Page 5 - BOX SET BOOKLET _ Down In Jamaica _ 40 Years Of Vp Records

The VP Records story began as the 7-inch vinyl record single
was about to give way to the longer playing 12-inch “discomix.”
The first releases on the new VP label from 328 Utica Avenue
were Errol “Flabba” Holt’s 12-inch single “Heart In Danger,” and
I Roy’s masterpiece of a toast to Errol Dunkley’s “Created By The
Father.”

Early 7-inch singles on VP Records included Johnny Clarke’s
“Roots Natty Congo,” Dr. Alimantado’s “Conscious Man,” John
Holt’s “Can’t Keep Us Apart,” Leroy Smart’s “Shame And Pride,”
and Dennis Brown’s “Emmanuel,” “Party Time,” and “Children Of
Israel.” Early LPs included Hits Of The Past Vol. 1, a compilation
of Randy’s early reggae productions and DJ Specials, the latest
sides by seven of Jamaica’s hottest reggae rappers, known
colloquially as deejays or emcees. Pat Chin and Danny Allen
compiled these recordings, several of which were produced by
Clive Chin, Vincent’s oldest son and Patricia’s step-son. Clive
had an important role in the establishment of the company’s
new base in Queens, a small space at 170-03 Jamaica Avenue in
Queens, the address found on most of the titles above.

The early VP releases continued the Randy’s tradition of
licensing, manufacturing and distributing the work of
independent producers and artists who often recorded at Randy’s
Studio 17, as well as the productions of various Chin family
members, including Clive, Keith, and less frequently, Vincent. In Down In Jamaica: 40 Years Of VP Records
addition to VP, some of these releases appeared on sublabels Big
Hit!, Love, Roots, and Roots From The Yard.

VP also distributed records for the eccentric producer Lee
“Scratch” Perry, including the now legendary Heart Of The
Congos LP; Scratch’s LP Roast Fish And Cornbread, and the
Heptones’ brilliant update of their own rocksteady hit “Party
Time.” The 7-inch singles of “Fisher Man” and “Congoman” were
manufactured by VP and carried the store’s early address from a
rubber stamp.

The company moved its retail headquarters from 170-03
Jamaica Avenue to 170-21 after the purchase of Raymar Sales,
an old-time record one stop dating to the 1930s. The Chins
purchased the building in 1979 and worked on it until 1981. The
continuous use of the building in the record business for over 80
years makes it an as yet unrecognized New York music business
landmark.

During the 40 years that the Chins have operated full time from
Queens, the music industry has evolved dramatically, from the
vinyl and tape era through CDs and videos to mp3s and now
into a virtual world encompassing all of the above, streaming
from servers through the Internet to satellites and back to music
lovers’ smart phones and tablets. The primacy of radio DJs and
print journalists as gatekeepers to the wider public has given
way to social media influencers, playlist curators, and bloggers. One of the first VP label singles was Johnny Clarke’s “Roots Natty Congo,” above,
Through the changes, reggae and dancehall have become which used the Utica Ave. address in Brooklyn, as did the Jah Stitch record
ubiquitous globally, and VP has remained central to the story of at right. The 170-03 Jamaica Avenue address appeared on the first two LP
Jamaican music. compilations pictured here. Lower right, a Roots From The Yard record, one of the
first releases produced by Henry “Junjo” Lawes.

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