John Holt (musician)

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John Kenneth Holt (* 11. July 1947 in Kingston , Jamaica ; † 19 October 2014 in London ) was a Jamaican rocksteady - and Reggae -Singer and songwriter who as a member of the Paragons became known and later made a solo music career.

biography

John Holt was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1947. The first single ("I'll Stay" / "I Cried A Tear") he recorded in 1963 with producer Leslie Kong . In 1965 he joined the band The Binders with Bob Andy, Garth "Tyrone" Evans and Junior Menz. After Howard Barrett replaced Junior Menz, the name was changed to The Paragons . With Duke Reid's Treasure Isle record label, they achieved several hit singles during the Rocksteady period. The best known from this period is " The Tide Is High ", which was covered by Blondie and Atomic Kitten . But the single “Man next door” was also covered by several reggae musicians such as Dennis Brown , UB40 and Horace Andy . The latter covered it on the Massive Attack album Mezzanine, among other things .

During his time with the Paragons he already recorded solo material for Bunny Lee, Prince Buster , but also with Duke Reid ("Alibaba"). After the early departure of Bob Andy and the subsequent departures of Barrett (1969) and Evans (1970), Holt concentrated on his solo career.

In particular, in collaboration with Bunny Lee as a producer, he had several hits. After the successful album "Time Is The Master" with string arrangements, several similar Trojan albums were recorded. So did the album "1000 Volts of Holt" in 1973, which presented reggae cover versions of popular hits.

In the early 80s his album "Police in Helicopter" with the single of the same name and "Fat She Fat" was again a great success in Jamaica, among others. The song "Police in Helicopter" discusses the restrictive drug policy in Jamaica with regard to marijuana . Pictured with dreadlocks and a beard on the cover, Holt shows his focus on Rastafari .

Holt was appointed Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2004.

John Holt died on October 19, 2014 in London. He left behind his wife Valerie and 12 children.

Discography (selection)

Albums

  • A Love I Can Feel (1970) Studio One
  • Holt ( 1971) Jaguar
  • The Paragons & Friends (1971) Studio One
  • Still In Chains (1971) Dynamic Sounds
  • OK Fred (1972) Melodisc
  • Pledging My Love (1972) Dynamic Sounds
  • John Holt's Greatest Hits (1972) Prince Buster
  • The Further You Look (1973) Trojan Records
  • Like A Bolt (1973) Treasure Isle
  • 1000 Volts Of Holt (1973) Trojan Records
  • Time Is The Master (1973) Moodisc Records
  • Dusty Roads (1974) Trojan Records
  • Don't Break Your Promise (1974) Lord Koos
  • Before The Next Tear Drop (1976) Click
  • Super Star (1976) Weed Beat
  • 2000 Volts Of Holt (1976) Trojan Records
  • The John Holt Showcase (1977) Thunder Bolt
  • World Of Love (1977) Justice
  • Sugar (1977) Clocktower Records
  • Roots of Holt (1977) Trojan Records
  • Channel One Present The Magnificent (1977) Channel One
  • In Demand (1978) Dynamic Sounds
  • Let It Go On (1978) Trojan Records
  • The Impressable John Holt (1978) Harry J Records
  • Peace In The Sun (1978) Volt Music
  • Holt (1978) Sonic Sounds
  • Spotlight On John Holt (1979) Sonic Sounds
  • My Desire (1980) jackpot
  • A1 Disco Showcase (1980) Taurus Records
  • Since I Fell For You (1980) Joe Gibbs Music
  • Just The Two Of Us (1982) CSA Records
  • Gold (1982) Creole Records
  • Police In Helicopter (1983) Greensleeves Records
  • For Lovers And Dancers (1984) Trojan Records
  • Stealing, Stealing (1984) Blue Mountain Records
  • Brown & Holt (1985) Tad's Records
  • Pure Gold (1985) Vista Sounds
  • Vibes (1985) Leggo Sounds
  • 16 Songs For Soulful Lovers (1986) Platinum Music
  • The Reggae Christmas Hits Album (1986) Sonic Sounds
  • John Holt & Horace Andy From One Extreme To Another (1986) Beta Records
  • Why I Care (1989) Greensleeves Records
  • If I Were A Carpenter (1989) Live and Love
  • Children Of The World (1990) Gold Disc
  • Slow Dancing (1990) Moodies Records
  • Here I Come Again (1990) Rohit Records
  • Everytime (1992) Gong Sounds Records
  • John Holt, Beres Hammond - Love (1992) Quattro
  • Peacemaker (1993) Clarendon Sounds
  • Up Park Camp (1997) Channel One
  • Fistful Of Holt (1998) Charm
  • New Horizon (1998) Jet Star Records
  • Born Free (2001) Jet Star Records
  • John Holt With Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra & Special Guest Freddie McGregor In Symphony (2001) Jet Star Records
  • 500 Volts of Dub (2011) Jamaican Recordings

Source:

Singles (chart positions)

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK
1974 Help Me Make It Through the Night
1000 Volts Of Holt 		UK6 (14 weeks)
UK

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Holt: One of the most enduring Jamaican singers. October 23, 2014, accessed June 9, 2020 .
  2. ^ Colin Larkin: The Virgin encyclopedia of reggae . Virgin Books, Muze UK, London 1998, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9 .
  3. ↑ Guardian music: Veteran reggae singer John Holt dies aged 69 . In: The Guardian . October 20, 2014, ISSN  0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed June 9, 2020]).
  4. ↑ John Holt. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Roots Archives - Artist: John Holt. July 4, 2008, accessed June 9, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Holt, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Holt, John Kenneth
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Jamaican rock steady and reggae singer and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH July 11, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Kingston , Jamaica
DATE OF DEATH 19th October 2014
Place of death London