- Lovers rock
:"For other uses, see
Lovers Rock (disambiguation) ."Infobox Music genre
name=Lovers rock
bgcolor=green
color=white
stylistic_origins=Reggae , Soul, R&B
cultural_origins=1970s in SouthLondon ,England
instruments=Bass guitar
popularity=Late 1970s through 1990s in theUK
other_topics=Lovers rock is a style of
reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name inLondon in the mid 1970s.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9]History
The roots of Lovers Rock lie in the early days of reggae, with Jamaican singers such as
Ken Boothe ,Johnny Nash , and John Holt enjoying international hits with reggae versions of well-known love songs.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6]A style suited to the London reggae scene, Lovers rock represented an apolitical counterpoint to the conscious
Rastafarian sound dominant inJamaica at the time. It combined the smooth soul sounds ofChicago andPhiladelphia soul with reggae basslines and rhythms." [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:254 Lovers Rock] ", allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation] Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae", Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4] Rooted in theSound system s ofSouth London , the style had particular appeal amongst women and produced many female stars includingCarroll Thompson , andLouisa Marks , who aged 14 was the first British artist to have a lovers rock hit with her version ofBobby Parker 's "Caught You in a Lie" in 1975, which was followed byGinger Williams ' "Tenderness". The husband and wife production team of Dennis and Eve Harris then had a big hit withT.T. Ross 's "Last Date", and Dennis Harris then set up a new label, "Lovers Rock", along withJohn Kpiaye andDennis Bovell , which gave the new genre a name.South London trio Brown Sugar (including a young
Caron Wheeler , later ofSoul II Soul ) pioneered a subgenre, 'conscious lovers', with songs such as "I'm In Love With a Dreadlocks" and "Black Pride". Others who released records in this subgenre included theBattersea songstressWinsome . Lovers Rock became a staple of London's sound systems such as "Chicken Hi-Fi", "Success Sound", and "Soferno B". Neil "Mad Professor" Fraser would be a key Lovers Rock producer, working withDeborahe Glasgow , while Bovell would produce one of the genre's biggest hits,Janet Kay 's "Silly Games", which reached number 2 in theUK Singles Chart in 1979. Although noted for the preponderance and youth of its female exponents, the new style produced its fair share of male stars as well, notablyTrevor Walters andWinston Reedy .Subsequently, numerous well-established Jamaican acts came to try their hand at the new sound. Most successful among these were
Gregory Isaacs ,Dennis Brown ,Sugar Minott , and laterFreddie McGregor . Brown's "Money In My Pocket" (#14 in 1979) and Minott's "Good Thing Going" (#4 in 1981) were both big hits in theUK Singles Chart .The popularity of Lovers Rock has continued, and in the 1980s the Fashion label was hugely successful with UK audiences, and the Revue label had a major hit in 1986 with
Boris Gardiner 's "I Wanna Wake Up With You". In the 1990s the likes of Mike Anthony,Peter Hunnigale , andDonna Marie enjoyed huge success with the genre, and several British stars have performed at "Reggae Sunsplash ".ee also
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List of Lovers Rock artists References
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