Eddy Grant

MAYOR OF ELECTRIC AVENUE

What music are you currently grooving to?

I’m grooving to life. There’s a song called Grooving Out On Life, by Hopeton Lewis, out of Jamaica. It’s hard though, I listen to everything. It shows the degree of swing I’ve got in my head. I sing, consistently, What A Wonderful World. It helps me to see things in a positive, half-full way.

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album?

I can give you 10. Tracks Of My Tears, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Emmerton by the Mighty Gabby, Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud, No Woman No Cry, live… I’ve got an almost encyclopaedic memory of great songs. Each one, if they were the only song left for me to listen to in perpetuity, would qualify.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? I was a big

Rolling Stones fan because they played incessant Chuck Berry music, which I didn’t know at the time. I bought it from a guy on the Holloway Road. His name was Frank, a great guy, very decent.

Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be? Chuck Berry. I saw him at the Rainbow, Finsbury Park. A seminal meeting of souls!

What do you sing in the shower?

I don’t. I may whistle Isn’t She Lovely, but my mouth would be full of water, like, blublublublub.

What is your favourite Saturday night record?

That’s hard. I’d have been on-stage, in the early days… Leave that for now.

And your Sunday morning record? I’d play Wonderful World. It will never get old, as long as there’s a world.

I Belong To You is out now. See eddygrant. com for info.