1977 was a year of major cultural upheavals; punk rock was born, Elvis died and Greensleeves records relocated to Sheperds Bush in West London starting a Westside musical revolution. From this new location Greensleeves would establish itself as the primary mover and shaker on the reggae front. Sure Trojan, Island and Virgin’s Frontline had their moment and respect is due but only Greensleeves was able to stay the course riding every twist, turn and new innovation that Jamaica music would throw up over the past 30 years and well into the 21st century. Whether skank, rockers, dub, steppers, jungle, digi or raga Greensleeves has stood the test of time to become biggest reggae label in the world.
Just breeze through their back catalogue and you’ll see what I mean: Dr Alimantado, Eek-A-Mouse, Yellowman, Mad Cobra, Shabba Ranks, Gregory Isaacs, Lady G, Dennis Brown, Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel. Not to mention international chart hits with the likes of Shaggy, Beenie Man and Mr. Vegas.
REWIND SELECTOR……
When Johnny Rotten (The Sex Pistols) was asked to play his favorite tunes on a U.K national radio show in 1977 his list included Greensleeves first release: Dr. Alimantado's classic 7 inch single ‘Born For A Purpose’. It just so happened that I was perfectly placed to follow up on the punk’s interest as the d.j in London’s first punk rock venue the legendary Roxy club.
Amongst the grass roots reggae fraternity and this new audience Greensleeves quickly gained a reputation for quality productions and some classic album artwork. This combined with Rottens big up, me doing my dub reggae thing as Roxy D.J and the hunger of many first and second generation British born blacks would provide fertile breeding ground for Greensleeve to move from strength to strength to become the only British based reggae label to really ‘run tings’ from that time till this. That’s why I jumped at the chance to put this compilation together.
IF YOU HAPPY AND YOU LOVE IT BAWL FORWARD…
It at was Greensleeves Records in Sheperds Bush that we’d gladly spend our hard earned cash on a Friday evening buying the latest new releases. I remember buying the Reggae Regular's ‘Where Is Jah’ and being impressed by the fact that not only were they British based but also by the fact that Greensleeves had the foresight to seek out, sign and release home grown talent. For us the shop was like college of musical knowledge where like-minded reggae aficionados would congregate to listen, talk and buy the latest tunes.
Whether you were was in a ‘blues dance’ in some smoky basement in Ladbroke Grove or at a sound clash in your local town hall that was when you really heard the full sonic force of a Greensleeve production. Once you’d heard an Augustus Pablo instrumental or the sweet vocal delivery of Barrington Levy on Greensleeves crisp vinyl 12 inches you were a convert for life!
In the eighties when reggae morphed into dancehall it was Wayne Smith's ‘Under Me Sleng Teng’ released on Greensleeves that kick started the whole thing opening the gateway to the digital age and introducing an influential sub-genre of Jamaican music.
Greensleeves ruled the mid-eighties tearing up the place with Eek-A-Mouse, Yellowman Josey Wales, Johnny Osbourne, Junior Reid and Frankie Paul to name a few. While embracing the new Greensleeves still find time to bring out a whole slew of traditional classic roots music with artists such as Hugh Mundell, Jacob Miller, Ras Michael, Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Ini Kamoze, Augustus Pablo and Israel Vibration. They helped re-established dub with the ‘Scientist’ series and unleashed vocal albums from the Wailing Souls, Freddie McGregor, Linval Thompson, Don Carlos, Dennis Brown, Home T, Cocoa Tea, Shabba Ranks and that’s just the eighties!
In the early nineties Greensleeves had a UK No.1 with Shaggy's ‘Oh Carolina’. Never one to rest on its laurels the label followed up with classic albums by Bounty Killer, Garnett Silk, Beenie Man, Maestro, Mykal Rose and Beres Hammond. Somehow in the middle of all this action Greensleeves even found time to tackle the emerging the UK Ragga-Jungle scene. After continuing to make waves with albums from Everton Blender, Anthony B, Bushman, Morgan Heritage and Sizzla Greensleeves ended the decade with two more national chart hits for Beenie Man and Mr. Vegas.
SHIZZLE…..
Greensleeves took the new millennium in its stride and continued to back new and emerging as the label always did. The noughties would see the rise of a whole new school of artists like Elephant Man, Wayne Wonder and the Vybz Cartel.
To date Greensleeves has released over 400 albums and Jah knows how many singles so this selection only skims the surface of a catalogue that reads like roll call for a reggae hall of fame….scratch that! It is a reggae hall of fame.
YOUR SELECTOR……DON LETTS
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