Black Slate

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This article is for the band. For the stone carving material, see Argillite.
Black Slate
Origin London, England, UK
Genre(s) Reggae
Years active 1974—mid 1980s
Label(s) TCD, Ensign, Top Ranking, Sierra
Former members
George Brightly (aka Sir George)
Elroy Bailey (aka Ras Elroy)
Keith Drummond
Chris Hanson
Desmond Mahoney
Cledwyn Rogers
Henschell Holder
Rudy Holmes
Ray Carness
Nicky Ridguard

Black Slate were a reggae band based in the United Kingdom, and formed in 1974. They toured heavily around London and backed Jamaican musicians such as Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, and Ken Boothe when they played in the UK. They toured the UK in their own right for the first time in 1978, and released four albums between 1979 and 1985.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Black Slate was formed in 1974, including musicians from England, Jamaica, and Anguilla.[2] They backed Delroy Wilson and Ken Boothe on their UK appearances, and had their first reggae-chart hit themselves in 1976, with the anti-mugging song "Sticks Man".[2][1] They toured the UK for the first time in 1978, and formed their own TCD label, having a minor hit with "Mind Your Motion".[1] They also backed Dennis Brown when he played live in the UK, and in 1980 their Rastafarian rallying call, "Amigo", was picked up by Ensign Records, and broke into the UK Singles Chart, reaching #9. The follow-up, "Boom Boom" was also a hit, though less successful. An album, Sirens In The City, followed on Ensign the following year. The band released two further albums in 1982 and 1985, but little was heard of them after that. Keyboard player George Brightly was fatally shot in Jamaica in 1995.[1]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

  • Black Slate (1979, TCD)
  • Amigo (1980, Ensign, Wise Owl)
  • Sirens In The City (1981, Virgin, Ensign)
  • Rasta Festival (1981, Alligator)
  • Six Plus One (1982, Top Ranking)
  • Black Slate (1985, Sierra)
  • Get Up and Dance (1995, FairWood Music)

[edit] Singles

  • "Amigo" (1980, Ensign) - UK #9
  • "Boom Boom" (1980, Ensign) - UK #51

[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin:"The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9
  2. ^ a b Barrow, Steve, and Dalton, Peter:"Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 61. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.