LIGHTS ON BARRINGTON LEVY

One of the great success stories of the '80s, Barrington Levy, arrived on the dancehall scene and swiftly remodeled it in his own image.

Although numerous DJs and vocalists would rise and fall during this decade, Levy was one of the few with staying power, and he continued releasing massive hits well into the '90s.

Born in 1964 in Clarendon, Jamaica, as a youngster, Barrington Levy formed the Mighty Multitude with his cousin Everton Dacres.

They started off playing the sound systems and cut their first single, "My Black Girl," in 1977.

"Shine Eye Girl" was a smash follow-up, and the young Levy was now in great demand. A stream of singles followed, "Wicked Intention," "Jumpy Girl," a lovely version of Horace Andy's "Skylarking," the humorous "Disco Music," "Reggae Music," and "Wicked Intention" included.

Levy joined forces with producer Alvin Ranglin for another sting of hits -- "Never Tear My Love Apart," "Jah," "You Made Me So Happy," and "When You're Young and in Love." Levy's rich vocals were made for duets, both with other vocalists and DJs, and it wasn't long before the young star was also recording collaborative singles. Toyan was a great foil on "Call You on the Phone," he paired with Jah Thomas on "Moonlight Lover" and "Sister Debby," and joined forces with Trinity for "Lose Respect" and a follow-up, "I Need a Girl," in 1980. That same year, Levy made a sensational appearance at Reggae Sunsplash, then returned in 1981.

Amidst the deluge of singles, four albums arrived as well between 1979 and 1980. First up was Bounty Hunter, which boasted three smash singles -- "Reggae Music," "Shine Eye Girl," and "Looking My Love" -- and a clutch of other tracks that were just about as good.

In Britain, the Burning Sounds label released Shine Eye Gal, also a hits-heavy package which included the title-track, "Collie Weed," and "Ah Yah We Deh." It was swiftly followed by the mighty Englishman, an absolutely fabulous record which was overseen by the unbeatable studio grouping of Junjo Lawes and two of King Tubby's protégés -- Scientist and Prince Jammy. Jammy was the veteran of this trio, but Lawes, barely into his twenties, was swift to establish his reputation as one of the island's top producers. Scientist, meanwhile, was still only in his late teens, but already a noted engineer and famed remixer, and Lawes would utilize his talents at every opportunity. The Roots Radics' rhythms would form the basis of Lawes production sound, which was heavily roots-based, but had a toughness that swept across the dancehalls like a machine gun. Roots music itself, though, was losing its grip on the contemporary Jamaican music scene, and the time was ripe -- musically, politically, and culturally -- for a change. People had tired of the more militant rasta-fired visions and were searching for something lighter, but with the immediacy of the dancehalls. Levy provided the perfect answer.

But Levy wasn't a spent force yet. Before the '80s were over, he scored two more hits with "My Time" and "Too Experience," both under the aegis of producer Jah Screw, and both covers of songs written by Bob Andy (ex-Paragons and also of Bob & Marcia fame). As the new decade dawned, Levy inked a deal with Island's Mango subsidiary, and released the Divine album, a strong return to form. He joined forces with Rebel MC and Tenor Fly for the smash single "Tribal Base," which soared into the British Top 20. Now signing with MCA in the U.S., Levy attempted to cross over into the North American market with 1993's Barrington. Produced by Lee Jaffe, the album featured a re-recorded "Under Mi Sensi," and boasted such strong songs as "Murderer" and "Jeep." However, the relationship with MCA was not a happy one and Levy quickly departed. Meanwhile, back in Britain, the singer was chalking up another hit with "Work." In 1994, Levy was joined by Beenie Man on the singles "Two Sounds" and "Under Mi Sensi." Both soon re-appeared as fiery jungle remixes, with "Sensi," in particular, mashing up the dancefloors.

Under Jack Scorpio's direction, the singer next paired with Mega Banton for "She's Mine." Jah Screw took these collaborations to the next logical step, and recorded an entire album of shared songs, Duets (this is its American title and it was released in the U.S. by RAS, and in the U.K., Levy's relationship with Greensleeves continued, where the album there was titled Barrington Levy's DJ Counteraction). From this set, "Living Dangerously" with Bounty Killer rocketed up the Jamaican charts and set the pace at clubs around the world. "Bad Talk," its follow-up, didn't do quite so well, but was still a fine offering. Time Capsule came hot on its heels in 1996, a short album (a mere eight tracks plus five dubs), which more than made up for lack of quantity with quality. Over the next two years, his circle of friends was obviously growing, and 1998's exciting Living Dangerously featured such diverse artists as rap master Snoop Doggy Dogg and Southern California punk-reggae heroes Long Beach Dub All-Stars. In 2003, his debut album Bounty Hunter was reordered and reissued as Moonlight Lover on the Burning Bush label. Two years later, the Sanctuary label collected his recordings with Henry Lawes and Alvin Ranglin for Love Your Brother Man: The Early Years. Numerous compilations have continued to appear featuring much of the singer's greatest work.
After so many years Barrington Levy is very close to his fans as He still touring and recording songs, “Here I come and Here I am, to stay”; he said.