This article is part of the

Island Records discography The history and the discography of the Island Records label can conveniently be divided into three phases: *The Jamaican Years, covering the label's releases from 1959 to 1966 *The New Ground Years, covering 1967 to approximately 1980. *The Consoli ...

. ---- Island Reggae Greats is a series of reggae compilation albums, released by Island Records in 1985. The series showcases selected Island

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

artists and three reggae styles (DJ, lovers and rockers), plus there was also a sampler featuring selected tracks from the series. The albums were compiled by Trevor Wyatt, contain extensive liner notes and the covers were painted by artists based on photos. The series, initially offered at a "special price", was intended to create new interest in reggae. It saw CD release in the late '80s and early '90s, as part of the Island Masters and Reggae Refreshers series. In America the series was released on Island's subsidiary label Mango, and some of the titles were released with different covers.

Discography

Island Reggae Greats

Toots & the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...

*LP: Island IRG 1 (UK); Mango MLPS 9781 (US); Island 207131 (Germany) *CD: Island Masters IMCD 38 (UK); Mango CIDRG 1 (UK); Mango 539 781-2 (US)

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

''Live'' *LP: Island IRG 2 (UK); Island 207 132 (Germany)

Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ro ...

*LP: Island IRG 3 (UK); Mango MLPS 9783 (US); Island 207133 (Germany) *CD: Island Masters IMCD 14 (UK); Island 207132 (Germany) various artists ''DJs'' *LP: Island IRG 4 (UK); Island 207134 (Germany)

Burning Spear Winston Rodney OD (born 1 March 1945), better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots ...

*LP: Island IRG 5 (UK); Island 207135 (Germany)

Linton Kwesi Johnson Linton Kwesi Johnson (born 24 August 1952), also known as LKJ, is a Jamaica-born, British-based dub poet and activist. In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black one, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series. His p ...

*LP: Island IRG 6 (UK); Island 207136 (Germany) *CD: Island Masters IMCD 14/824 693-2 (UK)

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separ ...

''A Dub Experience'' *LP: Island IRG 7 (UK); Island 207137 (Germany) various artists ''Strictly For Lovers'' *LP: Island IRG 8 (UK); Island 207138 (Germany) Third World *LP: Island IRG 9 (UK); Island 207139 (Germany) *CD: Island Masters IMCD 36 (UK) Pablo Moses *LP: Island IRG 10 (UK) Jacob Miller & Inner Circle *LP: Island IRG 11 (UK); Island 207141 (Germany) *CD: Mango CIDRG 11 (UK)

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

*LP: Island IRG 12 (UK); Simply Vinyl SVLP 190 (UK, reissue); Island 207142 (Germany); Island 210855 (Germany, reissue) *CD: Island RRCD 10 (UK)

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru ( Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful per ...

*LP: Island IRG 13 (UK); Island 207143 (Germany) *CD: Island Masters IMCD 3 (UK) Jimmy Cliff *LP: Island IRG 14 (UK); Mango MLPS 9787 (US) Island 207144 (Germany) *CD: Mango 539794-2 (US); Spectrum 554459-2 (UK, reissue)

The Wailers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

*LP: Island IRG 15 (UK); Island 207145 (Germany) various artists ''Strictly For Rockers'' *LP: Island IRG 16 (UK); Island 207 146 (Germany) various artists ''Island Reggae Greats'' *A selection of tracks from the series. *LP: Island IRGS 1 (UK) various artists ''The Greatest Of Reggae Greats'' *A selection of tracks from the series. *LP: Island ISP 2-1036

Island Reggae Greats Collection

The latest reissue of the series, which rebranded it ''Island Reggae Greats Collection'', was in 1997 on Universal's UK budget label Spectrum. The cover art was slightly reworked, and the liner notes either altered or omitted. Also, Aswad were added to the series, while the Pablo Moses, Wailers and various artist albums were deleted.

External links

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{{Authority control Reggae record labels

Discography

Island Reggae Greats

Island Reggae Greats Collection

See also

External links