MUSICAL YOUTH
RECORDS
Musical Youth Records was a DIY
label. It managed one single. This was released in 1986, for a tour in Ireland.
By that time, the band consisted of brothers Frederick "Junior" Waite (drums)
and Patrick Waite (bass) and lead singer Dennis Seaton. It issued singles in
MY-0 numerical series. Musical Youth are mainly
remembered as a child novelty act - but that's not really fair. Formed in
Birmingham in the early 1980s by Freddie Waite, formerly of Techniques, as
his backing band, Musical Youth could genuinely play and worked in Birmingham
pubs (guitarist Kelvin Waite debuting at the age of 7!) before being signed by
MCA in 1982. A condition of their signing was that a lead singer "your own age"
was acquired, and so Dennis Seaton joined the Waite and Grant brothers. Their
first single "Pass The Dutchie", a version of Mighty Diamonds, The classic "Pass
The Kutchie" with the references to ganja removed, was an enormous global hit,
and they were the first black act to appear on MTV, beating Michael Jackson to
it by several months. Their 15 minutes of fame ensued, recording with Donna
Summer, appearing with Irene Cara, touring around the world and releasing a well
received LP "Youth of Today". But things soon started to fall apart as the band
tried and failed to find a hybrid between serious reggae and cheerful fresh
faced youth; one example being the single "Rub N Dub" and its B side the theme
from "Jim'll Fix It"! A second LP "Different Style" was a flop and the band
disintegrated under a combination of family pressures and squabbles, avaracious
middle men, and legal wrangling. Only Michael Grant has continued in the music
business as part of 5am; reportedly both Junior Waite and Kelvin Grant have both
struggled with mental problems and Patrick Waite died of a heart
condition at the age of 24, awaiting trial on drugs charges. Distributed By Musical Youth .
86
Musical
Youth
On The One Road
MUSICAL
YOUTH
MY
1