Page 6 - BOX SET BOOKLET _ Down In Jamaica _ 40 Years Of Vp Records

For 40 years, VP Records has been on the leading edge of Jamaican music’s
many stylistic transitions. The bulk of the VP catalog during the early 1980s
was released through the labels Jah Guidance, Lightning, and Reggae Sound,
bringing the enduring ‘early dancehall’ sound of producers Henry “Junjo”
Lawes, Linval Thompson, and Lloyd Campbell to the American market. Songs
that are now iconic were among the company’s early US releases, including
Michael Prophet’s “Gun Man,” Michigan and Smiley’s “Diseases,” and Frankie
Paul’s “(Pass The) Kushumpeng.” Almost everything featuring the deejay
Yellowman sold like wildfire, including two LPs and dozens of singles (and an
early side titled “Mr. Chin”).

Despite the creative growth, or perhaps because of it, the early 80s were Down In Jamaica: 40 Years Of VP Records
in many ways the end of the classic era for ‘reggae,’ the popular Jamaican
style that had emerged in the late 1960s. Reggae was ripe for reinvention
by the mid-80s, and digital production technology was the catalyst. The
popularity of Prince Jammy’s production of “Sleng Teng” by Wayne Smith
is well documented as a turning point in Jamaican music. Over the next
several years, Jamaican producers almost entirely abandoned live drums
and bass for the synthesized sounds from Casio, Akai, and Roland, which
cut costs, and in some fans’ minds, compromised the music’s organic
essence. Regardless of the detractors, much of this music has stood the test
of time, with a classic canon emerging and a serious collector’s market for
digital raritites that didn’t catch on at the time. In the streaming world, 90s
dancehall is one of the most popular and most sampled eras of Jamaican
music, with millennials embracing its ‘old school’ sound.

The digital transition was timely and necessary for the creative life of
Jamaican music, an ever-changing ‘in the moment’ culture. Early examples
of digital creativity in the VP catalog include Anthony Red Rose’s “Tempo,”
Echo Minott’s “Lazy Body,” and Eccleton Jarrett’s “Turn On The Heat,” each

Opposite page, at left, Frankie Paul at 170-21 Jamaica Avenue, for the cover of the Hot Number
LP, produced by Henry Junjo Lawes (photograph by Randy Chin). Above, Henry “Junjo” Lawes,
photographed by Beth Lesser at 170-21 Jamaica Avenue, circa 1985.
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