Early Rock Steady, Ska and Reggae kingpins! ALTON ELLIS | Zerosounds

Alton Ellis - Showcase

Zero says : Alton Ellis was one of Jamaica's all-time favorite vocalists. Like so many other talented singers, he got his start and gained valuable experience under the tutelage of producer and Studio One label founder, Clement S. Dodd. Alton's singing career began in 1959, and he has maintained headliner status throughout his career. His best-known recordings are those he cut during the "rock steady" period of Jamaican popular music.

Ellis started his career in 1959 as part of the duo Alton & Eddie with Eddie Perkins. Ellis and Perkins recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One before Perkins moved to the United States. Duke Reid took Ellis to his Treasure Isle label in 1962. By the mid 1960s, ska was moving on and the beat was slowing down and becoming associated with the rude boy subculture in Jamaican dancehalls. Recording with a backing trio, The Flames (consisting of his brother Leslie Ellis, David "Baby G" Gordon and a musician called Ronnie), Ellis scored big with the hits "Girl I've Got a Date", "Cry Tough" and "Rock Steady", which lent its name to the newer genre. As rocksteady dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the next two years, Ellis continued to score hits for Treasure Isle, working with artists such as Lloyd Charmers, Phyllis Dillon and The Heptones.

Ellis has lived in England since the 1970s. In England, Ellis established his own Alltone label, which he devoted to both new recordings and compilations of his early classics. The international popularity of Bob Marley and the rise of roots reggae meant that Ellis' considerable legacy was soon overshadowed, but over time, he remained a fondly remembered pioneer of Jamaican music. He made triumphant returns to Jamaica with well-received sets at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in both 1983 and 1985, and recorded a new single, "Man From Studio One," for Dodd in 1991. Numerous compilations of his work appeared during the CD era, illustrating his stunning consistency. He died on Oct 10, 2008 in London, England."

Tracklist:

A1 Someone

A2 Hurting Me

A3 We Need Love

A4 So Much Love

B1 Back To Africa

B2 Alphabetically Yours

B3 Blessing Of Love

B4 Tumbling Tears