Jackie Opel
Encyclopedia
Born Dalton Sinclair Bishop in Bridgetown
, Barbados
, Jackie Opel (1938–1970) possessed a rich, powerful voice with a high octave range. He was known as the "Jackie Wilson
of Jamaica
", and was a gifted dancer.
In the early 1960s, he was discovered by Byron Lee
, the band master of the Dragonaires, who brought him to Jamaica. There, he started performing with the Skatalites as one of their lead singers. He recorded as a solo artist first on Coxsone Dodd
's Studio One label, and afterwards on Justin Yap's Top Deck label and Edward Seaga
's Wirl label. His styles included ska, R&B, soul, gospel, and calypso. He is credited with inventing spouge
music, a fusion of ska
, calypso
, and R&B music. Opel performed duos with Doreen Schaffer and Hortense Ellis
, and in 1964 was backed by Wailers Bob Marley
and Peter Tosh
on "Mill Man."
Opel eventually moved to Trinidad and then back to Barbados. On 8 March 1970, he died in a car crash in Bridgetown
, Barbados
.
Note: ‘You Gotta Cry’ is in fact ‘Cry Me A River’ renamed to avoid confusion with the Julie London standard.
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Jackie Opel (1938–1970) possessed a rich, powerful voice with a high octave range. He was known as the "Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
of 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...
", and was a gifted dancer.
In the early 1960s, he was discovered by Byron Lee
Byron Lee
Byron Lee OD, OJ was a musician, record producer, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as leader of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.-Biography:Lee was born in Christiana in Manchester Parish to an Afro-Jamaican mother and a Chinese father Byron Lee OD, OJ (born Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee, 27...
, the band master of the Dragonaires, who brought him to Jamaica. There, he started performing with the Skatalites as one of their lead singers. He recorded as a solo artist first on Coxsone Dodd
Coxsone 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 Studio One label, and afterwards on Justin Yap's Top Deck label and Edward Seaga
Edward Seaga
Edward Philip George Seaga ON PC was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1980 to 1989 and Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005. He served as leader of the opposition from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1989 until January 2005...
's Wirl label. His styles included ska, R&B, soul, gospel, and calypso. He is credited with inventing spouge
Spouge
Spouge On earlier album labels the word appears as spooge. A Music form of Barbados created by Dalton Bishop who performed as Jackie Opel in the 1960s. It is differentiated from Reggae by having a more even and repetitive backbeat...
music, a fusion of ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
, and R&B music. Opel performed duos with Doreen Schaffer and Hortense Ellis
Hortense Ellis
Hortense Ellis was a reggae musician, and the younger sister of fellow artist, Alton Ellis.-Biography:Her father worked on the railways while her mother ran a fruit stall. She was 18 years old when she appeared on the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, then Jamaica's foremost outlet for young...
, and in 1964 was backed by Wailers Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
on "Mill Man."
Opel eventually moved to Trinidad and then back to Barbados. On 8 March 1970, he died in a car crash in Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
.
US
- You Gotta Cry / Shelter The Storm ~ MGM K13391 (1965)
Note: ‘You Gotta Cry’ is in fact ‘Cry Me A River’ renamed to avoid confusion with the Julie London standard.
UK
- TV in Jamaica / Worrell’s Captaincy ~ Jump Up 512 (1963)
- You’re No Good / King Liges ~ Black Swan 421 (1964)
- Stand by Me (with Hortense Ellis) / Solid Rock ~ R & B 138 (1964)
- Pity The Fool / The Day Will Come ~ R & B 160 (1964)
- Cry Me A River / Eternal Love ~ King 1011 (1964)
- Wipe Those Tears / Don’t Take Your Love ~ Island 203 (1965)
- Go Whey / Shelter In The Storm ~ Island 209 (1965)
- Old Rocking Chair / Ska In Vienna Woods (by Skatalites) ~ Island 229 (1965)
- Done With A Friend / More Wood In The Fire ~ Ska Beat 190 (1965)
- The Lord Is with Thee / A Little More ~ Ska Beat 227 (1965)
- Welcome Home / You & I (with Doreen Schaeffer) ~ Ska Beat 208 (1965)
- Adorable You / New Vow (with Doreen Schaeffer) ~ Ska Beat 209 (1965)
- A Love To Share / Devoted To You ~ Island 264 (1966)
- I Am What I am / Devil’s Bug ~ Rio 117 (1966)
- I Don’t Want Her / Rudie Get Wise ~ Rio 120 (1967)
- Valley of Green / Hungry Man (by The Deacons) ~ Top Deck 101 (1990?)
Compact disc
- "The Best Of Jackie Opel" (Studio One)
- "Cry Me A River" (Studio One)
- "A Love To Share: Top Sounds From Top Deck, Vol. 2" (Westside) Split release with Ferdie Nelson
- "The Memorable Jackie Opel" (Select-O-Hits) Spouge recordings
Compilations
- The Vow (with Doreen Schaffer) & Old Rocking Chair from "Foundation Ska" (Heartbeat)
- Push Wood & Sit Down Servant from "Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Years" (Heartbeat) Later reissued as "Go Ska Go" (Heartbeat)
- You Send Me from "Gaz Mayall Top! Ska Tunes" (Trojan)
- Push Wood from "It's Ska Time: 20 original Ska Classics" (Charly)
- The Mill Man & A Time To Cry (both backed by The Wailers) from "Wailers & Friends: Top Hits Sung By The Legends of Jamaican Ska" (Heartbeat)
- I Am What I Am, Done With A Friend & The Lord Is With Me from "I Am Going Home: 25 Classic Ska Shots" (bootleg)
- Pictures Of Smoke from "Ska-ntastic: Vintage Jamaican Ska 1963-66" (Richmond)
- You're Too Bad from "Studio One Rude Boy" (Soul Jazz)
- I Love Jamaica from "Trojan Jamaica Box Set" (Trojan)
- Tears From My Eyes from "Ska Non Stop: Top Sounds From Top Deck, Vol. 8" (Westside)
- Turn To The Almighty (Take 1), Turn To The Almighty (Take 2) & Sometimes I Wonder from "Ska Down Jamaica Way: Ska Boo Da Ba, Vol. 2" (WSM)
External links
- The Jackie Opel Story by Greg Burgess