Barrington Levy - Englishman

30 years of Greensleeves brings a bonanza for vinyl junkies

Arriving in 1979, Barrington Levy’s Englishman marked the change of the roots sound of the 70s to a heavy one-drop that would become known as dancehall in the following decade. On the album Barrington gives out tough messages of retribution (Don’t Fuss Nor Fight) but, more importantly, turns to what would soon be a standard dancehall template with tracks such as Sister Carol and Look Girl. Produced by Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes and using number one band The Roots Radics, Englishman had a new sound and gave the first signs of reggae’s shift to new pastures.

By 1982, when Wayne Jarrett’s Chip In was released, Lawes had cemented a firm hit-making relationship with Greensleeves, as well as having perfected the dancehall sound. Jarrett still has some roots lyrics, but tracks such as Saturday Night Jamboree and Skank & Come In are pure 80s reggae which, thanks to the successful Lawes/Greensleeves partnership, spread the music far out from its Jamaican homeland to the UK and beyond.

No label since Trojan in the early 70s has been so influential in promoting reggae music as Greensleeves. This year marks their 30th anniversary, and these are just two in a set of vinyl reissues of their top selling albums.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Greensleeves | GREL 9 / GREL 28

Reviewed by Michael De Koningh
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