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'''Ken Boothe''' [[Order of Distinction|OD]] (born 22 March 1948)<ref name="amg"/> is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appealed to both reqgae fans and mainstream audiences.
'''Ken Boothe''' [[Order of Distinction|OD]] (born 22 March 1948)<ref name="amg"/> is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appealed to both reggae fans and mainstream audiences.


==Biography==
==Biography==

Revision as of 17:37, 27 September 2013

For those of a similar name, see Ken Booth (disambiguation).
Ken Boothe
Ken Boothe (right) with director Ras Tingle
Ken Boothe (right) with director Ras Tingle
Background information
Birth nameKenneth George Boothe
Born (1948-03-22) 22 March 1948 (age 76)
OriginKingston, Jamaica
GenresSka
Rocksteady
Reggae
Lovers rock
Years activeLate 1950s – present
LabelsTrojan Records
Websitehttp://www.kenboothemusic.com/

Ken Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948)[1] is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appealed to both reggae fans and mainstream audiences.

Biography

Ken Boothe was born in Denham Town, Kingston, on the 22 March 1948. He attended Denham Primary Elementary School and during this period developed an interest in music after receiving encouragement from his eldest sister, Hyacinth, who was an established vocalist.[2][3] Boothe cites singer Owen Gray as a major influence, particularly after hearing Gray perform the Leiber and Stoller rhythm and blues version of the 1920s blues standard, "Kansas City Blues", written by E L Bowman and notably performed by Jim Jackson in 1927. Stranger Cole, who was an established artist and neighbor to Boothe, had already worked with Boothe on the Sir Percy sound system as well as recording two songs for independent producer Sir Mike though Boothe's major breakthrough came in 1963 after Cole arranged an audition at Duke Reid's studio.[3] The audition with Cole and Boothe performing the song "Unos Dos Tres" was a success and Boothe and Cole formed the duo 'Stranger & Ken' with the first track released by them being "Hush Baby" on the B-side of Cole's Island Records single "Last Love". This was followed by the singles "Thick in Love" both released in 1963 on R&B Records.[4] They released several more popular singles between 1963 and 1965, including "World's Fair", "Hush", and "Artibella". Boothe also recorded as a duo with Roy Shirley (as Roy & Ken), which resulted in the release of the single "Paradise" in 1966.[4]

Boothe's first solo tracks were recorded in 1966 after Clement "Coxsone" Dodd had signed him to the Studio One Label. He also recorded material for Phil Pratt and Sonia Pottinger the same year. He had almost immediate success with songs including "The Train Is Coming" (on which he was backed by the Wailers) and "Lonely Teardrops" and by the following year, Boothe and Alton Ellis had a successful UK tour with the Studio One session group, the Soul Vendors. Boothe was promoted as "Mr. Rock Steady" by Dodd during this period. Boothe continued to record for Dodd until 1970, when he switched to Leslie Kong's Beverley's Records, where his success continued with hits such as "Freedom Street" and "Why Baby Why".[5]

Following Kong's death, Boothe recorded for many of Jamaica's top producers during the early 1970s, including Keith Hudson, Herman Chin Loy, Vincent "Randy" Chin, and Phil Pratt.[5] He then formed the group Conscious Minds with B. B. Seaton.

Then under a new direction from record producer Lloyd Charmers, Boothe released "Everything I Own" on Trojan Records, which reached Number One in the UK Singles charts in 1974. The song, written by David Gates, was given a sympathetic light reggae feel and it received airplay and an appreciative audience in the West Indies and was regularly played on the radio stations of the UK due to its "crossover" appeal. David Gates' own group, Bread, had had a minor UK hit with the song in the spring of 1972, but it had only reached #32.[6]

Boothe had one more hit in the UK Chart during the 1970s, "Crying Over You", which made #11, with Trojan Records' collapse and a split with Charmers losing much of the momentum built up by his two hits.[1][7] Boothe recorded a reggae version of the standard "When I Fall In Love" which was released in 1974 on the Studio One label.

In 1978, along with Dillinger and Leroy Smart, Boothe was referenced by lyricist Joe Strummer in the Clash's song, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais". Boothe reunited with Charmers in the late 1970s when a revived Trojan Records released the albums Blood Brothers (first issued on LTD in 1976) and Who Gets Your Love, but the reunion proved to be short-lived.[1] He continued to record during the 1980s and had a few hits during 1986 and 1987.[1]

In 1987, Boy George released a version of "Everything I Own" which charted or reached #1 in many countries.[8] His rendition owed far more in styling to Boothe's version than the original by Bread. This sparked renewed interest in Boothe's version, which was reissued the same year, reaching #88 in the UK.[9]

In more recent times, Boothe has recorded for Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, King Jammy, Pete Weston, Jack Ruby, Hugh "Red Man" James, Castro Brown and Tappa Zukie. Plus in 1995, he teamed up with Shaggy, for a new styled version of his old self-penned track, "The Train Is Coming", which appeared on the soundtrack of the film, Money Train.[1]

A double-disc overview of Boothe's Trojan years, Crying Over You, was released by the record label in 2001.[1]

Boothe was awarded the Order of Distinction for his contribution to Jamaican music by the Jamaican government in 2003.[10]

Discography

Albums

  • Mr. Rock Steady (1968), Studio One
  • More of Ken Boothe (1968), Studio One
  • Freedom Street (1970), Beverley's
  • The Great Ken Boothe Meets B.B. Seaton and The Gaylads (1971), Jaguar
  • Boothe Unlimited (1972), Federal
  • Black Gold and Green (1972), Trojan
  • Everything I Own (1974), Trojan
  • Let's Get It On (1974), Trojan
  • Blood Brothers (1976), LTD
  • Live Good (1978), United Artists
  • Disco Reggae (1978), Phil Pratt
  • Who Gets Your Love (1979), Trojan
  • I'm Just a Man (1979), Bunny Lee - also released as Memories
  • Showcase (1978), Sonic Sounds
  • Reggae For Lovers (1979), Generation
  • Got To Get Away Showcase (197?), Phil Pratt
  • Imagine (1986), Park Heights
  • Don't You Know (1987), Tappa
  • 2 of a Kind (1987), Tuff Gong - split with Tyrone Taylor
  • Talk to Me - (1989)
  • Power of Love (1993)
  • Natural Feeling (1995), Jamaica Authentic
  • Acclaimed (1996)
  • Love is the Ultimate (2003), Upstairs Music[5][11][12]
  • Journey (2012)

Compilation albums

  • A Man and His Hits (1974), Studio One
  • "Mr" Boothe (Everything I Own) (197?), Wildflower
  • Rock on Love (1995), Jamaican Classics
  • Sings Hits From Studio 1 & More (1997), Rhino
  • Groove To The Beat (1999), Jamaican Gold
  • Crying Over You (2001)
  • You're No Good (2006), Attack
  • Crying Over You (2000), Trojan

UK hit singles

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Huey, Steve "Ken Boothe Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  2. ^ Ken Boothe Biography at Trojan Records Author: Laurence Cane-Honeysett. Retrieved 01 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b Ken Boothe Interview at Reggaeville Interviewer: Angus Taylor. Published: 22 March 2013. Retrieved 01 June 2013.
  4. ^ a b Thompson, Dave (2002), Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, pp. 336, 368.
  5. ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 34.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 77. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits. Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 163. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 74. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^ Ken Boothe, Chart Stats
  10. ^ "Jimmy Cliff, OM: Singer receives Ja's third highest honour; Baugh, Harding, Hendrickson, Miller get OJ", Jamaica Observer, 7 August 2003, retrieved 6 September 2009.
  11. ^ Allmusic - discography
  12. ^ Ken Boothe at Roots Archives
  13. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

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