The Equals – Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys
Euro P/S for ‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’
Listen/Download Equals – Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys
Greetings all
The middle of the week is nigh and I for one feel like I need to be shook/shaken from my quasi-hibernation.
The calendar says that winter is over, but my own two eyes (and the rest of my senses) say “Not so fast, brother.”, so in my cave I remain (for now) with my records.
The record I have selected for your enjoyment this fine day is a long time fave that eluded me for some time.
While the Equals’ ‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’ is not a particularly rare or expensive record, neither is it plentiful or obvious.
It’s just that me and this 45 were both out there but kept passing like two ships in the night.
Until last year, that is, when I finally scooped it up.
The Equals are one of my favorite UK bands of the 60s (and early 70s) because they are as hard to nail down (stylistically) as they were groovy.
Formed in the mid 60s by two Jamaican emigres (brothers Lincoln and Derv Gordon), a guitar slinger from Guyana (Mr Eddy Grant) and two Brits(John Hall and Pat Lloyd) on a council estate in London, the Equals – always more successful in the UK and Europe than they were here – were one of the more interesting groups of the era.
While they were ostensibly a ‘rock’ band, they moved freely between rock, soul, psychedelia, R&B, pop and West Indian influences during their (1966-1973) career.
The tune I bring you today hails from the waning days of their chart success, being their last UK Top 10 hit (barely charting at all in the US) in 1970.
‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’ is a hard hitting, funky protest number, touching on race relations and war, both hot-button issues at the time.
Written by Grant and sung in a typically forceful manner by Derv Gordon, ‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’ was covered in the US by the group ST-4, and had a second, underground life as a popular tune in US dance clubs during the early days of disco culture.
It is a groover indeed.
I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).
Themocracy
Sounds very similar to Muscle Shoals Horns’ “Breakdown” especially the guitar riff.
Bang Records 45 (BANG 002) 1976
Breakdown is a cover of Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys: https://funky16corners.com/?p=1486