Scotty (musician)
Encyclopedia
Scotty performed as a reggae
vocalist and deejay
.
called The Federals. They began performing paid concert
s in 1967, and shortly thereafter they attracted the attention of reggae producer
and music promoter Derrick Harriott
while performing at a Kingston venue called the Sombrero Club. Harriott added them to a tour of reggae artists, Derrick Harriott's Musical Chariot, and helped them record
a series of singles
. Their first single, "Penny For Your Song", was a local hit
, but subsequent singles failed to chart
, and in 1969 Smykle quit the group and moved to New York
. After the break-up of The Federals, Scotty and Franklin re-formed their group by adding two new members, Noel "Bunny" Brown and Richard MacDonald. They adoped the name The Chosen Few
, and resumed work under Harriott. Their popularity increased in 1970 after they provided back-up vocals
for Hopeton Lewis
's single "Boom Shacka Lacka", and later that year they scored a Jamaican #1 hit of their own with "Psychedelic Train".
Shortly after this success, Harriott removed Scotty from The Chosen Few, replacing him with Busty Brown, the former singer for The Messengers. Instead, Scotty provided DJ work for various groups under Harriott's auspices, such as The Crystallites, his first DJ outing being "Musical Chariot". He appeared on numerous charting hits during this period, such as "Sesame Street" (1970, reaching #3 in Jamaica), "Riddle I This" (1970, #1) and "Jam Rock Style" (1971). His song "Draw Your Brakes", a deejay version of Keith & Tex
's hit "Stop That Train", was in the soundtrack
to the film
, The Harder They Come
.
Scotty's style prefigured the 'singjay
' style of the late 1970s. He continued working with Harriott until 1972, after which he spent a couple of years working with other producers such as Harry J, Lloyd Charmers
, and Sonia Pottinger
. Scotty moved to the United States
in 1974, settling in Florida
. He established a recording studio
and a record label
, but these both failed, and he returned to Jamaica. He resumed recording, now in a ragga
style, and was working on a new album when he died of prostate cancer
in 2003.
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...
vocalist and 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...
.
Biography
While studying at Kingston Technical High School, Scotty and fellow students Valman Smykle and A. J. Franklin (born Franklin Spence) formed a reggae trioTrio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
called The Federals. They began performing paid 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 in 1967, and shortly thereafter they attracted the attention of reggae 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...
and music promoter Derrick Harriott
Derrick Harriott
Derrick Harriott is a singer and record producer. He has produced recordings by Big Youth, Chariot Riders, The Chosen Few, Dennis Brown, The Ethiopians, Keith & Tex, The Kingstonians, Rudy Mills, Scotty, Sly & Revolutionaries, and Winston McAnuff.-Biography:As a student at Excelsior High School,...
while performing at a Kingston venue called the Sombrero Club. Harriott added them to a tour of reggae artists, Derrick Harriott's Musical Chariot, and helped them record
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...
a series of singles
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...
. Their first single, "Penny For Your Song", was a local hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, but subsequent singles failed to chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and in 1969 Smykle quit the group and moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After the break-up of The Federals, Scotty and Franklin re-formed their group by adding two new members, Noel "Bunny" Brown and Richard MacDonald. They adoped the name The Chosen Few
The Chosen Few (reggae group)
The Chosen Few were a reggae group from Kingston, Jamaica, formed in 1969 and active until the mid-1980s.-History:The Chosen Few evolved from The Federals, with the latter's Franklin Spence and David Scott joined by Noel Brown and Richard McDonald. They initially recorded reggae covers of songs by...
, and resumed work under Harriott. Their popularity increased in 1970 after they provided back-up vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for Hopeton Lewis
Hopeton Lewis
Hopeton Lewis is a Jamaican singer. Lewis' rich baritone has had a profound impact on Jamaican music, and his mixture of gospel and soul elements helped set the template for early rocksteady.-Biography:...
's single "Boom Shacka Lacka", and later that year they scored a Jamaican #1 hit of their own with "Psychedelic Train".
Shortly after this success, Harriott removed Scotty from The Chosen Few, replacing him with Busty Brown, the former singer for The Messengers. Instead, Scotty provided DJ work for various groups under Harriott's auspices, such as The Crystallites, his first DJ outing being "Musical Chariot". He appeared on numerous charting hits during this period, such as "Sesame Street" (1970, reaching #3 in Jamaica), "Riddle I This" (1970, #1) and "Jam Rock Style" (1971). His song "Draw Your Brakes", a deejay version of Keith & Tex
Keith & Tex
Keith & Tex were the Jamaican rocksteady duo of Keith Rowe and Texas Dixon, best known for their 1967 hit "Stop That Train".-History:Keith Rowe grew up in the Washington Gardens area of Saint Andrew Parish, across the road from Lee "Scratch" Perry's home and future studio, on the outskirts of...
's hit "Stop That Train", was in the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come (soundtrack)
The Harder They Come is the soundtrack album to the iconic film of the same name, released in 1972 in the United Kingdom as Island Records ILPS 9202. It was issued in February 1973 in North America as Mango Records SMAS-7400. It peaked at #140 on the Billboard 200.-Content:The heart of the...
.
Scotty's style prefigured the 'singjay
Singjay
Singjaying is a Jamaican style of reggae vocals combining toasting and singing in an elastic format that encourages rhythmically compelling and texturally impressive vocal embellishments. The performer is called singjay, a combination of singer and deejay.The fusion of singing and deejaying...
' style of the late 1970s. He continued working with Harriott until 1972, after which he spent a couple of years working with other producers such as Harry J, Lloyd Charmers
Lloyd Charmers
Lloyd Charmers is a ska and reggae singer, keyboard player and record producer.-Career:...
, and Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD was a Jamaican reggae record producer.The most important Jamaican woman involved in music business, Sonia Pottinger was the first female Jamaican record producer and produced artists from the mid 1960s until the mid 1980s.Married to music producer Lyndon Pottinger, she...
. Scotty moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1974, settling in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He established a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
and a 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,...
, but these both failed, and he returned to Jamaica. He resumed recording, now in a ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
style, and was working on a new album when he died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in 2003.
Albums
- Schooldays (1971, Crystal)
- Draw Your Brakes (1972, Crystal)
- Unbelievable Sounds (1988, TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan 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...
)
External links
- [ Scotty's entry] in Allmusic.
- Scotty at Roots Archives