Dandy Livingstone

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Dandy Livingstone (born December 14, 1943 in Kingston , Jamaica ; actually Robert Livingstone Thompson ) is a Jamaican reggae musician and record producer, best known for his hit "Suzanne Beware of the Devil" from 1972 and his piece "Rudy, A Message to You ” , which was later a hit by The Specials . "Suzanne Beware of the Devil" reached 14th place on the UK charts.

biography

Livingstone moved to the UK at the age of 15 . Livingstone's first record was released without his knowledge, the tenant of the building where he and a friend were playing recorded some of their rehearsals and released some tracks on Planetone record company . When the London- based record company Carnival Records was looking for a Jamaican vocal duo, Livingstone met the requirements by recording his own voice on two different tracks and releasing records in this way under the name Sugar & Dandy . One of these singles, "What a Life" , sold more than 25,000 copies and was Livingstone's first hit. When it came time to perform live, Roy Smith was brought on board to complete the duo, although he was later replaced by Tito "Sugar" Simone.

In 1967 Livingstone signed a contract with Ska Beat Records , on which he recorded his debut album, from 1968, Rocksteady with Dandy . The 1967 hit single "Rudy, A Message to You" was in the top 50 of the UK charts.

In 1968 Livingstone switched to music production and formed a duo with Audrey Hall (as Dandy & Audrey ). His productions by other artists include the debut album by The Marvels and hit singles by Nicky Thomas ( "Suzanne Beware of The Devil" ) and Tony Tribe ( "Red Red Wine" ).

In the late 1960s, Livingstone worked with trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who was on the 1967 piece "Rudy, A Message to You" . Rodriguez later played on The Specials , whose cover version of the piece, which appeared in 1979, made it famous. Livingstone produced several singles for Rodriguez under the name Rico & the Rudies .

Livingstone signed a contract with Trojan Records in 1968 and released two albums there, Follow That Donkey and Dandy Returns . Trojan's own subsidiary, Down Town Records, was formed to publish Livingstone's work as a singer and producer. In the early 1970s, a subsidiary of J-Dan served the same purpose. Livingstone returned to Jamaica later in the early 1970s and lived there until 1973.

Livingstone made a name for itself again in 1973 with the single "Black Star" , which was released on Mooncrest Records on the album Conscious . On his return to the UK, he recorded an album named after himself in Byron Lee's studio .

The so-called "2-Tone Movement" in the UK in the late 1970s opened Livingstone to new audiences.

Discography

  • Rocksteady with Dandy (1967, Giant)
  • Follow That Donkey (1968, Trojan)
  • Dandy Returns (1968, Trojan)
  • Let's Catch the Beat (1969, Trojan)
  • Your Musical Doctor (1969, Downtown / Trojan)
  • I Need You (1969, Ska Beat) (Dandy & Audrey)
  • Morning Side of the Mountain (1970) (Dandy & Audrey)
  • Dandy Livingstone (1972, Trojan)
  • Conscious (1973, Mooncrest)
  • Home From Home (1976, Charisma)
  • The South African Experience (1978, Night Owl)
  • Doo wop style
  • Suzanne Beware of The Devil: The Best of Dandy Livingstone (2002, Trojan) (compilation)

swell

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004372/Dandy-Livingstone.html Biography of G. Cooksey
  2. ^ Greene, Jo-Ann, Review of "Suzanne Beware of the Devil" in the "All Music Guide"
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin, "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae," 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9
personal data
SURNAME Livingstone, dandy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Jamaican reggae musician and producer
DATE OF BIRTH December 14, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Kingston , Jamaica