddy Grant (lead guitar), Pat Lloyd (rhythm guitar), Derv Gordon (vocals) and Lincoln Gordon (rhythm guitar) became The Equals. The three guitar lineup continued until 1969, when Lincoln Gordon switched from rhythm guitar to bass. At first The Equals performed in London, and gained a following "with their apparently limitless energy and a distinct style fusing pop, blues, and R&B plus elements of ska and bluebeat." A neighbour of Grant's, singer Gene Latter,

The Equals released their first single “I Won’t Be There” in 1966, followed by “Hold Me Closer”, with “Baby, Come Back” as the B side. In June 1969, the group received a gold disc for a combined one million sales of the disc. The band also gained attention for their colourful clothes, presaging the glam rock style, and for Grant's occasional dyeing of his hair blonde, and wearing a woman's blonde wig. Writer Jason Heller commented: “The Equals were effectively code switching between two audiences—immigrant rude boys and white pop fans—in the same song, if not the same line." Grant was the most severely injured and as a result left the touring version of the Equals while initially continuing to write songs for them. In January 1971, Grant suffered a collapsed lung and heart infection, following which he returned to Guyana. He soon started to pursue a solo career. John Hall left the band in 1974. The Equals disbanded in 1979. In 1982, due to German public demand, concert promoter Rainer Haas contacted Pat Lloyd to get The Equals back touring in Germany. Consequently, later that year, Pat Lloyd reformed The Equals and became the registered trademark and copyright owner with Eddy Grant. The Equals then consisted of Pat Lloyd, Derv and Lincoln Gordon, Ronnie Telemacque and Rob Hendry. Lincoln Gordon left the band in 1986 and in the same year David (Dzal) Martin, who had been a temporary member between 1973 and 1975, re joined permanently as lead guitarist. In 1996, The Equals released their album Roots, mainly written by Pat Lloyd with contributions from David (Dzal) Martin. In 2017, Derv Gordon left The Equals and later that year two new members joined, Decosta Boyce (lead vocals), previously of the funk band Heatwave, and Mark Haley (keyboards), previously with The Kinks. In March 2019, Keeling Lee, previously with Groove Armada, replaced Martin after their tour of Vienna. Between 2020 and 2021, The Equals went into the studios to make a new album and in May 2022, they released a single "Nobody's Got Time", written by Eddy Grant. "Nobody's Got Time" reached No.1 in the Legacy Charts for three consecutive weeks. Today The Equals continue to record and tour in the UK, Europe, and Worldwide, increasingly influenced by funk and reggae.

The Equals' music has continued to be influential. In 1980, the Clash recorded a cover version of the Equals' song "Police on My Back" on their album Sandinista!. In 1981, the band T Slam translated to Hebrew and covered "I Get So Excited" under the name "Hamenaka Bemalon" (The Hotel Cleaner) on the Israeli edition of their debut album, “Loud Radio;” outside of Israel, the album featured an English language version of the song. In 2006, Willie Nile released his cover of "Police on My Back" on his Streets of New York. The Equals' song "Green Light" was covered by the Detroit Cobras on their 2007 Tied & True. Pato Banton scored a UK number one with his cover of "Baby Come Back". Chelsea Handler described a meeting with Pat Lloyd in chapter 6 of her book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. UK 2 Tone band The Specials covered The Equals' "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" on their 2019 album Encore.

Year Titles (A side, B side) Peak chart positions UK Album US Album UK US AUS NOR IRL SA 1966 "I Won't Be There"b/w "Fire" — — — — — —UnequalledUnequalled 1967 "Give Love a Try"b/w "Another Sad and Lonely Night" 52 — — — — —ExplosionNon album tracks "My Life Ain't Easy"b/w "You Got Too Many Boyfriends" — — — — — —A: UnequalledB: ExplosionA: UnequalledB: Non album track 1968 "I Get So Excited"UK B: "The Skies Above"US B: "Giddy Up a Ding Dong" 44 — — — — —A & UK B: SensationalUS B: ExplosionA & US B: UnequalledUK B: Baby, Come Back 1968 "Baby, Come Back"b/w "Hold Me Closer" 1 32 10 4 2 —UnequalledBaby, Come Back 1968 "Laurel and Hardy"b/w "The Guy Who Made Her a Star" 35 — — — — —Sensational 1968 "Softly Softly"b/w "Lonely Rita" 48 — — — — 8 SupremeSupreme 1969 "Michael and the Slipper Tree"b/w "Honey Gum" 24 — 68 — — —Equals Strike AgainNon album tracks 1969 "Viva Bobby Joe"b/w "I Can't Let You Go" 6 — 79 — 3 9A: Equals Strike AgainB: Non album track 1969 "Rub a Dub Dub"b/w "After the Lights Go Down Low" 34 — — — — —A: Equals at the TopB: Equals Strike Again1970 "Soul Brother Clifford"b/w "Happy Birthday Girl" — — — — — —Equals at the Top "I Can See But You Don't Know"b/w "Gigolo Sam" — — — — — —A: Doin' the 45'sB: Equals at the Top "Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys"b/w "Ain't Got Nothing to Give You" 9 — — — — —A: Doin' the 45'sB: Equals Strike Again 1971 "Help Me Simone"b/w "Love Potion" — — — — — —A: Equals at the TopB: SupremeA: Non album trackB: Supreme1972 "Stand Up and Be Counted"b/w "What Would You Do to Survive" — — — — — —Non album tracksNon album tracks "Have I the Right"b/w "Lover Let Me Go" — — — — — —A: The Equals Greatest HitsB: Non album track1973 "Honey Bee"b/w "Put Some Rock and Roll in Your Soul" — — — — — —Rock Around the Clock Volume 1 "Diversion"b/w "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" — — — — — —A: Rock Around the Clock Volume 1B: Non album track 1975 "Georgetown Girl"b/w "We've Got It All Worked Out" — — — — — —Non album tracks1976 "Kaywana Sunshine Girl"b/w "Soul Mother" — — — — — —Born Ya! "Funky Like a Train"b/w "If You Didn't Miss Me" — — — — — —1977 "Irma La Douce"b/w "Ire Harry" — — — — — — "Beautiful Clown"b/w "Daily Love" — — — — — —Non album tracks 1978 "Red Dog"b/w "Something Beautiful" — — — — — —Mystic Syster 1983 "No Place to Go"b/w "Back Streets" — — — — — —All the Hits Plus More 1987 "Funky Like a Train"b/w "Born Ya!" 82 — — — — —Born Ya!2022"Nobody's Got Time" — — — — — — – "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.