Equals Supreme | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1968 | |||
Genre | Beat music | |||
Label | President Records | |||
Producer | Edward Kassner | |||
The Equals chronology | ||||
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Singles from Equals Supreme | ||||
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Equals Supreme is the fourth album by the Equals, released on President Records. [1]
Although the album did not chart, the single derived from it, "Softly Softly", did chart, and it reached position 48. It was the Equals' fourth single to enter the singles chart, [2] and the fourth Equals song written by Eddy Grant to chart in the UK Singles Chart.
The album is rated 3.19 on Rate Your Music. [3]
Contemporary reviews of the album tend to be positive, as it tends to be considered as an overlooked example of British Invasion beat music; one such review considering Equals Supreme as "another collection of short, sharp songs combining West Indian and pop styles. The songs have the sunshine in them; Sunday Morning is a case in point". [4]
The album cover is a photograph of the band stood/kneeling/sat in an entirely yellow room. Lincoln Gordon is the only member stood up, Derv Gordon and Pat Lloyd are sat on the floor, John Hall is kneeling next to Lloyd, and Eddy Grant is sat on a chair. The cover personnel is (from left to right): Lincoln Gordon, Derv Gordon, Eddy Grant, Pat Lloyd, and John Hall.
The song "Green Light" has been covered at least three times by other artists, like Hickory (one of Phil Collins' early bands), [7] The Tonics (a beat group from Germany), [8] and the Detroit Cobras, on their album Tied & True , whose cover is the most well-known. [9]
"Softly Softly" was covered by Italian singer Rinaldo Ebasta in an Italian version of the song called "Soffro! Soffro!", released in 1969. [10]
"Christine" was covered by Gleaming Spires, appearing on the Party EP (aka the Funk for Children EP) (1984), and also as a bonus track on the album Walk on Well Lighted Streets , on the 2021 CD pressing. [11]
Edmond Montague Grant is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound and socially-conscious lyrics; his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, African polyrhythms, and Latin music genres such as samba, among many others. In addition to this, he also helped to pioneer the genre of "Ringbang". He was a founding member of the Equals, one of the United Kingdom's first racially mixed pop groups who are best remembered for their million-selling UK chart-topper, the Grant-penned "Baby, Come Back".
"You Belong to Me" is a popular music ballad from the 1950s. It is well known for its opening line, "See the pyramids along the Nile". The song was published in Hollywood on April 21, 1952, and the most popular version was by Jo Stafford, reaching No. 1 on both the UK and US singles charts.
"Precious Memories" is a traditional gospel song credited to J. B. F. Wright in 1925. Wright was born in Tennessee on February 21, 1877. The hymn was first recorded by The Turkey Mountain Singers in 1928.
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" and "one of the few racially mixed bands of the era".
"It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, Red Hot and Blue. It was introduced by Ethel Merman and Bob Hope. The song was later used in the musical Anything Goes, first appearing in the 1956 film version ; in the 1962 revival where it was sung by Hal Linden and Barbara Lang, and in the 2004 biographical film De-Lovely, where it was performed by Robbie Williams.
"Let's Face the Music and Dance" is a song published in 1936 by Irving Berlin for the film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and featured in a celebrated dance duet with Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The jazz song has also been covered by various artists years following its release, including Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Todd Gordon and others.
"Hickory Wind" is a song written by country rock artist Gram Parsons and former International Submarine Band member Bob Buchanan. The song was written on a train ride the pair took from Florida to Los Angeles in early 1968, and first appeared on The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. Despite Buchanan's input, "Hickory Wind" is generally considered to be Parsons' signature song. Parsons' decision to play "Hickory Wind" instead of the planned Merle Haggard cover "Life in Prison" during The Byrds' performance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 15, 1968 "pissed off the country music establishment" and stunned Opry regulars to such an extent that the song is now considered essential to Parsons' legend.
The song "I'm a Woman" was written by famed songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and was first recorded in 1962 by Christine Kittrell.
"Police on My Back" is a 1967 song originally released by The Equals from their second studio album Explosion. In 1980, the song was covered by The Clash.
"Baby, Come Back" is a song by English band the Equals from their 1967 album Unequalled Equals. Written by Eddy Grant, the song was originally released as a B-side in 1966 and was later released as a single in continental Europe before being released as a single in the UK in 1968. "Baby, Come Back" charted in multiple countries, including number one on the Belgian, Rhodesian and UK charts in 1967 and 1968.
"Paralyzed" is a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley for his album Elvis. The song was recorded on September 1, 1956, and has been well received by music critics. The song was written by Otis Blackwell, with Elvis receiving a songwriting credit.
Baby, Come Back is an album by British group The Equals, which was released in the U.S. by RCA Victor, who had obtained the rights to manufacture and distribute the album in all of the Americas from the band's British label, President Records.
Dressed for the Occasion is an album by English singer Cliff Richard, recorded live with the accompaniment of the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1982. It was released in May 1983 on the EMI label and reached No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart and No. 30 in Australia. It was certified Silver in the UK.
"Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" is a song written by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant and recorded in London in 1970 by his band the Equals. Their recording, produced by Grant, reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1971 and was the band's last chart hit.
Dervan Gordon is a Jamaican-born British singer, who was the lead vocalist for The Equals from 1964 to 2017. After leaving the band in 2017, he started a solo career, and now mainly tours solo around the United Kingdom and the United States.
Unequalled Equals is the debut studio album released by The Equals, released in 1967. The album was produced by Edward Kassner.
"I Get So Excited" is a 1968 song released as a single by The Equals from their third studio album Sensational Equals. The song peaked at number 44 on the Official Singles Chart.
"Softly Softly" is a 1968 song released as a single by The Equals from their fourth studio album Equals Supreme. It was their last single to be released in 1968. The song peaked at number 48 on the Official Singles Chart and number eight on South African charts.
Explosion, also known as Equals Explosion, is the second studio album by The Equals, released in December 1967.
Sensational Equals is the third studio album released by The Equals in 1968.
All song and personnel information gathered from the liner notes of the album Equals Supreme (Copyright © 1968 by President Records), as issued by President Records in the UK