The Blackstones
Encyclopedia
The Blackstones are a United Kingdom
-based reggae
vocal trio formed in 1974, in the tradition of the Jamaican harmony-trio.
The Blackstones comprised the brothers Leon, Byron, and Neville Leiffer. One of the group's early singles, "We Nah Go Suffer", was released on the Daddy Kool and topped the British reggae chart. This success led to recording sessions with Phil Pratt
using rhythm tracks recorded at Channel One Studios
in Kingston, Jamaica
, and vocals added at Chalk Farm
studios. These sessions resulted in the debut album Insight, released in 1979.
By 1983, the line-up had changed, with Leon Leiffer joined by Tony Douglas and Ken Kendricks. Their Take Another Look at Love album topped the reggae albums chart, the title track being similarly successful as a single. In 1985 the group contributed to the British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal charity single "Let’s Make Africa Green Again", released by Island Records
. Further reggae chart hits followed in the mid 1980s, before the group became the backing band for Lance Ellington. Although they never repeated their earlier success they remained popular, espacially with Jamaican fans. By 2004, the line-up had again changed, with Leon Leiffer now joined by Tony Mahoney and Junior Bailey. They were one of the last artists to work with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, signing a deal with his Studio One label and recording the album Tribute to Studio One shortly before he died in 2004.
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...
-based 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...
vocal trio formed in 1974, in the tradition of the Jamaican harmony-trio.
The Blackstones comprised the brothers Leon, Byron, and Neville Leiffer. One of the group's early singles, "We Nah Go Suffer", was released on the Daddy Kool and topped the British reggae chart. This success led to recording sessions with Phil Pratt
Phil Pratt
Phil Pratt, born George Phillips is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.Phil Pratt worked at Studio One for Coxsone Dodd as a box-loader during the rocksteady period when Lee Perry was operating there, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s...
using rhythm tracks recorded at Channel One Studios
Channel One Studios
Channel One is a recording studio in Maxfield Avenue, West Kingston, Jamaica. The studio was built by the Hoo Kim brothers in 1972, and has had a profound influence on the development of reggae music....
in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, and vocals added at Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
studios. These sessions resulted in the debut album Insight, released in 1979.
By 1983, the line-up had changed, with Leon Leiffer joined by Tony Douglas and Ken Kendricks. Their Take Another Look at Love album topped the reggae albums chart, the title track being similarly successful as a single. In 1985 the group contributed to the British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal charity single "Let’s Make Africa Green Again", released by 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...
. Further reggae chart hits followed in the mid 1980s, before the group became the backing band for Lance Ellington. Although they never repeated their earlier success they remained popular, espacially with Jamaican fans. By 2004, the line-up had again changed, with Leon Leiffer now joined by Tony Mahoney and Junior Bailey. They were one of the last artists to work with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, signing a deal with his Studio One label and recording the album Tribute to Studio One shortly before he died in 2004.
Discography
- Insight (1979) Burning Rockers
- Take Another Look at Love (1983) Pressure
- Silhouettes (1995) Jah Larry
- Outburst (1995) Prestige
- Riding High (1996) Prestige
- Somebody Ought to Write About It (1997) Prestige
- Colours of Love , Body Music
- Unlimited
- Greater Power (2006) Jet StarJet StarJet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
- Tribute to Studio One (2007) Studio One
- The Blackstones Meet the Chosen Few (2007) Organized Crime (with The Chosen FewThe 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...
) - Salute Slim Smith and the Uniques (2011)