Junior Byles
Encyclopedia
Kerrie Byles is a reggae
singer, born July 17, 1948 in Kingston
, Jamaica
.
' studio, was scouting for talent for Gibbs' new Amalgamated label, and spotted the group while they were auditioning for the 1967 Festival Song Contest with "The Time Has Come". Perry signed the group to the label, but left Gibbs soon after. The Versatiles stayed with Gibbs for two years, before moving to work with Perry, and then to Duke Reid
's Treasure Isle label, also recording for other producers such as Laurel Aitken
. The group split up in 1970, with Byles still working as a firefighter but continuing to record solo for Perry (sometimes with the other former-Versatiles providing harmoy).
came to an end, he sought a singer-songwriter to work with who would fill the void, and Byles fit the bill. With Perry, Byles had a minor hit with "What's The World Coming To", released under the name King Chubby, and over the next five years the partnership would result in some of Perry's most highly-regarded work, with Byles' Rastafarian beliefs clearly evident, including "Beat Down Babylon", "King of Babylon", and the plea for repatriation, "Place Called Africa". "Rub Up Festival" was Byles' entry for the Festival Song Contest in 1971, but the song's suggestive lyric led to it being disqualified after reaching the final eight. The following year's "Festival Da Da" fared better, finishing as second runner-up. Also in 1972, Byles began self-producing, and set up his Love Power label, releasing singles such as "Black Crisis".
Byles was one of several reggae musicians to offer support to Michael Manley
's 1972 general election campaign, releasing the singles "Joshua Desire" and "Pharaoh Hiding" ("Joshua" referring to Manley and "Pharaoh" to the ruling Jamaican Labour Party's leader Hugh Shearer
). Manley was elected, but improvements for Jamaica's poor were not immediately apparent, and Byles was one of several artists who had supported Manley who voiced dissent, releasing the scathing "When Will Better Come?". At the end of 1972, Byles had his biggest hit to date, with a cover version
of Peggy Lee
's "Fever", with a dubby
rhythm produced by Perry. November 1972 saw the release of Byles debut album, Beat Down Babylon, which along with a series of singles that followed, established Byles as a major force in Jamaica as well as establishing him with audiences in the United Kingdom
, "Curley Locks" being particularly successful there. Byles moved away from Perry in the mid-1970s, recording three duets with Rupert Reid
for Dudley Swaby and Leroy Hollett's Ja-Man label, as well as recording for Lloyd Campbell ("Bury-O-Boy") and Pete Weston (covers of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "Oh Carolina"). Regarded by some as his greatest work, "Fade Away" was recorded in 1975 for producer Joseph Hoo Kim
; It was a massive hit in Jamaica and was also a big success in the UK, and was covered five years later by Adrian Sherwood
's New Age Steppers
group. It also featured on the soundtrack
for the film Rockers. He also released a second album, Jordan, in 1976, produced by Weston.
, he was deeply affected by the death of Haile Selassie, unable to reconcile this with his belief in Selassie's divinity, and attempted suicide
. He was admitted to Bellevue Hospital, after which his health continued to decline. Although he had regular spells in the hospital, he continued to record, reworking "King of Babylon" for Winston Holness, working again with Campbell, and recording a cover of The Archies
' "Sugar Sugar" with Big Youth
. By the end of 1976, he had all but vanished from the music scene, with a comeback attempted in 1978, recording two singles for Joe Gibbs. It was clear that he was still not well, however, and it would be 1982 before he re-emerged, working with New York
label Wackie's. Progress on a planned new album was slow, and Byles was beset by tragedy when his mother died, and he lost his home in a fire. His wife and children also emigrated to the United States
, and aside from a few singles, Byles would release nothing until 1986's Rasta No Pickpocket album. The album did not, however, see a long-lived upturn in Byles' fortunes, and by the following year, he was living on the street, scavenging for food in dumpsters, and begging from passers-by. Byles occasionally resurfaced, recording "Young Girl" for Holness in 1989, and "Little Fleego" three years later, and played a few live shows with Earl "Chinna" Smith in 1997 and 1998. He contributed to the Medicine I compilation album in 2000, and returned to live performance in 2004 in Jamaica, receiving positive reviews. This led to a short tour of the United Kingdom
. His legacy of recordings from the 1970s, however, maintain his status as one of roots reggae
's leading talents.
Compilations
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, born July 17, 1948 in Kingston
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...
, 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...
.
The Versatiles
Kerrie Byles Jr. was born at Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, and grew up in the city's Jonestown ghetto, where his father worked as a mechanic, and his mother was a schoolteacher. His family were devoutly religious, and his early musical education came from singing in church. He formed the vocal trio The Versatiles in 1967, along with Dudley Earl and Ben 'Louis' Davis, while also working as a firefighter. Lee "Scratch" Perry, then working as chief engineer at Joe GibbsJoe Gibbs (record producer)
Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...
' studio, was scouting for talent for Gibbs' new Amalgamated label, and spotted the group while they were auditioning for the 1967 Festival Song Contest with "The Time Has Come". Perry signed the group to the label, but left Gibbs soon after. The Versatiles stayed with Gibbs for two years, before moving to work with Perry, and then to Duke Reid
Duke Reid
Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....
's Treasure Isle label, also recording for other producers such as Laurel Aitken
Laurel Aitken
Lorenzo Aitken , better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaican ska music. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of ska".-Career:...
. The group split up in 1970, with Byles still working as a firefighter but continuing to record solo for Perry (sometimes with the other former-Versatiles providing harmoy).
Solo peak
When Perry's association with Bob MarleyBob 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...
came to an end, he sought a singer-songwriter to work with who would fill the void, and Byles fit the bill. With Perry, Byles had a minor hit with "What's The World Coming To", released under the name King Chubby, and over the next five years the partnership would result in some of Perry's most highly-regarded work, with Byles' Rastafarian beliefs clearly evident, including "Beat Down Babylon", "King of Babylon", and the plea for repatriation, "Place Called Africa". "Rub Up Festival" was Byles' entry for the Festival Song Contest in 1971, but the song's suggestive lyric led to it being disqualified after reaching the final eight. The following year's "Festival Da Da" fared better, finishing as second runner-up. Also in 1972, Byles began self-producing, and set up his Love Power label, releasing singles such as "Black Crisis".
Byles was one of several reggae musicians to offer support to Michael Manley
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley ON OCC was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica . Manley was a democratic socialist....
's 1972 general election campaign, releasing the singles "Joshua Desire" and "Pharaoh Hiding" ("Joshua" referring to Manley and "Pharaoh" to the ruling Jamaican Labour Party's leader Hugh Shearer
Hugh Shearer
Hugh Lawson Shearer, ON, OJ, PC was the third Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1967 to 1972.Born in Martha Brae, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, near the sugar and banana growing areas, Shearer attended St Simon's College after winning a parish scholarship to the school.In 1941 he took a job on the staff...
). Manley was elected, but improvements for Jamaica's poor were not immediately apparent, and Byles was one of several artists who had supported Manley who voiced dissent, releasing the scathing "When Will Better Come?". At the end of 1972, Byles had his biggest hit to date, with a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
's "Fever", with a dubby
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
rhythm produced by Perry. November 1972 saw the release of Byles debut album, Beat Down Babylon, which along with a series of singles that followed, established Byles as a major force in Jamaica as well as establishing him with audiences in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, "Curley Locks" being particularly successful there. Byles moved away from Perry in the mid-1970s, recording three duets with Rupert Reid
Rupert Reid
Rupert Reid is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Declan on the Australian TV show Heartbreak High and later, Constable Jack Lawson on the Australian TV show Blue Heelers from 1999 to 2001.- Filmography :...
for Dudley Swaby and Leroy Hollett's Ja-Man label, as well as recording for Lloyd Campbell ("Bury-O-Boy") and Pete Weston (covers of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "Oh Carolina"). Regarded by some as his greatest work, "Fade Away" was recorded in 1975 for producer Joseph Hoo Kim
Joseph Hoo Kim
-Career:Shortly after the Jamaican government banned gaming machines in the early 1970s, Joe Joe Hookim and his brother Ernest, abandoned their jobs as machine operators, and jumped into the music business. By 1973, the Hookims had opened their own studio, Channel One, with Joe Joe as its hands-on...
; It was a massive hit in Jamaica and was also a big success in the UK, and was covered five years later by Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
's New Age Steppers
New Age Steppers
New Age Steppers, one of the On-U Sound stable, under the creative direction of Adrian Sherwood, was a collective of musicians which varied over time...
group. It also featured on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the film Rockers. He also released a second album, Jordan, in 1976, produced by Weston.
Health problems and later career
By 1975, Byles' health had begun to decline. Suffering from depressionDepression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, he was deeply affected by the death of Haile Selassie, unable to reconcile this with his belief in Selassie's divinity, and attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. He was admitted to Bellevue Hospital, after which his health continued to decline. Although he had regular spells in the hospital, he continued to record, reworking "King of Babylon" for Winston Holness, working again with Campbell, and recording a cover of The Archies
The Archies
The Archies are a garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show...
' "Sugar Sugar" with Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
. By the end of 1976, he had all but vanished from the music scene, with a comeback attempted in 1978, recording two singles for Joe Gibbs. It was clear that he was still not well, however, and it would be 1982 before he re-emerged, working with New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
label Wackie's. Progress on a planned new album was slow, and Byles was beset by tragedy when his mother died, and he lost his home in a fire. His wife and children also emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and aside from a few singles, Byles would release nothing until 1986's Rasta No Pickpocket album. The album did not, however, see a long-lived upturn in Byles' fortunes, and by the following year, he was living on the street, scavenging for food in dumpsters, and begging from passers-by. Byles occasionally resurfaced, recording "Young Girl" for Holness in 1989, and "Little Fleego" three years later, and played a few live shows with Earl "Chinna" Smith in 1997 and 1998. He contributed to the Medicine I compilation album in 2000, and returned to live performance in 2004 in Jamaica, receiving positive reviews. This led to a short tour of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. His legacy of recordings from the 1970s, however, maintain his status as one of roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
's leading talents.
Singles
- Demonstration aka Whats The World Coming To (as King Chubby) (1970)
- Da Da (1971)
- Beat Down Babylon (B-side of Alpha & Omega by Dennis Alcapone) (1971) Upsetter
- King Of Babylon (1972) Randy's
- Fever
- Hail To The Power
- Black Crisis (197?) Love Power
- Curley Locks (1974) Dip
- Dreader Locks (& Lee Perry) (1974) Dip
- Curley Locks (1974) Magnet
- Gwane Joshua Gwane (1974) Soul Beat/Jaguar
- Bury O Boy (1975) Ethnic Fight
- Chant Down Babylon (& Rupert Reid) (1976) Black Wax/Ja-Man
- Pitchy Patchy (1976) Black Wax
- Fade Away (1976) Eagle
- Oh Carolina (1976) Grounation
- Run Run (1976) Observer
- Heart And Soul (1976) Errol T
- Can You Feel It? (1976) Thing
- Better Be Careful (1982) Carib Gems
Albums
- Beat Down Babylon (1972) Dynamic/TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
- Jordan (1976) Micron
- Rasta No Pickpocket (1986) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
Compilations
- Beat Down Babylon: The Upsetter Years (1987) Trojan
- When Will Better Come 1972-76 (1988) Trojan
- Curly Locks: Best of Junior Byles and The Upsetters 1970-76 (1997) HeartbeatHeartbeat RecordsHeartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood...
- 129 Beat Street Ja-Man Special 1975-1978 (1999) Blood & Fire