Justin Hinds
Encyclopedia
Justin Hinds was a Jamaica
n ska
vocalist, with his backing singers the Dominoes.
He is best known for his work with Duke Reid's
Treasure Isle Records, where his most notable song
, "Carry Go Bring Come" recorded
in late 1963, went to number one in Jamaica
. He recorded seventy singles
between 1964 and 1966, and was the most popular artist
on the record label
.
where he became influenced by Rastafari
. He was turned down by the Sir Coxsone record label
owned by Coxsone Dodd
, but signed with Treasure Isle Records. By this stage, the Dominoes consisting of Dennis Sinclair and Junior Dixon had become his backing vocalists. The singers are believed to have taken their name both from a love of Fats Domino
and dominoes
.
for two months, just before the Wailers got their big hit with "Simmer Down". "Carry Go Bring Come" would later be covered
by the British
ska band
The Selecter
on their 1980 album Too Much Pressure
, and by Desmond Dekker
and The Specials
on King of Kings.
Hinds was one of the biggest acts in Jamaican music during the 1960s. Over the next couple of years, he would release singles including "King Samuel", "Jump Out of the Frying Pan", "The Ark" and "Rub Up Push Up". He also released "Carry Go Bring Come" in 1963 in conjunction with Jonathan Bevan, an English-born Jamaican national, a successful collaboration which drew much admiration amongst Jamaican music producers. The track was described by esteemed Ghanaian music aficionado Zahid Chohan as "simply wonderful; belongs in any reggae fan's collection". He also worked with Tommy McCook
and The Supersonics.
In 1966, he became active in rocksteady
, a predecessor of reggae
. He had several more hits in Jamaica including "The Higher the Monkey Climbs", "No Good Rudie", "On a Saturday Night", "Here I Stand" and "Save a Bread". Hinds parted company with Reid in 1972 as an artist, but was present when he died a few years later.
Justin Hinds was a great example for his younger cousin, Horace Andy
, who would become one a reggae icon.
which resulted in the 1976 album
Jezebel. His work with Sonia Pottinger
resulted in a series of singles released in the late 1970s, including "Rig-Ma-Roe Game" and "Wipe Your Weeping Eyes".
After the release of Travel with Love recorded at Tuff Gong Studios in 1984, Hinds became less active. His final studio
album Know Jah Better was released in 1992, but he worked on Wingless Angels
with other Jamaican musicians, which was produced
by Keith Richards
in the early 1990s. In 1997, he toured the US
for the first time and he would release a couple of live album
s in the early 2000s, including one recorded at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance
in Trumansburg
, New York
.
On September, 23 in 2010 a new album will appear posthum, Wingless Angels II, with "Oh What a Joy, What a Comfort", guitar by Keith Richards (Rolling Stones, UK), with Lisa Fisher (also voices at "Gimme Shelter", "Paint it Black" and more on the "Bridges to Babylon" Tour 10 years ago) and Jamaican Nyabinghi Drummers
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 ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
vocalist, with his backing singers the Dominoes.
He is best known for his work with Duke Reid's
Duke Reid
Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....
Treasure Isle Records, where his most notable song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Carry Go Bring Come" recorded
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...
in late 1963, went to number one in Jamaica
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...
. He recorded seventy 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...
between 1964 and 1966, and was the most popular artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
on the 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,...
.
Biography
Hinds was born in Steertown, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica in 1942. He started his musical career singing in bars and on the beach in Ochos Rios. Hinds moved to Kingston, JamaicaKingston, 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...
where he became influenced by Rastafari
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
. He was turned down by the Sir Coxsone 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,...
owned by 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...
, but signed with Treasure Isle Records. By this stage, the Dominoes consisting of Dennis Sinclair and Junior Dixon had become his backing vocalists. The singers are believed to have taken their name both from a love of Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
and dominoes
Dominoes
Dominoes generally refers to the collective gaming pieces making up a domino set or to the subcategory of tile games played with domino pieces. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes, the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two congruent squares edge to edge...
.
Work with Duke Reid
His first recording with Duke Reid was "Carry Go Bring Come", made in late 1963 in one take. It became a big hit topping the Jamaican chartRecord 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....
for two months, just before the Wailers got their big hit with "Simmer Down". "Carry Go Bring Come" would later be covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by the British
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...
ska band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
The Selecter
The Selecter
The Selecter are a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in mid 1979.Like many other bands in the ska revival movement, The Selecter featured a racially diverse line-up. Their lyrics featured themes connected to politics and marijuana, set to strong melodies and a danceable beat...
on their 1980 album Too Much Pressure
Too Much Pressure (album)
Too Much Pressure was the first album by British ska band The Selecter. It was released in 1980 on 2 Tone records. The album charted at # 5 in the United Kingdom.The title track "Too Much Pressure" was featured in the film The Abyss.-Side one:...
, and by Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group, The Aces , he had one of the first international Jamaican hits with "Israelites". Other hits include "007 " and "It Miek"...
and The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
on King of Kings.
Hinds was one of the biggest acts in Jamaican music during the 1960s. Over the next couple of years, he would release singles including "King Samuel", "Jump Out of the Frying Pan", "The Ark" and "Rub Up Push Up". He also released "Carry Go Bring Come" in 1963 in conjunction with Jonathan Bevan, an English-born Jamaican national, a successful collaboration which drew much admiration amongst Jamaican music producers. The track was described by esteemed Ghanaian music aficionado Zahid Chohan as "simply wonderful; belongs in any reggae fan's collection". He also worked with Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
and The Supersonics.
In 1966, he became active in rocksteady
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
, a predecessor of 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...
. He had several more hits in Jamaica including "The Higher the Monkey Climbs", "No Good Rudie", "On a Saturday Night", "Here I Stand" and "Save a Bread". Hinds parted company with Reid in 1972 as an artist, but was present when he died a few years later.
Justin Hinds was a great example for his younger cousin, Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, who would become one a reggae icon.
Subsequent work
Hinds then worked with Jack RubyJack Ruby (record producer)
Lawrence Lindo , better known as Jack Ruby, was a Jamaican record producer and sound system operator, best known for his 1970s productions of artists such as Burning Spear....
which resulted in the 1976 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Jezebel. His work with 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...
resulted in a series of singles released in the late 1970s, including "Rig-Ma-Roe Game" and "Wipe Your Weeping Eyes".
After the release of Travel with Love recorded at Tuff Gong Studios in 1984, Hinds became less active. His final 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...
album Know Jah Better was released in 1992, but he worked on Wingless Angels
Wingless Angels (band)
Wingless Angels are a Jamaican Rastafari reggae group led by Justin Hinds, best known for their self-titled album executive produced by Keith Richards and issued on his Mindless Records imprint.-History:...
with other Jamaican musicians, which was produced
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...
by Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
in the early 1990s. In 1997, he toured the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the first time and he would release a couple of live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s in the early 2000s, including one recorded at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance
Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance
Starting in 1991, the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance is an annual festival held the second-to-last weekend of July in Trumansburg, New York, a small town ten miles north of Ithaca. The GrassRoots Festival, or simply GrassRoots, as it is known, draws nearly 20,000 visitors...
in Trumansburg
Trumansburg, New York
Trumansburg is a village in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 1,581 at the 2000 census. The name is a variant spelling of the surname of the founder, Abner Treman...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
On September, 23 in 2010 a new album will appear posthum, Wingless Angels II, with "Oh What a Joy, What a Comfort", guitar by Keith Richards (Rolling Stones, UK), with Lisa Fisher (also voices at "Gimme Shelter", "Paint it Black" and more on the "Bridges to Babylon" Tour 10 years ago) and Jamaican Nyabinghi Drummers
External links
- Jamaica Observer "Ska pioneer Justin Hinds passes on" March 18, 2005
- Studio Won Reggae Central Justin Hinds
- [ Allmusic.com JustinHinds article]\