Rudy Grant
Rudy Grant | |
---|---|
Birth name | Rudolph Grant |
Born | 1950s Plaisance, British Guiana (now Guyana) |
Genres | Reggae, soca |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Years active | 1969–present |
Labels | Ice, Ensign, RAK |
Rudolph Grant, also known as Little Brother Grant, Rudy Grant and The Mexicano, is a reggae deejay and singer.
Biography
[edit]Born in Plaisance, Guyana, Grant settled in the United Kingdom with his family in 1960.[1] His brother, Eddy Grant, was a member of The Equals in the late 1960s, and Rudolph also recorded in this era, as Little Brother Grant, releasing the single "Let's Do It Tonight".[1] In the 1970s, he recorded as a reggae deejay under the name The Mexicano, releasing singles such as "Gorilla in Manilla", and "Cut Throat".[1] Grant had his biggest success in 1978, with his Starsky & Hutch-inspired single "Move Up Starsky", on which he deejayed over Delroy Wilson's "I'm Still Waiting" rhythm.[1] The single topped the UK reggae chart, with an album of the same name following it, and inspired the less successful "Move Up Hutch" by Superstar.[1] Grant followed this with several other singles, including "Lover's Conversation", but none matched the success of "Move Up Starsky". Another 1977 single, "Every Step I Made",[2] found a wider audience by way of inclusion in Eddy Grant's "Smash Disco Hits on ICE" compilation.[3]
By 1981, Grant had abandoned the Mexicano alias and began recording as a singer under his own name, recording cover versions of songs including John Lennon's "Woman", and, most successfully Stevie Wonder's "Lately", with which he had a minor UK Singles Chart hit in February that year.[4] The single's success led to a contract with Stiff Records, although he failed to score any further hits.
Grant's 1987 single "Mash in Guyana" proved a major success in his country of birth, and has been described as "the unofficial anthem of Mashramani".[5] He wrote the song on a visit to Guyana in 1986 and recorded it at his brother Eddy's Coach House Studios on his return to London.[5] Grant performed the song at the Notting Hill Carnival and it went on to top the first soca chart in London, published by the Black Echoes music paper.[5]
In 2002, Grant's version of "Lately" was included on the Dynamite Reggae Classics album.[6]
Discography
[edit]Singles
[edit]As Little Brother Grant
[edit]- "Let's Do It Tonight" (1969)
As The Mexicano
[edit]- "Gorilla in Manilla"
- "Cut Throat"
- "The Mexicano v. The Dreadlocks at O.K. Corral" (1977) Serious Business
- "Every Step I Made" (1977) Ice
- "First of May" (1977) Ice
- "Move Up Starsky" (1977)
- "Lover's Conversation" (1978) Ice
- "Annie's Song" (1978) Ice
- "Treasure the Moments" (1978) Ice
- "Move Up Starsky" (1979) Ice
- "Harry the Fool"
- "Rock It"
- "Lonely Street"
- "The Israelites Can Dance Some More" (1980) Ice
- "Better Love Next Time" (1980) Ice (Jackie Robinson featuring The Mexicano)
- "Dallas" (1980) Mercury
- "Jamaican Child" (1980) Stiff Records
- "Gimme Little Loving" 1977 (Golden age records)
As Rudy Grant
[edit]- "Woman" (1981) Ice
- "Lately" (1981) Ensign UK No. 58
- "Space Oddity" (1981) Ensign/Ice
- "Funny Girl" (1982) Ice
- "Without Your Love" Ice
- "Trial by Television" Stiff
- "Everyday People" (1983) RAK
- "Get Ready Get Right" (1984) RAK
- "Mash in Guyana" (1987) Seara
- "You Got to Be Drunk" Seara
- "Melvina"
- "Jump and Play Mas" Seara
Albums
[edit]The Mexicano
[edit]- Move Up Starsky (1977) Pioneer
- Goddess of Love (1978) Ice
- The Best of The Mexicano (1980), Ice
Rudy Grant
[edit]- Sings the Hits (1982) Pinnacle
- Soca For Lovers volume 1 Seara
- Reggae and Soca for Lovers vol. 2
- Soca For Lovers Part 4 Seara
- Hello Africa Tabansi
- Peace and Love (2005) Seara
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p.195
- ^ First Of May b/w Every Step I Made (The Mexicano), Discogs
- ^ Smash Disco Hits on ICE (Various), Discogs
- ^ Rudy Grant, Chart Stats
- ^ a b c "‘Mash in Guyana’ turns 20", Stabroek News, 20 January 2007
- ^ Rutherford, Linda (2002) "Guyanese artiste, Rudy Grant, inks deal with Deca Dance UK", Guyana Chronicle, 21 July 2002
External links
[edit]- The Mexicano at Roots Archives
- Article on success of "Mash in Guyana" in Kaieteur News.