Content deleted Content added
Line 33:
After deejaying on the Vee-Jay [[Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system]] in the early 1970s, Simpson initially recorded under his own name (as 'Berris Simpson') in the mid-1970s with producer 'God Son' [[Glen Brown]] for whom he recorded "Whole Lot of Sugar" and "Tel Aviv Rock", before adopting the 'Prince Hammer' name when he began producing his own recordings on labels that he owned such as Gold Cup and Belva, sold through his own record shop on Orange Street.<ref name="Vibes" /><ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}, p. 229</ref><ref name="Greene">Greene, Jo-Ann "[http://www.allmusic.com/album/rastafari-bible-mw0001448835 ''Rastafari Bible'' Review]", [[Allmusic]], retrieved 29 September 2012</ref> He released several singles in the late 1970s for a variety of producers.<ref name="Foster">Foster, Chuck (1999) ''Roots Rock Reggae'', Billboard Books, {{ISBN|0-8230-7831-0}}, p. 301</ref> He made a cameo appearance in the film ''[[Rockers (1978 film)|Rockers]]'', and found a wider audience via his [[The Morwells|Blacka Morwell]]-produced 1978 album ''Bible'', released on [[Virgin Records]]' [[Front Line (record label)|Front Line]] label. Notably, the title track of the album features Hammer's version of [[Cornell Campbell]]'s ''Jah Me No Born Yah'' vocal [[chant]], lyrically inspired by [[King James Bible]]-translated King David [[Psalm 19]].<ref name="Larkin" /> This was followed by the album ''Roots and Roots'', released on [[Adrian Sherwood]]'s Hitrun label in 1979. In a departure from earlier releases, the album ''Roots and Roots'' is not entirely a DJ toasting work -- a number of the tracks, such as ''Righteous Man'', also showcase Prince Hammer as a singer and vocalist in a conscious [[Roots Reggae]] style. The album features Prince Hammer's version of [[Prince Far I]] and [[Augustus Pablo]]'s ''Let Jah Arise'', the original of which was re-released on [[Steve Barrow]]'s [[Blood and Fire (record label)]]. <ref name="Larkin" />
Hammer toured the UK with Carlton Bubbler's Ogilvie and Crucial Tony Phillips' Creation Rebel, [[Bim Sherman]] and [[Prince Far I]] in 1979 and later with [[punk rock]] bands such as [[The Clash]] and [[The Slits]].<ref name="Howe">Street Howe, Zoe (2009) ''Typical Girls? The Story of the Slits'', Omnibus Press, {{ISBN|978-1847727800}}</ref><ref name="Ensminger">Ensminger, David A. (2011) ''Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation'', University Press/Mississippi, {{ISBN|978-1617030734}}, p. 259</ref> A second album for Hit Run, ''Dancehall Style'', was released in 1981, and they worked again on his 1985 album ''Vengeance'', versioning tunes that had already appeared on [[Singers & Players]]' ''Staggering Heights'' album, [[New Age Steppers]] ''Foundation Steppers'' album, and on [[Bim Sherman]]'s ''Can't Stop Dancing'' [[Discomix]] and ''Across the Red Sea'' album. Prince Hammer also versions [[Stranger Cole]] and [[Gladstone Anderson]]'s '' Just Like a River'' hit on ''Vengeance'', as well as his take on [[Big Youth]]'s Prince Tony-Barrington Spence based ''Some Like it Hot''. There is also a version of [[The Revolutionaries]]' ''Kunta Kinte'' [[Dubplate]]. He appeared on the track "The Heat" on [[Suns of Arqa]]'s 1983 fusion dance album ''[[Wadada Magic]]'', also featuring on their live album with [[Prince Far I]] entitled ''[[Musical Revue]]'' which was recorded in 1982, and he provides vocals on "Libera Me" on their 1987 album ''[[Seven (Suns of Arqa album)|Seven]]''. He also worked with Tamoki-Wambesi and Dove labels' founder, [[Roy Cousins]] on the ''Respect I Man'' album (1989).
Hammer also worked as a producer, releasing [[Rod Taylor (singer)|Rod Taylor]]'s conscious [[Roots Reggae]] ''If [[Jah]] Should Come Now'' album on Keith Stone's ''Daddy Kool'' label out of the UK.<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="Barrow">Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, {{ISBN|1-84353-329-4}}, p. 186-7</ref> Other artists that he produced included Echo Minott, Jennifer Lara ( who had gained success under the tutelage of [[Coxsone Dodd]] at Studio One), [[Toyan]], [[Trinity (musician)|Trinity]], [[Enos McLeod]] and [[George Nooks]] aka Prince Mohammed. Several of these productions were compiled on the ''Africa Iron Gate Showcase'' album, released on his own Berris label in 1982, backed by
| |||