Grant Wright & Keith Smith

Grant Wright & Keith Smith

The Story

Following the Grant Wright & Laurence Finn project, Grant recorded demo recordings with Keith for future tracks to be played by The Grant Wright Band.


These tracks were recorded with Keith Smith on guitar and were often recorded at Kevin Davis' studio.

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

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

Grant is joined by Keith Smith on guitar, featuring Francis Ronneau-Bradbeer on harmonica. Ian Sayer plays lead guitar.

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



Grant plays keyboards on this track. The track was recorded with Kevin Davis at the controls and features Francis Ronneau-Bradbeer on harmonica with Cheri Wright and Judy Gittings on backing vocals.

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

Other treatments of this track can be found at:

https://youtu.be/LCnCmhbGzm8

and

https://youtu.be/6I59MX3uN24

Burning Flame by 

Burning Flame is one of the live favourites by the band and this version  features slide guitar by Keith Smith.
A semi-autobiographical song about the pain and loss following a break-up, the song is an encouragement to obey your instincts in getting through the situation.

The track was developed by Grant and Keith Smith, with Grant playing keyboards on this recording.

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 controls to record this version.

 Freight Train by 

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

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

The usual sequence of events occurred with Grant writing the lyrics, melody lines, programming and playing of keyboard phrases and drum tracks and Keith embellishing and playing all guitar parts. Grant thanks Kevin Davis for his sound engineering expertise and time. Grant wanted the song to have a slight retro 50’s feel.

 Photo credit = Jon Tyson (@jontyson)graph

 Tick Tock (and here it comes) by Grant Wright 

The recording was solely performed by Grant and Keith utilising keyboards and largely programmed drum tracks together with guitar parts played by Keith. Grant wishes to thank Roger Benou, from Brazil, who undertook the studio engineering work.

Recorded in 1998, the lyrics commented and speculated upon the approaching end of the millennium. The lyrics speak of false gains, promises and the constant attempts at persuasion and how everything in the future will be about selling, and computerisation.

Heaven or Hell by Grant Wright & Keith Smith

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.


Grant’s lyrics talk of how from the outset, luck shapes our lives and destinies and how that can work for or against you, placing you in good or bad circumstances.

Tough Days by 

The harmonica on this track is played by Francis Ronnau-Bradbeer. Grant provided the lyrics, melody lines, drum track and bass lines as well as keyboard parts. Keith Smith played guitar on the recording. Later, the song was performed by The Grant Wright Band.
This track comments upon the popular music scene of the 1980's lamenting the loss of heartfelt music. The song has an almost retro fifties feel with the customary individuality and drive of Grant's work. 

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. Later, the song was performed by The Grant Wright Band.
The song reflects on how, in hindsight, situations can sometimes appear different and how the distance of time may or may not change that impression.

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

This song is about how couples can have had great times in the past but they now know something has changed and that they should move on, but nevertheless they can hold the memories of those events dear.

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

The is the original version recorded at Kevin Davis' studio; it was later recorded by The Grant Wright Band.

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