Did Gregory change reggae?

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Reggae was in transition when Gregory Isaacs signed with Island Records in 1982. Bob Marley had died the previous year and there was no clear successor for his superstar mantle.

Isaacs, who died on October 25 in London at age 60, was not internationally known at the time. He was making waves in Jamaica with a series of easy-listening songs such as Tune In, Soon Forward and Mr Brown.

Night Nurse, his first album for Island, introduced Isaacs to a new frontier. Lister Hewan-Lowe, then a senior publicist at Island, recalls the title track taking off in the New York clubs.

New York tune

"Night Nurse was a typical New York tune," Hewan-Lowe told The Sunday Gleaner.

"I remember Gil Bailey on WHBI FM and Ken Williams on WLIB AM playing it so much, it became an anthem."

Driven by the rocking rhythms of the Roots Radics Band, Night Nurse was one of two studio albums Isaacs did for Island. The follow-up, Out Deh!, was released in 1983.

It was not Isaacs' first association with an overseas company. He had done two quality albums (Cool Ruler and Soon Forward) for Virgin Records affiliate Front Line in the late 1970s.

His popularity in Jamaica and Britain's ethnic market caught the ears of Island founder Chris Blackwell. The London label had marketed Marley to superstardom, and released strong albums by Burning Spear and Bunny Wailer.

Hewan-Lowe said Island beat out a formidable rival for Isaacs' signature.

"Keith Richards and Mick Jagger (of the Rolling Stones) were big fans of Gregory and wanted to sign him to their label, but we got him," Hewan-Lowe explained.

Roots groups

Largely through the emergence of roots-reggae groups like Black Uhuru and the Wailing Souls, roots-reggae was still the sound of choice coming out of Jamaica in the early 1980s. Hewan-Lowe said Isaacs' smooth voice, complemented by his fashionable linen suits and fedora hats, changed that.

"He could crush Frank Sinatra with a tip of his hat. Gregory looked like his songs," said a laughing Hewan-Lowe.

After parting with Island, Isaacs never recorded for another major label.

Most of his later albums were produced in Jamaica and distributed in Europe and North America by various independent companies including RAS Records, Tads, VP Records, Heartbeat Records and Pow Wow Records.

There have been several 'greatest hits' compilations including Ultimate Collection from the Universal Music Group, which revisits Isaacs' golden run during the 1970s and 1980s.