Winston Francis
Encyclopedia
Winston Francis aka King Cool is a Jamaica
n singer whose career began in the 1960s.
in 1948, Francis served an apprentice as a printer before relocating to Miami at the age of 16. He attended music school, and his teacher Chuck Bird arranged for him to perform with the Jackie Gleason Orchestra in front of Spiro Agnew
in 1965. He then joined Carlos Malcolm
's Afro Jamaicans band, with whom he toured the USA and the Caribbean. He was also a member of The Sheridans (with Pat Kelly
) and The Mellotones. In the late 1960s he recorded as a solo artist for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, with his debut album Mr. Fix-It released in 1969. This was followed by a second album, California Dreaming in 1971, with the title track released as a single and chosen as 'Hit Pick of the Week' for two weeks running by Tony Blackburn
on his BBC Radio 1
show. The single's B-side, "Too Experienced", featured backing vocals from Bob Marley
and Bunny Wailer
. He relocated to the UK that year. He toured the UK club circuit and recorded for EMI
in the 1970s.
After a period of inactivity, Francis returned to recording in the early 1980s, releases including the Roy Cousins
-produced Just Once and the self-produced Africa. After a break from music when he worked as a youth worker and social worker, he returned in 1987 as a backing vocalist for The Melodians
and began working with Trevor Star and the Skaticians. He continued to record in the 1990s, working with Dennis Bovell
under the name King Cool, and releasing Ragga Love and Sweet Rock Steady, and guested on Kelly's 1995 album Butterflies. His version of Ben E King's "Stand by Me
" was a hit in France, selling over 90,000 copies, leading to work with Sly & Robbie and John Kpiaye. In 2003 he teamed up with fellow veteran AJ Franklin to record the album Stand Firm. In 2004 he released the medley album Feel Good All Over.
Compilations:
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 singer whose career began in the 1960s.
Biography
Born in KingstonKingston, 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...
in 1948, Francis served an apprentice as a printer before relocating to Miami at the age of 16. He attended music school, and his teacher Chuck Bird arranged for him to perform with the Jackie Gleason Orchestra in front of Spiro Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
in 1965. He then joined Carlos Malcolm
Carlos Malcolm
Carlos Malcolm is a Jamaican trombonist, percussionist and bandleader who was most popular in the late 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:Carlos Malcolm was born in Panama c.1935 to Jamaican parents and grew up in Kingston. His father, Wilfred Malcolm , went to Panama and worked as a bookkeeper in the...
's Afro Jamaicans band, with whom he toured the USA and the Caribbean. He was also a member of The Sheridans (with Pat Kelly
Pat Kelly (musician)
Pat Kelly is a reggae singer whose career began in the late 1960s.- The Techniques :Kelly was born in Kingston in 1949. After leaving school, he spent a year studying electronics in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States during 1966, before returning to Jamaica...
) and The Mellotones. In the late 1960s he recorded as a solo artist for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, with his debut album Mr. Fix-It released in 1969. This was followed by a second album, California Dreaming in 1971, with the title track released as a single and chosen as 'Hit Pick of the Week' for two weeks running by Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
on his BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show. The single's B-side, "Too Experienced", featured backing vocals from 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 Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
. He relocated to the UK that year. He toured the UK club circuit and recorded for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in the 1970s.
After a period of inactivity, Francis returned to recording in the early 1980s, releases including the Roy Cousins
Roy Cousins
Roy Cousins is a reggae singer, producer, and record label owner, known for his work as leader of The Royals, his productions of artists such as Charlie Chaplin, Prince Far I, and Cornell Campbell, and his record labels such as Tamoki Wambesi.-Biography:Cousins worked for the Jamaican Post Office...
-produced Just Once and the self-produced Africa. After a break from music when he worked as a youth worker and social worker, he returned in 1987 as a backing vocalist for The Melodians
The Melodians
The Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
and began working with Trevor Star and the Skaticians. He continued to record in the 1990s, working with Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
under the name King Cool, and releasing Ragga Love and Sweet Rock Steady, and guested on Kelly's 1995 album Butterflies. His version of Ben E King's "Stand by Me
Stand by Me (song)
"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
" was a hit in France, selling over 90,000 copies, leading to work with Sly & Robbie and John Kpiaye. In 2003 he teamed up with fellow veteran AJ Franklin to record the album Stand Firm. In 2004 he released the medley album Feel Good All Over.
Discography
- Mr. Fix-It (1969), Coxsone
- California Dreaming (1971), Bamboo
- Just Once (198?), Tamoki-Wambesi
- Africa (198?), Cam-Per
- Ragga Love (199?), Soul Beat
- Sweet Rock Steady (1997), LKJ
- Feel Good All Over (2004), Jet StarJet StarJet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
- Peace, Love & Harmony (2007), Soulove
Compilations:
- Mr. Fix-It/California Dreaming
External links
- Winston Francis at Roots Archives