Dillinger (musician)
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- For other uses of the name, see Dillinger
Dillinger (born Lester Bullocks on June 25 1953, Kingston, Jamaica) is a prominent reggae artist.
As a youth growing up in Kingston, Dillinger would hang around Dennis Alcapone's El Paso Setup. This exposure would eventually lead to work in 1971, as a deejay on the Prince Jackie and El Paso sound systems,[1] initially influenced by Big Youth, U Roy, and Dennis Alcapone,[1] and performing as "Dennis Alcapone Jr.". The first producer he worked with was Lee "Scratch" Perry, who decided that Bullocks should change his name to Dillinger, after gangster John Dillinger.[2] He was part of the second wave of deejay toasters who rose to prominence during the mid 1970s. In 1974, he recorded "Freshly" for Yabby You, and 1975 saw a slew of releases for a variety of producers including Augustus Pablo ("Brace a Boy"), Joseph Hoo Kim ("CB 200") and Coxsone Dodd ("Killer Man Jaro").[1] Albums for Dodd (Ready Natty Dreadie) and Hoo Kim (CB 200 and Bionic Dread) would soon follow. His hit "Cokane In My Brain" was hugely popular internationally, prompting a follow-up in a similar vein, "Marijuana In My Brain", which was a number 1 hit in the Netherlands.[1] His output dropped somewhat in the mid-1980s but he returned to recording in the early 1990s.
Dillinger was known for his quick wit, humorous lyrics and vulgar content (e.g. on the track "Crabs In My Pants").
"Cokane In My Brain" was featured on the K-Jah Reggae station K-JAH Radio West in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Dillinger is referenced along with Ken Boothe by a disappointed Joe Strummer in The Clash tune, "White Man in Hammersmith Palais".
[edit] Album discography
- Ready Natty Dreadie (1975, Studio One) released in 1978 as Babylon Fever.
- CB 200 (1976, Island)
- Bionic Dread (1976, Black Swan)
- Clash (1977, Burning Sounds) with Trinity
- Talkin' Blues (1977, Magnum)
- Top Ranking Dillinger (1977, Third World)
- Superstar (1977, Weedbeat)
- Cornbread (1978, Jamaica Sound)
- Non Stop Disco Style (1978, Clocktower)
- Answer My Questions (1979, Third World)
- Marijuana In My Brain (1979, Jamaica Sound)
- Funky Punk Rock To The Music (1979, Bellaphon)
- Live at the Music Machine (1979, Jamaica Sound)
- Dub Organiser (197?, Scandal Bag)
- Cup Of Tea (1980, Jamaica Sound)
- Badder Than Them (1981, A&M)
- Corn Bread (1983, Vista Sounds)
- Live at London (1981, Vista Sounds) with Clint Eastwood
- Join The Queue (1983, Oak Sounds)
- King Pharaoh (1984, Blue Moon)
- Best Of Live (1984, Vista Sounds)
- Cocaine (1984, New Cross)
- Tribal War (1986, New Cross)
- 3 Piece Suit (1993, Culture Press)
- Say No To Drugs (1993, Lagoon)
- Youthman Veteran (2001, Jah Warrior)
- At King Tubby's (2006, Attack)
- Ten To One (2007, Dream Catcher)
There have also been dozens of compilations of Dillinger's work released on various labels since the 1980s.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin: "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9
- ^ Barrow, Steve and Dalton, Peter:"Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0
