Greensleeves Records

Last updated

Greensleeves Records
Greensleeves Records logo.svg
Parent company VP Music Group
Founded
  • 1975 (record store)
  • 1977 (record label)
FounderChris Sedgwick
Chris Cracknell
Distributor(s)VP Records
Genre Reggae
Dancehall
Country of origin United Kingdom
Location 3rd Floor, Masters House, 107 Hammersmith Road, W14 0QH, (London)
Official website Official Web Site

Greensleeves Records & Publishing, shortened to Greensleeves Records, is a record label specializing in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick. Based in Britain, Greensleeves Records started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975. [1] [2] The record label was founded in 1977, with early releases including albums by Augustus Pablo and Barrington Levy. [3]

They have released records by Red Rat, Anthony Johnson, Barrington Levy, Billy Boyo, Chezidek, Dennis Brown, Dr Alimantado, Eek-A-Mouse, Elephant Man, Freddie McGregor, Gregory Isaacs, Keith Hudson, Mad Cobra, Scientist, Shabba Ranks, Sizzla, Vybz Kartel and Yellowman, and have had crossover pop hits with Tippa Irie's "Hello, Darling", Shaggy's "Oh Carolina", Beenie Man's "Who Am I (Sim Simma)" and Mr Vegas's "Head High." In 2002, Greensleeves released the popular Diwali album, which launched a global resurgence in dancehall reggae music. The album contained the global hits "No Letting Go" by Wayne Wonder and "Get Busy" by Sean Paul. The riddim (slightly altered) was also used by Lumidee on the hit "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)". The label has a catalogue of close to 500 albums.[ citation needed ]

Greensleeves Publishing has the largest catalogue of reggae songs in the world, including the copyrights of Shaggy's "Oh Carolina", Sean Paul's "Get Busy", and "Break It Off" among over 20,000 copyrights.[ citation needed ]

The company was bought by Zest Inc. in 2006, and in 2008 was bought by VP Records. [1]

Related Research Articles

Barrington Levy Musical artist

Barrington Ainsworth Levy is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist.

Sugar Minott Musical artist

Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.

Sean Paul Jamaican dancehall rapper and singer

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD is a Jamaican dancehall rapper and singer who is regarded as one of the genre's most prolific artists.

The Folkes Brothers were a Jamaican ska group, composed of John, Mico, and Junior Folkes, best known for the single "Oh Carolina".

Super Cat Jamaican deejay and rapper

William Anthony Maragh, also known as Super Cat, is a Jamaican deejay who achieved widespread popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. His nickname, "Wild Apache", was given to him by his mentor Early B. Super Cat is considered one of the greatest deejays in the history of the Jamaican dancehall scene.

Cocoa Tea Jamaican musician (born 1959)

Calvin George Scott, better known as Cocoa Tea, is a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter.

Wayne Smith (musician) Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician

Wayne Smith was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician best known for his 1985 hit "Under Me Sleng Teng", which is regarded as the track which initiated the digital era of reggae.

VP Records US independent reggae record label

VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami, London, Kingston, Tokyo, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, the label has established a presence in Toronto, Australia and New Zealand.

Cutty Ranks Jamaican dancehall singer

Philip Thomas, better known as Cutty Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall singer.

"Oh Carolina" is a 1958 song by the Folkes Brothers, produced by Prince Buster and released in 1960, after which it became an early ska hit. It was covered by many various artists, including Shaggy in 1993.

<i>Diwali Riddim</i> 2002 compilation album by Various artists

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali, also known as the Diwali Riddim, is an album and popular dancehall riddim that came to prominence in 2002. The riddim is credited to Jamaican producer Steven "Lenky" Marsden. This has appeared on several international hit songs by Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Lumidee, Brick & Lace, and Wayne Wonder. The New York Times described the song as 'one of the most popular reggae rhythms of all time, spawning hits, sequels and -- inevitably -- rip-offs. If ever there was a beat that deserved its own Behind the Music, this is it.' Similarly, the album was heralded as 'the best reggae album' released in 2002.

Mr. Vegas Musical artist

Clifford Smith, better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall musician.

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Australia has several bands and sound systems that play reggae music in a style faithful to its expression in Jamaica. Australia has a relatively small Jamaican community, but reggae penetrated local consciousness via the popularity of reggae among the non-Jamaican population of England in the 1960s and 1970s. Many indigenous musicians have embraced reggae, both for its musical qualities and its ethos of resistance. Examples include Mantaka, No Fixed Address, Zennith and Coloured Stone.

Jah Thomas Musical artist

Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas is a reggae deejay and record producer who first came to prominence in the 1970s, later setting up his own Midnight Rock and Nura labels.

Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh) 2003 single by Lumidee

"Never Leave You " is a song by American recording artist Lumidee, released as the debut single on May 12, 2003, from her debut studio album, Almost Famous (2003). The official remix features Fabolous and Busta Rhymes. "Never Leave You " peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Never Leave You " topped the charts in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in many other countries, including Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

Shaggy (musician) Jamaican reggae musician

Orville Richard Burrell CD, better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican reggae musician, singer, DJ, and actor who scored hits with the songs "It Wasn't Me", "Boombastic", "In The Summertime", "Oh Carolina", and "Angel". He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best Reggae Album with Boombastic in 1996 and 44/876 with Sting in 2019, and has won the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist in 2002.

Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.

Paul Love, better known as Jah Screw is a Jamaican singer and record producer best known for his work in the 1980s and 1990s with artists such as Barrington Levy, Barry Brown, and Ranking Joe

Kemar McGregor Musical artist

Kemar McGregor, also known by his nicknames, DJ Flava and Flava McGregor, is a Jamaican-American pop reggae producer. He has recorded and produced music for the most renowned artists in the music industry, including Sinead O'Connor, Musiq Soulchild, Syleena Johnson, Jon Secada, Maxi Priest, Sizzla, Marcia Griffiths, Beenie Man, Wayne Wonder, Buju Banton, Capleton, Sanchez, Freddie McGregor, Luciano, Sugar Minott, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Morgan Heritage, Half Pint, Tanya Stephens, Gyptian, Cas Haley, Beres Hammond, Glen Washington, Etana and Cocoa Tea, among many others. McGregor is the owner and chief executive officer of FM Records.

Philip Smart was a Jamaican music producer based in New York City.

References

  1. 1 2 Campbell, Howard (2012) "Greensleeves Records paves way for dancehall", Jamaica Observer , 4 July 2012, retrieved 2012-07-05
  2. Michael De Koningh, Marc Griffiths. Tighten Up!: The History of Reggae in the UK. Sanctuary, 2003, pp. 217-218.
  3. Andy Wood (2002). Alison Donnell (ed.). Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture. Routledge. p. 268. ISBN   978-1-134-70024-0.