Short History of Reggae Record Labels

We threw a csv file of our catalgue of reggae 45's at ChatGPT and asked it to create some sense of the myriad of labels, producers, sub-labels and recording artists that have contributed to the rich history of reggae music. Here it is in a nutshell.

1. The “Big Three” of Early Jamaican Music

In the ska/rocksteady era (late 1950s through mid‐1960s), three major studios and label owners emerged. They shaped what later became reggae:

Clement “Coxsone” Dodd

  • Flagship Label: Studio One
  • Other Imprints: Coxsone, Money Disc, Forward, Supreme, Winro, etc.
  • Studio: Brentford Road (later officially named “Studio One”).
  • Key Artists: The Skatalites, The Wailers, Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson, many more.

Arthur “Duke” Reid

  • Flagship Label: Treasure Isle
  • Other Imprints: Dutchess (sometimes spelled Duchess).
  • Studio: Above his liquor store on Bond Street (famed for rocksteady recordings).
  • Key Artists: The Techniques, The Paragons, Alton Ellis, John Holt, U-Roy.

Cecil “Prince Buster” Campbell

  • Flagship Label: Prince Buster (also sometimes “Islam,” “Voice Of The People”).
  • Studio: Started at RJR, then used various facilities; the Prince Buster store was on Orange Street, Kingston.
  • Key Artists: Prince Buster himself, plus many classic ska vocalists and DJs like Judge Dread in the UK licensing deals.

From these three “giants,” we get the foundation of ska and
rocksteady. By 1968–69, reggae’s up‐tempo style took hold, and new
producers started to emerge.

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2. Early Reggae & The Proliferation of Producers(Late ’60s–’70s)

As the 1970s dawned, a burst of new producers launched studios and labels, each effectively independent:

Leslie Kong

  • Label: Beverley’s Big hits from Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, The Maytals.

Joe Gibbs

  • Labels: Amalgamated (1960s), Joe Gibbs Record Globe, Joe Gibbs Ultra Sound, and Crazy Joe.
  • Worked with Lee Perry, Winston “Niney” Holness, later Errol T. and The Professionals.

Sonia Pottinger

  • Labels: High Note, Gay Feet, Tip Top
  • First prominent female producer in Jamaican music. Produced Culture, Marcia Griffiths, The Melodians.

Bunny “Striker” Lee

  • Labels: Striker Lee, Jackpot (Jamaican), various short imprints.
  • Hugely prolific; worked with almost everyone (Johnny Clarke, Delroy Wilson, etc.).

Lee “Scratch” Perry

  • Labels: Upsetter, Black Ark (studio name), countless short‐run names. Observer
  • Famous for dub innovations, worked with The Wailers, The Heptones, Junior Murvin. Key collabs with Dennis Brown, Ken Boothe, etc.

Harry Zephaniah Johnson

  • Label: Harry J.
  • Produced Bob & Marcia’s “Young, Gifted & Black,” The Wailers’ early albums (“Soul Rebel,” etc.).

By the mid‐1970s, the roots reggae era was in full swing—socially conscious lyrics, deeper bass, drum & bass emphasis, heavy influence of Rastafarian culture.

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3. Rise of the Studio Bands & “Version”/Dub Labels

During the 1970s, version B‐sides (instrumental or dub mixes) became the norm. Some producers launched special dub or “version” imprints. King Tubby’s mixing innovations spread to many:

King Tubby

  • Centered in the Waterhouse district; often credited “King Tubby’s” as a label, but also had short‐run imprints like Firehouse, Waterhouse, etc.

Channel One (Hookim Brothers)

  • Labels: Hit Bound, Well Charge.
  • The Revolutionaries house band (Sly & Robbie, Ansel Collins, etc.).

King Jammy (Prince Jammy)

  • Labels: Jammy’s, with short affiliates (Kris Disk, Greedy Puppy).
  • Key figure in the 1980s “digital dancehall” revolution.

By the late 1970s, Jamaican producers were also forging deals with UK labels—especially Trojan, which had already started in 1968, and Island, which Chris Blackwell built into an international powerhouse. Neither Trojan nor Island “owned” these Jamaican labels; they licensed or distributed the music in overseas markets.

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4. International & UK‐Based Reggae Labels

Outside Jamaica, multiple UK and US companies specialized in importing or licensing Jamaican music:

Trojan Records (UK)

  • Founded in 1968.
  • Owned or used countless sub‐imprints: Attack, Big Shot, Horse, Doctor Bird, Jackpot (UK).
  • Licensed from Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, Bunny Lee, and others.

Island Records (UK)

  • Chris Blackwell’s label, originally from Jamaica, relocated to London.
  • Sub‐labels like Mango (world/reggae), distributed Tuff Gong, Bob Marley’s international releases.

Virgin Records (UK)

  • Created the Front Line imprint for reggae in 1978.
  • Also had sub‐labels 10 Records, etc.

Greensleeves (UK) and Fashion Records (UK)

  • Greensleeves was an independent powerhouse from 1977 onward.
  • Fashion specialized in UK lovers rock, dancehall from Jamaican ex‐pat communities.
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5. 1980s Dancehall Explosion

As the 1980s arrived, new “indie” labels popped up around the dancehall style:

  • Henry “Junjo” Lawes – Volcano
  • George Phang – Power House
  • Jack Scorpio – Black Scorpio
  • Ossie Thomas – Black Solidarity
  • Winston Riley – still active with Techniques into the ’80s
  • Gussie Clarke – Music Works, later Anchor
  • Bobby “Digital” Dixon – Digital B
  • Philip “Fatis” Burrell – Xterminator (key 1990s conscious/dancehall label)

These were not sub‐labels of Trojan or Island; they were each an independent Jamaican operation, occasionally licensing singles to UK or US distributors.

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Later Developments

  • 6. Artist Founded Labels

    Simultaneously, many big stars from the roots or dancehall era self‐produced via personal imprints:

    • Gregory Isaacs – African Museum
    • Sugar Minott – Youth Promotion, Black Roots
    • Bunny Wailer – Solomonic
    • Bob Marley & The Wailers – Tuff Gong
    • Prince Jazzbo – Ujama
    • Leroy Smart – short‐lived imprints like Smart or others
    • Sly & Robbie – Taxi

    Thus, Jamaican labels in the ’80s/’90s become a patchwork of producer or artist micro‐labels, each pressing 7" singles in small runs, with no single “parent corporation.”

  • 7. The Modern Era (1990s–2000s)

    By the 1990s, dancehall and ragga dominated. VP Records (Vinyl Partners) in New York emerged as a global distributor for Jamaican music, but Jamaican producers still launched local labels—some ephemeral, some
    lasting:

    • King Jammy, Bobby Digital, Penthouse (Donovan Germain), Star Trail (Richard ‘Bello’ Bell), etc.
    • Xterminator (Fatis Burrell) for conscious roots & dancehall.
    • Shocking Vibes (Patrick Roberts) for Beenie Man, etc.
    • Stone Love, 21st Hapilos, and so on in the digital era.

    Large, formal “families” remain uncommon; it’s still mostly independent
    Jamaican producers     who do licensing deals with VP or Greensleeves
    for international distribution.
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Key Takeaways

  1. No single “corporate umbrella”: Jamaica’s reggae labels were almost all independent.
  2. Producers as “label owners”: Each producer created (and sometimes discarded) label names at will.
  3. Licensing vs. Sub‐Labels: Trojan, Island, and other overseas companies were typically licensing Jamaican productions rather than controlling them under a corporate structure.
  4. Artist Autonomy: Many big artists set up their own labels (Tuff Gong, African Museum, etc.) to gain creative and financial control.
  5. Ever‐Shifting Landscape: New label names pop up, older ones get revived, sub‐imprints come and go. Jamaican reggae is famously fluid and entrepreneurial.

Final Word

Compared to major international music markets—where you have clear hierarchies (e.g., Universal owns Island, which in turn owns Mango and so on)—the reggae ecosystem is best visualized as a dense forest of independent trees whose branches occasionally tangle together (via distribution or licensing). That’s the core uniqueness of Jamaica’s scene: it was propelled by small producers pressing 7" records in short runs, forging loose overseas deals, and forever introducing new label names.

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