Dennis Brown

Dennis Brown Interview On the Black On Black Television Show – 1984

Dennis Brown The Prophet Rides Again (Live on Black On Black 1984)

Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a subgenre of reggae. Bob Marley cited Brown as his favourite singer, dubbing him “The Crown Prince of Reggae”, and Brown would prove influential on future generations of reggae singers.

Early life and career
Dennis Brown was born on 1 February 1957 at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. His father Arthur was a scriptwriter, actor, and journalist, and he grew up in a large tenement yard between North Street and King Street in Kingston with his parents, three elder brothers and a sister, although his mother died in the 1960s. He began his singing career at the age of nine, while still at junior school, with an end-of-term concert the first time he performed in public, although he had been keen on music from an even earlier age, and as a youngster was a keen fan of American balladeers such as Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. He cited Nat King Cole as one of his greatest early influences. He regularly hung around JJ’s record store on Orange Street in the rocksteady era and his relatives and neighbours would often throw Brown pennies to hear him sing in their yard. Brown’s first professional appearance came at the age of eleven, when he visited “Tit for Tat” a local West Kingston Nightclub where his brother Basil was performing a comedy routine, and where he made a guest appearance with the club’s resident group, the Fabulous Falcons (a group that included Cynthia Richards, David “Scotty” Scott, and Noel Brown). On the strength of this performance he was asked to join the group as a featured vocalist. When the group performed at a JLP conference at the National Arena, Brown sang two songs – Desmond Dekker’s “Unity” and Johnnie Taylor’s “Ain’t That Loving You” – and after the audience showered the stage with money, he was able to buy his first suit with the proceeds. Bandleader Byron Lee performed on the same bill, and was sufficiently impressed with Brown to book him to perform on package shows featuring visiting US artists, where he was billed as the “Boy Wonder”.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1970 – No Man is an Island (Studio One)
• 1971 – If I Follow My Heart (Studio One)
• 1972 – Super Reggae & Soul Hits (Crystal/Trojan)
• 1974 – The Best of Dennis Brown (Joe Gibbs) aka Best of Part 1 (1979, Joe Gibbs)
• 1975 – Deep Down (Observer), reissued in 1979 as So Long Rastafari (Harry J)
• 1975 – Just Dennis (Observer/Trojan)
• 1977 – Superstar (Micron)
• 1977 – Wolf & Leopards (DEB/Weed Beat)
• 1977 – Dennis Brown Meets Harry Hippy (Pioneer)(with Harry Hippy)
• 1978 – Westbound Train (Third World), aka Africa (Celluloid)
• 1978 – Visions of Dennis Brown (Joe Gibbs)
• 1979 – Joseph’s Coat Of Many Colors (DEB)
• 1979 – Words of Wisdom (Joe Gibbs/Atlantic)
• 1980 – Spellbound (Joe Gibbs/Laser)
• 1981 – Money in My Pocket (Trojan)
• 1981 – Foul Play (Joe Gibbs/A&M)
• 1982 – Best Of Part 2 (Joe Gibbs)
• 1982 – Love Has Found Its Way (Joe Gibbs/A&M) (UK No. 72, US R&B #36)
• 1982 – More (Yvonne’s Special)
• 1982 – Stage Coach Showcase (Yvonne’s Special)
• 1982 – Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow (Joe Gibbs)
• 1983 – Satisfaction Feeling (Yvonne’s Special/Tad’s)
• 1983 – The Prophet Rides Again (A&M)
• 1984 – Judge Not (with Gregory Isaacs) (Music Works/Greensleeves)
• 1984 – Two Bad Superstars (with Gregory Isaacs) (Burning Sounds)
• 1984 – Love’s Got A Hold On Me (Joe Gibbs)
• 1984 – Revolution (Taxi/Yvonne’s Special)
• 1984 – Reggae Super Stars Meet (with Horace Andy) (Striker Lee)
• 1985 – Slow Down (Jammy’s/Greensleeves)
• 1985 – Wake Up (Natty Congo)
• 1985 – Wild Fire (with John Holt) (Natty Congo)
• 1986 – Brown Sugar (Taxi)
• 1986 – Baalgad (with Enos McLeod) (Goodies)
• 1986 – History (Live & Love)
• 1986 – Hold Tight (Live & learn)
• 1986 – The Exit (Jammy’s)
• 1987 – So Amazing (with Janet Kay) (Trojan)
• 1987 – Visions (Shanachie)
• 1988 – Inseparable (WKS)
• 1989 – No Contest (with Gregory Isaacs) (Music Works/Greensleeves)
• 1989 – Death Before Dishonour (Tappa)
• 1989 – Good Vibrations (Yvonne’s Special)
• 1990 – Over Proof (Two Friends/Greensleeves)
• 1990 – Unchallenged (Music Works/Greensleeves)
• 1990 – Reggae Giants (with Freddie McGregor) (Rocky One)
• 1990 – Sarge (Yvonne’s Special)
• 1991 – Victory is Mine (Legga/RAS)
• 1992 – Another Day in Paradise (Trojan)
• 1992 – Beautiful Morning (World Record)
• 1992 – Blazing (Two Friends/Shanachie/Greensleeves)
• 1992 – Friends For Life (Black Scorpio/Shanachie)
• 1992 – Limited Edition (Artistic/VP/Greensleeves)
• 1992 – If I Didn’t Love You
• 1992 – Cosmic (Observer)
• 1993 – Cosmic Force (Heartbeat)
• 1993 – The General (VP)
• 1993 – Legit (with Freddie McGregor & Cocoa Tea) (Greensleeves/Shanachie)
• 1993 – Rare Grooves Reggae Rhythm & Blues (Body Music/Yvonne’s Special)
• 199? – Rare Grooves Reggae Rhythm & Blues vol. 2 (Yvonne’s Special)
• 1993 – Songs of Emanuel (Yvonne’s Special/Sonic Sounds)
• 1993 – Unforgettable (Jammy’s)
• 1993 – Hotter Flames (with Frankie Paul) (VP)
• 1993 – Give Praises (Tappa)
• 1993 – It’s The Right Time
• 1994 – 3 Against War (with Triston Palma & Beenie Man) (VP)
• 1994 – Blood Brothers (with Gregory Isaacs) (RAS)
• 1994 – Light My Fire (Heartbeat)
• 1994 – Nothing Like This (Greensleeves/RAS)
• 1994 – Party Time (with John Holt) (Sonic Sounds)
• 1994 – Vision of the Reggae King (Gold Mine/VP)
• 1995 – I Don’t Know (Grapevine/Dynamite)
• 1995 – Temperature Rising (Trojan)
• 1995 – Dennis Brown and Friends (with Sugar Minott & Justin Hinds) (Jamaican Authentic Classics)
• 1995 – The Facts of Life (Diamond Rush)
• 1995 – You Got the Best of Me (Saxon)
• 1996 – Could It Be (VP)
• 1996 – Lovers Paradise (House of Reggae)
• 1996 – Milk & Honey (RAS)
• 1997 – Meet at the Penthouse (with Leroy Smart) (Rhino)
• 1998 – One of a Kind (Imaj)
• 1999 – Believe in Yourself (Don One/TP)
• 1999 – Bless Me Jah (RAS/Charm)
• 1999 – Generosity (Gator)

Posthumous releases and compilations

• 1983 – The Best of Dennis Brown (Blue Moon)
• 1987 – Greatest Hits (Rohit)
• 1987 – My Time (Rohit)
• 1990 – Go Now (Rohit)
• 1991 – Classic Gold (Rocky One)
• 1992 – Kollection (Gong Sounds)
• 1992 – Some Like It Hot (Heartbeat)
• 1992 – Classic Hits (Sonic Sounds)
• 1993 – Best Of – Musical Heatwave 1972–75 (Trojan)
• 1993 – 20 Magnificent Hits (Thunderbolt)
• 1993 – It’s the Right Time (Rhino)
• 1994 – The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club)
• 1994 – Early Days (Sonic Sounds)
• 1995 – Africa – the Best of Dennis Brown vol. 1 (Esoldun)
• 1995 – Travelling Man – the Best of Dennis Brown vol. 2 (Esoldun)
• 1995 – Open The Gate – Greatest Hits Volume II (Heartbeat)
• 1995 – Joy in the Morning (Lagoon)
• 1996 – Hit After Hit (Rocky One)
• 1996 – The Very Best of Dennis Brown (Rhino)
• 1996 – Love & Hate: The Best of Dennis Brown (VP)
• 1996 – The Crown Prince (World Records)
• 1997 – Money in My Pocket (Delta Music)
• 1997 – Maximum Replay (Gone Clear)
• 1997 – Ras Portraits (RAS)
• 1997 – Reggae Max (Jet Star)
• 1998 – The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club)
• 1998 – Watch This Sound (Jamaican Gold)
• 1998 – Lovers Paradise (Time Music)
• 1998 – Tracks of Life (Snapper)
• 1999 – The Godlike Genius of Dennis Brown (Dressed to Kill)
• 1999 – Reggae Legends vol. 2 (Artists Only)
• 1999 – In the Mood (Charly)
• 1999 – Greatest Hits (Charly)
• 1999 – Love is So True (Prism)
• 1999 – Stone Cold World (VP)
• 1999 – Ready We Ready (Super Power)
• 1999 – Tribulation (PDG/Heartbeat)
• 1999 – The Great Mr Brown
• 2000 – May Your Food Basket Never Empty (RAS)
• 2000 – Reggae Trilogy (with Glen Washington & Gregory Isaacs) (J&D)
• 2000 – We are all One (J&D)
• 2000 – The Crown Prince (Metro)
• 2000 – Let Me be the One (VP)
• 2001 – Cassandra (Starburst)
• 2001 – Love’s Got a Hold on You (Artists Only)
• 2001 – Money in My Pocket: Anthology (Trojan)
• 2001 – Any Day Now (Heartbeat)
• 2001 – Essential (Next Music)
• 2001 – Archives (Trojan)
• 2001 – The Prime of Dennis Brown (Music Club)
• 2002 – Dennis Brown In Dub (with Niney the Observer) (Rounder/Heartbeat)
• 2002 – You Satisfy My Soul (Fat Man)
• 2002 – Memorial: Featuring John Holt (Jetstar)
• 2002 – The Promised Land 1977–79 (Blood & Fire)
• 2002 – Winning Combinations (with Bunny Wailer) (Universal)
• 2002 – Memorial (Jetstar)
• 2002 – Forever Dennis (Jetstar/Reggae Road)
• 2003 – The Complete A&M Years (A&M)
• 2003 – Dennis Brown Sings Gregory Isaacs (RAS)
• 2003 – Crown Prince (Trojan)
• 2004 – Dennis Brown Conqueror: An Essential Collection (Burning Bush)
• 2005 – Money in My Pocket: The Definitive Collection (Trojan)
• 2005 – Sings Revival Classics (Cousins)
• 2005 – At the Foot of the Mountain (Charm)
• 2006 – Sledgehammer Special (with King Tubby)
• 2006 – Taxi 3 Trio (with Gregory Isaacs & Sugar Minott) (Taxi)
• 2008 – A Little Bit More: Joe Gibbs 12″ Selection 1978–1983 (VP)
• 2010 – The Crown Prince Of Reggae: Singles (1972–1985) Reggae Anthology (#10 US Reggae)
• 2020 – Dennis (Burning Sounds) . Vinyl – Originally released in 1983

Live albums

• 1979 – Live in Montreux (Laser/Joe Gibbs)
• 1987 – In Concert (Ayeola)
• 1992 – Live in Montego Bay (Sonic Sounds)
• 2000 – Academy (Orange Street)
• 2001 – Best of Reggae Live (Innerbeat)
• 2001 – Best of Reggae Live vol. 2 (Innerbeat)
• 2003 – Live in New York (Ital International)

DVD and Video

• The Living Legend (VHS; Keeling Videos)
• Rock Steady Roll Call (VHS; Ruff Neck)
• Stars in the East (with John Holt) (VHS/DVD; Ruff Neck)
• Inseparable volumes 1–4 (4 VHS volumes (199?)/2 DVD volumes (2004); Ruff Neck)
• Live at Montreux (1996; DVD; Synergie)
• Hits After Hits (2001; DVD; Keeling Videos)
• Live at Reggae Ganfest (2003; DVD; Contreband)

Productions of other artists

• 1977 – Various Artists – Black Echoes
• 1978 – The DEB Music Players – Umoja
• 1978 – The DEB Music Players – 20th Century DEB-Wise
• 1979 – The DEB Music Players – DJ Tracking
• 1979 – Junior Delgado – Effort
• 1979 – Junior Delgado – Taste of the Young Heart
• 1981 – Junior Delgado – More She Love It
• 1982 – Junior Delgado – Bush Master Revolution
• 1985 – Various Artists – 4 Star Showcase
• 1996 – Various Artists – Return to Umoja

International hit singles

• “Money In My Pocket” (1979) – UK No. 14
• “Love Has Found Its Way” (1982) – UK No. 47, US R&B No. 42
• “Senorita” (1988) – UK No. 95

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