Matumbi (band)
Encyclopedia
Matumbi were one of top British
reggae
bands of the 1970s and early 1980s, and are best known as the first successful band of guitarist and record producer
Dennis Bovell
.
, with a line-up of Ted Dixon (vocals), Euton Jones (drums), Dennis Bovell (guitar), Errol Pottinger (guitar), Eaton "Jah" Blake (bass guitar), Bevin Fagan (vocals), and Nicholas Bailey (vocals, later better known as Nick Straker
). In the early 1970s they acted as a backing band to touring Jamaica
n musicians. In 1973, they opened for The Wailers at the Ethiopian famine relief concert in Edmonton
, where much to their emabarrassment they went down better than the headliners, Bovell later saying "The press thought we were much better, and we felt terrible because they were our heroes." They signed to Trojan Records
, and had a major breakthrough in 1976, when their version of Bob Dylan
's "Man in Me
" became the biggest-selling UK reggae single that year. Success brought problems for the band, with their record label unhappy about some band members other musical activities, and Bailey and Dixon left, to be replaced by Webster Johnson (keyboards). Pottinger and Jones also left the band, with Glaister Fagan and Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson joining. The new line-up signed a deal with Harvest Records
, and toured with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Matumbi recorded two sessions for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show in 1978. The group's debut album, Seven Seals, was issued in 1978, but their second album, Point of View, was a greater success, with the title track giving the band a top 40
hit in 1979. Further albums followed between 1980 and 1982, but these did not match their earlier success. The band split up, with members moving on to various other projects; Bovell released solo material and became renowned as a producer, Donaldson joined The Cimarons
, and Fagan and Blake recorded as The Squad.
Compilations:
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...
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...
bands of the 1970s and early 1980s, and are best known as the first successful band of guitarist 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...
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell
Dennis Bovell is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'....
.
History
Matumbi formed in 1972 in South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, with a line-up of Ted Dixon (vocals), Euton Jones (drums), Dennis Bovell (guitar), Errol Pottinger (guitar), Eaton "Jah" Blake (bass guitar), Bevin Fagan (vocals), and Nicholas Bailey (vocals, later better known as Nick Straker
Nick Straker
Nick Straker is a London born musician, who had hits in Europe and the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Career:...
). In the early 1970s they acted as a backing band to touring 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 musicians. In 1973, they opened for The Wailers at the Ethiopian famine relief concert in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, where much to their emabarrassment they went down better than the headliners, Bovell later saying "The press thought we were much better, and we felt terrible because they were our heroes." They signed to Trojan Records
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...
, and had a major breakthrough in 1976, when their version of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Man in Me
The Man in Me
"The Man in Me" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1970 album New Morning.It is featured in the soundtrack to the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski. It plays during the stylized opening title sequence and during the hallucination sequence after the Dude is punched and his rug stolen...
" became the biggest-selling UK reggae single that year. Success brought problems for the band, with their record label unhappy about some band members other musical activities, and Bailey and Dixon left, to be replaced by Webster Johnson (keyboards). Pottinger and Jones also left the band, with Glaister Fagan and Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson joining. The new line-up signed a deal with Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, and toured with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Matumbi recorded two sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show in 1978. The group's debut album, Seven Seals, was issued in 1978, but their second album, Point of View, was a greater success, with the title track giving the band a top 40
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 ...
hit in 1979. Further albums followed between 1980 and 1982, but these did not match their earlier success. The band split up, with members moving on to various other projects; Bovell released solo material and became renowned as a producer, Donaldson joined The Cimarons
The Cimarons
The Cimarons were a UK reggae band formed in 1967. They were the UK's first self-contained indigenous reggae band.-History:Jamaican natives, the Cimarons migrated to Britain in 1967 with a lineup consisting of Franklyn Dunn , Carl Levy , Locksley Gichie , and Maurice Ellis ; vocalist, Winston Reid...
, and Fagan and Blake recorded as The Squad.
Albums
- Seven Seals (1978), Harvest SHSP 4090
- Point of View (1979), EMI
- Dub Planet Orbit 1 (1980), Extinguish
- Matumbi (1981), EMI
- Testify (1982), Solid Groove
Compilations:
- The Best of Matumbi (1977), Trojan
- Empire Road - the best of Matumbi (2001), EMI
- Music in the Air (2005), Trojan
Singles
- "Brother Louie" (197?), Trojan
- "Wipe Them Out" (197?), Trojan
- "After Tonight" (197?), Trojan
- "Man In Me" (1976), Trojan
- "Rock" (June 1978), Harvest HAR 5162
- "Empire Road" (September 1978), Harvest HAR 5169
- "Bluebeat & Ska" (March 1979), Harvest HAR 5174
- "Point of View (Squeeze A Little Lovin)" (September 1979), Harvest - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#35 - "Alive & Kicking"