Now this was a record! Captain of the Big Ship Freddie McGregor makes his way on my Oldies Sunday selection today. Titled, “I Was Born A Winner” and produced in 1992 by himself and Danny Browne, this was a cover of Derrick Harriott’s 1967 hit “The Loser“. Freddie sings about missing his lady love and deflecting being called a loser, pretty great song to jam to.
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Today’s Oldies Sunday selection comes from Reggae artist Junior Byles. Titled “Fade Away” which was released in 1976 under Eagle Records, was produced by Joseph Hoo Kim and was featured on the soundtrack for the hit Jamaican film “Rockers“. “Fade Away” speaks on the way people value material wealth over their own souls, corruption, the ills of society, and preaching that they will all fade away soon. “Fade Away” was hailed as Byles’ best work and became a big hit not only in Jamaica, but in the UK where it was largely successful and covered years later by the New Age Steppers group.
Since his heyday, not much has been heard of Junior Byles. He released many more singles and albums but over the years he suffered bouts of depression after recieving many tragics news. There were times he was witnessed living on the streets and making frequent visits to hospitals. His last big performance was in Jamaica in 2004 which recieved positive reviews and led to a short tour later that year.
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The Bad Boys of Reggae a.k.a. Inner Circle is today’s featured selection on Oldies Sunday with their hit. The song titled “Sweat” was released in 1992 and was the lead single for their Bad To The Bone album. It enjoyed success with its suggestive lyrics and great instrumentals.
Sweat did very well in Europe, it became a top ten hits in countries like Austria, Sweden, Ireland, and many others. It became a number hit in Germany for 12 weeks, while in Switzerland it topped for 6 weeks. In 1993 it ranked 94 on Triple J Hottest 100 countdown. When I was younger I had a like hate relationship with this song for while I liked the song, I hated that the video came on so often on JBC TV. Don’t judge me.
The band went on to enjoy much success over the years all while welcoming new members and experiencing losses of old band members but they still managed to make music for the fans that demanded it. With launching a “Saving The Reggae Music” campaign in 2012 and releasing an album in 2013, Inner Circle will still be around for a long time. Thank You Inner Circle for this song.
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You didn’t know Alan Magnus of RJR 94FM did music huh? Well while doing radio gigs he also spotlighted as a singer in the late 1960s and 1970s under the moniker “Teddy” Magnus. “Flying Machine” was one of his hits and was made in 1971 and the lyrics suggests being in a flying machine racing with birds and watching people staring in awe. This song still gets played to this day and brings back many memories for older listeners and the singer himself. You can catch Alan Magnus hosting morning radio mondays to fridays on Radio Jamaica. Check out the song and share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Being a legal alien in New York, what do you know about that? How are your experiences so far? Today’s Oldies Sunday selection comes from ShineHead, who was signed to Elektra Records and heralded as one of the founding fathers of the Reggae Fusion where he incorporates Hip Hop music with Reggae lyrics. Titled “Jamaican In New York“, this is a Hiphop/Reggae cover of Sting’s “Englishman In New York“. This is one of ShineHead’s most memorable songs and reached #30 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1993. He went on to have many more hits and his latest effort was with legendary Hip Hop MC KRS One titled “Holiday Gift Style“. I don’t drink Coffee I drink Roots my dear…Check out the song and share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Today’s Oldies Sunday selection comes from the impeccable Ken Boothe. Titled “Everything I Own” and released in 1974 by Trojan Records, this was a cover version of the David Gates penned and Bread performed single which was released in 1972. Ken Boothe put his own reggae twist on the song and laced it with his unique singing style. This song went on to have many other cover versions from artists including Boy George, Rod Stewart, Nicole Sherzinger and *NSYNC. Ken Boothe’s version however is considered the best version.
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