REGGAE

1968, as it was in the early sound system days, Coxone Dodd producer and proprietor of the Studio One Label was Duke Reids main rival, just as he was in the early days. Like Duke Reid, he was responsible for producing much of the best Ska, Rocksteady & Reggae ever to appear on disc. Another successful producer around this time was Derrick Harriott. In 1962 he became the first singer to form his own record label, Crystal. In 1966/67 he began to produce other groups and soloists, whilst continuing to score with his own hits. From '67 and 69' he also became one of the most foremost producers in Jamaican music. He issued productions on the Kingstonians, the Ethiopians and Keith & Tex and others. Other producers such as Prince Buster, Bunny Lee, Joe Gibbs and Lee Perry all had hits around this time. At Coast to Coast you'll be able to hear the work from many producers from this time, sung and performed by the very talented singers and musicians from this transitional period ('68 to '69) from Rocksteady to Early Reggae era such as "Man of My Word" Techniques (with Pat Kelly), "Belly Lick" Dennis Walks, "Hold On" Kingstonians, "Dulcemania" Drumbago & the Dynamites, "I'm Alone" Boris Gardiner, "Helping Hand" Concords, "Love Make Me Wonder" Delroy Wilson, " Do the Reggae" The Gayalads, "Big Big Boss" Johnny Moore and "Wine & Grine" Prince Buster. (Some of the labelled records on view are from lesser known Producers)

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. In 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the word "reggae". It was developed from ska and rocksteady in the late 1960s. Larry And Alvin's "Nanny Goat" and the Beltones' "No More Heartaches" were among the songs in the genre. The beat was distinctive from rocksteady in that it dropped any of the pretensions to the smooth, soulful sound that characterized slick American R&B, and instead was closer in kinship to US southern funk, being heavily dependent on the rhythm section to drive it along like the Kingstonians "Sufferer'". The shift from rocksteady to reggae was illustrated by the organ shuffle pioneered by Jamaican musicians like Jackie Mittoo and Winston Wright and featured in transitional singles "Say What You're Saying" (1968) by Eric "Monty" Morris and "People Funny Boy" (1968) by Lee "Scratch" Perry. Reggae was becoming popular worldwide, an American artist Johnny Nash had a No 1 US chart hit with reggae track "Hold Me Tight" and while that was happening in America, Trojan records was been set up in the UK, which also would be instrumental in introducing reggae to a global audience.

In 1969 Desmond Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to reach No.1 in the British National Charts with the single the "Israelites". By the late 60s and and early 70s Reggae music was big and all the rage in this country. The youth where dressing up like the Jamaican rude boys, known as Skinheads to stress their appreciation for black Jamaican music. Jamaican artists such as Ken Boothe, "Scratch" Perry's Upsetters, The Pioneers, Bob and Marcia, Jimmy Cliff, Harry J All Stars, The Maytals and Dave & Ansell Collins all had very big hits in the UK. Hit's like "Return of the Django" by Lee Perry's Upsetters, "Liquadator" by Harry J and "Pressure Drop" by the Maytals and more can all be heard at Coast to Coast. At Coast to Coast we pride ourselves in entertaining the public with top quality sounds and not just playing records just for the sake of being rare, but you can be sure that you'll hear top quality rarities too!

Dave Barker in March 1971 brought international fame as part of a duo with Ansell Collins, "Double Barrel" was a number 1 hit in the United Kingdom. His first group was the Two Tones, formed with friends Brenton Matthews and Fathead, who recorded for Duke Reid. Barker had a brief stint in Winston Riley's Techniques, singing alongside Riley and Bruce Ruffin, and formed a duo with Glen Brown in the duo Glen and Dave, recording for both Harry J and Coxsone Dodd, while also working in the pressing plant at Studio One. Brown introduced Dave to Lee "Scratch" Perry at the Randy's recording studio, suggesting that Perry get Dave to voice a track to which was "Prisoner of Love", and led to Dave becoming a regular vocalist for Perry and encouraged American-style deejay vocals in addition to Barker's usual high tenor singing. Barker had hit singles with "Shocks of a Mighty" and "Spinning Wheel" (with Melanie Jonas), followed in 1970 by his debut album Prisoner of Love. Working with Perry at the same time as The Wailers, Barker toasted over the latter's "Small Axe" for 1971's "Shocks 71". But even though known for his very successful style toasting, Dave Barker's killer, soulful sounding voice is second to none, tracks such as "Your Love is a Game", "Don't let the Sun Catch You Crying", "You Ain't Got a Heart at All" and "I Feel Alive" with the Techniques, "Wake Up to Reality" and "Love Got Me" with Glen Brown, "Set Me Free", "Build My World Around" and "Prisoner of Love" from the album itself, demonstrates just that. Dave Barker has performed with Intensified at Coast to Coast on several occasions and has rocked the crowd and will do so in the future. So not only will you have the opportunity to hear his fantastic talents on 7" vinyl but live too, so make sure you come down to his next live performance at Coast to Coast, it will be a night you'll never forget. In fact the most popular tune at Coast to Coast at the moment is by Dave Barker "There's A Light".

To listen to these Dave Barker tracks go to the bottom of the page and click on the links

MUSIC