Knowledge were a
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n
roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah ...
group, best known for their work in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which saw them sign to
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
.
History
The group formed in the Rema area of
Kingston, in 1974, the line-up including Anthony Doyley (lead vocals and main songwriter), Delroy Fowlin (vocals) aka Bronco Knowledge, Earl MacFarlane (vocals), Michael Smith (guitar), and Michael Samuels (vocals).
[Anderson, Rick " ''Straight Outta Trenchtown: 1975-1980'' Review, '']Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'', Macrovision Corporation Doyley had previously been a member of The Classics, who had recorded for
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 ...
in the late 1960s.
Paul Freeman joined the group later in their career.
[Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, ] They recorded for
deejay
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
and
producer Tapper Zukie
Tapper Zukie (or Tappa Zukie) (born David Sinclair, 1955, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae deejay and producer.Greene, Jo-AnnTapper Zukie Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-02-15
Biography
Tapper was the nickname given to him by his grandmoth ...
, first on the "Make Faith" single, with several releases on his "Stars" label.
These led to a major label deal with
A&M, who issued the group's debut album, ''Hail Dread'' (produced by Zukie), in 1978.
The deal with A&M proved to be short-lived, with the group's second album, ''Judgement'', issued on the Roach label in 1980. Samuels subsequently embarked on a solo career, and Freeman set up his own 'Sunshine' label, along with Trevor "Leggo Beast" Douglas.
In the early 1980s, the group worked with producer
Roy Cousins
Roy Anthony Cousins (born 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, producer, and record label owner, known for being lead singer and co creator of The Royals, his productions of artists such as Charlie Chaplin, Prince Far I, Sci ...
, achieving reggae hits with "Na Buy Apartheid", "Chant Rasta Man", and "Fire Burn" on Cousins' Tamoki-Wambesi label.
They used musicians including keyboard player
Pablove Black
Pablove Black (born Paul Anthony Dixon, 24 October 1950) is a Jamaican reggae musician (keyboards and steel drums), arranger, composer, bandleader, vocalist and producer.
Biography
Pablove started playing piano and steel drums in the mid-1960s ...
, Winston Wright,
Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace
Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace (born 22 August 1950) is a Jamaican drummer who worked for several years at Studio One, and has worked with numerous reggae artists including The Gladiators, Inner Circle,Hebdige, Dick (1987) ''Cut 'n' Mix: Culture, ...
, and Sowell Radics. Magnus Skeen (vocals) joined the group during this time to replace a member who had left the group earlier. These recordings were collected on the ''Stumbling Block'' album in 1982.
Three members of the group were murdered throughout the group's tenure, the last member killed was Magnus Skeen on 22 May 2002. The group split up, with Doyley emigrating to England.
[McNair, James (2006) "Knowledge - Stumbling Block", '']MOJO
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* ' ...
'', Issues 146-8 He died on 26 February 2011, aged 55.
[Anthony Doyley has passed away]
, Reggae-Vibes.com, retrieved 2011-04-03 Delroy Fowlin also emigrated to England in 2001, and released his own albums, ''Tell Me Something'' and ''More Knowledge for the People''; he now sings in the streets of
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
(France).
''Bronco Knowledge, du reggae dans les rues toulousaines''
on lemonde.fr Michael Smith migrated to England in May 2002 where he still resides.
Discography
Albums
*''Hail Dread'' (1978) A&M, reissued under the title ''Word, Sound and Power'' (1978) Tappa
*''Judgement'' (1980) Roach
*''Stumbling Block'' (1982) Tamoki-Wambesi (reissued 1995)
;Compilations:
*''Straight Outta Trenchtown: 1975-1980'' (2002) Makasound
*''Kebra-Nagast'' (2005), Tamoki-Wambesi-Dove
*''Rasta Don't Take Bribe'' (2006) Tamoki-Wambesi-Dove
References
External links
Knowledge
at ''Roots Archives''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowledge (Band)
Jamaican reggae musical groups