Linx

One of the leading lights in the brief but high-profile Brit-funk movement of the early 80s (with Light Of The World, its spin-offs Beggar And Co, Imagination and Freeez), Linx were based around the duo of David Grant (b. 8 August, 1956, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies; vocals) and Sketch Martin (b. Antigua, West Indies; bass), and completed by Bob Carter (keyboards) and Andy Duncan (drums). Grant’s family moved to the UK in the late 50s and he grew up in north London. Sketch was taken to the UK when he was four, and was based in West Ham, east London. They met while working in a hi-fi shop. Grant later opened a record shop with his cousin, and became a junior reporter on a local paper, before working at Island Records’ press office. Martin worked for the civil service, a film company, and the Performing Rights Society. They had their debut single, ‘You’re Lying’, released as a private pressing (1, 000 copies) and sold through a specialist funk shop before Chrysalis Records picked up on it and enabled it to be a hit. They were the first of the Brit-funk bands to make an impression in the USA, when ‘You’re Lying’ made the R&B charts. Further singles included ‘Intuition’ and ‘So This Is Romance’. The video for ‘Intuition’ featured the late Bertice Reading, while their stage performances harked back to the best traditions of the Glitter Band and Adam And The Ants by employing twin drummers. Grant moved on to a solo career with Chrysalis and had hit duets with Jaki Graham. He moved to Polydor Records in 1987 then Fourth & Broadway in 1990.