King Jammys ft Frankie Paul, Admiral Bailey, Bammy Man, Little Twitch, Major Worries & more. 1980s ?? ❤️?? #reggae & #soundsystem#culture For more Quality Vibes Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. █▬█ █ ▀█▀ Subscribe, █▬█ █ ▀█▀ Like & Comment
Inspired by Count Matchuki he started his professional career as a DJ in 1961 on Dickie Wong's sound system (originally called Doctor Dickies later changed to Dickies Dynamic) moving later to the Sir George the Atomic sound system. Beckford then worked on Sir Coxsone Dodd's sound system where he ran the number two set while King Stitt "The Ugly One" ran the main set. This was followed by a period with Sir Percy before he moved to King Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi sound system. Beckford's first single "Dynamic Fashion Way" (1969) was a Keith Hudson production. It was followed by the Bunny Striker Lee production "Earth's Rightful Ruler" with Peter Tosh.
In 1970, Jamaican singer John Holt (lead vocalist of the Paragons) heard Beckford toasting over a Duke Reid track at a dance. Holt told Duke Reid about the performance and on his recommendation Duke Reid asked Beckford to come and see him and an informal recording deal was arranged. Beckford's first two singles released on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, "Wake the Town" (197 and "Wear You to the Ball" (197, were Jamaican hits and established his reputation as one of Jamaica's most popular toasters. Beckford then went on to work with other major producers on the island including Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, Sonia Pottinger, Rupie Edwards, Alvin Ranglin and Lloyd Daley. 1971 saw the release of Beckford's DJ version of The Paragons' "The Tide Is High". Beckford first toured the UK in 1972 with the artists Roy Shirley and Max Romeo.The tour was organized by Rita and Benny King; the owners of R & B Records based in Stamford Hill, London.
In 1975, the album Dread in a Babylon was released in the US, Europe and Jamaica by Virgin Records. The album achieved significant sales in the UK which was due in part to the ongoing expansion of the Virgin label and stores. The track "Runaway Girl" from the album was released as a single in Europe that same year. The success of Dread in a Babylon led to a series of Tony Robinson produced albums: Natty Rebel (1976), Rasta Ambassador (1977) and Jah Son of Africa (1978). Beckford's international popularity led to the album Natty Rebel being released in 1976 on Virgins' imprint Front Line label in Nigeria as well as in France on Virgin and Polydor.
In 1978 Beckford started his own sound system which he named Stur Gav after his sons; the sound system would launch the careers of a younger generation of toasters and singers including Ranking Joe, Jah Screw, Charlie Chaplin and Josey Wales. In 1980 the pop group Blondie had a world-wide hit with the reggae track "The Tide Is High" which prompted Virgin to re-release the original Paragons' track from 1967 and the 1971 U-Roy version as a single that same year. His most recent album is Pray Fi Di People which was released in 2012.
In 2007 Beckford was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for his contribution to music
Sir Lloyd Coxsone Speaks Out On Dubplate Specials [UNCUT] 2020
Lloyd Blackwood better known as Sir Lloyd Coxsone is an influential figure in the growth of the UK reggae scene, Lloyd Coxsone left his home in Morant Bay, Jamaica, and arrived in the UK in 1962, settling in south-west London and setting up his first sound system, Lloyd The Matador. This venture floundered due to inexperience and Coxsone joined the UK-based Duke Reid sound, but he eventually left in 1969, taking some of that operation’s personnel with him. He went on to form his own sound system, adopting the name of the biggest sound in Jamaica at the time, and also, pointedly, the main rival to Jamaica’s Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone. Coxsone sound soon gained a strong following that eventually led to his residency at the famous London nightclub the Roaring Twenties, in Carnaby Street. Throughout the 70s Sir Coxsone Sound’s success lay with maintaining the sound to rigorous standards, playing the most exclusive dub plates direct from Jamaica, and keeping abreast of trends within the music. Rather than specializing in one particular style, Coxsone Sound offered music for all tastes.
Coxsone, like other sound men, also expanded into the record business, licensing music from Jamaica at first, then trying his hand at his own productions using local UK artists. In 1975 he enjoyed huge success, and kickstarted the UK lovers rock phenomenon in the process, with his production of ‘Caught You In A Lie’ - originally a US soul hit by Robert Parker - featuring the vocal talents of 14-year-old south London schoolgirl Louisa Mark. That same year he issued one of the best dub albums of the era, King Of The Dub Rock, which featured dubwise versions of his own productions and those of Gussie Clarke, mixed in part at King Tubby’s. Other notable records appeared on his Tribesman and Lloyd Coxsone Outernational labels and elsewhere during the late 70s and early 80s, including Fabian’s Jack Ruby -produced ‘Prophecy’, ‘Love And Only Love’ and ‘Voice Of The Poor’ by Fred Locks. Others included ‘Stormy Night’ and ‘Homeward Bound’ by the Creation Steppers, a version of the Commodores’ ‘Easy’ by Jimmy Lindsay (many of which are available on 12 The Hard Way) and many more. During the mid-80s Coxsone handed control of his sound over to the younger elements in his team, notably Blacker Dread, and a new breed of DJs. Blacker released his own productions by the likes of Fred Locks, Frankie Paul, Mikey General, Sugar Minott, Michael Palmer, Don Carlos, Earl Sixteen and Coxsone DJ, Jah Screechy. Recently, as interest in the roots music of the 70s has increased, Coxsone has emerged from his semi-retirement to stand again at the controls of his sound.
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Official Dancehall Reggae: Reggae Sting ft Papa San, Admiral Bailey, Tiger, Johnny P, Josey Wales, Sanchez 1989
Reggae/gospel artist Papa San began as a dancehall artist, releasing albums like 1990's Style & Fashion. Hip-hop and gospel elements found their way into his work on Pray Fi Dem and his guest appearance on the Reverend Jackie McCullogh's This Is For You Lord project. Papa San combined all of these styles on his 1999 album Victory.
Glendon Bailey, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. The Admiral first broke through with his infectious dancehall anthems and his distinctive military uniforms in 1986, when DJ Josey Wales took him to King Jammy’s from U-Roy’s King Sturgav Hi-Fi. The Waterhouse studio was alive with creativity, with Steely And Clevie constructing new digital rhythms and nurturing an impressive roster of artists. Bailey quickly proved himself, however, starting a run of hits with a duet with Chaka Demus, ‘One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer’. This was followed by ‘Politician’, ‘Chatty Chatty Mouth’, ‘Ballot Box’ (with Josey Wales) and 1987’s ‘Punany’ - for which a radio ban necessitated the release of a more ‘innocent’ version, ‘Healthy Body’. Other singles, including ‘Big Belly Man’, ‘Jump Up’, ‘Top Celebrity Man’ and ‘Cater For Woman’, continued the successful run, and he released his debut set, Kill Them With It, the same year. DJ Papa Biggy produced ‘Neighbourhood Living’ and ‘Newsflash Time’ and Bailey also recorded tunes for Donovan Germain and Jah Life. Shabba Ranks’ success somewhat overshadowed Bailey’s hits, ‘No Way No Better Than Yard’, ‘Don’t Have Me Up’, ‘Original Dela Move’ and ‘Science’, but they nevertheless sustained his profile.
One of dancehall's most eccentric DJs, Tiger rose to fame during the latter half of the '80s with a distinctively offbeat toasting style, full of growls (true to his name), grunts, odd vocal effects, rapid-fire rhymes, and witty asides. Tiger was born Norman Washington Jackson in Kingston on June 6, 1960, and got his first taste of the music scene during his teenage years, while working as a dancehall security guard. Eventually, he started picking up the mic himself after the headlining DJs had finished their sets. Under the name Ranking Tiger, he made his first recording in 1978 for producer Philip Grant; that single, "Why Can't You Leave Dreadlocks Alone," presented him as a singer, not a toaster. Two more singles, "Love Line" and "Knock Three Times," appeared in 1981 before Tiger became a full-time DJ.
Josey Wales was one of dancehall's founding fathers, building on the innovative DJ chatting of his mentor U-Roy and creating a highly influential style of his own. Along with Brigadier Jerry and his sound-system partner Charlie Chaplin, Wales was widely regarded as one of the best DJs in Jamaica when dancehall took over the reggae scene in the early '80s. His gruff, gravelly voice and half-spoken, half-sung delivery were instantly recognizable, and were copied by many an up-and-coming DJ. Unlike his contemporary Yellowman -- perhaps the only DJ of the era who was more popular -- Wales pointedly refused to resort to slackness, keeping his lyrics purely conscious and Rastafarian. That meant he grew increasingly unfashionable over the course of the '80s, but he nonetheless continued to perform regularly, and remained a highly respected pioneer.
Sanchez was born Kevin Anthony Jackson in Kingston, Jamaica on November 30, 1964. A member of his church choir throughout adolescence, he became immersed in reggae while in high school, and was eventually named the selector for the local Rambo Sound System. In time, Sanchez turned to singing as well, and in 1987 issued his debut single "Lady in Red"; a year later, he scored a major hit with the Winston Riley-produced "Loneliness." Known for his silky vocals and penchant for pop covers (including a smash rendition of Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You", his many albums include 1989's Number One, 1993's Tell It Like It Is, 1995's Praise Him, and 1999's True Identity. He released Songs from the Heart in mid-2000. His gospel album, He's Got the Power, would follow in 2003, while his 2010 effort Now and Forever was a return to secular music. Filled with cover versions of R&B classics, Love You More arrived in 2011.
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Official Roots Reggae Sound Clash: Jah Shaka Sound System vs Jah Tubby Sound System 1987 pt2
Jah Shaka was born and grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica. But started his musical career in London, England. It was in the mid 70's that he joined the soul & R'n'B sound system Freddie Cloudburst as a soundman apprentice. A couple of years around 1970 he started his own Sound System simply known as Jah Shaka, he favored Steppers productions and often strictly dub. Jah Shaka took his name from the Zulu leader Shaka, styling himself the African Zulu Warrior. He had a Friday night residency at Phebes Club in Hackney circa late 1978, by the following summer he was playing every Friday at the Noreik, on Seven Sisters road in Tottenham.
In 1980 and 1981 he won the best Sound System section of the Black Echoes Reggae Awards. The top 5 in 1981 were: Jah Shacka, Sir Cxosne, Fat Man, Ray Symbolic & Moa Ambassa Jah Shakas sound system was one of the few sounds that stuck to its vision during the 80's when dancehall started getting more oriented on subjects that wasn't concerned about Rastafari, such as slackness, gunman lyrics. As Shacka refused to compromise he went through a lean period but ultimately this gained him a strong following that has continued to grow ever since.
In 2000 he suffered several injuries from a housefire and in 2006 Jah Shaka had much of his equipment stolen. He returned with a new built sound system later the same year. Jah Shakas son Malachi the Young Warrior has followed in his fathers footsteps and has also become a part of the UK Sound System scene.
Jah Shaka produced a string of highly appraised albums with artists such as Norman Grant (from the Twinkle Brothers), Icho Candy, Vivian Jones, Sgt. Pepper, Max Romeo, Prince Alla, Horace Andy and of course many of his own dub productions.
Jah Tubby's Sound System was established in the 1970's in North London and by 1977 were playing against the biggest Sound Systems of the day. In early 1979 they had a Thursday night residency at Cubies club in Hackney and a Friday night one at Kippers Youth Club, Aldgate. By the middle of the year they had added a Sunday night session at the Noreik in Tottenham.
In the mid 80's they established the Jah Tubby's and Y&D record labels initially both labels released 12 inch singles up to around 1990 though the Jah Tubby's label was revived in 2000 with a series of 7inch singles and later in the decade with a series of 10inch releases. In the 80's Aba Shanti I front man Joseph Smith deejayed on the sound using the name Jasmine Joe. They are still going today and alongside the Sound System and record label they also manufacture amps and other equipment for a new generation of Sound Systems.
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King Addies vs Bass Odyssey @ Brixton 1998 [Bounty killer fi Bounty killer Dub fi Dub]
King Addies International Sound System, created in 1983 in Brooklyn, New York City is respected as 1 as the most dominant and iconic sound systems in the world. Addies is a sound who dominated the "The Biltmore Era” which is known as the Golden Era and most competitive period of the Sound clash industry has earned Addies their place in the history books. King Addies also known as the Billboard Sound is THE sound that made upcoming sounds understand that you didn’t have to be a Jamaica based to make it to the top of the industry, making them without a doubt, the most influential of all time.
Addies emerged as the leading sound out of New York in the late 80’s and 90’s. Pioneered by the legendary selector ‘Danny Dread’, whose contacts helped advance the careers of nuff reggae artists in the international markets of North America and England. Danny Dread’s protégé BabyFace aka LionFace and the talented young MC called Tony Matterhorn have been named two of the best and most talented selectors the world has ever witnessed. The combined strength of the ace selectors Danny Dread & Baby Face and the hype of Tony Matterhorn made Addies an unbeatable force placing a stamp on the industry as the most admired sound in the game.
BASS ODYSSEY Sound System is the home of Jamaica’s best deejays & selectors. “Our musicians are trained to be best of both worlds in the sound system industry; and continue to captivate music lovers around the globe with the unique juggling and clashing of Reggae and Dancehall music.”
‘From way out in the country’ Bass Odyssey hails from the hills of St. Ann, also the birthplace of Reggae icons Bob Marley and Burning Spear, to represent Jamaica on a global scale. Arguably the most popular sound system, it is most respected and continues to dominate the Jamaican music arena after 23 years. Having won several sound clash titles over the years, most recent of which include War Territory 4 (Italy 2012), Sound Fi Dead (New York 2011), Guinness Sounds of Greatness (Jamaica 201; Bass Odyssey is known as the ‘World Champion Sound’. In addition to sound clash appearances, Bass Odyssey has weekly performances around Jamaica, frequent in the Caribbean, United States and South America as well as tours in Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. Also, increasing demand should result in tours of Africa and other lands in the near future.
Bounty Killer was born Rodney Price in the Kingston ghetto of Trenchtown on June 12, 1972. One of nine children, he spent much of his childhood in another ghetto, Riverton City, which was built on the former city dump; his family later moved to the rough Seaview Gardens area. His father owned a small sound system, and he first tried his hand at DJ chatting when he was only nine years old. At age 14, he nearly fell victim to the gun violence he would later document so thoroughly in his music; while walking home from school, he was hit by a stray bullet from a gun battle between rival political factions. Fortunately, he made a full recovery, and soon began performing under the name Bounty Hunter for area sound systems like Metromedia, Bodyguard, and Stereo Two. Meanwhile, he and his friends hung around King Jammy's recording studio, hoping to catch a break. Eventually, he met Jammy's brother Uncle T, who produced his first recordings in 1990.
Roots, Reality & CultureStill working under the name Bounty Hunter, one of his early tunes, "Dub Fi Dub," became a huge dancehall hit as a sound system dubplate. He subsequently changed his name to the fiercer and less common Bounty Killer, and accordingly ratcheted up the confrontational tone of his lyrics. He had a breakout year in 1992 with several major hit singles, the biggest of which were "Copper Shot" (also an underground hit in New York) and the anti-informant "Spy Fi Die." Other songs from this era included "Guns Out," "New Gun," "Kill Fe Fun," "Gunshot Fi Informer," and "Lodge." Many of them appeared on Bounty Killer's debut album, Jamaica's Most Wanted, which was released in 1993 and later issued internationally under the somewhat deceptive title Roots, Reality and Culture (after a socially conscious hit from 1994). Also in 1993, Bounty Killer's lyrical feud with rival Beenie Man first flared up in an on-stage DJ clash; possessed of similar vocal deliveries, each claimed the other as an imitator, and they took their battle to record on the 1994 clash album Guns Out.
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Official Dancehall Reggae: Reggae Sting ft Papa San, Ninjaman, Supercat, Tiger, Admiral Bailey, Beres Hammond, Junior Reid, Freddie McGregor 1991
Reggae/gospel artist Papa San began as a dancehall artist, releasing albums like 1990's Style & Fashion. Hip-hop and gospel elements found their way into his work on Pray Fi Dem and his guest appearance on the Reverend Jackie McCullogh's This Is For You Lord project. Papa San combined all of these styles on his 1999 album Victory.
A major figure in the positive-consciousness dancehall movement, Jamaican DJ/toaster Super Cat was born William Maragh in a ghetto section of Kingston known as Cockburn Pen or Seivright Gardens (the same area that produced DJ stars like U-Roy and Prince Jazzbo). Interested in music from a very young age, Maragh was touring Jamaica with various sound system organizations by the time he was a teenager. His first DJ name, Cat-a-Rock, was eventually switched to Super Cat due to the former's resemblance to the word "cataract"; he also earned a secondary nickname, the Wild Apache. Super Cat made his recording debut in 1981 with the single "Mr. Walker," recorded for the Techniques label and produced by Winston Riley. A succession of singles for various labels followed, as did his debut album Si Boops Deh, which appeared on Techniques in 1985. Settling for a short time on the Skengdon label, Super Cat recorded another album, Boops, but soon grew dissatisfied enough with the business aspect of recording to start his own label, Wild Apache Productions. The self-produced album Sweets for My Sweet followed in 1988, as did a number of singles produced for other artists on the Wild Apache imprint; Super Cat also teamed up with Nicodemus and Junior Demus for the first triple-team DJ album in dancehall history, Cabin Stabbin'.
One of the most popular dancehall DJs of the late '80s and early '90s, Ninjaman was also perhaps the most controversial, thanks to his often violent, progun lyrics. His bad-man image overshadowed the fact that he was a hugely talented freestyle lyricist, and the owner of a theatrical, stuttering delivery that made him a highly distinctive toaster. What was more, he did delve into social commentary at times, protesting war and the harsh realities of ghetto life rather than glamorizing their attendant violence. By the late '90s, Ninjaman was making far more headlines due to his turbulent personal life than his music, but even if his recording activities had tailed off, he remained a popular -- and still polarizing -- concert act.
Ninjaman was born Desmond John Ballentine on January 20, 1966, in Annotto Bay, in the Jamaican province of St. Mary. His family moved to Kingston when he was 11, and he started DJing a year later under the name Double Ugly. Initially performing for the Black Culture sound system, he moved over to the Kilimanjaro organization in the early '80s, and there got the chance to learn from Super Cat and Early B. He changed his name to Uglyman, then Ninjaman when another artist of the same name came forward.
Freddie McGregor is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with an incredibly steady career that started all the way back in the '60s, when he was just seven years old. Since then, he's spanned nearly every stylistic shift in Jamaican music, from ska and rocksteady to Rastafarian roots reggae to lovers rock (his particular specialty) to dabblings in dancehall, ragga, and dub. Not just a singer, he wrote some of his own material, and grew into an accomplished producer as well. McGregor's heyday was the early '80s, when he released several high-quality albums and reached the peak of his popularity in Jamaica and England. However, he remained a strong presence on the reggae scene well into the new millennium.
Stereo Mars Sound System ft Nicodemus, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, Burro Banton, Tenor Saw pt3
Tenor Saw (born Clive Bright, 1966, Kingston, Jamaica) is best-known for his 1985 hit "Ring the Alarm," a song based on the then-ubiquitous "Stalag 17" rhythm which proved to be one of the biggest -- and catchiest -- hits to come out of reggae's transition into the electronic age. Tenor Saw followed it up with Fever, an LP that -- while it didn't contain his signature song -- proved to be a minor classic of early dancehall, full of simple, catchy melodies, synthesized rhythm-section parts, and Tenor Saw's floating vocals. (The CD reissue of Fever also appended dub versions of most of the original tracks.) With such a promising start to his career, it seemed Tenor Saw would be around for quite a long time; sadly, his life was cut short in August 1988, when he was hit by a car in Houston, TX, and killed. The album Wake the Town was released posthumously in 1992.
The nickname Buro has been with him from his schooldays and Banton was the title given to a lyrics champion. His early influences included Dillinger, Trinity, U. Brown and Ranking Trevor. He would frequent dances where his heroes performed and emulate their gestures and phrasings, which eventually evolved into his own presentation. In 1976, persuaded by his friends, he made his debut as a DJ at the renowned Skateland discotheque in Kingston when he entered a talent contest. Banton began his career in earnest on the Roots Unlimited sound system alongside Josey Wales. His success led to him becoming the resident DJ for the Gemini sound system, which resulted in his association with Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes’ Volcano sound. Performing alongside Peter Metro, Little John, Billy Boyo and Ranking Toyan, the sound clashed with People’s Choice, where Banton battled with his old sparring partner, Josey Wales. Volcano won the contest and shortly after the event Wales joined the Volcano posse. In the early 80s, Banton’s distinctive voice, which sounded similar to Prince Jazzbo, had only been heard on yard tapes.
Nicodemus came to notoriety as a DJ in the late 70s/early 80s performing on the Socialist Roots sound system alongside selector Danny Dread. In 1978 King Jammy (then Prince Jammy) gave his name to the Tapetown sound, which flourished when Nicodemus joined the crew. He delivered his chantings in a style similar to Prince Far I and Prince Jazzbo. He recorded a number of hits, including memorable work with the Roots Radics and notable sessions at Channel One Studio. In 1980 Nicodemus released a combination tune with Ranking Trevor, ‘Jamaican Rockers Hop’, announcing his arrival. He enjoyed a string of hits in 1981, including the adjoining hits ‘Gunman Connection’ and ‘Bone Connection’. The DJ Clash, with Ranking Toyan, which was issued with a voting card, featured the exceptional ‘Hail Nico Dread’, ‘Bubble Nicodemus Bubble’ and ‘Tubby’s Daddy’. Nicodemus was the featured DJ on Bingi Bunny’s ‘Him A Natty Dread’, which introduced his idiosyncratic style to a wider audience. His reputation was further enhanced by the equally popular combination hits with Linval Thompson (‘Holding On To My Girlfriend’) and Leroy Sibbles (‘Rock Steady Party’)
Super Cat was born William Maragh in a ghetto section of Kingston known as Cockburn Pen or Seivright Gardens (the same area that produced DJ stars like U-Roy and Prince Jazzbo). Interested in music from a very young age, Maragh was touring Jamaica with various sound system organizations by the time he was a teenager. His first DJ name, Cat-a-Rock, was eventually switched to Super Cat due to the former's resemblance to the word "cataract"; he also earned a secondary nickname, the Wild Apache. Super Cat made his recording debut in 1981 with the single "Mr. Walker," recorded for the Techniques label and produced by Winston Riley. A succession of singles for various labels followed, as did his debut album Si Boops Deh, which appeared on Techniques in 1985. Settling for a short time on the Skengdon label, Super Cat recorded another album, Boops, but soon grew dissatisfied enough with the business aspect of recording to start his own label, Wild Apache Productions.
