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This website is dedicated to the music, past and present, of Grant Wright. Be prepared for a hard-rocking songs, electro-based new wave, blues-influenced dessert rock, powerful ballads and New Country rock. It’s all here.
The website was inspired after a write up on Grant's first band, The Shattered Dreams, being featured on the Drequon's Playlist site: http://drequon.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-shattered-dreams-nothing-ventured.html. 
This interest and the subsequent reviews on Killed by Death: https://www.kbdrecords.com/2012/01/11/the-shattered-dreams-3-a-tracks-e-p-7/
made me think Grant and his music needed further exploration.
The website features Grant's music, stories of the history behind the music, live performances and current tracks. Welcome and explore. We are adding material all the time.

Chris Tyler

NEW TRACK

In July 2023 Grant completed recording the latest song in his acapella trilogy, In the Flesh, written by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein and first recorded by Blondie. In the accompanying video interview, Grant talks about his love of New York and his admiration for that city’s music scene of the 1970s and 1980s, of which Blondie were one of the leading lights.


Other wholly acapella tracks are Sorrow and Blabber and Smoke and Blah, Blah, Blah; all are available on this website. Grant is currently working with other musicians on further recordings.


Speaking about the track, Grant says: “In September 2022, I heard via radio, the song, In the flesh, by Blondie, which I had not heard since playing the LP, many years prior. On re-hearing Debbie Harry’s vocals, I thought it might be interesting to use the ambiguity of the title and sung lyric, to take Blondie’s song in a different direction and to purely do so, by acapella means.


I took inspiration from the original vocal line for my main vocal, changing some of the lyrics from female to male and added a short spoken intro and outro to add to the potential for interpretation of meaning and themes. I wrote and sang all the vocal lines and spoken parts to create new patterns, phrases and emphases. I thank Janet Fisher for her performance of the female spoken phrases, which were designed to both underscore location and to add a teasing and playful, converse perspective. I have also added reflective tones to conflate a tribute to my late beautiful Australia wife, Cheri.


As with many of my song’s lyrics, where I blend and juxtapose themes, to widen the scope of interpretation, I have done so with the recent associated collage prepared for this song, particularly playing with location and time.


I hope you and Blondie’s fans, find the piece of interest and that it takes the great original in a new and contrasting direction.


I thank Gavin Beckwith of GB Sound for his engineering skills.”


The Grant Wright Project

Future music will be added to the site under the Grant Wright Project heading. The newest release is Blabber and Smoke and Blah, Blah, Blah - all details above. 

The Grant Wright Band

Grant created music using a collection of musicians from different backgrounds; including two members from The Shattered Dreams, bringing a more complex, multi-faceted style to the music.

Grant Wright & Keith Smith

As part of the preparation for The Grant Wright Band, Grant went into the studio to work up new material with guitarist Keith Smith. Some of this music was recorded with the full band line-up, other tracks remain duo recordings.

 Seeking the range of sounds that keyboards offered, Grant teamed up after Of The Heart with Laurence Finn to focus on writing for  studio projects with keyboard-based tracks.

Of the Heart

Three members of The Shattered Dreams, including Grant, kept going under a new name, Of the Heart, adding to their sound by bringing in new members, playing gigs and recording tracks featuring a more varied feel and seeing the growth of Grant's songwriting skills.

The Shattered Dreams

As part of the new wave boom, The Shattered Dreams gigged and recorded music in London where they played at legendary venues, The Royal Standard , The Ad Lib Club and The Rock Garden as well as club and college venues. 

Their three-track EP features live favourites Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained; Feel it From Here and War and was released on the north London label Epigram Records, run by Keith Smith and Chris Tyler.

 Music
Click buttons below to hear playlists - and/or click on the song titles below to hear individual tracks. Find out additional information by clicking the links above.

Blabber and Smoke and Blah, Blah, Blah was released September 2022.

Sorrow by Grant Wright

An acapella version of Sorrow featuring Grant Wright undertaking all vocal parts.

Hold those Memories dear by Grant Wright & Keith Smith

This version is the first studio recording featuring Keith Smith on guitar. A full band version was recorded by the Grant Wright Band.

GW & KS

Three Hours Past Midnight by 

This version of the blues classic, originally by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson was a standard in the Grant Wright Band set list.
GWB


The song is about searching for space to think. By dealing with adversity and varied challenges, hope can shine through.

GW & LF

A live performance at The Standard London recorded in March 1996.

GWB

This second cover of the Otis Redding classic by Grant and Matthew includes passages of acapella, showing off Grant's vocal abilities.

This version of Death be Damned was recorded by Of the Heart in 1983 after being first recorded by The Shattered Dreams.



OTH

This records an early working of Passion and Pain before all parts and arrangements were finalised

GW & LF

The track Tough Days is given the instrumental treatment with Grant on keyboard and drum programming and Keith Smith on guitar.

GW & KS

This version of Hard Headed Man was recorded live at The Standard in London in September 1996.


GWB

This recording of the Robert Johsnon blues classic Crossroads was captured live in the studio.

GWB

A deep dive into the archive found this track left unreleased by the band.




OHT

Written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf, this blues classic is given the down and dirty treatment.

GW & KS

Fear of the Day by Grant Wright & Laurence Finn

This track is part of the keyboard-based project undertaken in the mid-eighties.
GW & LF

This is the full band version of the track first recorded by Grant and Keith Smith.

GWB

This track is the first recorded version of the song later recorded by Of the Heart. The song reflects Grant's fascination with New York comparing it with his adopted city.

TSD

 Freight Train by 

Another live favourite, this studio recording is in a more laid back style from the official recorded version.

GW & KS

This track is recorded live at The Standard, Blackhorse Road, London in September 1996.

GWB

This track is recorded live at The Standard, Blackhorse Road, London on 9 March 1996.

GWB

Tough Days by 

The harmonica on this track is played by Francis Ronnau-Bradbeer. Grant provided the lyrics, melody lines, drum track, bass lines as well as keyboard. Keith Smith played guitar.
GW & KS

A live take of the always popular Everybody's Talking. Recorded at The Standard, Black Horse Road, London in March 1996.

GWB

New York/London by Of the Heart

This song was presented by Grant to the band at the rehearsal studios and this recording was made.

OTH

This live version from 1996 of the atmospheric track, Her Tropical Storm, was inspired by time in Australia. The recording was made at The Standard, Blackhorse Road in  London during a performance on 22 June.

GWB

The recording was made at The Standard, Blackhorse Road, London in March 1996.

GWB

Grant wrote the lyrics, melody lines and other phrases which were worked on with Keith Smith and then presented to The Grant Wright Band for this recording.

GWB

This version of Freight Train is the full band recording and was a great crowd favourite at gigs.

GWB

This version of Hard Headed Man is a demo of a track later recorded by The Grant Wright Band.


GW & KS

This version of A Strong Man was recorded at a live gig at The Standard in London in March 1996.

GWB

This version is the full band recording of a track which was a crowd favourite.

GWB

This is the "extra dub" version of Running on Empty, featuring Grant Wright, Keith Smith on guitar and the studio engineering skills of Kevin Davis.

GW & KS

This is the full band version of the track originally recorded by Grant and Keith Smith.

GWB

This version of Tropical Storm is the demo prior to the full Grant Wright Band version of the song. Keith Smith is on guitar. Kevin Davis, drummer with The Shattered Dreams, was at the engineering controls.

GW & KS

This recording is the full band workout of the tune Running on Empty, which was a concert favourite and was recorded in different arrangements. 

GWB

Those Eyes was a very early song written by Grant  for The Shattered Dreams. Grant feels in retrospect, that the piece was possibly subliminally inspired by the works of Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart.

TSD

Death Be Damned was written and sung by Grant Wright; performed by The Shattered Dreams and is about Man’s, possibly unique situation, of having to live with an awareness of the inevitability of ultimate death.

TSD

Pumping Iron comments upon the world of heavy exercising, bodybuilding and the whole culture around it. Grant says it was written as a song to be played in gyms and as an intense dance-type piece.

GW & LF

Hard Headed Man by The Grant Wright Band - LIVE

This track was recorded at the legendary Hare & Hounds in Islington, London in 1993.

Grant commends the experienced combo of Kevin and David from The Shattered Dreams on drums and bass respectively and loves the intense guitar work and use of pedals by the late Philip Joyner.

OTH

This recording was made at The Standard in September 1996.

GWB

Stormy Monday by The Grant Wight Band - LIVE

Stormy Monday is a song written and recorded by American blues electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker.  This track was a firm favourite at Grant Wright Band gigs, as evidenced in this recording.
GWB


This recording of How Many Times was recorded at the legendary Hare and Hounds venue in Islington, London in October 1993.

GWB

Photo credit = Jon Tyson (@jontyson)

The recording was solely performed by Grant and Keith utilising keyboards and programmed drum tracks together with guitar played by Keith. Roger Benou undertook the studio engineering.

GW & KS

Passion and Pain by Grant Wright & Laurence Finn

This track was composed as part of the keyboard-based studio project of the mid-eighties.

GW & LF
.

Grant wrote lyrics, drums, and various keyboard lines and Keith played various guitar phrases. In spite of the song being heavy and intense, it has almost a dance sound and mix.

GW & KS

Stormy Monday by 

The Grant Wright Band version of the T-Bone Walker classic, Stormy Monday.



GWB

Success is a Diamond by Grant Wright & Laurence Finn

The song was composed and originally recorded by Grant largely using programmable equipment. The triumphant sounding piano is played by Laurence.
GW & LF
.

How Many Times? by Grant Wright & 

Grant presented the lyrics, melody lines, drum track and bass lines with some keyboard parts to Keith Smith who developed and played guitar on the recording.
GW & KS

Sacred Secrets by Grant Wright & Laurence Finn

This track was composed as part of the keyboard-based project of the mid-eighties.
GW & LF
The Otis Redding classic. Grant said of this track: 'I always liked this gentle and reflective classic which for me created images of slow hot days'. This recording has a now long-departed dear friend, Matthew Moore, from The Shattered Dreams, playing guitar.'

Hard Headed Man by The Grant Wright Band

The Grant Wright Band performs an original song written by Grant.



GWB

Back Door Man by 

The blues rock classic best known from the versions by Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf is given the Grant Wright Band treatment.
GWB

Everybody's Talking by The Grant Wright Band

The Grant Wright band covers the classic song, taken from the film Midnight Cowboy.


GWB

Hard Headed Man by The Grant Wright Band - LIVE

This track was recorded at the legendary Hare & Hounds in Islington, London in 1993.

GWB

Lady Blue by 

This track is part of the keyboard-based project undertaken in the mid-eighties.

GW & LF

Burning Flame by 

Burning Flame is one of the live favourites by the band and this version  features slide guitar by Keith Smith.
GW & KS

Running on Empty (Desert Dub Version) by Grant Wright & Keith Smith

Later recorded by The Grant Wright Band. This version is a looser, more earthy recording.
GW & KS

A Splash of Colour by Grant Wright & Laurence Finn

This track is part of the keyboard-based project undertaken in the mid-eighties.

GW & LF

Reflections by 

This track was taken from the cassette only release of the EP "Of the Heart".

OTH

 Her Tropical Storm by The Grant Wright Band

Her Tropical Storm, presented here is a later studio recorded version.


GWB

Grant and Keith recorded the song at the home studio of Kevin Davis before it was later worked on by the full band line-up.

GW & KS

The track was recorded live at The Standard, Blackhorse Road, London in March 1996. The song was a crowd favourite, always getting a great reaction.

GWB

A live version of the classic blues song, written by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, performed at The Standard, Blackhorse Road, London.

GWB

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