Nicky Thomas

For the Welsh rugby union player, see Nicky Thomas (rugby player). For the Playboy Playmate, see List of Playboy Playmates of 1977#March. For the former Executive Director of Sex Professionals of Canada, see Nikki Thomas. For other uses, see Nick Thomas.
Nicky Thomas
Birth name Cecil Thomas
Also known as Mr Nigel, Cecil Thomas
Born 30 May 1949[1]
Origin Portland, Jamaica
Died 1990 (aged 40–41)
London
Genres Reggae
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1969–late 1980s
Labels Trojan, Horse, JoGibb, Bullet

Nicky Thomas (born Cecil Nicholas Thomas, 30 May 1949[1] – 1990) was a reggae singer who enjoyed considerable chart success in Jamaica and in the United Kingdom at the start of the 1970s.

Early life

Nicky Thomas was born Fruitful Vale, Portland Parish, Jamaica.[2] He began work as a labourer in Kingston where he worked alongside future members of the The Gladiators.[3] His opportunity to cut some records came when the former Jiving Junior and producer, Derrick Harriott wrote and produced Run Mr Nigel Run for Thomas. A huge Jamaican hit, the song led to him being known as Mr Nigel for a time.[3] He was also successful with Come Home a song from the same session[3]

This was followed by a successful association with producer Joel Gibson better known as Joe Gibbs for whom Thomas recorded the plaintive Running Alone and Lonesome Road issued as by Cecil Thomas, as well as a version of Let It Be credited to Nicky Thomas.[4] Thomas' collaboration with Gibbs resulted in a number of hits including Don't Touch Me, Mama's Song and God Bless The Children.[4] Thomas and Gibbs also covered a number of well regarded R&B hits that included Tyrone Davis' Turn Back the Hands of Time and (Baby) Can I Change Your Mind and Tony Joe White's Rainy Night in Georgia. He topped the Jamaican charts in 1970 with Have A Little Faith, a record that reputedly sold 50,000 copies on its release in the UK. It failed to chart in the UK because the sales were largely through specialist music shops and not statistically counted by the official chart compilers.[4]

Career

In mid-1970 Nicky Thomas' interpretation of The Winstons version of Love of the Common People resulted in a huge UK hit. The record reached number nine on the pop chart, leading in turn to a European tour and a relocation to the United Kingdom. The original Jamaican mix (without additional strings) issued on early copies as by Cecil Thomas sold 50,000 copies in Jamaica and 175,000 in the UK.[4][5][6] The success of Love of the Common People ensured an album of the same name released on Trojan Records that featured tracks previously cut with Joe Gibbs in Jamaica.

Thomas followed up with a successful interpretation of Chris Andrews Yesterday Man from his self produced album Tell It Like It was recorded in London in 1971. The title track of his album was also released as a single, the latter with a stinging attack on the BBC on the flip-side. Thomas objected to the low profile the state broadcaster was giving to reggae and in an interview with Carl Gayle vented his frustration comparing the playing of reggae on radio as akin to the use of a whore[3]

By 1973 Thomas was being produced by Dandy Livingstone releasing a third album called Images of You that including a version of his former Jamaican hit Have a Little Faith and the Gibbs-written club hit Doing The Moonwalk. In 1973 he supported Desmond Dekker on a short London tour and in 1974 backed by Misty in Roots he successfully toured the UK. In 1976 he released the poignant London, a song about the desperation of an immigrant's life in London and featured in an ITV television documentary recording What Love Is at studios in north London.[4]

Thomas style of pop-reggae had become less popular by the late 70s and by the early 80s he was recording in a roots reggae style. In 1980 he recorded Trow Mi Corn-No Portion of Gal for Joe Gibbs US distributed JGM records.

In 1983 the singer Paul Young took Love of the Common People back into the UK charts reviving interest in Thomas's version of the song that in turn resulted in Trojan reissuing it as a 12-inch single that included an extended remix version.

Death

According to some sources Nicky Thomas committed suicide in 1990,[5] but the circumstances of his death have not been confirmed.

Albums

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nicky Thomas at the BBC]
  2. ↑ Leggett, Steve "Nicky Thomas Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation, retrieved 6 December 2009
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Carl Gayle, If The BBC Played My Records I'd Be A Superstar, Black Music magazine (1974)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Michael de Koningh & Laurence Cane-Honeysett, Young, Gifted And Black, The Story of Trojan Records, Sanctuary Publishing , 2003 UK, ISBN 1-86074-464-8
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 292
  6. ↑ Nicky Thomas at Chart Stats.

External links