Lorenzo Aitken better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaica

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 ska

Ska

Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...

 music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of ska".

Career

Born in Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

 of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento

Mento

Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It has its roots in calypso and other Jamaican folk music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the...

 songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour

Kingston Harbour

-External links:**Photos:...

, he became a popular nightclub

Nightclub

A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

 entertainer. His first recordings

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 late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Progressing to a pre-ska shuffle, Aitken's 1958 single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in My Bones" was one of the first records

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 produced

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...

 by Chris Blackwell

Chris Blackwell

Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...

, who founded his Island Records

Island Records

Island 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...

 label that year, and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom. Other rock and roll singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl", "Drinkin' Whisky" and "More Whisky", produced by Duke Reid

Duke Reid

Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....

.

Aitken moved to Brixton

Brixton

Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 in 1960 and recorded for the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. He recorded for Duke Reid, with backing from The Skatalites

The Skatalites

The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...

 on tracks such as "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer", before returning to the UK, where he began working with Pama Records

Pama Records

Pama records was a United Kingdom record label active during the 1960s and 1970s. Initially focused on soul music, it became one of the major outlets for reggae in the UK.-History:...

. He recorded hits such as "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which led to a wider recognition outside of Jamaica and the UK. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska, and later Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinhead

Skinhead

A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...

s and other ska fans. He had hit record

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...

s in 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...

 and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama

Pama Records

Pama records was a United Kingdom record label active during the 1960s and 1970s. Initially focused on soul music, it became one of the major outlets for reggae in the UK.-History:...

, Trojan

Trojan Records

Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...

, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat,Hot Lead and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken

Bobby Aitken

Bobby Aitken IS a Cuban-born Jamaican guitarist and singer who had a string of hits in Jamaica in the 1960s and led the band The Carib Beats.-Biography:Aitken is the brother of Laurel Aitken, and recorded in the early 1960s for producer King Edwards...

. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole". Aitken settled in Leicester

Leicester

Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...

 with his wife in 1970. His output slowed in the 1970s and during this period he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in the area including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester under his real name Lorenzo. In 1980, with ska enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the 2 Tone

2 Tone

2 Tone is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae, and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff...

 movement, Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 with "Rudi Got Married" (#60). Aitken's career took in mento

Mento

Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It has its roots in calypso and other Jamaican folk music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the...

/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady

Rock Steady

Rock Steady is the fifth album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released on December 11, 2001 on Interscope Records. The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers,...

, 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...

, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall

Dancehall

Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...

. He performed occasional concert

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

s almost until his death from a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

 in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque

Blue plaque

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....

 in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007.

Albums

• Ska With Laurel (1965, Rio)
• High Priest of Reggae (1969, Nu-Beat)
• Laurel Aitken Meets Floyd Lloyd and the Potato Five (1987, Gaz's) (with The Potato 5)
• Early Days of Blue Beat, Ska and Reggae (1988, Bold Reprive)
• True Fact (1988, Rackit) (with The Potato 5)
• Ringo The Gringo (1989, Unicorn)
• It's Too Late (1989, Unicorn)
• Rise and Fall (1989, Unicorn)
• Sally Brown (1989, Unicorn)
• Rasta Man Power (1992, ROIR
  ROIR
  ROIR , or Reach Out International Records, is a New York City-based record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper.ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label exclusively distributed its releases in cassette format...
  
  )
• The Blue Beat Years (1996, Moon Ska)
• Rocksteady Party (1996, Blue Moon) (with The Potato 5)
• The Story So Far (1999, Grover)
• Woppi King (1997, Trybute)
• The Pama Years (1999, Grover)
• The Long Hot Summer (1999, Grover) (Laurel Aitken and The Skatalites
  The Skatalites
  The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
  
  )
• Clash of The Ska Titans (1999, Moon Ska) (Laurel Aitken versus The Skatalites)
• Pioneer of Jamaican Music (2000, Reggae Retro)
• Godfather of Ska (2000, Grover)
• Jamboree (2001, Grover)
• Rudi Got Married (2004, Grover)
• En Espanol (2004, Liquidator)
• Live at Club Ska (2004, Trojan)
• The Pioneer of Jamaican Music (2005, Reggae Retro)
• Super Star (2005, Liquidator)
• The Very Last Concert (2007, Soulove) (CD + DVD)

Singles

• "Nebuchnezer/Sweet Chariot" (1958, Kalypso)
• Low Down Dirty Girl" (1959, Duke Reid)
• "Drinkin' Whiskey" (1959)BB 25
• "Boogie Rock" (1960, Blue Beat) BB 1
• "Jeannie Is Back" (1960, Blue Beat)
• "Judgement Day" (1960, Blue Beat) BB 14
• "Railroad Track" (1960, Blue Beat)
• "More Whisky" (1960, Blue Beat) BB 25
• "Aitken's Boogie" (1960, Kalypso) XX 16
• "Baba Kill Me Goat" (1960, Kalypso)
• "Boogie In My Bones" (1960, Starlite)ST. 45 011
• "Honey Girl" (1960, Starlite)
• "Hey Bar Tender" (1961, Blue Beat)
• "Bouncing Woman" (1961, Blue Beat)
• "Mighty Redeemer" (1961, Blue Beat)
• "Mary Lee" (1961, Melodisc)
• "Love Me Baby" (1961, Starlite)
• "Brother David" (1962, Blue Beat)
• "Lucille" (1962, Blue Beat)
• "Sixty Days & Sixty Nights" (1962, Blue Beat)
• "Jenny Jenny" (1962, Blue Beat)
• "Mabel" (1962, Dice)
• "Lion of Judah" (1963, Black Swan)
• "The Saint" (1963, Black Swan)
• "Zion City" (1963, Blue Beat)
• "Little Girl" (1963, Blue Beat)
• "Oh Jean" (1963, Dice)
• "Sweet Jamaica" (1963, Dice)
• "Low Down Dirty Girl" (1963, Duke)
• "I Shall Remove" (1963, Island)
• "What a Weeping" (1963, Island)
• "In My Soul" (1963, Island)
• "Adam & Eve" (1963, Rio)
• "Mary" (1963, Rio)
• "Bad Minded Woman" (1963, Rio)
• "Devil or Angel" (1963, Rio) R17
• "Freedom Train" (1963, Rio)
• "This Great Day" (1964, Blue Beat)
• "West Indian Cricket Test" (1964, JNAC)
• "Pick Up Your Bundle" (1964, R&B)
• "Yes Indeed" (1964, R&B)
• "Bachelor Life" (1964, R&B)
• "Leave Me Standing" (1964, Rio)
• "John Saw Them Coming" (1964, Rio)
• "Rock of Ages" (1964, Rio)
• "Jamaica" (1965, Dice)
• "We Shall Overcome" (1965, Dice)
• "Mary Don't You Weep" (1965, Rio)
• "Mary Lou" (1965, Rio)
• "One More Time" (1965, Rio)
• "Let's Be Lovers" (1965, Rio)
• "Clementine" (1966, Blue Beat)
• "Don't Break Your Promises" (1966, Rainbow)
• "Voodoo Woman" (1966, Rainbow)
• "How Can I Forget You" (1966, Rio)
• "Baby Don't Do It" (1966, Rio)
• "We Shall Overcome" (1966, Rio)
• "Clap Your Hands" (1966, Rio)

• "Jumbie Jamboree" (1966, Ska-Beat)
• "Propaganda" (1966, Ska-Beat)
• "Green Banana" (1966, Ska-Beat)
• "Rock Steady" (1967, Columbia Blue Beat)
• "I'm Still In Love With You Girl" (1967, Columbia Blue Beat)
• "Never Hurt You" (1967, Fab)
• "Sweet Precious Love" (1967, Rainbow)
• "Mr. Lee" (1968, Dr. Bird)
• "La La La (Means I Love You)" (1968, Dr. Bird)
• "For Sentimental Reasons" (1968, Fab)
• "Fire In Your Wire" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "Rice & Peas" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "Reggae Prayer" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "The Rise & Fall Of Laurel Aitken" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "Haile Haile" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "Carolina" (1969, Dr. Bird)
• "Think Me No Know" (1969, Junior)
• "Woppi King" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Suffering Still" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Haile Selassie" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Lawd Doctor" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Run Powell Run" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Save The Last Dance" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Don't Be Cruel" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Shoo Be Doo" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Landlords & Tenants" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Jesse James" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Pussy Price Gone Up" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Skinhead Train" (1969, Nu-Beat)
• "Donkey Man" (1969, Unity)
• "Pussy Got Thirteen Life" (1970, Ackee)
• "Sin Pon You" (1970, Ackee)
• "Moon Rock" (1970, Bamboo)
• "Skinhead Invasion" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "I've Got Your Love" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Scandal In Brixton Market" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Nobody But Me" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "I'll Never Love Any Girl" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Reggae Popcorn" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Baby I Need Your Loving" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Sex Machine" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Pachanga" (1970, Nu-Beat)
• "Mary's Boy Child" (1970, Pama)
• "Why Can't I Touch You" (1970, Pama Supreme)
• "Dancing With My Baby" (1971, Big Shot)
• "If It's Hell Below" (1971, Black Swan)
• "True Love" (1971, Nu-Beat)
• "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1971, Nu-Beat)
• "It's Too Late" (1971, Trojan)
• "Take Me In Your Arms" (1972, Big Shot)
• "Africa Arise" (1972, Camel)
• "Reggae Popcorn" (1972, Pama)
• "Never Be Anyone Else" 1974 (Hot Lead Records)
• "Fattie Bum Bum" (1975, Punch)
• "For Ever And Ever" (1977, DiP)
• "Rudi Got Married" (1980, I Spy) UK # 60
• "Big Fat Man" (1980, I Spy)
• "Mad About You" (1986, Gaz's)
• "Everybody Ska" (1989, Unicorn)
• "Skinhead" (1999, Grover)

Videos/DVDs

• Live at Gaz's Rockin' Blues (1989, Unicorn) (VHS)
• Laurel Aitken And Friends - Live At Club Ska (2005, Cherry Red) (DVD)

Further reading

• Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: The Rough Guide To Reggae 3rd edn., Rough Guides, 2004

External links

• www.grover.de Biography
• www.geocities.com Biography
• www.laurel-aitken.surf3.net Biography
• Laurel Aitken albums Discogs
  Discogs
  Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
  
  discography