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The clue was in the name.

The Equals. Great North London band – three black guys, two white. Something that was barely noticed, less still remarked upon, when they went to No.1 with this in 1968. It was great record and nobody cared about the pigmentation of the people who made it. Back then no one referred to Motown as “black music” or The Beatles as “white music” – it was all just music. We think we live in less segregated times, but do we? Those who seek to divide and rule do so by giving people labels. Music made by black artists is now called “urban” as though white people can’t live in cities and black people can’t live anywhere else. Horrible. But Happy 69th Birthday to the great Eddy Grant who wrote and shouted “All right!” on this joyous hit. If you asked him what sort of music it is, I doubt he’d say “Dual Heritage”.

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