Dillinger (musician)
Encyclopedia
Dillinger is a reggae
artist
.
's El Paso sound system. This exposure would eventually lead to work in 1971, as a deejay
on the Prince Jackie and El Paso sound systems, initially influenced by Big Youth
, U Roy, and Dennis Alcapone, and performing as "Dennis Alcapone Jr.". The first record producer
he worked with was Lee "Scratch" Perry, who decided that Bullocks should change his name to Dillinger, after gangster John Dillinger
. He was part of the second wave of deejay toasters who rose to prominence during the mid 1970s. In 1974, he recorded "Freshly" for Yabby You
, and 1975 saw a slew of releases with a variety of producers including Augustus Pablo
("Brace a Boy"), Joseph Hoo Kim
("CB 200"), and Coxsone Dodd
("Killer Man Jaro"). Albums for Dodd (Ready Natty Dreadie) and Hoo Kim (CB 200 and Bionic Dread) would soon follow. His hit "Cocaine In My Brain", which relied heavily on the main tune from "Do It Anyway You Wanna" by the People's Choice
was hugely popular internationally, and was a number 1 hit
in the Netherlands
. His output dropped somewhat in the mid 1980s but he returned to recording
in the early 1990s. On September 17, 2008, the Mars Volta covered this song during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Dillinger was known for his quick wit
, humorous lyrics and vulgar content (e.g. on the track "Crabs in My Pants").
"Cocaine In My Brain" was featured on the K-Jah reggae radio station
K-Jah West in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
.
In 1978, along with Leroy Smart
and Delroy Wilson
, Dillinger was referenced
by lyricist
Joe Strummer
in The Clash
's track, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
."
There have also been dozens of compilation album
s of Dillinger's work released on various record label
s since the 1980s.
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...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Biography
As a young man growing up in Kingston, Dillinger would hang around Dennis AlcaponeDennis Alcapone
Dennis Alcapone is a reggae DJ and producer.-Career:Smith initially trained as a welder and worked for the Jamaica Public Services...
's El Paso sound system. This exposure would eventually lead to work in 1971, as a deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
on the Prince Jackie and El Paso sound systems, initially influenced by Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
, U Roy, and Dennis Alcapone, and performing as "Dennis Alcapone Jr.". The first 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...
he worked with was Lee "Scratch" Perry, who decided that Bullocks should change his name to Dillinger, after gangster John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
. He was part of the second wave of deejay toasters who rose to prominence during the mid 1970s. In 1974, he recorded "Freshly" for Yabby You
Yabby You
Vivian Jackson , better known as Yabby You , was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.-Biography:...
, and 1975 saw a slew of releases with a variety of producers including Augustus Pablo
Augustus Pablo
Horace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...
("Brace a Boy"), Joseph Hoo Kim
Joseph Hoo Kim
-Career:Shortly after the Jamaican government banned gaming machines in the early 1970s, Joe Joe Hookim and his brother Ernest, abandoned their jobs as machine operators, and jumped into the music business. By 1973, the Hookims had opened their own studio, Channel One, with Joe Joe as its hands-on...
("CB 200"), and Coxsone Dodd
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
("Killer Man Jaro"). Albums for Dodd (Ready Natty Dreadie) and Hoo Kim (CB 200 and Bionic Dread) would soon follow. His hit "Cocaine In My Brain", which relied heavily on the main tune from "Do It Anyway You Wanna" by the People's Choice
The People's Choice
- Awards :*People's Choice Awards, an American awards show*People's Choice Awards , an Australian version of the awards show*People's Choice Podcast Awards, an award given to podcasters- Literature :...
was hugely popular internationally, and was a number 1 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. His output dropped somewhat in the mid 1980s but he returned to recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in the early 1990s. On September 17, 2008, the Mars Volta covered this song during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Dillinger was known for his quick wit
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
, humorous lyrics and vulgar content (e.g. on the track "Crabs in My Pants").
"Cocaine In My Brain" was featured on the K-Jah reggae radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
K-Jah West in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
.
In 1978, along with Leroy Smart
Leroy Smart
-Biography:Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned aged 2. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at Alpha Boys School, where he studied singing, drums and dancing....
and Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson
Delroy Wilson was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer.-Biography:Wilson released his first single "Emy Lou" in 1961 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, at the age of thirteen...
, Dillinger was referenced
Name-dropping
Name-dropping is the practice of mentioning important people or institutions within a conversation, story, song, online identity, or other communication. The term often connotes an attempt to impress others; it is usually regarded negatively, and under certain circumstances may constitute a breach...
by lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
in The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's track, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
" In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by The Clash, self produced and first released as a 7" single, backed with the track "The Prisoner", in June 1978....
."
Album discography
- Ready Natty Dreadie (1975, Studio One) released in 1978 as Babylon Fever.
- CB 200 (1976, IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
) - Bionic Dread (1976, Black Swan)
- Clash (1977, Burning Sounds) with TrinityTrinity (musician)Trinity aka Junior Brammer is a reggae deejay and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s.-Biography:Born in 1954, Brammer was educated at the Alpha Boys School...
- Talkin' Blues (1977, Magnum)
- Top Ranking Dillinger (1977, Third World)
- Superstar (1977, Weedbeat)
- Cornbread (1978, Jamaica Sound)
- Non Stop Disco Style (1978, Clocktower)
- Answer My Questions (1979, Third World)
- Marijuana In My Brain (1979, Jamaica Sound)
- Funky Punk Rock To The Music (1979, Bellaphon)
- Live at the Music Machine (1979, Jamaica Sound)
- Dub Organiser (197?, Scandal Bag)
- Cup Of Tea (1980, Jamaica Sound)
- Badder Than Them (1981, A&MA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
) - Corn Bread (1983, Vista Sounds)
- Live at London (1981, Vista Sounds) with Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood (musician)Clint Eastwood is a Jamaican reggae deejay, who recorded as a solo artist in the late 1970s and early 1980s before teaming up with UK deejay General Saint as the duo Clint Eastwood & General Saint.-Biography:...
- Join The Queue (1983, Oak Sounds)
- King Pharaoh (1984, Blue Moon)
- Best Of Live (1984, Vista Sounds)
- Cocaine (1984, New Cross)
- Tribal War (1986, New Cross)
- 3 Piece Suit (1993, Culture PressCulture PressCulture Press is an independent record label from UK specialized in Jamaican music. Many of their releases are of questionable legality and are often titled incorrectly.-LP Discography:*VSLP5000 - Bob Marley - Interviews...
) - Say No To Drugs (1993, Lagoon)
- Youthman Veteran (2001, Jah WarriorJah WarriorJah Warrior is a United Kingdom roots reggae/dub production team, record label, sound system, and musical group centred around Steve Mosco.- Overview :...
) - At King Tubby's (2006, Attack)
- Ten To One (2007, Dream Catcher)
There have also been dozens of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s of Dillinger's work released on various record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s since the 1980s.