Sugar Minott
Encyclopedia
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (May 25, 1956 – July 10, 2010) was a Jamaica
n reggae
singer
, producer
and sound-system operator.
in 1969, along with Tony Tuff
and Derrick Howard. The group released several singles in the first half of the 1970s on labels such as Micron and their own Ital label, and were an early example of the Rastafari movement
's influence on the Jamaican music
scene, taking a clear lead from The Abyssinians
. After recording "Mysterious Nature" for producer Rupie Edwards
, the group recorded 1974's "No Cup No Broke" for Studio One, breaking up shortly after.
Minott then teamed up with the producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd
, as studio apprentice at Dodd's Studio One, working as a singer, guitarist and percussionist, and soon began recording his own singles. Minott developed a talent for writing new songs to fit over existing rhythms (which at the time was common when singers performed live, but rare in the studio), often proving more popular than the original songs, pioneering an approach that would be central to the emerging dancehall
style.
After a number of moderately successful hits for Studio One, such as "Vanity", "Hang On Natty", "Mr. DC", and "Jah Jah Children", his debut LP
Live Loving made his name and increased his popularity, and is regarded as pioneering the dancehall style that would dominate the early 1980s. It was followed in 1979 with a second album, Showcase, which included his singles that had been omitted from the first album.
The Bittersweet album followed, and then the third album of 1979, Ghetto-ology, which saw a return to roots reggae
. Roots Lovers (1980) saw a move towards lovers rock
, which was a UK hit. He became a bigger star in the UK than in Jamaica, his self-produced "Hard Time Pressure" being a major UK reggae hit in 1980, leading Minott to relocate to the UK, where he became a focus for UK reggae.
Singles such as "Run Come", "Not for Sale", "African Girl", "Lovers Rock", "In a Dis Ya Time", "Africa" and "Make It with You" (with Carroll Thompson
) were hits in the years that followed. "Good Thing Going" (a cover
of a song originally recorded by Michael Jackson
in 1971) was picked up for distribution by RCA
and reached Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
in March 1981, leading to an album of the same name. The Herbman Hustling album saw a return to dancehall and roots reggae
.
He released an album of recordings from Channel One Studios
, With Lots Of Extra in 1983, collecting several hits from his time working with Winston Holness. While Minott was in England he discovered the group Musical Youth
and released a number of successful Lovers Rock
singles.
Returning to Jamaica, his Youth Promotion sound system performed regularly in Kingston's Maxfield Park, featuring Jah Stitch
and newcomers who had been nurtured by his organization such as Ranking Joe
, Captain Sinbad
, and Ranking Dread
. His Black Roots label featured his productions of these artists plus others such as Barry Brown
, Tenor Saw
, Little John
, Tony Tuff
, Barrington Levy
, Horace Andy
, and one of his discoveries from England, Trevor Hartley
. Minott also produced early works by Nitty Gritty
, Junior Reid
, Yami Bolo
, Colourman, Daddy Freddy
and Garnett Silk, who recorded his first song for Minott.
Throughout the 1980s the hits kept coming. Able to encompass different styles from rough roots to sweet lovers, through to classic dancehall, he was an artist of some influence. In that period he was working for all the top producers in Jamaica including, Mikey Dread
, George Phang
, Sly & Robbie, Philip "Fatis" Burrell, Channel One, Prince Jammy, and Donovan Germain
, as well as recording for United States-based Lloyd "Bullwhackie" Barnes (the Wicked A Go feel It album from 1984). His biggest hits included "Herbman Hustling", "No Vacancy", "Jamming In The Street", "Rub A Dub Sound", "Buy Off The Bar", "Rydim", and "Devil's Pickney".
He linked up with Sly & Robbie for 1984's "Rub a Dub Sound Style" single, which is regarded as a prototype for the ragga
style that developed in the mid-1980s.
Sugar Minott continued to record on his Black Roots label, Youth Promotion Label and for Major and Independent labels. His albums receive increasingly exciting reviews. He released over 60 albums and hundreds of singles.
Sugar is one of the artists who appeared on the (2006) record, Radiodread
, released by the Easy Star label, he provided the guest vocals on the song "Exit Music (For a Film)".
Minott's desire for independence led him to leave Studio One in 1978 and form his own Black Roots Records label and Youth Promotion organization, the latter with the aim of helping young singers from the same ghetto background as himself. Minott also ran the Youthman Promotion sound-system, giving many young performers their first public exposure. Youthman Promotion again is on the rise, with a strew of new vibrant selectors working alongside the veterans Major Stitch, Ragga Steve and Drifter. The new selectors added to the sound are Starry B, DJ Steewy and DJ Kaos in JA and Empress Skortcher and Poochiny in the USA, Daddy Ants Mr.Shorty, Prento Youth Colorman Earl Minott (UK).
, after being admitted there earlier that day. The cause of death is yet to be announced. He had been affected by a heart condition since early 2009, and cancelled several performances in May 2010 due to chest pains.
Split albums:
Compilations:
With the African Brothers:
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
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, 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...
and sound-system operator.
Biography
After working as a selector on the Sound of Silence Keystone sound system, and then his own Gathering of Youth system, he began his singing career as part of The African BrothersThe African Brothers
The African Brothers were a Jamaican reggae vocal trio formed by three Kingston teenagers - Lincoln "Sugar" Minott, Winston "Tony Tuff" Morris, and Derrick "Bubbles" Howard.-History:...
in 1969, along with Tony Tuff
Tony Tuff
Tony Tuff is a reggae singer who was a member of The African Brothers in the late 1960s and 1970s before embarking on a solo career.-Biography:...
and Derrick Howard. The group released several singles in the first half of the 1970s on labels such as Micron and their own Ital label, and were an early example 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...
's influence on the Jamaican music
Music of Jamaica
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's music culture is a fusion of elements from the United States , Africa, and neighboring Caribbean islands such as...
scene, taking a clear lead from The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.-History:...
. After recording "Mysterious Nature" for producer Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.-Biography:...
, the group recorded 1974's "No Cup No Broke" for Studio One, breaking up shortly after.
Minott then teamed up with the producer Clement "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...
, as studio apprentice at Dodd's Studio One, working as a singer, guitarist and percussionist, and soon began recording his own singles. Minott developed a talent for writing new songs to fit over existing rhythms (which at the time was common when singers performed live, but rare in the studio), often proving more popular than the original songs, pioneering an approach that would be central to the emerging dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
style.
After a number of moderately successful hits for Studio One, such as "Vanity", "Hang On Natty", "Mr. DC", and "Jah Jah Children", his debut LP
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Live Loving made his name and increased his popularity, and is regarded as pioneering the dancehall style that would dominate the early 1980s. It was followed in 1979 with a second album, Showcase, which included his singles that had been omitted from the first album.
The Bittersweet album followed, and then the third album of 1979, Ghetto-ology, which saw a return to 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...
. Roots Lovers (1980) saw a move towards lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
, which was a UK hit. He became a bigger star in the UK than in Jamaica, his self-produced "Hard Time Pressure" being a major UK reggae hit in 1980, leading Minott to relocate to the UK, where he became a focus for UK reggae.
Singles such as "Run Come", "Not for Sale", "African Girl", "Lovers Rock", "In a Dis Ya Time", "Africa" and "Make It with You" (with Carroll Thompson
Carroll Thompson
Carroll Thompson is an English lovers rock singer, best known for her work in the 1980s.-Biography:Thompson sang in school and church choirs as a girl, but initially studied for a career in pharmacy. In the mid-1970s, she began working as a backing singer at several recording studios after...
) were hits in the years that followed. "Good Thing Going" (a cover
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 a song originally recorded by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
in 1971) was picked up for distribution by RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and reached Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in March 1981, leading to an album of the same name. The Herbman Hustling album saw a return to dancehall and 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...
.
He released an album of recordings from 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....
, With Lots Of Extra in 1983, collecting several hits from his time working with Winston Holness. While Minott was in England he discovered the group Musical Youth
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...
and released a number of successful Lovers Rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
singles.
Returning to Jamaica, his Youth Promotion sound system performed regularly in Kingston's Maxfield Park, featuring Jah Stitch
Jah Stitch
Jah Stitch is a reggae deejay best known for his recordings in the 1970s.-Biography:...
and newcomers who had been nurtured by his organization such as Ranking Joe
Ranking Joe
Ranking Joe aka Little Joe is a reggae deejay who rose to prominence in the 1970s and had continuing success in the 1980s.-Biography:...
, Captain Sinbad
Captain Sinbad
Captain Sinbad was the deejay alter ego of Jamaican record producer Carl Dwyer .-Biography:Dwyer was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and entered the music industry as a deejay under the name Captain Sinbad on the Sound of Silence sound system, which at the time also featured Sugar Minott, with whom he...
, and Ranking Dread
Ranking Dread
Ranking Dread was a Jamaican reggae deejay who grew up in the Kingston ghettos of Rema and Tivoli. He became famous for his work with the Ray Symbolic sound system in the 1970s...
. His Black Roots label featured his productions of these artists plus others such as Barry Brown
Barry Brown (singer)
Barry Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer, initially coming to prominence in the 1970s with his work with Bunny Lee, but remaining popular throughout his career.-Biography:...
, Tenor Saw
Tenor saw
Tenor Saw was a prominent dancehall singer in the 1980s, and one of the most influential singers of the early digital reggae era...
, Little John
Little John (musician)
John McMorris , better known as Little John, is a Jamaican dancehall musician best known for his 1980s recordings.-History:Born 1970 in Kingston, Jamaica, Litle John was so called as he began performing and recording at the age of nine...
, Tony Tuff
Tony Tuff
Tony Tuff is a reggae singer who was a member of The African Brothers in the late 1960s and 1970s before embarking on a solo career.-Biography:...
, Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...
, 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"....
, and one of his discoveries from England, Trevor Hartley
Trevor Hartley
Trevor Hartley was born on March 16, 1947 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire and is a former English footballer with West Ham United and A.F.C. Bournemouth and football manager with A.F.C. Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur.-Career as Footballer:...
. Minott also produced early works by Nitty Gritty
Nitty Gritty
Glen Augustus Holness , otherwise known by his stage name Nitty Gritty, was a popular Reggae singer. Born in the August Town section of Kingston, Jamaica, he was the second of eleven children born to religious parents....
, Junior Reid
Junior Reid
Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
, Yami Bolo
Yami Bolo
Yami Bolo is a Jamaican reggae singer and performer.-Biography:Rolando Ephraim McLean, better known as Yami Bolo, is a Jamaican reggae singer, musician, artist, and performer. He was born on October 1, 1970 and grew up in Kingston 13...
, Colourman, Daddy Freddy
Daddy Freddy
S. Frederick Small , better known as Daddy Freddy is a ragga vocalist.-Early life:Small was born in Kingston, Jamaica and grew up in the city's Trenchtown district. His house was a few minutes walk from Coxsone Dodd's influential record studio Studio One.His neighbours were Jacob Miller and...
and Garnett Silk, who recorded his first song for Minott.
Throughout the 1980s the hits kept coming. Able to encompass different styles from rough roots to sweet lovers, through to classic dancehall, he was an artist of some influence. In that period he was working for all the top producers in Jamaica including, Mikey Dread
Mikey Dread
Michael George Campbell , better known as Mikey Dread, was a Jamaican singer, producer, and broadcaster. He was one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music...
, George Phang
George Phang
George Phang is a reggae producer born in the 1950s in south Saint Andrew, Kingston, Jamaica where still resides today.Phang started his reggae label Powerhouse in the early 1980s. His first hits were Little John's "True Confessions" and "Roots Girl", both released in 1983...
, Sly & Robbie, Philip "Fatis" Burrell, Channel One, Prince Jammy, and Donovan Germain
Donovan Germain
Donovan Germain is a reggae producer, one of the most successful of the digital era.-Biography:Germain's entry into the music industry was via his record shop in New York City in the 1970s. He began production in 1972, visiting Jamaica for recording sessions, working in both roots reggae and...
, as well as recording for United States-based Lloyd "Bullwhackie" Barnes (the Wicked A Go feel It album from 1984). His biggest hits included "Herbman Hustling", "No Vacancy", "Jamming In The Street", "Rub A Dub Sound", "Buy Off The Bar", "Rydim", and "Devil's Pickney".
He linked up with Sly & Robbie for 1984's "Rub a Dub Sound Style" single, which is regarded as a prototype for the ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
style that developed in the mid-1980s.
Sugar Minott continued to record on his Black Roots label, Youth Promotion Label and for Major and Independent labels. His albums receive increasingly exciting reviews. He released over 60 albums and hundreds of singles.
Sugar is one of the artists who appeared on the (2006) record, Radiodread
Radiodread
Radiodread is a 2006 album by the Easy Star All-Stars, a collaboration of reggae and ska artists. They have released one album previously, Dub Side of the Moon, a reggae take on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon...
, released by the Easy Star label, he provided the guest vocals on the song "Exit Music (For a Film)".
Minott's desire for independence led him to leave Studio One in 1978 and form his own Black Roots Records label and Youth Promotion organization, the latter with the aim of helping young singers from the same ghetto background as himself. Minott also ran the Youthman Promotion sound-system, giving many young performers their first public exposure. Youthman Promotion again is on the rise, with a strew of new vibrant selectors working alongside the veterans Major Stitch, Ragga Steve and Drifter. The new selectors added to the sound are Starry B, DJ Steewy and DJ Kaos in JA and Empress Skortcher and Poochiny in the USA, Daddy Ants Mr.Shorty, Prento Youth Colorman Earl Minott (UK).
Death
Minott died on 10 July 2010 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St. Andrew Parish, JamaicaSaint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue Mountains and at the 2001 census had the highest population of all the parishes in Jamaica. The Right Excellent George William Gordon Saint...
, after being admitted there earlier that day. The cause of death is yet to be announced. He had been affected by a heart condition since early 2009, and cancelled several performances in May 2010 due to chest pains.
Discography
- Live Loving (1978, Studio One)
- Showcase (1979, Studio One)
- Bittersweet (1979, Ballistic)
- Black RootsBlack Roots (album)Black Roots is a 1979 album by Sugar Minott. It was the first to appear on Minott's Black Roots label, and was described in the book Reggae: 100 Essential CDs - The Rough Guide as a "classic, which catches the singer on the cusp of the roots and dancehall phases, and with total control over his...
(1979, Black Roots/IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
) - Ghetto-ology (1979, 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...
) - Roots Lovers (1980, Black Roots)
- Give The People (1980, Ballistic)
- African Girl (1981, Black Roots)
- Good Thing Going (1981, RCA)
- Dancehall Showcase (1983, Black Roots)
- With Lots Of Extra (1983, Hitbound)
- Herbman Hustling (1984, Black Roots)
- Slice Of The Cake (1984, Black Roots)
- Wicked a Go Feel It (1984, Wackies)
- Leader For The Pack (1985, Striker Lee)
- Rydim (1985, Greensleeves)
- Time Longer Than Rope (1985, Greensleeves)
- Inna Reggae Dance Hall (1986, Black Roots)
- Sugar & Spice (1986, Taxi)
- Jamming In The Streets (1987, Wackies)
- African Soldier (1988, Black Roots)
- Buy Off De Bar (1988, Sonic Sounds)
- Sugar Minott & Youth Promotion (1988, NEC)
- Lovers Rock Inna Dance Hall (1988, Youth Promotion)
- Sufferers Choice (1988, Black Roots)
- Ghetto Youth Dem Rising (1988, Black Roots)
- The Boss Is Back (1989, RASRAS RecordsRAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
) - Ghetto Child (1989, Black Roots)
- Smile (1990, L&M)
- A Touch of Class (1991, Jammy's)
- Happy Together (1991, Black Roots)
- Run Things (1993, VPVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
) - Breaking Free (1994, RAS)
- International (1996, RAS)
- Musical Murder (1997, VP)
- Good Thing Going (1998, VP)
- Easy Squeeze (1999, World)
- Simply the Best (2000), World
- From the Heart (2000), Blackwacks
- Leave Out a Babylon (2005), Discograph
- In A Lovers Roots Style (2008), Pinnacle
- Tribute to Studio One (2009), Tad's
- New Day (2009), Stop Look Listen
Split albums:
- Rockers Award Winners (1985, GreensleevesGreensleeves RecordsGreensleeves 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....
) (Sugar Minott & Leroy SmartLeroy Smart-Biography:Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned aged 2. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at Alpha Boys School, where he studied singing, drums and dancing....
) - Double Dose (1987, Blue Mountain) (Sugar Minott & Gregory IsaacsGregory IsaacsGregory 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....
) - Showdown Volume 2 (Channel One) (Sugar Minott & Frankie Paul)
Compilations:
- With Lots of Extra (1983, Hitbound)
- Best of Vol 1 (1988, Black Roots)
- Collectors Collection Vol 1 (1996, Black Roots)
- RAS Portrait (1997, RAS)
- Sugar Minott's Hidden Treasures (1999, Easy Star)
With the African Brothers: