 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(January 2011) |
| Front Line | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Virgin Records |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Richard Branson |
| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | Reggae |
| Country of origin | UK |
Front Line was a reggae subsidiary of Virgin Records established in 1978. [1] Over forty albums were issued on the label before it folded in 1979.
Virgin had been releasing reggae records since BB Seaton's "Dancing Shoes" in 1974. [1] By 1975, label owner Richard Branson had begun signing roots reggae artists, and in the three years that followed, Virgin released successful albums by the likes of U-Roy, The Mighty Diamonds, Keith Hudson, Johnny Clarke, Peter Tosh, and I Roy. [1] Johnny Rotten is rumoured to have signed with Virgin because of the company's progressive policy towards reggae. [1] In 1978, Branson decided to form a subsidiary label dedicated wholly to reggae, and called this Front Line. [1]
Branson and Rotten travelled to Kingston and signed artists to the label including Prince Far I, Big Youth, Prince Hammer, Tappa Zukie, Sly Dunbar, and The Twinkle Brothers. [1] Many of the artists who had previously released records on Virgin also moved to the new label. Front Line folded after two years although some of the artists remained signed to Virgin. [1]
Many of the albums were reissued on compact disc in the 2000s.
Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in The New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".
Joe Gibbs born Joel Arthur Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.
Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians. Shakespeare died in December 2021 following kidney surgery.
Lloyd James, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub master at King Tubby's recording studio. His dubs were known for their clear sound and use of effects.
Lester Bullock, better known by the stage name Dillinger, is a Jamaican reggae artist. He was part of the second wave of deejay toasters who rose to prominence during the mid-1970s.
Blood and Fire is a British reggae record label specialising in reissues of 1970s dub.
Aston Francis Barrett, often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, is a retired Jamaican musician and Rastafarian.
Tapper Zukie is a reggae deejay and producer.
Culture Press is an independent record label from UK specialized in Jamaican music.
The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths, Clinton Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland. Their two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up (1976) and Proverbial Reggae (1978) with songs such as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks the Time is Now". "Mix Up", "Music Makers from Jamaica", and "Soul Rebel" – a song written by The Wailers. Gladiators also cooperated with the toaster U-Roy.
The Revolutionaries was a Jamaican reggae band.
The Twinkle Brothers are a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1962, and still active in the 21st century under Norman Grant's lead.
Carlton "Santa" Davis is a musician from Jamaica, primarily known for his drumming with bands such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate and Roots Radics. He has worked with reggae artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Big Youth, The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Andrew Tosh, Wailing Souls, Ini Kamoze, Big Mountain, Michael Rose, and Ziggy Marley.
Ansel Collins is a Jamaican musician, composer, singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Dave Barker as Dave and Ansel Collins.
Proverbial Reggae was the second album by Jamaican Roots Reggae band The Gladiators, recorded and released in 1978 on Virgin Records' Front Line imprint.
Clinton Anthony Fearon is a Jamaican reggae singer and musician. He has lived in Seattle, Washington since 1987.
Health and Strength is an album by Prince Far I recorded in the late 1970s but not released until 1998.
Everald Pickersgill, better known as David Jahson, is a Jamaican reggae singer, active since the early 1970s.
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