The Equals

Notable as one of the U.K.'s first interracial bands, the Equals stormed through the mid-'60s and beyond with songwriting chops, potent live shows, and a sound that fused pop, blues, maximum R&B, and elements of ska and bluebeat. Original vocalist Eddy Grant would go on to a healthy solo career after the Equals splintered in the early '70s, but various versions of the band led by co-founding member Pat Lloyd soldiered on as their early material was discovered by new generations of fans. While 1995's Roots was the last album of new Equals material, cover versions of their '60s singles by the Clash, the Specials, the Detroit Cobras, and others kept interest in the band alive, and multiple collections of their early tunes showed up intermittently, including 2021's revisitation of early songs All the Hits Re-Recorded.