Eddy Grant has shared that he felt “thrown under the bus” when he came out to accuse Gorillaz of copying his song ‘Time Warp’ on their track ‘Stylo’.
The Equals member and solo star accused the band of plagiarising his 1982 song in 2010, telling NME at the time that he thought there were similarities with the keyboard section.
In another statement he also described it as “pure piracy” and “an obvious infringement of my song”.
Reflecting on the accusation in a recent interview with NME, Grant said: “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.”
He continued: “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.”
Asked whether he ever had a conversation with Damon Albarn about it, Grant replied: “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.”
Grant is due to be be inducted to the Music Walk of Fame in Camden, London on September 7, where a paving stone will be laid in his honour.
Talking about his honour, Grant said: “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’.”
He continued: “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.”
