DENNIS BROWN / Reggae royalty

Reggae royalty


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LINK: reggaeroyalty



Disc 1:

01. Money In My Pocket (Extended) 5:21
02. Spellbound 3:49
03. Westbound Train 6:13
04. Rocking Time 3:41
05. Lovers Paradise 4:46
06. Weeping And Moaning 2:38
07. Poor Side Of Town (Extended) 7:54
08. Is It Me You're Loving 3:47
09. Never Let Your Heart Be Troubled 3:58
10. Bubbling Fountain 4:41
11. Smile Like An Angel 3:15
12. Have You Ever Been In Love 3:46

Disc 2:


01. You Are My Honey 3:47
02. No Matter What You Do 3:46
03. Tribulation 3:35
04. You Are Sugar And Spice 3:39
05. Silver Words 5:22
06. Lovelight 3:25
07. Pretend You're Happy 6:36
08. Wolga Nagga Fire 3:17
09. Love Is So True 3:46
10. Play Girl (Extended) 5:24
11. You're Mine 3:59
12. Summertime 3:31

Disc 3:


01. I Live Just For You 3:55
02. Hold On To What You've Got 5:33
03. Coming Home Tonight 3:59
04. Sitting And Watching 4:01
05. It's Too Late 3:36
06. Give Me Your Love 3:58
07. A Little Bit More 4:03
08. Caress Me Girl 3:54
09. Sweeten My Coffee 3:24
10. Someone Special 3:31
11. Let Me Live (Extended) 6:29
12. My Kind (Extended) 5:47

Dennis Brown

Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown performing in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Dennis Emmanuel Brown
Also known as	The Crown Prince of Reggae
Born	February 1, 1957 Kingston , Jamaica
Died	July 1, 1999 (aged 42) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, lovers rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1968–1999
Labels	Studio One, Trojan, Harry J, Joe Gibbs, A&M, DEB, Yvonne's Special, Greensleeves, Shanachie, Heartbeat, VP, RAS

Dennis Emmanuel Brown (February 1, 1957 – July 1, 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae. Bob Marley cited Brown as his favourite singer, dubbing him "The Crown Prince of Reggae", and Brown would prove hugely influential on future generations of reggae singers.

Biography

Early life and career

Dennis Brown was born on 1 February 1957 at Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. His father Arthur was a scriptwriter, actor, and journalist, and he grew up in a large tenement yard between North Street and King Street in Kingston with his parents, three elder brothers and a sister, although his mother died in the 1960s. He attended Central Branch Primary School and later St. Stephens College. He began his singing career at the age of nine, while still at junior school, with an end-of-term concert the first time he performed in public, although he had been keen on music from an even earlier age, and as a youngster was a keen fan of American balladeers such as Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. He cited Nat King Cole as one of his greatest early influences. He regularly hung around JJ's record store on Orange Street in the rocksteady era and his relatives and neighbours would often throw Brown pennies to hear him sing in their yard. Brown's first professional appearance came at the age of eleven, when he visited a local club where his brother Basil was performing a comedy routine, and where he made a guest appearance with the club's resident group, the Fabulous Falcons (a group which included Cynthia Richards, David "Scotty" Scott, and Noel Brown). On the strength of this performance he was asked to join the group as a featured vocalist. When the group performed at a JLP conference at the National Arena, Brown sang two songs - Desmond Dekker's "Unity" and Johnnie Taylor's "Ain't That Loving You" - and after the audience showered the stage with money, he was able to buy his first suit with the proceeds. Bandleader Byron Lee performed on the same bill, and was sufficiently impressed with Brown to book him to perform on package shows featuring visiting US artists, where he was billed as the "Boy Wonder". As a young singer he was influenced by older contemporaries such as Delroy Wilson (who he later cited as the single greatest influence on his style of singing), Errol Dunkley, John Holt, Ken Boothe, and Bob Andy. Brown's first recording was an original song called "Lips of Wine" for producer Derrick Harriott, but when this was not released, he recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, and his first session yielded the single "No Man is an Island", recorded when Brown was aged twelve and released in late 1969. The single received steadily increasing airplay for almost a year before becoming a huge hit throughout Jamaica. Brown recorded up to a dozen sessions for Dodd, amounting to around thirty songs, and also worked as a backing singer on sessions by other artists, including providing harmonies along with Horace Andy and Larry Marshall on Alton Ellis's Sunday Coming album. Brown was advised by fellow Studio One artist Ellis to learn guitar to help with his songwriting, and after convincing Dodd to buy him an instrument, was taught the basics by Ellis. These Studio One recordings were collected on two albums, No Man is an Island and If I Follow my Heart (the title track penned by Alton Ellis), although Brown had left Studio One before either was released. He went on to record for several producers including Lloyd Daley ("Baby Don't Do It" and "Things in Life"), Prince Buster ("One Day Soon" and "If I Had the World"), and Phil Pratt ("Black Magic Woman", "Let Love In", and "What About the Half"), before returning to work with Derrick Harriott, recording a string of popular singles including "Silhouettes", "Concentration", "He Can't Spell", and "Musical Heatwave", with the pick of these tracks collected on the Super Reggae and Soul Hits album in 1973. Brown also recorded for Vincent "Randy" Chin ("Cheater"), Dennis Alcapone ("I Was Lonely"), and Herman Chin Loy ("It's Too Late" and "Song My Mother Used to Sing") among others, with Brown still at school at this stage of his career.

International success

In 1972, Brown began an association that would result in his breakthrough as an internationally successful artist; He was asked by Joe Gibbs to record an album for him, and one of the tracks recorded as a result, "Money in my Pocket", was a hit with UK reggae audiences and quickly became a favourite of his live performances. This original version of "Money in my Pocket" was in fact produced by Winston "Niney" Holness on behalf of Gibbs, with musical backing from the Soul Syndicate. In the same year, Brown performed as part of a Christmas morning showcase in Toronto, Canada, along with Delroy Wilson, Scotty, Errol Dunkley, and the Fabulous Flames, where he was billed as the "Boy Wonder of Jamaica" and was considered the star of the show in a local newspaper review. The song's popularity in the UK was further cemented with the release a deejay version, "A-So We Stay (Money in Hand)", credited to Big Youth and Dennis Brown, which outsold the original single and topped the Jamaican singles chart. Brown and Holness became close, even sharing a house in Pembroke Hall. Brown followed this with another collaboration with Holness on "Westbound Train", which was the biggest Jamaican hit of summer 1973, and Brown's star status was confirmed when he was voted Jamaica's top male vocalist in a poll by Swing magazine the same year. Brown followed this success with "Cassandra" and "No More Will I Roam", and tracks such as "Africa" and "Love Jah", displaying Brown's Rastafari beliefs, became staples on London's sound system scene. In 1973, Brown was hospitalized due to fatigue caused by overwork, although at the time rumours spread that he only had one lung and had only a week to live, or had contracted tuberculosis. He was advised to take an extended break from performing and concentrated instead on his college studies.
Brown returned to music and toured the United Kingdom for the first time in late summer 1974 as part of a Jamaican showcase, along with Cynthia Richards, Al Brown, Sharon Forrester, and The Maytals, after which he was invited to stay on for further dates (where he was backed by The Cimarons, staying in the UK for another three months. While in the UK, he recorded for the first time since his hospitalization, working with producer Sydney Crooks, and again backed by the Cimarons. While Brown was in the UK, Gibbs released an album collecting recordings made earlier in Jamaica, released as The Best of Dennis Brown, and Brown's first single to get a proper UK release was issued on the Synda label - "No More Will I Roam".He returned to Jamaica for Christmas, but six weeks later was back in the UK, now with Holness in tow as his business manager, to negotiate a record deal with Trojan Records, the first Brown album to be released as a result being Just Dennis, although the pair would be left out of pocket after Trojan's collapse and subsequent buyout by Saga Records^] On their return to Jamaica, Brown and Holness resumed recording in earnest with tracks for a new album, including "So Long Rastafari", "Boasting", and "Open the Gate". During 1975, Brown also recorded one-off sessions for Sonia Pottinger ("If You leave Me") and Bunny Lee ("So Much Pain", a duet with Johnny Clarke), and the first recordings began to appear on Brown's new DEB Music label. In the wake of the Trojan collapse, Brown and Holness arranged a deal with local independent label owners Castro Brown (who ran Morpheus Records) and Larry Lawrence (Ethnic Fight) to distribute their releases in the UK. Brown saw the UK as the most important market to target and performed for five consecutive nights at the Georgian Club in Croydon to raise funds to start his new DEB Music label with Castro Brown. In early 1976, Castro secured a deal with Radio London disc jockey Charlie Gillett for Morpheus (and hence DEB) output to be issued through the latter's Oval Records, which had a distribution deal with Virgin Records, but after a dispute over Castro's separate supply of these records to London record shops, the deal was scrapped and the early DEB releases suffered from a lack of promotion. Later that year, Brown voiced two tracks at Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark studio, "Take a Trip to Zion" and "Wolf and Leopard", the latter of which was a massive hit in Jamaica and would prove to be one of Brown's most popular songs, with a lyric criticizing those criminals who "rode the natty dread bandwagon". Brown confirmed in an interview in Black Echoes that he had parted company with Holness, stating that "I was going along with one man's ideas for too long. Niney was trying to find a new beat at all times, which was disconcerting, so I hadn't been working with my true abilities. Now I know that I can produce myself".
Brown began working again with Joe Gibbs, with an agreement that in return for studio time for his own productions, Brown would allow Gibbs use of any rhythm recorded in the process. The first album from this arrangement, the 1977 release Visions of Dennis Brown, gave him his biggest success so far, blending conscious themes and love songs, and confirming Brown's transformation from child star to grown up artist. The biblical-themed sleeve and portrait of Haile Selassie on the back complemented the roots reggae tracks on the album, including "Repatriation", "Jah Can Do it", and cover versions of Earl 16's "Malcolm X" and Clive Hunt's "Milk and Honey". The album immediately entered the Black Echoes chart and stayed there well into the following year, although it was only available in the UK as an expensive import. Visions... was voted reggae album of the year by Melody Maker writers and was given the same award by readers of Black Echoes. A reissued "Wolf and Leopard" single, and the eventual album release of the same name also sold well in the UK, both topping the Black Echoes chart.

NME cover from 24 February 1979

Brown toured the UK in Autumn 1977 with Big Youth, and described the tour: "It's like I was appointed to deliver certain messages and now is the time to deliver them". He had also begun producing recordings by his protege, Junior Delgado. In 1978, Brown moved to live in London, and set up premises in Battersea Rise, near Clapham Junction to relaunch the DEB Music label with Castro Brown, with artists featured on the label including Junior Delgado, 15.16.17, Bob Andy, Lennox Brown, and later, Gregory Isaacs. Brown had further success himself with a discomix of "How Could I Leave You", a version of The Sharks' rocksteady standard "How Could I Live" with accompanying toast by Prince Mohamed. In March 1978, Brown flew to Jamaica, where he was booked at the last minute to perform at the One Love Peace Concert at the National Arena, backed by Lloyd Parks' We The People Band. Visions of Dennis Brown was given a wider distribution via a deal between Lightning Records and WEA and topped the UK reggae album chart in September 1978, this chart run lasting for five months. In August 1978, Brown returned to the UK, bringing Junior Delgado with him, and DEB Music released a series of singles, although they sold moderately compared to the label's earlier successes, but in the same month, Brown's breakthrough single was first released. Initially released as a discomix featuring a new version of "Money in my Pocket" and the deejay version "Cool Runnings" by Price Mohamed, which became unavailable for a time after quickly selling out its first pressing, this single gave Brown his first UK Top 40 hit, reaching #14 the following year and becoming one of the biggest international hits in Jamaica's history, after crossing over first into soul clubs and then rock clubs. This success led to Brown featuring on the cover of the NME in February 1979.
Brown's next two albums were both released on DEB - So Long Rastafari and Joseph's Coat of Many Colours, although the label was closed down in 1979, after which Brown again did the rounds of Jamaica's top producers, as well as continuing self-productions with singles such as "The Little Village" and "Do I Worry?" in 1981.

A&M and the dancehall era

With continuing commercial success, Brown signed an international deal with A&M Records in 1981, and now based permanently in the UK, his first album release for the label was the Gibbs-produced Foul Play, which while not wholly a success included the roots tracks "The Existence of Jah" and "The World is Troubled". This was followed in 1982 by Love Has Found its Way, a Gibbs/Brown/Willie Lindo production which blended lovers rock with a more 'pop' sound, and again was not a great success. His final album with the label, 1983's The Prophet Rides Again again mixed roots themes with commercial R&B style tracks, and proved to be his swansong with the label. While his association with A&M had taken him in a more commercial pop direction, Kingston's music scene had shifted towards the new dancehall era, and Brown enthusiatically adapted to the new sound, recording for some of the genre's major producers including Prince Jammy and Gussie Clarke. In the early 1980s he also started a new label, Yvonne's Special, dedicated to his wife. In 1984, he collaborated with Gregory Isaacs on the album Two Bad Superstars Meet and the hit single "Let aaf Sum'n", recorded with Sly & Robbie and Jammy, which was followed by a second album featuring the two stars, Judge Not, in 1985. Brown released a huge amount of work through the 1980s, including the 1986 Jammy-produced album The Exit, but his biggest success of the decade came in 1989 with the Gussie Clarke-produced duet with Isaacs "Big All Round", and the album Unchallenged.He continued to record prolifically in the 1990s, notably on the Three Against War album in 1995 with Beenie Man and Triston Palmer, and on albums produced by Mikey Bennett, and his profile in the United States was raised by a series of album releases on RAS Records. In the late 1990s he was managed by Tommy Cowan, who contrasted Brown to Bob Marley, who he had also managed, stating "Bob Marley was a serious businessman, I don't think Dennis was as serious when it came to investment. Dennis was like a community person, he would earn money and in one hour he would give it away." Brown said of his approach to songwriting in the late 1990s:

"When I write a song I try to follow Joseph's way - deliverance through vision from all - true vibration. I want to be a shepherd in my work, teaching and learning, really singing so much. I don't want to sing and not live it. I must live it. If I can sing songs that people can watch me living, then they can take my work^.

Brown's 1994 album Light My Fire was nominated for a Grammy Award, as was the last album recorded by Brown, Let Me Be the One (in 2001).

Death

In the late 1990s, Brown's health began to deteriorate, with longstanding respiratory problems exacerbated by cocaine use leading to him being taken ill in May 1999, after touring in Brazil with other reggae singers, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. After returning to Kingston, Jamaica, on the evening of June 30, 1999, he was rushed to Kingston's University Hospital, suffering from cardiac arrest. Brown died the next day, and the official cause of his death was a collapsed lung, although his cocaine habit was considered a contributing factor. Sitting Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and former prime minister, serving at the time as opposition leader, Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party both spoke at Brown's funeral, which was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park. Brown was survived by his wife Yvonne and thirteen children. Jamaica's Prime Minister P. J. Patterson paid tribute to Brown, saying "Over the years, Dennis Brown has distinguished himself as one of the finest and most talented musicians of our time. The Crown Prince of Reggae as he was commonly called has left us with a vast repertoire of songs which will continue to satisfy the hearts and minds of Jamaicans for generations to come."

Legacy

Dennis Brown was an inspiration and influence for many reggae singers from the late 1970s through to the 2000s, including Barrington Levy, Junior Reid, Frankie Paul, Luciano, Bushman, and Richie Stephens. In July 1999, a group of UK-based musicians and more than fifty vocalists working under the collective name The British Reggae All Stars (including Mafia & Fluxy, Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie, Peter Hunnigale, Louisa Mark, Nerious Joseph, and Sylvia Tella) recorded "Tribute Song", a medley of six of Brown's best-known songs, in memory of Brown.
He was honoured on the first anniversary of his death by a massive memorial concert in Brooklyn, which featured performances from Johnny Osbourne, Micky Jarrett, Delano Tucker, and Half Pint. In 2001, a charitable trust was set up in Brown's name. The Dennis Emanuel Brown Trust works to educate youngsters, maintain and advance the memory of Dennis Brown, and help to provide youngsters with musical instruments. The trust awards the Dennis Emanuel Brown (DEB) bursary for educational achievement each year to students between the ages of 10–12 years. In 2005, George Nooks, who had worked with Brown in the mid-1970s in his deejay guise as Prince Mohamed, released an album of Brown covers, George Nooks Sings Dennis Brown: The Voice Lives On, with Nooks stating "I was always inspired by his talent and I used to sing like him. Dennis had a whole heap of influence on me. To me he was the greatest. He was my number one singer." In the same year, Gregory Isaacs paid a similar tribute with the album Gregory Isaacs Sings Dennis Brown. In February 2007, a series of events were staged in Jamaica in celebration of the lives of both Brown and Marley (both would have had birthdays that month). In 2008, the Dennis Brown Trust announced a new internet radio station, dedicated solely to the music of Dennis Brown, and in the same month a tribute concert was staged by the Jamaican Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) featuring Dwight Pinkney, Derrick Harriott, Sugar Minott, George Nooks, and John Holt.
Songs about or dedicated to Brown include "Song for Dennis Brown" by The Mountain Goats, "If This World Were Mine" by Slightly Stoopid, "Drive" by Pepper (band), and Whitney Houston's "Whitney Houston Dub Plate" on The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book album by Wyclef Jean.
On Monday April 26, 2010, Dennis Brown was featured on NPR Morning Edition news program as one of the 50 Great Voices - The stories of awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time. The NPR 50 Great Voices list includes legendary artists such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson and Jackie Wilson among others.

Discography

Studio albums

1970 - No Man is an Island (Studio One) 1971 - If I Follow My Heart (Studio One) 1972 - Super Reggae & Soul Hits (Crystal/Trojan) 1974 - The Best of Dennis Brown (Joe Gibbs) aka Best of Part 1 (1979, Joe Gibbs) 1975 - Deep Down (Observer), reissued in 1979 as So Long Rastafari (Harry J) 1975 - Just Dennis (Observer/Trojan) 1977 - Superstar (Micron) 1977 - Wolf & Leopards (DEB/Weed Beat) 1977 - Dennis Brown Meets Harry Hippy (Pioneer)(with Harry Hippy) 1978 - Westbound Train (Third World), aka Africa (Celluloid) 1978 - Visions of Dennis Brown (Joe Gibbs) 1979 - Joseph's Coat Of Many Colors (DEB) 1979 - Words of Wisdom (Joe Gibbs/Atlantic) 1980 - Spellbound (Joe Gibbs/Laser) 1981 - Money In My Pocket (Trojan) 1981 - Foul Play (Joe Gibbs/A&M) 1982 - Best Of Part 2 (Joe Gibbs) 1982 - Love Has Found Its Way (Joe Gibbs/A&M) (UK #72) 1982 - More (Yvonne's Special) 1982 - Stage Coach Showcase (Yvonne's Special) 1982 - Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow (Joe Gibbs) 1983 - Satisfaction Feeling (Yvonne's Special/Tad's) 1983 - The Prophet Rides Again (A&M) 1984 - Judge Not (with Gregory Isaacs) (Music Works/Greensleeves) 1984 - Two Bad Superstars (with Gregory Isaacs) (Burning Sounds) 1984 - Love's Got A Hold On Me (Joe Gibbs) 1984 - Revolution (Taxi/Yvonne's Special) 1984 - Reggae Super Stars Meet (with Horace Andy) (Striker Lee) 1985 - Slow Down (Music Works/Greensleeves) 1985 - Wake Up (Natty Congo) 1985 - Wild Fire (with John Holt) (Natty Congo) 1986 - Brown Sugar (Taxi) 1986 - Baalgad (with Enos McLeod) (Goodies) 1986 - History (Live & Love) 1986 - Hold Tight (Live & learn) 1986 - The Exit (Jammy's) 1987 - So Amazing (with Janet Kay) (Trojan) 1988 - Inseparable (WKS) 1989 - No Contest (with Gregory Isaacs) (Music Works/Greensleeves) 1989 - Death Before Dishonour (Tappa) 1989 - Good Vibrations (Yvonne's Special)

1990 - Over Proof (Greensleeves) 1990 - Unchallenged (Music Works/Greensleeves) 1990 - Reggae Giants (with Freddie McGregor) (Rocky One) 1990 - Sarge (Yvonne's Special) 1991 - Victory is Mine (Legga/RAS) 1992 - Another Day in Paradise (Trojan) 1992 - Beautiful Morning (World Record) 1992 - Blazing (Two Friends/Shanachie/Greensleeves) 1992 - Friends For Life (Black Scorpio/Shanachie) 1992 - Limited Edition (Artistic/VP/Greensleeves) 1992 - If I Didn't Love You 1992 - Cosmic (Observer) 1993 - Cosmic Force (Heartbeat) 1993 - The General (VP) 1993 - Legit (with Freddie McGregor & Cocoa Tea) (Greensleeves/Shanachie) 1993 - Rare Grooves Reggae Rhythm & Blues (Body Music/Yvonne's Special) 199? - Rare Grooves Reggae Rhythm & Blues vol. 2 (Yvonne's Special) 1993 - Songs of Emanuel (Yvonne's Special/Sonic Sounds) 1993 - Unforgettable (Jammy's) 1993 - Hotter Flames (with Frankie Paul) (VP) 1993 - Give Praises (Tappa) 1993 - It's The Right Time 1994 - 3 Against War (with Triston Palmer & Beenie Man) (VP) 1994 - Blood Brothers (with Gregory Isaacs) (RAS) 1994 - Light My Fire (Heartbeat) 1994 - Nothing Like This (Greensleeves/RAS) 1994 - Party Time (with John Holt) (Sonic Sounds) 1994 - Vision of the Reggae King (Gold Mine/VP) 1995 - I Don't Know (Grapevine/Dynamite) 1995 - Temperature Rising (Trojan) 1995 - Dennis Brown and Friends (with Sugar Minott & Justin Hinds) (Jamaican Authentic Classics) 1995 - The Facts of Life (Diamond Rush) 1995 - You Got the Best of Me (Saxon) 1996 - Could It Be (VP) 1996 - Lovers Paradise (House of Reggae) 1996 - Milk & Honey (RAS) 1997 - Meet at the Penthouse (with Leroy Smart) (Rhino) 1998 - One of a Kind (Imaj) 1999 - Believe in Yourself (Don One/TP) 1999 - Bless Me Jah (RAS/Charm) 1999 - Generosity (Gator)

Posthumous releases and compilations

1983 - The Best of Dennis Brown (Blue Moon) 1987 - Greatest Hits (Rohit) 1987 - My Time (Rohit) 1990 - Go Now (Rohit) 1991 - Classic Gold (Rocky One) 1992 - Kollection (Gong Sounds) 1992 - Some Like It Hot (Heartbeat) 1992 - Classic Hits (Sonic Sounds) 1993 - Best Of - Musical Heatwave 1972-75 (Trojan) 1993 - 20 Magnificent Hits (Thunderbolt) 1993 - It's the Right Time (Rhino) 1994 - The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club) 1994 - Early Days (Sonic Sounds) 1995 - Africa - the Best of Dennis Brown vol. 1 (Esoldun) 1995 - Travelling Man - the Best of Dennis Brown vol. 2 (Esoldun) 1995 - Open The Gate - Greatest Hits Volume II (Heartbeat) 1995 - Joy in the Morning (Lagoon) 1996 - Hit After Hit (Rocky One) 1996 - The Very Best of Dennis Brown (Rhino) 1996 - Love & Hate: The Best of Dennis Brown (VP) 1996 - The Crown Prince (World Records) 1997 - Money in My Pocket (Delta Music) 1997 - Maximum Replay (Gone Clear) 1997 - Ras Portraits (RAS) 1997 - Reggae Max (Jet Star) 1998 - The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club) 1998 - Watch This Sound (Jamaican Gold) 1998 - Lovers Paradise (Time Music) 1998 - Tracks of Life (Snapper) 1999 - The Godlike Genius of Dennis Brown (Dressed to Kill) 1999 - Reggae Legends vol. 2 (Artists Only) 1999 - In the Mood (Charly) 1999 - Greatest Hits (Charly)

1999 - Love is So True (Prism) 1999 - Stone Cold World (VP) 1999 - Ready We Ready (Super Power) 1999 - Tribulation (PDG/Heartbeat) 1999 - The Great Mr Brown 2000 - May Your Food Basket Never Empty (RAS) 2000 - Reggae Trilogy (with Glen Washington & Gregory Isaacs) (J&D) 2000 - We are all One (J&D) 2000 - The Crown Prince (Metro) 2000 - Let Me be the One (VP) 2001 - Cassandra (Starburst) 2001 - Love's Got a Hold on You (Artists Only) 2001 - Money in My Pocket: Anthology (Trojan) 2001 - Any Day Now (Heartbeat) 2001 - Essential (Next Music) 2001 - Archives (Trojan) 2001 - The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club) 2002 - Dennis Brown In Dub (with Niney the Observer) (Rounder/Heartbeat) 2002 - You Satisfy My Soul (Fat Man) 2002 - Memorial: Featuring John Holt (Jetstar) 2002 - The Promised Land 1977-79 (Blood & Fire) 2002 - Winning Combinations (with Bunny Wailer) (Universal) 2002 - Memorial (Jetstar) 2002 - Forever Dennis (Jetstar/Reggae Road) 2003 - The Complete A&M Years (A&M) 2003 - Dennis Brown Sings Gregory Isaacs (RAS) 2003 - Crown Prince (Trojan) 2004 - Dennis Brown Conqueror: An Essential Collection (Burning Bush) 2005 - Money in My Pocket: The Definitive Collection (Trojan) 2005 - Sings Revival Classics (Cousins) 2005 - At the Foot of the Mountain (Charm) 2006 - Sledgehammer Special (with King Tubby) 2006 - Taxi 3 Trio (with Gregory Isaacs & Sugar Minott) (Taxi) 2008 - A Little Bit More: Joe Gibbs 12" Selection 1978-1983 (VP)

Live albums

• 1979 - Live at Montreux (Laser/Joe Gibbs)
• 1987 - In Concert (Ayeola)
• 1992 - Live in Montego Bay (Sonic Sounds)
• 2000 - Academy (Orange Street)
• 2001 - Best of Reggae Live (Innerbeat)
• 2001 - Best of Reggae Live vol. 2 (Innerbeat)
• 2003 - Live in New York (Ital International)

DVD & Video

• The Living Legend (VHS; Keeling Videos)
• Rock Steady Roll Call (VHS; Ruff Neck)
• Stars in the East (with John Holt) (VHS/DVD; Ruff Neck)
• Inseparable volumes 1-4 (4 VHS volumes (199?)/2 DVD volumes (2004); Ruff Neck)
• Live at Montreux (1996; DVD; Synergie)
• Hits After Hits (2001; DVD; Keeling Videos)
• Live at Reggae Ganfest (2003; DVD; Contreband)

Productions of other artists

• 1977 - Various Artists - Black Echoes
• 1978 - The DEB Music Players - Umoja
• 1978 - The DEB Music Players - 20th Century DEB-Wise
• 1979 - The DEB Music Players - DJ Tracking
• 1979 - Junior Delgado - Effort
• 1979 - Junior Delgado - Taste of the Young Heart
• 1981 - Junior Delgado - More She Love It
• 1982 - Junior Delgado - Bush Master Revolution
• 1985 - Various Artists - 4 Star Showcase
• 199? - Various Artists - Return to Umoja

International hit singles

• "Money In My Pocket" (1977) - UK No. 14
• "Love Has Found Its Way" (1982) - UK No. 47
• "Halfway Up Halfway Down" (1982) - UK No. 56
• "Senorita" (1988) - UK No. 95

 


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THE ISLEY BROTHERS / Summer breeze

Summer breeze 

Bit rate:avi

LINK: summerbreeze

01. What Would You Do - Remix
02. Between the Sheets / Footsteps
03. Who's That Lady
04. It's Your Thing
05. Twist and Shout
06. For the Love of You
07. Groove with You
08. Hello It's Me
09. Shout
10. Voyage To Atlantis
11. Summer Breeze / Harvest
12. Busted Down Low
13. That Lady
14. Fight the Power

The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers on the Clay Cole Show in 1962
Background information
Also known as	The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley AKA "Mr. Biggs"; The Isleys
Origin	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Teaneck, New Jersey , U.S.
Genres	R&B, doo-wop, soul, psychedelic soul, funk, contemporary R&B, quiet storm, smooth soul
Years active	1954–present
Labels	Tamla (Motown), T-Neck, Warner Bros., Def Soul
Members
Ronald Isley Ernie Isley
Past members
O'Kelly Isley, Jr.-(Deceased) Rudolph Isley Marvin Isley -(Deceased) Chris Jasper Vernon Isley -(Deceased)

The Isley Brothers ( /ˈaɪzliː/ yz-lee) are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper. The founding members were O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley and Vernon Isley.
Starting their careers in the gospel performing circuit in the early 1950s, they eventually crossed over to secular music first finding modest success in doo-wop until the release of their first million-selling hit, "Shout", in 1959. After several flops resulted in them being dropped from their record label, they found success again with sixties hits such as "Twist and Shout", later covered successfully by The Beatles and the Motown hit, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" in 1962 and 1966 respectively. The group didn't find success again until the end of the decade when their 1969 single, "It's Your Thing", (with Ernie Isley on bass guitar) was released. The song brought them success in the then-fledgling funk genre.
After forming their own label, T-Neck Records, the group found modest success with their own recordings between 1969 and 1972 until revamping the group into a sextet in 1973 with the release of their landmark album, 3 + 3 album, this time featuring younger brothers Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper. The addition of Ernie, Marvin, and Chris led to their most successful period as they successfully mixed their brand of R&B with rock, soul and funk elements. Other hits they would have during that period included "Fight the Power" (written by Ernie), "For the Love of You" and "Between the Sheets" (written by Ernie and Marvin).
The group disbanded after the departure of Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and Chris Jasper (who formed Isley/Jasper/Isley and reached #1 on the charts with 'Caravan of Love') in 1984. O'Kelly Isley died two years later. Rudolph and Ronald released the post O'Kelly albums, Smooth Sailin' and Spend the Night in 1987 and 1989 respectively, collaborating with Angela Winbush. Rudolph retired in 1989 leading Ronald to begin a solo career.
In 1991, Ronald, Ernie and Marvin began working together again. In 1997, Marvin retired from the group and show business after developing diabetes forcing Ronald and Ernie to continue the group as a duo. The duo scored their final top 40 hit with "Contagious" in 2001. The Isleys were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Little Richard in 1992 and are the recipient of a single Grammy Award.

History

Early formation and career: 1954-1959

Brothers O'Kelly "Kelly" Isley (December 25, 1937 - March 31, 1986), Rudolph "Rudy" Isley (b. 1939), Ronald "Ronnie" Isley (b. 1941) and Vernon Isley (1942-1955) grew up in the predominantly black section of Lincoln Heights, Cincinnati, Ohio and were raised by Christian-reared parents O'Kelly Isley, Sr. and Sallye Bernice Bell. Sallye would later tell interviews how her husband, a gospel singer, wanted to have sons to become "the next Mills Brothers". As soon as all four boys were able to walk and talk, they were immediately trained by their parents to sing songs together as a group. From the beginning, Ronald Isley, considered to have the best voice, was positioned as the group's lead singer and front man (Vernon shared co-lead duties with him while O'Kelly and Rudy had some sporadic leads). As a child he entered talent contests winning most of them and even opened for several musicians including Mahalia Jackson and Dinah Washington.
In 1954, the Isley Brothers were officially formed and the quartet toured the gospel circuit. Their success was short-lived, however, when in 1955, 13-year-old Vernon Isley was suddenly struck by a car while riding on his bicycle and was killed instantly. Devastated, the boys withdrew from singing. Eventually encouraged by their parents, the three eldest Isleys returned to music but were now being buoyed by the potential secular market of doo-wop. With their parents' blessings, in 1956, the brothers left for New York where they auditioned for, and eventually, landed their first recording deal. In 1957, the group released their first single, "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon", which had a strong sound similar to that of The Teenagers. The record flopped. Two years later, the group faced tragedy again when their father died after a struggle with cancer. Moving on, the group built a local fan base due to their energetic live performances. James Brown once described the Isleys entering the stage flying through ramps "like Tarzan" and this was before they began performing.
While opening for Jackie Wilson, the group did a cover of Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops", which got a notice from a scout who was working for RCA Records. He brought the group to RCA's main headquarters and the group was immediately offered a contract. While their first single with the label failed to make an impact, their second single, "Shout", a song the three brothers had composed almost spontaneously, found chart traction eventually peaking just above the top fifty on the Billboard Hot 100.

Early success: 1960-1972

Though the brothers continued to struggle with recordings, their early success was mainly built on their live performances. In 1960, the group released the original version of the song, "Respectable", a doo-wop ballad they had also had a hand in writing. While their version failed to chart, another group, the Outsiders, had success with it, as did The Yardbirds several years later. By 1961, "Shout" had been covered successfully by the likes of singers such as Joey Dee and the Starlighters and Lulu, it was also covered as a live version by an earlier incarnation of The Beatles during their developing careers. Because of this success, the song became a million-seller and prompted RCA to re-release the Isley Brothers' original in 1962. The group even made live appearances on local rock and roll-based television shows to promote the song. However, the song failed to reignite for the group and they soon left RCA.
In 1962, they signed with the Scepter subsidiary, Wand Records, and that year, scored their first top 40 hit with "Twist & Shout", which peaked at number seventeen on the Hot 100, while also reaching number 42 in England. Much like "Shout" and "Respectable" before, the Isleys' R&B version of "Twist & Shout" would be covered successfully, this time by the Beatles. Their version reached number two on the Hot 100 in 1964. Much like their earlier success, the group struggled with a follow-up and left Wand Records for United Artists Records in 1964. That would also turn out to be short-lived and feeling they had nothing to lose, the group, who was now living in Teaneck, New Jersey, living off their early successes, formed their own label, T-Neck Records, becoming the first recording group to do so and just one of only a few black recording acts (Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and later Curtis Mayfield) to do so.
In 1964, the group hired a young guitarist who had been in several rhythm and blues groups as a backing guitarist. His name was Jimi Hendrix but was then going by his nickname at the time, Jimmy James. Hendrix, who was homeless when O'Kelly Isley saw him while at a store, was brought in to the Isleys' family home and soon Hendrix was included in recordings the group was doing for T-Neck. Two of which, "Testify" and "Move Over and Let Me Dance", was released locally. By 1966, Hendrix had left the group to tour with Little Richard and the group signed with Motown Records after accepting a deal from Berry Gordy, who had promised to bring the group crossover success. That year, they had their first hit in four years with the pop-friendly "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", which peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.
While they had modest success with other songs following its release, the group again struggled with a follow-up and in late 1968, were allowed to leave Motown. While at the crossroads of their career, the group toured the United Kingdom, where they had had a following thanks to Northern soul enthusiasts. Returning to the United States, they revamped T-Neck, signed with Buddah Records and began to write their own material again. This led to a major success in the summer of 1969 when their single, "It's Your Thing", their first recording under the then burgeoning funk genre, became a top five hit reaching number-two on the Hot 100 and number-one on the R&B singles chart. Younger brother Ernie Isley (b. 1952) played bass on the record, his first professional recording. The song sold over a million copies and later won the group their first and only Grammy Award. While follow-ups after "It's Your Thing" didn't chart as successfully, the group released several top 40 R&B hits between 1969 and 1972. It would be after the release of Brother, Brother, Brother, that the group would include new members Ernie Isley (full time), Marvin Isley (August 18 1953 - June 6, 2010) and Chris Jasper (b. 1951).

The 3 + 3 period: 1973-1990

In 1973, with a new lineup and a new deal with Epic Records, the Isley Brothers, released what has been called a groundbreaking album with 3 + 3, which mixed soul with elements of folk rock and funk rock. The album showcased the group's transition from strictly an R&B act to a group that had more of a rock sound. The first single from the album, Who's that Lady (co-written by Ernie and Chris), became a success reaching number six on the Hot 100 and number fourteen in the UK. Their follow-up single, "What It Comes Down To", was a top five R&B hit. Their power rock cover of the folk hit, "Summer Breeze", by Seals & Crofts, featuring Ernie Isley's signature guitar sound, became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom. Sales of 3 + 3 eventually reached a million copies. In 1974, their follow-up album, Live It Up, found R&B success while also peaking at the top 20 of the pop albums chart, also selling a million. The album was noted for the funk rock hit, "Midnight Sky", and their quiet storm cover of Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me". By 1975, the direction of the Isley Brothers' music was solidly in the hands of the younger half of the so-called 3 + 3 lineup as younger brothers Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper looked after the music and the lyrics of most of the group's recordings. Ronald and Rudolph occasionally gave the group compositions while eldest brother O'Kelly Isley controlled the group's finances during this time. Producers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff once said O'Kelly controlled the group with an iron fist.
In 1975, the group released their landmark album, The Heat Is On, which included some lead vocals from O'Kelly and Rudolph though Ronald continued to contribute most of the lead vocals especially with ballads such as "For the Love of You" and "Make Me Say It Again, Girl". The album peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold more than two million singles. "Fight the Power, Pt. 1" (written by Ernie and sung in unison by Ronald and Rudolph) and "For the Love of You" (written by Ernie and Chris) became top 40 smash hits on the pop chart. This success continued into the mid-1970s with follow-ups such as Harvest for the World (1976, another Ernie composition), Go for Your Guns (1977), Showdown (1978), the double album Winner Takes All (1979) and Go All the Way (1980). By the late 1970s, the group had included disco elements into their music and had also began to produce more ballads. By the early 1980s, the group struggled to find pop success and three albums released between 1981 and 1982 including Grand Slam, Inside You and The Real Deal, failed to chart successfully even in the group's trusted R&B fan base. In 1979 , Aberdeen, Scotland, DJ , Alan Nicholson persuaded CBS Records to release "Its a disco Night ( Rock don't stop )" as a single to promote the Winner Takes All album but it failed to chart in the US and only reached number 14 in the UK.
In 1983, they revamped their sound, adding more synthesizers and drum programming. The result, Between the Sheets, returned the group to R&B success especially with its title track, written by Ernie and Marvin, which peaked at number-three on the R&B chart. After failing to come to terms with musical direction, feeling fatigued from monetary problems, and straining from the changing times in the music industry, the group splintered when younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper left to form their own group, the modestly successful Isley-Jasper-Isley. The elder brothers carried on as a trio until after the release of 1985's Masterpiece. Shortly after its release, O'Kelly Isley, Jr. fell ill and succumbed to a heart attack brought on by a bout with cancer on March 31, 1986. He was just 48 years old. The death of Kelly Isley stunned the family. By the late 1980s, the group had hired Angela Winbush to be an honorary Isley Brothers member and she produced the group's Smooth Sailin' and Spend the Night. Before the latter album's release, in 1989, Rudolph Isley announced his retirement from show business to become an evangelical minister leaving Ronald to carry on as a solo artist, finding success in a pop duet with Rod Stewart covering the Isleys' hit, "This Old Heart of Mine".
The group Wham! covered the song, "If You Were There", on their 1984 smash album, "Make It Big." The track went on to become the title track for the 1997 greatest hits collected entitled "If You Were There: The Best of Wham!"

Reformation of the Isley Brothers and renewing success: 1991-2003

In 1991, Pullman Bonds made a deal with the Isley Brothers founders Rudolph and Ronald Isley and the estate of O'Kelly Isley, Jr. to give the group unearned royalties from their extensive catalog. That same year, the surviving two brothers sued Michael Bolton accusing the singer of copyright infringement for singing their 1964 song, "Love is a Wonderful Thing", which they wrote, without their permission. While Bolton insisted he didn't steal from the group, a judge awarded damages to Rudolph and Ronald after noting that while their songs, with the same titles, were different, elements of the songs were similar to each other. Bolton tried overturning the ruling on appeal in 2001 but was again defeated in court and was forced to share writing credits of his hit with the brothers. This success revamped interest in the Isley Brothers and while Rudolph insisted on staying retired, Ronald, Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley reformed the group. The group's billing was also slightly changed to The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley to reflect Ronald's desire to be seen as the group's dominant leader. Later that year, they released the album, Tracks of Life.
A year later, with one of their biggest admirers, Little Richard, the group was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After the release of a live album in 1993, their Warner Bros. Records contract was allowed to expire and in 1995, they signed a new contract with Island Def Jam's Def Soul imprint. A year later, the group released Mission to Please, which resulted in their biggest chart success in thirteen years. Boosted by Ronald Isley's collaboration with R&B star R. Kelly on the hit, "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" (credited on the single as R. Kelly featuring Ronald Isley and Ernie Isley) and its accompanying video, which saw Isley play a villainous character named "Mr. Biggs", the album went platinum and boosted a top 50 hit with "Float On Your Love", which was a duet between Ronald Isley and then-wife Angela Winbush. The song found success mainly from its hip-hop remix produced by Puff Daddy and including rapper Lil' Kim. Shortly after promotion of the record ended in 1997, Marvin Isley left the group after contracting diabetes. The illness eventually led to Isley's legs being amputated. Brothers Ronald and Ernie carried on as a duo. Ronald also worked with R. Kelly on solo ventures and collaborated with Kelly Price on R. Kelly's remixed production of Price's first hit, 1998's "Friend of Mine".
In 2001, the Isley Brothers scored their biggest hit in years when they released the R. Kelly-produced ballad, "Contagious", which peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B chart. Because of this, they had become the only group to chart in six decades. The song went platinum, selling over a million copies, while its parent album, Eternal, with its title track lyrics written by Ernie, sold over three million copies alone in the states. Two years later, their follow-up album, Body Kiss, became their first album to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 becoming their first number-one pop album since 1975's The Heat Is On, later going gold. The same year, Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Here I Am, which was a collaboration between Isley and producer Burt Bacharach, the collection won critical praise. Throughout the early millennium, Ronald Isley gained notice as a popular hook singer for hip-hop recordings.
On July 30, 2003, the group performed in front of its largest audience ever when they played in the afternoon during Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, a benefit to help raise the city's failing economy during the SARS crisis.

Ronald Isley's legal problems and the death of Marvin Isley: 2004-2010

In 2004, while touring in England, Ronald Isley suffered a stroke which led to a hospitalization near his home in St. Louis, where he had moved from Cincinnati after marrying (and later divorcing) Angela Winbush. A year later, Isley found himself in trouble with paying back taxes with the IRS. Isley was later charged for tax evasion in 2005. A year later, the Isley Brothers returned with Baby Makin' Music, which included the adult R&B top 40 hit, "Just Came Here to Chill" and came out with their first holiday album a year after that. In 2007, Isley was convicted of tax evasion charges and was given a 37-month sentence, which he served, first in a federal prison and then in a halfway house. He was released from the halfway house in April 2010 bringing an ending to his sentence. While his brother was serving jail time, brother Ernie began working on solo material and also participated in the Experience Hendrix festival for two months in the spring of 2010. On June 6, 2010, Marvin Isley died from complications of diabetes at the Seasons Hospice within the Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He was 56. Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Mr. I, in November. Chris Jasper, who has had little contact with his brothers-in-law since splitting from Isley-Jasper-Isley in 1988, continues to release solo material. Rudolph Isley has retired from his ministry work and is living quietly in California. Ernie toured with the fall edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour in Canada and the United States later in 2010. The group - consisting of just Ronald and Ernie - occasionally perform together.

Discography

Main article: The Isley Brothers discography

Top 40 singles

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US	UK	US R&B
1962	"Twist and Shout"	17	42	2
1966	"This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"	12	3	6
1968	"Behind a Painted Smile"	—	5	—
1969	"It's Your Thing"	2	30	1
1969	"I Turned You On"	23	—	6
1969	"Put Yourself In My Place"	—	13	—
1970	"Love the One You're With"	18	—	3
1970	"Pop That Thang"	24	—	3
1972	"That Lady (Part 1)"	6	14	2
1972	"Summer Breeze"	60	16	10
1975	"Fight the Power (Part 1)"	4	—	1
1975	"For the Love of You"	22	—	10
1976	"Harvest for the World"	63	10	9
1977	"The Pride (Part 1)"	63	—	1
1977	"Livin' in the Life"	40	—	1
1978	"Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1)"	—	50	1
1979	"I Wanna Be with You (Part 1)"	—	—	1
1979	"It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop)"	90	14	27
1980	"Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2)"	39	—	1
1983	"Between the Sheets"	101	52	3
1996	"Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" (R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers)	4	23	1
2001	"Contagious"	19	—	3
"—" denotes the single failed to chart

Top 20 albums

• 1969: It's Our Thing (US R&B #2)
• 1972: Brother, Brother, Brother (US R&B #5)
• 1973: 3 + 3 (US #8; US R&B #2)
• 1974: Live It Up (US #14; US R&B #1)
• 1975: The Heat Is On (US #1; US R&B #1)
• 1976: Harvest for the World (US #9; US R&B #1)
• 1977: Go for Your Guns (US #6; US R&B #1)
• 1978: Showdown (US #4; US R&B #1)
• 1979: Winner Takes All (US R&B #3)
• 1980: Go All the Way (US #8; US R&B #1)
• 1980: Grand Slam (US R&B #3)
• 1981: Inside You (US R&B #8)
• 1982: The Real Deal (US R&B #9)
• 1983: Between the Sheets (US R&B #1)
• 1987: Smooth Sailin' (US R&B #5)
• 1989: Spend the Night (US R&B #4)
• 1996: Mission to Please (US R&B #2)
• 2001: Eternal (US #3; US R&B #1)
• 2003: Body Kiss (US #1; US R&B #1)
• 2006: Baby Makin' Music (US #5; US R&B #1)

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