Judge Dread
Alexander Minto Hughes (2 May 1945 – 13 March 1998),[1] better known as Judge Dread, was an English reggae and ska musician. He was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica,[2][3] and the BBC has banned more of his songs than any other recording artist due to his frequent use of sexual innuendo and double entendres.
Hughes was introduced to Jamaican music when he lodged as a teenager in a West Indian household in Brixton, South West London.[2] He met Jamaican artists Derrick Morgan and Prince Buster through his job as a bouncer at London nightclubs such as the Ram Jam in Brixton, and through another job as a bodyguard.[3][4] After working as a professional wrestler (under the name "The Masked Executioner") and as a debt collector for Trojan Records, he worked as a DJ on local radio.
Roy Shirley
Shirley was born on North Street in Kingston, Jamaica, on 18 July 1944,[1] and grew up in Trench Town, where he attended the Boys Town school, and after singing in his local church choir began his career performing in talent contests. His second prize performance on Vere Johns' talent show brought him to the attention of then Minister of Culture Edward Seaga and bandleader Byron Lee, who gave him work on shows that they promoted.
After early recordings for producer Simeon L. Smith went unreleased, he moved on to work with Leslie Kong, who released his debut single "Oh Shirley", co-arranged with his friend Jimmy Cliff, giving him a hit in 1965.[2] Shirley then formed The Leaders along with Ken Boothe, Joe White, and Chuck Josephs. This group was unsuccessful, but Shirley went on to join Slim Smith and Franklyn White in the original line-up of The Uniques. When this line-up folded, Shirley recorded "Hold Them" in 1966, credited as one of the first rocksteady songs, and inspired by the beat from a Salvation Army band.
Third World
Third World started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist (and cellist) Stephen "Cat" Coore (son of former Deputy Prime Minister David Coore), who had originally played in The Alley Cats then Inner Circle, subsequently left to form their own band along with Inner Circle singer Milton "Prilly" Hamilton.[1][2] They recruited bassist Richard Daley, formerly of Ken Boothe's band and Tomorrow's Children, and added drummer Carl Barovier and former Inner Circle percussionist Irvin "Carrot" Jarrett before making their live debut in early 1974.
After recording some tracks with Geoffrey Chung which were not released, the band's first single was the self-produced "Railroad Track" (1974).[1] In their early days they played primarily in Kingston's hotels and nightclubs and (along with The Wailers) supported The Jackson Five when they played at the Jamaican National Stadium.[1]
Happy Birthday Gregory Isaacs
In his teens, Isaacs became a veteran of the talent contests that regularly took place in Jamaica. In 1968, he made his recording debut with a duet with Winston Sinclair, "Another Heartache", recorded for producer Byron Lee.[2] The single sold poorly and Isaacs went on to team up with two other vocalists (Penroe and Bramwell) in the short-lived trio The Concords, recording for Rupie Edwards and Prince Buster.[2] The trio split up in 1970 and Isaacs launched his solo career, initially self-producing recordings and also recording further for Edwards.
In 1973 he teamed up with another young singer, Errol Dunkley to start the African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a massive hit with "My Only Lover", credited as the first lovers rock record ever made.[2] He recorded for other producers to finance further African Museum recordings, having a string of hits in the three years that followed, ranging from ballads to roots reggae, including "All I Have Is Love", "Lonely Soldier", "Black a Kill Black", "Extra Classic" and his cover version of Dobby Dobson's "Loving Pauper".[2] In 1974 he began working with producer Alvin Ranglin, and that year he had his first Jamaican number one single with "Love Is Overdue".
Israel Vibration
Israel Vibration are a reggae harmony group, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence all overcame childhood polio, and went on to be one of the most successful roots groups to form in Jamaica in the 1970s. The trio initially met as children at a rehabilitation center.
Bulgin (born 1955), Craig, and Spence (born 1952) first met as children at the Mona Rehabilitation Clinic, all sufferers of polio in the epidemic that spread through Jamaica in the 1950s, but it was several years later that they formed Israel Vibration.[1][2][3] Craig attended the Alpha Boys School but ran away at the age of fourteen, living on the streets.[1] Spence was a member of the band Hot Lickers, appearing on Jamaican television with the group at the age of twelve.[1] He also played in the Jamaican wheelchair basketball team, but was forced out in 1969 after adopting the Rastafarian faith, something which the three had in common when they were later reunited
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD (born 24 May 1938, Kingston, Jamaica), better known by the stage name Prince Buster, is a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary music and created a legacy of work that later reggae and ska artists would draw upon. 
Campbell became more actively involved in the operational side of running a sound system after he was introduced to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd; a musically inclined businessman who operated one of Kingston's most popular sound systems. Campbell found himself fulfilling a variety of roles for Coxsone: providing security, handling ticket receipts, identifying and sourcing music as well as working in the essential role of selector. The knowledge he gained about the financial and logistical aspects of staging a sound system dance was put to good use when Campbell made the decision to start his own sound system called 'Voice of the People'
Dennis Brown
Born as Dennis Emmanuel Brown on February 1, 1957 in Kingston, Jamaica. Dubbed by Bob Marley as his successor and called the "Crown Prince" of reggae, Brown was just 12 years old when he created his first hit single, "No Man is an Island." He recorded the song at the famed Studio One Records in 1969, as part of his album of the same name.
Brown had begun working toward a music career three years prior to the release of No Man is an Island; at the age of 9, he had begun singing with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. During concerts, the young Brown stood atop beer boxes so that he could be seen. In 1968, He had caught the attention of Studio One sound system operator Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, and soon began recording at the studio, where Bob Marley had carved out his sound several years before. During an amazing two-day session, Brown recorded two albums: No Man Is an Island and If I Follow My Heart.
Delroy "Spiderman" Thompson has died
The sounds of Jamaica has lost another Legend at 1:00 am this Morning.
Delroy "Spiderman" Thompson has died of health complications in the Anotto Bay Hospital in Jamaica. He will be missed by many all over the World for his mastery of delivering the sounds of Jamaica. myself & the staff at Anchor Group of Companies wishes to convey our deepest & sincerest condolences to his Family, Friends & Fiancee.
HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST MASTERING ENGINEERS JAMAICA HAD PRODUCED & HEAVEN WILL BENEFIT FROM HIS PRESENCE.
Mad Professor
Fraser became known as Mad Professor as a boy due to his fascination with electronics. He emigrated from Guyana to London at the age of 13 and later began his music career as a service technician. He gradually collected recording and mixing equipment and in 1979 opened his own four-track recording studio, Ariwa Sounds, in the living room of his home in Thornton Heath.[2] He began recording lovers rock bands and vocalists for his own label (including the debut recording by Deborahe Glasgow) and recorded his first album after moving the studio to a new location in Peckham in 1982, equipped with an eight-track setup, later expanding to sixteen.
Fraser's Dub Me Crazy series of albums won the support of John Peel, who regularly aired tracks from the albums.[2] Although early releases were not big sellers among reggae buyers, the mid-1980s saw this change with releases from Sandra Cross (Country Life), Johnny Clarke, Peter Culture, Pato Banton, and Macka B (Sign of the Times).[2] Fraser moved again, this time to South Norwood, where he set up what was the largest black-owned studio complex in the UK, where he recorded successful lovers rock tracks by Cross, John McLean, and Kofi, and attracted Jamaican artists including Bob Andy and Faybiene Miranda.[2] He teamed up with Lee "Scratch" Perry for the first time in 1983 for the recording of the album Mystic Warrior (1989).[3]
Prince Jazzbo
Born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica and raised in Kingston, Linval Roy Carter (who would become known professionally as Prince Jazzbo) began his career with sound systems such as The Whip in Spanish Town.[1] He began recording with Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label in the early 1970s under the name Prince Jazzbo, and also recorded for Glen Brown and Lee "Scratch" Perry.[1] He went on to work on his own releases with Bunny Lee, producing as well in collaboration with many artists as a vocalist and producer for labels including his own, Ujama. The Perry-produced album Super Ape featured Jazzbo toasting on "Croaking Lizard". Jazzbo and fellow toaster I-Roy had a well reported, but friendly and mutually beneficial on-record clash during 1975, including the cuts "Straight to Jazzbo's Head" from I-Roy and the retort, "Straight to I-Roy's Head" from Prince Jazzbo.[2]
Prince Jazzbo's early work with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One produced several hits in 1972-1974 including: "School", "Fool For Love" and "Imperial I". His first hit in 1972 with Coxsone though was a version of Horace Andy's "Skylarking", which he re-worked as "Crabwalking".[3] He ran the Ujama record label for many years.[4] His very last message to the world and testament tune is known as 'All Haffi Bow' on a Ujama style riddim cut produced by AIRPUFF Records label on 6 September 2013.
King Stitt
Born Winston Spark (other say Winston Cooper) in Kingston, Jamaica in 1940. Due to facial disfiguration from birth King Stitt was often to be called the Ugly One. He started his musical career in 1957 when he came to the attention of Coxsone Dodd and his Downbeat Sound. He started on a Friday evening at a barbecue lawn on Fleet Street. The deejay Count Machuki who also was selecting for the sound took a liking to Stitt who he thought would dance nice to his selection. Since he could dance so well to it he would also be a good deejay he told Stitt. Stitt was then the second (or third) deejay on the Sound System for about three months - with Machuki and Red Hopeton being in front. When Machuki retired Stitt had become so popular that he ended up running the Number One set of Coxsone while U Roy was behind Number Two.
In late 1969 and the early 70's King Stitt recorded extensively for Clancy Eccles over riddims delivered by The Dynamites. These were released on Clancy Eccle's Clandisc and New Beat labels in Jamaica and in the main on the Trojan Clandisc subsidiary in the UK. Following his success with Clancy Eccles Coxsone started recording him too.
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Perry's musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for Clement Coxsone Dodd's sound system. As his sometimes turbulent relationship with Dodd developed, he found himself performing a variety of important tasks at Dodd's Studio One hit factory, going on to record nearly thirty songs for the label.[1] Disagreements between the pair due to personality and financial conflicts led him to leave the studio and seek new musical outlets. He soon found a new home at Joe Gibbs's Amalgamated Records.[1]
Working with Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career but, once again, financial problems caused conflict. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, Upsetter Records, in 1968. His first major single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold well with 60,000 copies sold in Jamaica alone. It is notable for its innovative use of a sample (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae" (the new kind of sound which was given the name "Steppers").
Bob Andy
Bob Andy (born Keith Anderson) emerged as a solo star in 1966 with the smash hit "I've Got to Go Back Home", a song which has become a much-loved anthem for Jamaicans. He had served his singing and songwriting apprenticeship with the legendary vocal group The Paragons, which he founded with Tyrone (Don) Evans and Howard Barrett, later joined by John Holt. The Paragons had several hits for producer Coxsone Dodd including the Number One "Love At Last", penned by Bob.
As one of Studio One's leading lights, Bob worked closely with Jackie Mittoo on many of the label's seminal sounds. Besides writing songs for himself which have become reggae standards - "Feeling Soul", "My Time", "Going Home", and "Too Experienced", to name just a few - Bob contributed hits for many of the other artists there.
In 1970, international recognition came when Bob and Marcia Griffiths recorded Nina Simone's "Young, Gifted and Black", which sold 1/2 million in the UK and Europe, and still receives frequent airplay today. BOB & MARCIA became household names, appearing on Top of the Pops and touring extensively. They had another UK Top Ten single and two albums for Trojan Records.
Jah Stitch
After an introduction to music singing in a yard with the likes of The Wailers, The Heptones, Roy Shirley, and Stranger Cole, James became well known in Jamaica by deejaying with the Lord Tippertone and Black Harmony sound systems, working as Jah Stitch.[1] His debut single was the Errol Holt-produced "Danger Zone".[1] Big Youth was an early influence on Stitch's deejay style and he had several hits working with producer Bunny Lee, with deejay versions of songs by Johnny Clarke, as well as tracks such as "African Queen" with Yabby You.[1] Shortly before the One Love Peace Concert in 1976, Stitch survived being shot, providing the inspiration for "No Dread Can't Dead".[1] His success in Jamaica continued and in 1977 he toured the United Kingdom.
In the mid-1980s, he worked as a selector on Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion sound system, now under the name Major Stitch.[1][2]
He resumed his recording career in 1995, working with Trevor Douglas and Jah Woosh. His peak 1970s output for Bunny Lee and Yabby You was collected in 1996 by Blood and Fire on the Original Ragga Muffin (1975–77) compilation.
John Holt
Holt was born in the Greenwich Farm area of Kingston, Jamaica, in 1947.[3] His mother Amy was a nurse.[4] By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns, winning 28 contests, some broadcast live on Radio Jamaica.[3][5][6] He recorded his first single in 1963 with "Forever I'll Stay"/"I Cried a Tear" for record producer Leslie Kong, and also recorded a duet with Alton Ellis, "Rum Bumper", for producer Vincent "Randy" Chin.
In 1965 Holt joined Bob Andy, Garth "Tyrone" Evans, and Junior Menz in their group the Binders; Menz departed to be replaced by Howard Barrett and they changed their name to the Paragons.[7] They initially recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One before cutting a succession of singles for Duke Reid at his Treasure Isle Studio in the rocksteady era of 1966–1968; They enjoyed a string of hits, including "Ali Baba", "Tonight", "I See Your Face", and the Holt-penned "The Tide Is High" (later made famous by Blondie and also covered by Atomic Kitten).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)