Devon Russell
Encyclopedia
Devon Russell was a Jamaica
n rocksteady
and reggae
singer and record producer
who recorded between the 1960s and the 1990s, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Tartans
and Cultural Roots.
. When the Tartans disbanded, Russell embarked on a solo career, and for a time joined Cultural Roots as lead singer. He also recorded with Myton as Devon & Cedric. In the mid-1970s, Russell recorded 11 songs for Lee "Scratch" Perry that were never released and contrary to popular belief, he never recorded under the name of Devon Irons. In the early 1980s he recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, and his debut solo album, Roots Music, was produced by Dodd and released on Sweet Music Records in 1982. In 1983 he was asked to join The Congos
for a European tour, and he eventually relocated to the United Kingdom
. He moved on to work with Roy Cousins
on his second album, Prison Life. In the early 1990s he worked with Zion Train
and Skaville Train. In 1996 his fourth album, Darker Than Blue, was a tribute to Curtis Mayfield
wholly comprising Mayfield cover version
s.
His productions include Big Youth
's 1978 album Isaiah First Prophet of the Old.
Russell died from a brain tumour on 18 June 1997.
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 rocksteady
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
and 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 and record 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...
who recorded between the 1960s and the 1990s, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Tartans
The Tartans
The Tartans were a rocksteady group who came together in 1967 in Kingston, Jamaica. The members were initially Prince Lincoln Thompson, Cedric Myton, Devon Russell and Lindberg Lewis....
and Cultural Roots.
Biography
Russell's career began in the 1960s with the Tartans, a group which also included Prince Lincoln Thompson, Linbergh "Preps" Lewis, and Cedric MytonCedric Myton
Cedric Myton born in Jamaica is a Reggae musician and Rastafarian. Myton played with Prince Lincoln Thompson in The Tartans in the early 1970s until they apparently fell out. Cedric Myton claims he was one of the backing harmony vocals on Prince Lincoln's Humanity album recorded in 1975, but he is...
. When the Tartans disbanded, Russell embarked on a solo career, and for a time joined Cultural Roots as lead singer. He also recorded with Myton as Devon & Cedric. In the mid-1970s, Russell recorded 11 songs for Lee "Scratch" Perry that were never released and contrary to popular belief, he never recorded under the name of Devon Irons. In the early 1980s he recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, and his debut solo album, Roots Music, was produced by Dodd and released on Sweet Music Records in 1982. In 1983 he was asked to join The Congos
The Congos
The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.-History:...
for a European tour, and he eventually relocated to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He moved on to work with 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...
on his second album, Prison Life. In the early 1990s he worked with Zion Train
Zion Train
Zion Train are a British dub reggae ensemble . Initially formed in Oxford as a sound system in 1988 by Neil Perch and Ben Hamilton, Colin Cod and Dave Tench joined in 1990 upon relocation to London. The line-up was added to with vocalist Molara in 1992...
and Skaville Train. In 1996 his fourth album, Darker Than Blue, was a tribute to Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
wholly comprising Mayfield cover version
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...
s.
His productions include Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
's 1978 album Isaiah First Prophet of the Old.
Russell died from a brain tumour on 18 June 1997.
Discography
- Roots Music (1982) Studio One
- Prison Life Tamoki Wambesi
- This Cloak and Dagger (1988) World Enterprise
- Money Sex & Violence (1991) Runn (Devon Russell & the Cultural Roots)
- Devon Russell Sings Roots Classics (1993) Universal Egg (with Zion Train)
- Bible and the Gun (1996) Fire House
- Darker Than Blue (1996) House of Reggae
- 3 The Hard Way Roots (1996) Uptempo (with Willi WilliamsWilli WilliamsWilli Williams is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and producer. He is known as the "Armagideon Man" after his hit, "Armagideon Time", first recorded in 1978 at Studio One in Kingston. The song was covered by The Clash as the flipside of their "London Calling" single.-Biography:Williams was born...
and Nitty GrittyNitty GrittyGlen 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....
) - Showcase (2003) Reggae Retro (with Skaville Train)
- Home Bound Train P-Vine
External links
- Devon Russell at Roots Archives