Joe Gibbs (record producer)
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Joe Gibbs (born Joel A. Gibson in Montego Bay, 1945) is a Jamaican reggae producer.
[edit] Biography
After some time spent in the US as an electronic engineer, he went back to Kingston, and opened a repair TV shop at 32 Beeston Street where he soon started to sell records. The fast growth of the local music scene encouraged him to be more involved in the business, and in 1967 he started to record some artists in the back of his shop with a two-track tape machine and the already established Lee Perry who had just ended his association with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. In 1968, with the help of Bunny Lee, he launched his Amalgamated label, and had his first success with a rock steady tune, sang by Roy Shirley. After Perry went away to set his own label "Upsetters", Gibbs enrole the young Winston "Niney" Holness (later known as Niney The Observer) who helped maintain Gibbs' production on the top of the charts. During the rock steady period til 1970, he met success with numerous smashing hits of vocalists like The Pioneers, Errol Dunkey, and Ken Parker, and worked with backing bands like Lynn Taitt and the Jets (including the organist Ansel Collins, and horns players Tommy McCook, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Bobby Ellis and Vin Gordon), or The Hippy Boys (featuring the Barrett brothers as the rhythm section).
He made a perfect switch into the reggae sound with his first international success "Love of the Common People" by Nicky Thomas (#9 in the UK charts in summer 1970). He kept on recording famous artists like The Ethiopians, Delroy Wilson, and The Heptones (the two volumes of his singles' compilations The Heptones and Friends were bestsellers in Jamaica). During this period he launched three new labels; Jogib, Shock, and Pressure Beat and also opened his New York Record Mart at 11 South Parade. In 1972, after having moved his studio in the Duhaney Park district, he set up a new one at 20 North Parade and started to work with the sound engineer Errol Thompson, who used to be at Randy's Studio, for what is considered as one of the most prolific collaboration in the reggae history. Together, known as "The Mighty Two", along with his studio band known as The Professionals (that includes bassist Robbie Shakespeare, drummer Sly Dunbar and guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith) they produced hundreds of singles including the hits "Money In My Pocket" by Dennis Brown and "Ah So We Stay" by Big Youthand "Eviction" by Black Uhuru.
In 1975, he set up his new 16-track studio and record pressing plant at 24 Retirement Crescent and kept on producing Jamaican artists under numerous label names (Crazy Joe, Reflections, Belmont, Town & Country...) meeting success again not only in roots, rockers and lovers styles with Dennis Brown, Jacob Miller, Sylford Walker, The Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs, Prince Alla or Junior Byles but also with instrumental and dub cuts (African Dub series...). The classic 1977 Culture album Two Sevens Clash is probably Gibbs' most internationally acclaimed production with a major impact on the punk scene in the UK (see The Clash). Other successful artists produced by the Mighty Two during the end of the seventies include Marcia Aitken, Althea & Donna, John Holt, Barrington Levy, Cornell Campbell, Dean Fraser, Delroy Wilson, Beres Hammond, Ranking Joe, Prince Jazzbo, Prince Mohammed, Dillinger, Trinity, Prince Far I, Clint Eastwood, I-Roy and Kojak & Lisa.
Back in the 1980s, Gibbs had a monster international hit with J.C. Lodge's hit of "Someone Loves You Honey". Unfortunately, he never paid a cent of royalties to the song's writer, Charley Pride, who sued and won. Unable to pay the huge settlement ordered by the Court, Gibbs went out of business.
Only in 1993, he went back on the Jamaican scene, keeping on the reissuing works of his enormous catalogue on the Rocky One label his son Carl had started from Miami few years before, and teaming again with Errol Thompson to produce some new music.
[edit] Discography
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty - 1975
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub Chapter 1 & 2 - 1975-1976
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub Chapter 2 - 1976
- Joe Gibbs - State Of Emergency - 1976
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty Chapter 3 - 1978
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub Chapter 3 & 4 - 1978-1979
- Joe Gibbs & Professionals - African Dub Chapter 4 - 1979
- Joe Gibbs - Majestic Dub - 1979
- Joe Gibbs Family - Wish You A Merry Rockers Christmas - 1979
- Joe Gibbs - Rockers Carnival - 1980
- Joe Gibbs - Reggae Christmas - 1982
- Joe Gibbs - African Dub Chapter 5 - 1984
[edit] Compilations
- Various Artists - Reggae Masterpiece Vol 01 - 1978 - Joe Gibbs
- Various Artists - Irie Reggae Hits - 1979 - Joe Gibbs
- Various Artists - Top Ranking DJ Session - 1979 - Joe Gibbs
- Various Artists - Shining Stars - 1983 - Joe Gibbs
- Various Artists - Best Of Vintage - Joe Gibbs
- Various Artists - Explosive Rock Steady - 1967-1973 - Heartbeat Records (1991)
- Various Artists - The Mighty Two - Heartbeat Records (1992)
- Joe Gibbs & Friends - The Reggae train 1968-1971 - Trojan Records (1988)
- Various Artists - Love Of The Common People 1967-1979 - Trojan Records (2000)
- Various Artists - Uptown Top Ranking - 1970-1978 - Trojan Records (1998)
- Joe Gibbs & The Professionals feat. Errol Thompson - No Bones For The Dogs 1974-1979 - Pressure Sounds (2002)
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Productions - Soul Jazz Records (2003)
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Original DJ Classics - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Original DJ Classics Vol 02 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Original DJ Classics Vol 03 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Revive 45's Vol 01 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Joe Gibbs Revive 45's Vol 02 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 01 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 02 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 03 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 04 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 06 - Rocky One
- Various Artists - Spotlight On Reggae Vol 07 - Rocky One
