Treasure Isle

Treasure Isle is a musical label jamaïcain founded about the middle of the Années 1960 by the producer Duke Reid and devoted to the Ska, the Rocksteady and the Reggae.

1962. Duke Reid, creates just with the top of its shop of alcohol sale, 33 Street Jump in Kingston a studio of recording: Treasure Isle .

At the time, it is often the name of the studio where one recorded the disc which is registered on the small pocket of the disc, from where the concept of label. All the discs Treasure Isle are recorded with the studio Treasure Isle, 33 Street Jump with Kingston.

THE SIXTIES

To the length of the years 1960, Duke Reid will show that he is finally a producer except par. The majority of the artists discovered at One Studio of Coxsone, are found quickly at Treasure Isle which becomes the influential label of Jamaica, specialized in Ska. Prince Buster, Skatalites, (with Don Drummond and Robert Alphonso) then Alton Ellis pass from Brentford Road (Studio One) to Bond Street (Treasure Isle) what does not fail to irritate Coxsone.

Successes are connected, the life continues (Jamaica becomes independent in 1962), and the followers of Rastafari are done increasingly many. It is not taste of Duke Reid, which does little case of the visit on its island into 1966 of Haile Selassie (Emperor of Ethiopia and God réincarné for Rastas). In this year 1966 of hot seasons, while Bob Marley becomes rasta, the musicians perspire in the studio of Duke Reid. The weather is so hot that they decide… to play less quickly!

THE ROCKSTEADY

Alton Ellis records the title Rock Steady and one attends the birth of the Rocksteady. Actually, Ellis would at that time have piqué this name with a dance in vogue. During two years, autumn 66 at summer 68, all Jamaica resounds with the sounds of this new kind, which leaves the good share to the singers, where the low one resounds more, stuck to the battery, which makes claquer the third time of each measurement. It is the golden age of Treasure Isle, whose certain titles become hits as far as England (imported by Chris Blackwell). This short period of musical intensity will be the pretext with a certain number of experiments. The artists jamaïcains, feeling that they do not have any more to redden vis-a-vis the productions coming from the country of the Uncle Sam, will try many interbreedings of their new rocksteady. Phyllis Dillon, “the diva rocksteady”, will record as of 19 years its first very impressed titles of the drunk spirit of the songs of Dionne Warwick of which she is fan. Let us not forget that at the same time stables of the North-American labels “Stax” (Otis Redding/Sam and Dave) and “Motown” (Temptations/Marvin Gaye) exerts a strong influence on a whole generation of type-setters.

The most famous artist at that time remains Justin Hinds whose first title “Curry go bring home” (recorded in only one catch at the end of 1963) remained two months number one of the charts jamaïcains. He will continue to sign some pearls rocksteady like celebrates it “One has saturday night” in 1966.

We are in 1968. While the western world knows a true social boiling, Jamaïcains continue their astonishing course of musical creation.

Dub

One day, Rudy Redwood, DJ of the Soundsystem “Supreme Ruler off Sound” comes to seek its batch of exclusivenesses at Treasure Isle, to test the titles the come evening. The sound engineer, Byron Smith, occupied speaking with Jeremyah Gorak Fez-native, prepares wafer to him, but forgets to engage the lever of the track of the voices on the face B of the new whole Paragons “One the Beach”.

That gives then an instrumental title, Dub, but Rudy does not know it yet. He realizes some only when he passes the disc during the festival. And there… It is an unexpected success near the crowd which in redemande! If Redwood thus becomes officially the first “dubber” of the history, it is especially King Tubby which popularizes since 1970 the dub with its soundsystem “Home Town Hi Fi”.

This small adventure will be however one of the last times where the studio Treasure Isle will be precursory in the field of the music. This same year, the general tempo changes again, the Rasta current attracts itself sympathies of a whole fringe of musicians jamaïcains, and it is well reggae which one speaks at dawn about the years 1970. Our old friend Duke Reid still does not like the rastas; he, the former cop, it prefers the order and does not support dissidence.

The artists Treasure Isle leave little by little the world of the island to the treasure to find Coxsone and its Studio One, slightly more “ganja-friendly”.

The label of the “Duke” will be devoted during a few years to work with DJ, like U-roy. Discovered by John Holt of Paragons, U-roy will begin its career by remixant with its manner the bands placed at its disposal at Treasure Isle. If it is satisfied with “toaster” (to speak with rate/rhythm with the top about the music) to the top of the instrumental ones of the tubes of the previous years, its original step for the time will make it possible to give a second breath to the treasures discographics of the label.

It is thus far from the war of the Vietnam, who prevails on other side of the sphere at the same time, that the jamaïcains shell their first agreements at the rate/rhythm Reggae.

In 1975, Arthur “Duke” Reid, the former cop and producer with the manners of hooligan, dies at age the 60 years, reached of a cancer.

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