Musical Youth

Musical Youth are a British reggae band who are best remembered for their successful 1982 single "Pass the Dutchie", which became a number 1 hit across the world. The band recorded two studio albums, and released a number of successful singles throughout 1982 and 1983, including a collaboration with Donna Summer.

Musical Youth earned a Grammy Award nomination before disbanding in 1985 after a series of personal problems. The band returned in 2001 as a duo.

The group originally formed in 1979 and featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior and Patrick Waite.

In 1982, the group issued one of the fastest-selling singles of the year in "Pass the Dutchie". Based on the Mighty Diamonds' "Pass the Kouchie", the title reinforced throughout the political and economic overtones of the song about extreme povert. The record went to number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1982. It went on to sell over four million copies, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. A Top 10 placing also followed in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The accompanying video made them the first black artists to be played on MTV.

Their debut album The Youth of Today was certified Gold in the UK, while the follow-up single, "Youth of Today", reached number 13 in the UK Singles Chart and "Never Gonna Give You Up", released early in 1983, climbed to UK number 6. Minor successes with "Heartbreaker" and "Tell Me Why" were succeeded by a collaboration with Donna Summer on the UK Top 20 hit, "Unconditional Love". The group also took part in her 1983 TV special A Hot Summer Night with Donna.

Their second album, Different Style!, was released in 1983 and showcased more R&B-influenced repertoire to make the band more accessible in the North America. A revival of Desmond Dekker's "007" saw them back in the Top 30, but after one final hit with "Sixteen", they fell from commercial grace. The band received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards of 1984.

The band members became embroiled in legal, financial, and personal problems. In 1985, Dennis Seaton departed the band, leading to its dissolution.

Plans for a reunion of Musical Youth were initially halted when Patrick Waite died in Birmingham in February 1993. A compilation album, Anthology, was released in 1994.

Michael Grant and Dennis Seaton reformed Musical Youth as a duo in 2001 and planned a tour. However, the tour plans were canceled due to the September 11 attacks. In 2003, Musical Youth finally performed as part of the Here and Now tour, an annual series of nostalgia concerts featuring performances by musicians of the 1980s.

Two compilation albums followed: Maximum Volume in 2003, and 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection in 2004. Since 2007 they have been performing live concerts.