The Equals were from London and were the first interracial group to be successful in England. To me, this song and the band seem to be the direct ancestors of the two-tone ska revival of the late 1970s.
"Baby, Come Back" was a #1 hit in the UK and did fairly well in Toronto but only made it to #32 on the Billboard Top 100. This is partly because the band's record label didn't let them tour in the United States, fearing problems resulting from their multi-racial lineup.
The band had a few other hit singles in Britain but didn't come close to charting again in the U.S. They were injured in a car accident in Germany in 1969 and Eddy Grant, their lead guitarist and songwriter, suffered a collapsed lung and heart infection in 1971. The band split up for good in 1979.
Grant went on to a successful solo career in the 1980s. Their song "Police On My Back" was later covered by The Clash.
Created January 20, 2026.