The first British black group to have a number one

It's funny how you can think you heard someone saying something which they didn't. I thought I heard Simon Mayo saying on Radio Two' Drivetime that Real Thing's "You to me are everything" was the first UK number one by a black band (in 1976). After rifling through my reference books and finding Emile Ford and the Checkmates, the Tams, the Miracles, the Tymes and the Stylistics (all of whom had number ones before the Real Thing) I re-listened to the show and realised he actually said "first number one single by a black British band".

But it is a great shame that he didn't even mention the Equals (pictured - Number One in 1968 with "Baby Come back") . OK, they had three black members out of a total of five group members. But they were definitely British - three of them studied together at Acland Burghley School, North London and they first started rehearsing on a council estate at Hornsey Rise, North London.

And, let's face it, "Baby come back" was a half decent record and gave Eddy Grant one of his first public outings. "You to me are everything" is best forgotten, in my humble judgment.