Dr Alimantado
Encyclopedia
Dr Alimantado, born Winston James Thompson, also known as The Ital Surgeon (Kingston
, born 1952) is a Jamaica
n reggae
singer, DJ, and producer
.
's Downbeat and Lord Tippertone, and started to record very young under various names (Winston Price, Winston Cool, Ital Winston, or Youth Winston). His first recordings were for Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bunny Lee
- "Place Called Africa Version 3" and "Maccabee Version". He returned to Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976, recording the DJ portion of Devon Irons
' 12" "Ketch Vampire". Between 1971 and 1977 his singles were unreleased outside Jamaica, only being available in the UK on import. He built his reputation with tunes such as "Oil Crisis" (versioning Horace Andy
's "Ain't No Sunshine"), "Sons of Thunder", (toasting over Jackie Brown's "Wiser Dread"), "Gimme Mi Gun" on Gregory Isaacs
' "Thief a Man" and "Poison Flour", on a recut of The Paragons
"Man Next Door" rhythm. He mainly met success in the mid to late 1970s, with his best known album being Best Dressed Chicken in Town
(1978), a Greensleeves Records
collection of tracks recorded in the mid-70s, featuring Alimantado toasting over singers such as John Holt
, Gregory Isaacs
, Jackie Edwards and Horace Andy. His tunes mixed his Rastafari movement
beliefs with commentary on events then going on in his community; "Poison Flour" referenced a recent incident when a number of local Kingstonians had been poisoned by eating bread made with contaminated flour. Alimantado became popular with punk rockers in the 1970s following Johnny Rotten
praising him in an interview. He was mentioned in The Clash
song "Rudie Can't Fail" in the line "Like the doctor who was born for a purpose".
Alimantado's biggest hits were "A Place Called Africa" and "Born for a Purpose". The latter song was originally released on his Vital Food label, and told of his Rastafarian faith supporting him after bus driver had driven into him in Kingston on December 26, 1976, causing serious injuries. The musicians who played on the record did so without payment. The single, and its accompanying version "Still Alive" were released in the UK firstly as two 7" 45s, then as a 12", featuring the full extended mixes. By 1977 he had largely abandoned his toasting style, apart from occasional records such as "Go Deh Natty Go Deh" on a heavily dubbed mix of Delroy Wilson
's "Trying to Conquer Me", preferring to release singing tunes, including "Mama (I Thank You)", "Jah Love Forever", and a cover of Billy Stewart's "Sitting In the Park".
Following the success of Best Dressed Chicken and its follow-up compilation Sons of Thunder he signed to Virgin Records
as a singer. While not without vocal talent, his singing records never captured the public imagination to the extent that his "toasting" records did.
Since 1983 he has only worked as a producer, his last recording appearing to be "Stop Your Fighting" for the Mad Professor
's Ariwa label, on a Channel One Studios
remake of Horace Andy's "Fever" rhythm. He is a member of the Rastafari movement
.
The film Hancock
featured the song "Best Dressed Chicken in Town".
2009 will mark the 30th anniversary of classic album Best Dressed Chicken in Town
. To mark the occasion Alimantado is re-releasing the album in its original sleeves with a bonus DVD
on his own Keyman Records label.
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, born 1952) is a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer, DJ, and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Biography
Thompson was born in Kingston in 1952, where he adopted the Rastafarian faith at an early age. He honed his talents on local sound systems such as Coxsone DoddCoxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
's Downbeat and Lord Tippertone, and started to record very young under various names (Winston Price, Winston Cool, Ital Winston, or Youth Winston). His first recordings were for Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bunny Lee
Bunny Lee
Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
- "Place Called Africa Version 3" and "Maccabee Version". He returned to Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976, recording the DJ portion of Devon Irons
Devon Russell
Devon Russell was a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae singer and record producer who recorded between the 1960s and the 1990s, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Tartans and Cultural Roots.-Biography:...
' 12" "Ketch Vampire". Between 1971 and 1977 his singles were unreleased outside Jamaica, only being available in the UK on import. He built his reputation with tunes such as "Oil Crisis" (versioning Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
's "Ain't No Sunshine"), "Sons of Thunder", (toasting over Jackie Brown's "Wiser Dread"), "Gimme Mi Gun" on Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
' "Thief a Man" and "Poison Flour", on a recut of The Paragons
The Paragons
The Paragons were a rocksteady band from Kingston, Jamaica, active in the 1960s. Their most famous track was "The Tide Is High", written by band member, John Holt.-Career:...
"Man Next Door" rhythm. He mainly met success in the mid to late 1970s, with his best known album being Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Best Dressed Chicken in Town is the debut album by Jamaican deejay Dr. Alimantado. It was first released in 1978 , and collects many of his self-produced singles from 1972 to 1977, employing the engineering talents of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist...
(1978), a Greensleeves Records
Greensleeves Records
Greensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
collection of tracks recorded in the mid-70s, featuring Alimantado toasting over singers such as John Holt
John Holt (singer)
John Holt is a reggae singer and songwriter.-Biography:Holt was born in Kingston in 1947. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns...
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, Jackie Edwards and Horace Andy. His tunes mixed his Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
beliefs with commentary on events then going on in his community; "Poison Flour" referenced a recent incident when a number of local Kingstonians had been poisoned by eating bread made with contaminated flour. Alimantado became popular with punk rockers in the 1970s following Johnny Rotten
John Lydon
John Joseph Lydon , also known by the former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a singer-songwriter and television presenter, best known as the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s...
praising him in an interview. He was mentioned in The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
song "Rudie Can't Fail" in the line "Like the doctor who was born for a purpose".
Alimantado's biggest hits were "A Place Called Africa" and "Born for a Purpose". The latter song was originally released on his Vital Food label, and told of his Rastafarian faith supporting him after bus driver had driven into him in Kingston on December 26, 1976, causing serious injuries. The musicians who played on the record did so without payment. The single, and its accompanying version "Still Alive" were released in the UK firstly as two 7" 45s, then as a 12", featuring the full extended mixes. By 1977 he had largely abandoned his toasting style, apart from occasional records such as "Go Deh Natty Go Deh" on a heavily dubbed mix of Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer.-Biography:Wilson released his first single "Emy Lou" in 1961 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, at the age of thirteen...
's "Trying to Conquer Me", preferring to release singing tunes, including "Mama (I Thank You)", "Jah Love Forever", and a cover of Billy Stewart's "Sitting In the Park".
Following the success of Best Dressed Chicken and its follow-up compilation Sons of Thunder he signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
as a singer. While not without vocal talent, his singing records never captured the public imagination to the extent that his "toasting" records did.
Since 1983 he has only worked as a producer, his last recording appearing to be "Stop Your Fighting" for the Mad Professor
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
's Ariwa label, on a Channel One Studios
Channel One Studios
Channel One is a recording studio in Maxfield Avenue, West Kingston, Jamaica. The studio was built by the Hoo Kim brothers in 1972, and has had a profound influence on the development of reggae music....
remake of Horace Andy's "Fever" rhythm. He is a member of the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
.
The film Hancock
Hancock (film)
Hancock is a 2008 American action-comedy superhero film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron. It tells the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock from Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars...
featured the song "Best Dressed Chicken in Town".
2009 will mark the 30th anniversary of classic album Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Best Dressed Chicken in Town is the debut album by Jamaican deejay Dr. Alimantado. It was first released in 1978 , and collects many of his self-produced singles from 1972 to 1977, employing the engineering talents of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist...
. To mark the occasion Alimantado is re-releasing the album in its original sleeves with a bonus DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on his own Keyman Records label.