Love & Money

Love and money were two things that eluded the Scottish band Love and Money. After splitting from his backseat role in Friends Again in 1984, James Grant (vocals, guitar) formed Love and Money in 1985 as an outlet for his developing songwriting skills. Love and Money released the single "Candybar Express" in 1986, receiving airplay on U.S. new wave radio stations with its mix of jazz, soul, and funk. However, the group's debut album, All You Need Is..., was virtually ignored. In 1988, Grant ventured further into his R&B influences on Love and Money's second LP, Strange Kind of Love. Grant's bluesy croon and introspective lyrics stood in contrast to his group's upbeat funk, and the unique combination landed on college radio. Nevertheless, even after months of touring and widespread critical praise, Love and Money still couldn't find an audience. Frustrations with their record label Phonogram led to Love and Money's downcast mood on 1991's Dogs in the Traffic. Grant dumped Love and Money's danceable rhythms on the album, instead veering into blues and country. Phonogram dropped the group before the release of 1993's country-flavored littledeath; the band was picked up by Iona in the U.K. and Mesa/Bluemoon in the U.S. littledeath was Love and Money's final breath; they broke up in 1994. Grant pursued a solo career while Paul McGeechan (keyboards) and Douglas MacIntyre (guitars, backing vocals) joined Sugartown with ex-Hipsway vocalist Graham "Skins" Skinner.