The Gladiators (band)
Encyclopedia
The Gladiators are a Jamaica
n roots reggae
band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths
(guitarist and singer), Clinton Fearon
(guitarist and singer) and Dallimore Sutherland bass guitar
and singer. The two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up
(1976) and Proverbial Reggae
(1978) with songs as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks the Times is Now". "Mix Up", "Music Makers from Jamaica", and "Soul Rebel" – a song written by The Wailers. Gladiators also cooperated with the toaster U-Roy
.
to The Ethiopians
hit record "Train to Skaville") in 1966, he recruited his childhood friends David Webber and Errol Grandison in 1968 to form the original Gladiators vocal group. The group's name was allegedly suggested by a fellow bus passenger during the time of their first recordings.
The group's first major success was with the single "Hello Carol" in 1968, for producer Coxsone Dodd
, which topped the Jamaican music charts. Shortly afterwards, in 1969, Webber was stricken with illness and was replaced by Clinton Fearon
, one of Griffiths' proteges. Similarly Grandison left the group in 1973 for family commitments and was replaced by Dallimore Sutherland.
During the early 1970s the Gladiators cut numerous records for various producers such as, Lloyd Daley
and Lee Perry, but it was their recordings for Dodd at Studio One that became the biggest hits. During this time at Studio One the Gladiators hits included "Bongo Red", "Jah Jah Go Before Us", "Mr. Baldwin", and "Roots Natty".
The success of these recordings garnered the attention of Britain-based Virgin Records
who gave the group their first major recording contract
in 1976. Their debut full-length released on Virgin was the Tony Robinson produced Trenchtown Mix Up
(1976), which included revisions of many of their early hits. They followed this effort with Proverbial Reggae
(1978). At the time Gladiators was a band with Albert Griffiths on lead guitar and vocals, Clinton Fearon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Dallimore Sutherland on bass guitar and vocals, Sly Dunbar
on drums, Lloyd Parks
on bass, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson
on percussion, Ansel Collins on keyboards and Earl 'Wire' Lindo
on synthesizer. Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs were their engineer and mixer, and Robinson the record producer
.
Dodd and Studio One also released Studio One Presenting the Gladiators, (1978) a compilation of some early Gladiators records released 1968 - 1974. The Gladiators next two albums on Virgins were Naturality (1978) and Sweet So Till (1979). The group's next album Gladiators was recorded at Coach House Studios in the UK with local producer Eddy Grant
. It was the first Gladiators album on which no member of the group played any of the instruments, as a few members of the band Aswad were brought in. The album did worse than their previous work, and they were subsequently dropped from their contract with Virgin. Virgin would subsequently release two compilation album
s Vital Selection in 1981 and Dreadlocks The Time Is Now in 1983.
At the time, roots reggae was declining. A new type of reggae – based on drum machine, sampler, synthesizers and organ – occurred in the 1980s; ragga
. 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 instruments. Nevertheless the Gladiators released eleven studio albums in the 1980s. They soon found a home at U.S.
-based Nighthawk Records
and released Symbol of Reality in late 1982 followed by Serious Thing
in 1984. One year later the Gladiators would change labels again, this time moving to Heartbeat Records
, where they would release albums throughout the latter half of the decade. In 1987 Fearon left the group after eighteen years, but Griffiths and Sutherland have continued to release albums on various labels since then.
With the advent of dancehall
in the 1990s, the Gladiators only released three studio albums during that decade. Eventually, the Gladiators, Mighty Diamonds, Bunny Wailer
, Heptones and Burning Spear
got a renaissance. The dancehall artists had to change their profile and baptized their new showmanship as conscious dancehall.
In 2005, the Gladiators released Fathers and Sons
which has been regarded as Albert Griffiths farewell, with his sons, Alan and Anthony, joining the group.
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 roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths
Albert Griffiths
Albert Griffiths may refer to:*Albert Griffiths, Australian boxer, better known as Young Griffo*Albert Griffiths , ASLEF General Secretary 1964–70*Alberth Griffiths , Jamaican singer, founder of The Gladiators...
(guitarist and singer), Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon is a Jamaican reggae singer and musician born on February 13, 1951 in Saint Andrews, Jamaica. He has lived Seattle, Washington since 1987.-Jamaica:...
(guitarist and singer) and Dallimore Sutherland bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and singer. The two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up
Trenchtown Mix Up
Trenchtown Mix Up was The Gladiators' debut LP, recorded at Joe Gibbs' studio and released in 1976 on TR International/Virgin Records'. It included re-recordings of two songs originally recorded at Studio One , and also included cover versions of Bob Marley's "Soul Rebel" and "Rude Boy Ska"...
(1976) and Proverbial Reggae
Proverbial Reggae
Proverbial Reggae was the second album by Jamaican Roots Reggae band The Gladiators, recorded and released in 1978 on Virgin Records' Front Line imprint...
(1978) with songs as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks the Times is Now". "Mix Up", "Music Makers from Jamaica", and "Soul Rebel" – a song written by The Wailers. Gladiators also cooperated with the toaster U-Roy
U-Roy
U-Roy , OD, is a Jamaican musician, also known as The Originator. He is best known as a pioneer of toasting.-Biography:...
.
History
Albert Griffiths, singer and guitar player, was the founder of the reggae group The Gladiators. After some success with the singles "You Are The Girl" (a b-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to The Ethiopians
The Ethiopians
The Ethiopians were a ska, rocksteady, and reggae vocal group, founded by Leonard Dillon , Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris.-History:...
hit record "Train to Skaville") in 1966, he recruited his childhood friends David Webber and Errol Grandison in 1968 to form the original Gladiators vocal group. The group's name was allegedly suggested by a fellow bus passenger during the time of their first recordings.
The group's first major success was with the single "Hello Carol" in 1968, for producer 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...
, which topped the Jamaican music charts. Shortly afterwards, in 1969, Webber was stricken with illness and was replaced by Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon is a Jamaican reggae singer and musician born on February 13, 1951 in Saint Andrews, Jamaica. He has lived Seattle, Washington since 1987.-Jamaica:...
, one of Griffiths' proteges. Similarly Grandison left the group in 1973 for family commitments and was replaced by Dallimore Sutherland.
During the early 1970s the Gladiators cut numerous records for various producers such as, Lloyd Daley
Lloyd Daley
Lloyd Daley also known as Matador is a Jamaican electronic technician, sound system pioneer and reggae producer.-Career:...
and Lee Perry, but it was their recordings for Dodd at Studio One that became the biggest hits. During this time at Studio One the Gladiators hits included "Bongo Red", "Jah Jah Go Before Us", "Mr. Baldwin", and "Roots Natty".
The success of these recordings garnered the attention of Britain-based Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
who gave the group their first major recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
in 1976. Their debut full-length released on Virgin was the Tony Robinson produced Trenchtown Mix Up
Trenchtown Mix Up
Trenchtown Mix Up was The Gladiators' debut LP, recorded at Joe Gibbs' studio and released in 1976 on TR International/Virgin Records'. It included re-recordings of two songs originally recorded at Studio One , and also included cover versions of Bob Marley's "Soul Rebel" and "Rude Boy Ska"...
(1976), which included revisions of many of their early hits. They followed this effort with Proverbial Reggae
Proverbial Reggae
Proverbial Reggae was the second album by Jamaican Roots Reggae band The Gladiators, recorded and released in 1978 on Virgin Records' Front Line imprint...
(1978). At the time Gladiators was a band with Albert Griffiths on lead guitar and vocals, Clinton Fearon on rhythm guitar and vocals, Dallimore Sutherland on bass guitar and vocals, Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar
Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
on drums, Lloyd Parks
Lloyd Parks
Lloyd Parks is a reggae vocalist and bass player.-Biography:Parks' interest in music was fuelled by his uncle Dourie Bryan, who played in a calypso band, and Parks became the band's singer...
on bass, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson
Uziah Thompson
Uziah "Sticky" Thompson is a Jamaican percussionist, vocalist and deejay active since the late 1950s. He has worked with some of the best known performers of Jamaican music and played on hundreds of albums.-Biography:...
on percussion, Ansel Collins on keyboards and Earl 'Wire' Lindo
Earl Lindo
Earl "Wire" Lindo, b. 7 January 1953 is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is a member of The Wailers and has collaborated with numerous reggae artists including Burning Spear.-Biography:...
on synthesizer. Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs were their engineer and mixer, and Robinson the 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...
.
Dodd and Studio One also released Studio One Presenting the Gladiators, (1978) a compilation of some early Gladiators records released 1968 - 1974. The Gladiators next two albums on Virgins were Naturality (1978) and Sweet So Till (1979). The group's next album Gladiators was recorded at Coach House Studios in the UK with local producer Eddy Grant
Eddy Grant
Edmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...
. It was the first Gladiators album on which no member of the group played any of the instruments, as a few members of the band Aswad were brought in. The album did worse than their previous work, and they were subsequently dropped from their contract with Virgin. Virgin would subsequently release two 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 Vital Selection in 1981 and Dreadlocks The Time Is Now in 1983.
At the time, roots reggae was declining. A new type of reggae – based on drum machine, sampler, synthesizers and organ – occurred in the 1980s; 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...
. 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 instruments. Nevertheless the Gladiators released eleven studio albums in the 1980s. They soon found a home at U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based Nighthawk Records
Nighthawk Records
Nighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
and released Symbol of Reality in late 1982 followed by Serious Thing
Serious Thing
Serious Thing is a roots reggae album released in 1984 by the reggae trio The Gladiators.- Track listing :# "Serious Thing"# "My Thoughts"# "My Thoughts Version"# "Fling it Gimme"# "Rearrange"# "Mid-Range"# "Mid-Range Version"# "Freedom Train"...
in 1984. One year later the Gladiators would change labels again, this time moving to Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood...
, where they would release albums throughout the latter half of the decade. In 1987 Fearon left the group after eighteen years, but Griffiths and Sutherland have continued to release albums on various labels since then.
With the advent of 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,...
in the 1990s, the Gladiators only released three studio albums during that decade. Eventually, the Gladiators, Mighty Diamonds, Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
, Heptones and Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
got a renaissance. The dancehall artists had to change their profile and baptized their new showmanship as conscious dancehall.
In 2005, the Gladiators released Fathers and Sons
Fathers and Sons (album)
Fathers and Sons is an album by American blues musician Muddy Waters, originally released as a double LP by Chess Records in August 1969....
which has been regarded as Albert Griffiths farewell, with his sons, Alan and Anthony, joining the group.
Studio albums
| Album | Release Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Trenchtown Mix Up Trenchtown Mix Up Trenchtown Mix Up was The Gladiators' debut LP, recorded at Joe Gibbs' studio and released in 1976 on TR International/Virgin Records'. It included re-recordings of two songs originally recorded at Studio One , and also included cover versions of Bob Marley's "Soul Rebel" and "Rude Boy Ska"... |
1976 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Studio One Presenting the Gladiators | 1977 | Studio One |
| Proverbial Reggae Proverbial Reggae Proverbial Reggae was the second album by Jamaican Roots Reggae band The Gladiators, recorded and released in 1978 on Virgin Records' Front Line imprint... |
1978 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Naturality | 1979 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Sweet So Till | 1979 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Gladiators | 1980 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Babylon Street | 1982 | Jam Rock |
| Back To Roots | 1982 | Stunt Sounds |
| Symbol of Reality | 1982 | Nighthawk Nighthawk Records Nighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues... |
| Reggae To Bone | 1982 | Jam Rock |
| Serious Thing Serious Thing Serious Thing is a roots reggae album released in 1984 by the reggae trio The Gladiators.- Track listing :# "Serious Thing"# "My Thoughts"# "My Thoughts Version"# "Fling it Gimme"# "Rearrange"# "Mid-Range"# "Mid-Range Version"# "Freedom Train"... |
1984 | Nighthawk Nighthawk Records Nighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues... |
| Show Down Vol. 3 w/ Don Carlos Don Carlos (musician) Don Carlos a.k.a. Don McCarlos is a Jamaican reggae singer and composer.-Biography:He was born and raised in Western Kingston, Jamaica in a very deprived district known as Waterhouse out of which came many talented reggae musicians. One such artist was King Tubby, one of the founders of Black... & Gold |
1984 | Empire Empire Records Empire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other... |
| Country Living | 1985 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| Dread Prophesy w/ The Ethiopians The Ethiopians The Ethiopians were a ska, rocksteady, and reggae vocal group, founded by Leonard Dillon , Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris.-History:... |
1986 | Nighthawk Nighthawk Records Nighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues... |
| In Store For You | 1988 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| On The Right Track On the Right Track On the Right Track is a 1981 comedy film that was the first feature film starring Gary Coleman. It was directed by Lee Philips, produced by Ronald Jacobs, and released to theaters by 20th Century Fox in the spring of 1981.-Background:... |
1989 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| Valley of Decision | 1991 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| A True Rastaman | 1992 | MPO |
| The Storm | 1994 | Riddim Mu |
| Something a Gwaan | 2000 | RAS RAS Records RAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner... |
| Once Upon A Time In Jamaica | 2002 | XIII Bis Records XIII Bis Records XIII Bis Records is a French, Paris-based independent record label, releasing a variety of music. It is the largest French independent record company in terms of turnover.-External links:* * at Discogs... |
| Fathers and Sons | 2005 | RAS RAS Records RAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner... |
| Continuation | 2009 | Unknown |
Compilation and live albums
| Album | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Studio One Presenting the Gladiators | 1979 | Studio One |
| Vital Selection | 1981 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| Gladiators By Bus | 1982 | Jam Rock |
| Live at Reggae Sunsplash w/ Israel Vibration Israel Vibration Israel Vibration is a reggae harmony trio, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence all overcame childhood polio, and went on to be one of the most successful roots groups to form in Jamaica in the late 1970s... |
1982 | Genes |
| Dreadlocks The Time Is Now | 1983 | Virgin Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
| A Whole Heap | 1989 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| Full Time Full time Full-time employment is employment in which the employee works the full number of hours defined as such by his/her employer. Full-time employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part-time, temporary, or flexible workers, such as annual leave, sickleave, and health... |
1995 | Nighthawk Nighthawk Records Nighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues... |
| Alive & Fighting | 1997 | Mediacom |
| At Studio One: Bongo Red | 1998 | Heartbeat Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood... |
| Sold Out | 2000 | M10 |
| Live in San Francisco | 2003 | 2B1 |
| Europe Tour 2006: Live in Paris | 2006 | Unknown |