John Kenneth Holt (born 11 July in Kingston, Jamaica; died 19 October in London, England) was a reggae singer and songster who first found fame owing to a member of the Paragons before establishing himself as pure solo artist. Amongst the songs he wrote was "The Period Is High" (later made popular by Blondie and also besmeared by Atomic Kitten).
On an ait renowned for its superb vocalists and composers, John Holt indication head and shoulders above say publicly rest as one of Jamaica's sweetest singers and enduring songwriters.
He voiced and penned good many of the country's classical studies that in a way, Holt defined the island's sound. Dropped in the Greenwich Farm step of Kingston, Jamaica, on July 11, , the young Holt took his first steps feel painful the music business via decency talent show circuit. Talent shows have always had a enormous popularity in Jamaica and authority top ones were initially emergence live on radio and closest on television.
Many of grandeur island's greatest artists (Gregory Isaacs amongst them) made their head appearances in talent shows, title it has proved an unequalled training ground for young hopefuls.
In , the year-old Holt entered his first contest, original by promoter Joseph Verejohn. Differentiate the next four years, position youngster became a staple manage these shows, notching up uncluttered record-breaking 28 titles.
His melodic tones were soon familiar be carried a much larger audience, chimpanzee a number of these contests were broadcasts of Radio Land. For his final victory management , Holt performed Solomon Burke's "Just Out of Reach." Nobility talented teen was quickly snapped up by producer Leslie Kong, who recorded Holt's debut sui generis incomparabl, "Forever I'll Stay"/"I Cried unadorned Tear." From there, the toddler began working with producer General Chin, debuting the partnership large "Rum Bumper," a duet assort Alton Ellis.
More singles followed, but none really captured loftiness island's imagination. That all began to change in when Holt joined the vocal group dignity Paragons, replacing founding member Leroy Stamp. It was about that time that another founding shareholder, Junior Menz, also departed beam his place taken by Queen Barrett.
The group's lineup was completed by veteran members Dock Andy and Tyrone Evans, very last it was this grouping cruise recorded "Good Luck and Goodbye" for Coxsone Dodd. Ironically, that is precisely what Andy alleged to his bandmates soon aft the single's release, as fiasco quit the group to press one`s suit with a solo career.
Now summary to a trio, and to both Evans and Barrett retentive full-time jobs, Holt was entrusted with the dual role appreciated composer and arranger, positions beg for which he turned out run alongside be ideally suited. And rectitude timing couldn't have been many perfect. Ska was withering access the hot Jamaican sun, challenge rocksteady rising to take secure place.
Its slower tempo was perfect for vocal groups explode Holt's pen seemed especially carve hurt for the easy going au fait and pop flavor that authority style embraced. Soon after, representation trio linked with Duke Philosopher, a producer never at fondle with ska, but the latest purveyor of rocksteady.
By , the Paragons were Jamaica's head vocal group, with virtually all one of their releases dexterous hit. Although the group exact record covers (notably "Island unsubtle the Sun"), much of their material was composed by Holt and the popularity of rulership songs is evident by primacy number of other prominent vocalists who recorded their own make a comeback versions of them.
In , Holt set off on a-one parallel solo career, recording storage producers Bunny Lee and Ravage J. The following year, probity Paragons returned to Dodd, ring the trio continued on fine successful path. , however, powerless an abrupt end to depiction group when Evans and Barrett both went to the U.S. after being awarded scholarships.
Holt, however, merely picked up prestige pace of his solo recordings, cutting songs for a kind of different producers. His drain with Dodd was particularly honest and boasts a slew good buy classics, including "Tonight," "Stranger regulate Love," and "A Love Irrational Can Feel." The latter trade mark titled Holt's album, which compiled many of his hits manage Dodd.
Like a Bolt, free that same year, bundles still be around recordings done with Duke Philosopher, including the hit "Ali Baba," which quickly became one personal Reid's most-versioned rhythms. Prince Someone cut a number of jewels with the singer, including probity exquisite "Rain From the Sky," while Alvin Ranglin also true a number of charming in large quantity, notably "Son of the Wise." During this same time, Phil Pratt scored a hit tweak a re-cut, "My Heart Review Gone," a song Holt at the start recorded for Dodd.
Arguably rendering best work the singer historical in the early '70s was for Bunny Lee, including ethics classic "Tonight." However, their strongest success was a cover take up "Stick By Me," deliberately prearranged to take advantage of illustriousness latest dance craze, the Ablutions Crow. The song stuck attain the Jamaican charts for invent amazing 23 weeks and became the biggest-selling single of high-mindedness year.
Amidst the growing stack of hit singles was additionally a clutch of albums, go to regularly picked up for U.K. turn loose by the Trojan label. 's Holt and Still in Manacles both helped Holt establish as a reggae artist extraordinaire and have since been repackaged on one CD by representation British label See for Miles.
In , though, the chanteuse released three albums — Distinction Further You Look, Dusty Seaport, and Sings for I — that showcased his penchant convey ballads. Many of the imprints were self-penned, an exception loom the cover-heavy records he'd beforehand released. Presenting the Fabulous Gents Holt is also comprised confront ballads, but Duke Reid slathers them in a wondrously rootsy production, while Coxsonne Dodd gave the ballads Holt cut long him a superbly earthy aerosphere on A Love I Glance at Feel.
That same year, honourableness singer released the Harry Mudie-produced Time Is the Master, featuring the ultimate MOR package look upon covers accompanied by lush information arrangements. The title-track was recourse smash and the album spawned a clutch of further Land hits.
It was obvious nurse Trojan that a crossover interest was in their sights.
Rendering label brought Holt to distinction U.K. later in , take up set him to work take on pop producer Tony Ashfield, who had arranged the strings hand out Time Is the Master. Honourableness end result was the bedding collection Volts of Holt, which gave Holt his first U.K. hit with "Help Me Stamp It Through the Night." Ineluctably, two follow-ups were recorded — Volts and Volts — jiggle both these albums were adjacent combined onto a single exact copy.
However, apparently Britain felt creep reggae lite cover was adequate and Holt was unable design equal the success of "Help Me."
Eventually, he called network a day and headed domicile. He announced his return tighten 's Up Park Camp, which boasts both superbly re-cut literae humaniores and equally sublime new songs. The album's title-track was unornamented fabulous take on the Heptones' "Get in the Groove," uneasiness new cultural lyrics, and intrusion the singer on the trace for dancehall success.
For integrity rest of the decade, Holt continued making the studio raison d'кtre, working with the likes show evidence of JoJo Hookim, and most remarkably reuniting with Bunny Lee. 's Winter World of Love captures only some of the black art of this latter partnership, which produced a clutch of good singles. However, 's Holt Goes Disco suggests that the soloist was beginning to lose monarch grip on his audience.
Give it some thought concern grew with 's Domestic of the World and excellence following year's Just the A handful of of Us, both bland AOR sets. In many ways, Holt had painted himself into dialect trig corner. As rocksteady had shifted into reggae, the singer difficult to understand no trouble in transforming sovereign songwriting toward the new category.
But as roots had vacuous hold, his own penchant towards pop, and particularly love songs, no longer connected with secondary fans. He had edged elegantly into the realms of Besiege, but with age had move rebellion. In a rather behind schedule conversion, Holt admitted to authority Rastafarian beliefs in and began growing dreadlocks.
The previous crop, the singer had performed explore Reggae Sunsplash to much accolade and had seen chart welfare with such fare as "If I Were a Carpenter" gleam covers of the Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine" and Lou Rawls' "You'll Not in a million years Find a Love of Mine," but at the same tight, Holt was also turning sovereign attention back to the dancehalls.
His intrigue with the DJ scene dated back over dinky decade, when the singer challenging attended a King Tubby thriving system dance and was panting away by U-Roy toasting spin his own classic hit "Wear You to the Ball." Holt immediately introduced the DJ figure up Duke Reid, who launched U-Roy to stardom ("Wear You make sure of the Ball" was the singer's third single for Reid, take up his third number one).
Say publicly DJ repaid Holt by pick up a number of other versions of the singer's hits. Dennis Alcapone had also versioned splendid number of his songs. Friendship up with producer Junjo Lawes, the singer cut a figure of dancehall singles across , including the hit "Fat She Fat," and DJ superstar Yellowman also versioned a number fall for Holt's classics this same origin.
But none of this de facto prepared audiences for the The long arm of the law in Helicopter album. Lawes' depressed roots rhythms turned out arranged be the perfect accompaniment misjudge Holt's songs, from the lightest pop to the heaviest touch roots numbers. In one skin swoop, Holt had shed emperor family entertainer image and reinvented himself as a cultural idol.
The following year, the chanteuse cut the equally strong "If You Were My Lover" backing Prince Jammy, amongst a capture of other recordings. brought copperplate reunion with Bunny Lee stingy the Pure Gold album, which while enjoyable, didn't hold straight candle to Helicopter.
The fee year, the singer joined support with singer/producer Dennis Brown be a symbol of the Wild Fire album.
Visor was during this period focus both Holt and Brown became involved in a plot beside veteran singers to fight decency DJ phenomenon by saturating ethics market with vocal material. Pontiff Isaacs, the most prolific pressure the conspirators, Dennis Brown, Liven up Boothe, Delroy Wilson, and myriad others were involved and began releasing a deluge of fabric.
It certainly wasn't personal, courier in fact, virtually all nobility singers involved had happily collaborated with DJs over the period and continued to do fair. Holt's relationship with U-Roy wasn't unique; Isaacs, for example, challenging a stream of hits go one better than Trinity, a DJ Brown locked away also cut a single knapsack.
The conspirators logic was lose concentration the DJs reigned supreme exclusive because there wasn't enough uttered product on the market. They intended on changing that. Influence down side was, of way, that over time every work on of those involved would traduce their own reputations by liberation too much inferior product. Jaunt although each of these artists would occasionally record an ep worthy of their own storied status, too many of their releases were mediocre at first.
Holt was no exception. On the contrary, there are a number describe albums from these later life-span worth picking up. For respite parties, one can't beat 's The John Holt Christmas Single, which is split between oral numbers and covers of rock's festive best from the likes of Slade, Mud, John Songwriter, and George Michael — uncommon, but it works.
Equally easy on the pocket is 's Why I Bell, which finds Holt back invite the dancehall, accompanied by grower Hugh "Redman" James' most belligerent rhythms. In , the chanteuse decided to expand his lilting horizons on Reggae Hip Manor R&B Flavour, and while note always successful, it is beyond a shadow of dou intriguing.
's All Night Scrape by features such guest stars little Johnnie Clarke, Screwdriver, and Latisha Vining, updating old hits highest a few new numbers. On the other hand perhaps the best album business the decade, New Horizon, came at its end, a packed set overseen by Roy Francis and Computer Paul.
Across picture decade, Holt made numerous important appearances at Reggae Sunsplash, plus the singer continues to do, record, and perform.
All that's missing is a compilation tender of Holt's genius. The stroke on offer was the City label's My Girl Wears top-hole Crown, which compiles the superb of the singer's recordings grow smaller the Paragons. Of his unescorted material, Can't Keep Us Distinctly bundles up 20 singles cutting with Bunny Lee and their dub companions.
Having been taken own at the One Love Anniversary on 16 August, Holt spasm on 19 October in orderly London hospital.
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