Glen Adams

Infobox musical artist
Name = Glen Adams

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Img_capt = Glen Adams performing with The Slackers in 2002
Img_size =
Landscape = solo_singer
Background = non_performing_personnel
Birth_name = Glenroy Phillip Adams
Alias =
Born = 1950
Died =
Origin = Jones Town, Kingston, Jamaica
Instrument = Keyboard
Voice_type =
Genre = Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae
Occupation = Record producer, instrumentalist
Years_active = 1960s – present
Label =
Associated_acts = Ken & Glen, The Upsetters, The Hippy Boys, The Pioneers
URL = http://www.capolandmark.com/
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Glen Adams (b. Glenroy Phillip Adams, 1950) is a Jamaican musician, composer, arranger, engineer, producer, based since the mid-1970s in Brooklyn, New York.

Career

Adams' mother was from Kingston, and his father from St. Vincent, the two meeting while working in Curaçao.Katz, David (2000) "People Funny Boy - The Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry", Payback Press, ISBN 0 86241 854 2] Adams' first break in the music business came as a teenager when he appeared as a singer in a vocal group on Radio Jamaica's "Opportunity Knocks" show hosted by Vere Johns, later appearing again as a solo singer, leading to cabaret shows, and he began performing in Kingston and St. Andrews at weekends. [http://www.capolandmark.com/main.asp Landmark Corner ] ] Adams' older sister Yvonne was also a popular singer, and while rehearsing the song "Wonder Thirst" that she had written, Glen was spotted by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, who took him into the Federal Recording Studio to record the track in 1960. Although not officially released as a single at the time, the song became a popular dub plate on sound systems, and the title of the song became his nickname.

Adams formed a duo, Ken and Glen, with Ken Boothe, and they placed second in the 1966 Festival Song Competition with "I Remember". The duo also backed Stranger Cole on his number one single "Uno Dos Tres". He co-founded The Heptones before moving on to The Pioneers, appearing on the latter's "Shake It Up" and "Good Nanny". While continuing to earn a living as a tailor, he moved on to work with Duke Reid's Treasure Isle set-up as an informal musical director, introducing singers such as Joe White to Reid.

Adams also worked with Bunny Lee from around 1967 as a solo singer, backing singer and also A&R man, in exchange for studio time. At an October 1968 recording session, when several musicians failed to turn up, in dispute over payment for a previous session, Adams was asked to play piano, despite not being proficient on the instrument. Unhappy with the results, he switched instruments with organist Lloyd Charmers (although he had never played the organ before). He played organ on eight tracks in that session, which included Lester Sterling's "Bangarang", and Slim Smith's "Everybody Needs Love", and he has stuck with the instrument ever since, becoming a regular session player. Along with other musicians such as the Barrett brothers (Aston and Carlton), he performed in sessions for a range of producers under a variety of group names notably The Hippy Boys for Bunny Lee, where Adams did some of his most memorable work accompanying Slim Smith, The Reggae Boys, and The Upsetters for Lee "Scratch" Perry. Adams also worked for Herman Chin Loy, where he was one of a number of keyboard players to record under the name Augustus Pablo, before Horace Swaby adopted that identity. [ [http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/augpablo/augpablo.htm Article : In memory of.. Augustus Pablo ] ]

Perry took The Upsetters to tour the United Kingdom in the wake of his hit "Return Of Django" (and the less successful follow-up, "Live Injection"),Larkin, Colin: "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9] returning to Jamaica in 1970. As part of The Upsetters, Adams backed The Wailers during their spell with Perry, and Adams did much of the arranging and composed the song "Mr. Brown". The lyric was inspired by an local tale about a duppy who was supposedly seen speeding around on a three-wheeled coffin with two "John Crows" (buzzards) on top, one of which would ask for "Mr. Brown". Adams was due to record the track himself, but Perry suggested that the Wailers record it, with Peter Tosh and Adams adding spooky organ riffs. Adams regularly introduces this tune live with "I wrote this song for Bob Marley". When The Wailers parted company with Perry in 1971, taking The Upsetter's rhythm section with them, Adams remained with Perry, but began to split his time between Jamaica and the United States, where he set up his own "Capo" record label, and put together a new band, the Blue Grass Experience. He eventually moved to Brooklyn permanently in 1975, where he became more involved in producing, and also worked for Brad Osbourne's Clocktower and Lloyd Barnes' Bullwackie labels, and played with The Realistics band.

In the late 1970s, Adams expanded into R&B and Rap production, working with hip hop artist T Ski Valley.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6] He has also worked with Shaggy, and remixed an album of previously-unreleased Upsetters material in 1996, released by Heartbeat Records as "Upsetters a Go Go".

After many years in the studio, Adams has recently returned to live performance, touring the USA and Europe with The Slackers, and also playing occasional NYC shows with the Jammyland All-Stars.

Adams now owns his own recording studio and has recently produced for artists such as Susan Cadogan and Keith Rowe, half of the vocal duo Keith & Tex from Jamaica.

Discography

ingles

* Far Away, 1967
* Grab A Girl, 1968
* Hey There Lonely Girl, 1968
* Hold Down Miss Winey
* I Can't Help It, 1968
* I Remember, 1967
* I Wanna Hold Your Hand, 1968
* My Argument, 1968
* Run Come Dance, 1968
* I'm Shocking, I'm Electric (She), 1967
* She's So Fine (I've Got A Girl), 1968
* Silent Lover, 1967
* Taking Over Orange Street, 1968

Albums

* Upsetters - "Blackboard Jungle Dub"
* Glen Adams - "Wonderthirst" [1963-73] (LP) Landmark

References

* 60's Jamaican Music Reference [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/disco/6032/GlenAdams.htm Glen Adams]
* Roots Archive [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/938 Glen Adams Discography]
* Island Records discography

External links

* [http://www.capolandmark.com/ Glen Adams Landmark Corner] - Official homepage
* [http://punkcast.com/222/ PUNKCAST#222] live vid w/ The Slackers, Knitting Factory NYC, Dec 22, 2002 (RealPlayer)
* [http://punkcast.com/631/ PUNKCAST#631] live vid w/ Jammyland All Stars, Club Seho NYC, Dec 3, 2004 (RealPlayer) (mp4)

Notes