The Crown Prince of Reggae: Singles (1972-1985)

The much-loved Dennis Brown (1957– 1999) was the outstanding solo reggae singer of his generation, his only rival being the late Gregory Isaacs. Like Isaacs, Brown came to prominence in the 70s and was equally at home handling roots and lovers’ material. But whereas Isaacs’ languid delivery led to him being dubbed the ‘Cool Ruler, Brown’s baritone was warm and wider ranging. Starting his recording career at Studio One at the tender age of 12, Brown went on to work with various producers, particularly Winston Holness (aka Niney the Observer) and Joe Gibbs, as well as for his own DEB label. Although a re-cut of ‘Money in my Pocket’ for Gibbs became an international hit, a contract with A&M failed to bring crossover success, and cocaine abuse contributed to Brown’s untimely death at the age of just 42.

Despite Crown Princes subtitle, the 40 tracks assembled here only represent a fraction of Brown’s prodigious singles output in the period. The four earliest, all recorded post-Studio One for producer Derrick Harriott, reveal the young teenager’s astonishing vocal maturity, but it’s only with the self-penned message song ‘What About The Half’ that the material begins to show a similar depth. Five extended versions include the classic Aswad-backed ‘Promised Land’ and the rocking ‘Your Love Gotta Hold on Me’, while Brown’s crossover attempts are represented by ‘Love Has Found Its Way. Roots songs predominate, but ‘Rub A Dub All The Time’, one of four tracks from the long-deleted SatisfactionFeeling, gives a taste of early dancehall. Also included is a DVD, the previously released Live at Montreux, recorded in 1979 when Brown was just 22. It’s OK, but a third CD including some of the studio versions of the eight songs featured – notably ‘Wolves and Leopards’ and ‘Money in my Pocket’ – would have been preferable.