Eddy Grant’s 1982 song ‘Time Warp’ is a timeless classic. Gorillaz were accused of copying ‘Time Warp’ in ‘Stylo’ during Grant’s interview with NME in 2010. Eddy felt he was thrown under the bus for calling out Gorillaz.
The Equals member felt a keyboard section similarity in both the songs. Eddy felt it was ‘pure piracy’ and ‘an obvious infringement of my song’. Grant opened up about what went through after he accused Gorillaz of the piracy.
Eddy was asked if he spoke with Damon Albarn about it. Eddy said that though the manager for The Equals and Albarn worked with the same management team and music publisher, he felt he was being thrown under the bus for his remarks. Grant felt the reason why the conversation never took place is because Albarn was selling more records than him.
I mean, everybody knows where that song came from. It’s just that there comes a time where you say, ‘Enough. Why am I going to go on fighting this case? Over what? Leave it alone’. They know the truth.
Even Damon’s strongest fans would know how ubiquitous ‘Time Warp’ has been and still is. It’s a one-off – when you hear it, you know what it is.
I mean, Jaheim slowed it right down so that I would never be able to notice it, and I noticed, and he gave me credit for the song [‘Like a DJ’]. It’s a sickness in the business. If you like it enough and want to do it, then do it and give the guy the credit.
It’s a strange one because Damon’s manager used to be part of the management team for The Equals and we were with the same music publisher, but I feel I was thrown under the bus because Damon was selling a lot more records than I was.
Eddy will get a paving stone in his honour on September 7th at Camden, London as he gets inducted into the Music Walk of Fame. Grant remembered his grandmother and her teaching of saying Thank You when someone gives anything good. Grant feels this is special as 2023 happens to be his 75th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his ground-breaking album ‘Killer On The Rampage’.
It will be great to be back in Camden, where I grew up. To be honoured with a stone plaque that will be laid in the street where I walked, rode and drove from childhood to manhood.
It is especially satisfying to be receiving this honour in 2023, the year of my 75th birthday and the 40th anniversary of my ground-breaking album ‘Killer On The Rampage’.
My grandmother, who gave me all my sensibilities after coming out of the womb, always told me that when someone gives you something and it’s something good the most important thing to say is thank you.
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