1968 The Equals: Baby Come Back

The unwary punter can buy a Platinum records CD from 1997 called 'The British 60's' that's a compilation of the 'best of' The Foundations and The Equals, equally split down the middle with ten songs from both bands.* Why were these two seen as suitable bedfellows I wonder? After all, there's no obvious common link between the music they produced; while The Foundations aped Motown with no small success, The Equals dabbled in the burgeoning reggae genre though neither styles were in any way 'British' enough to warrant that title. Unless the compliers considered that two home-grown, mixed race bands filtering a genre from abroad through very British roots was reason enough for the pairing? Maybe, and if so it's accurate (and imaginative) to a point the premise could provide this review all by itself.

All told, 'Baby Come Back' is a less successful stab at reggae than 'Baby Now That I've Found You' was at Motown. And that's because it keeps more of a toehold in straightforward pop than in its source material so that it's more accurate to regard 'Baby Come Back' as a straightforward pop tune given the odd reggae flourish. There's a light skank to the rhythm (that's emphasised by some "shh shh shh" 'Train To Skaville' vocal percussion at the close) true, and Eddie Grant's Guyana patois is as thick as it's genuine, but it's all overlaid with a typical British beat band beat that's only really interested in getting to the chorus.

This itself builds into itself quite neatly with the "Hey - all right" call and responses, but that doesn't disguise that 'Baby Come Back' is all chorus. Not usually a problem per se (though reggae was never about a good chorus), but in pulling two ways between styles the resulting paralysis and the flatness of the playing keeps 'Baby Come Back' on a continuous plateau that doesn't bear the level of repetition on display here. Good fun that that only just manages to outstay its welcome. Only just mind.


* Not that I'd recommend looking for a copy of this - its bargain basement price on the front derives from the 'song of this music has been re-recorded with as many of the original artists as possible' caveat in small print on the back. Honestly, this kind of carry on should come with a prominent 'ACHTUNG!' and a stencilled image of a grinning skull.