Lovers Rock
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lovers' rock is a style of
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 ...
music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books,


History

The roots of lovers' rock lies in the last days of the
rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
era and early days of
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 ...
, with Jamaican and American singers such as
Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
,
Johnny Nash John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists ...
"I Can See Clearly Now"(1972) and John Holt enjoying international hits with versions of well-known love songs.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, A style suited to the
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
reggae scene, lovers rock represented an apolitical counterpoint to the conscious
Rastafarian Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control ...
sound dominant in
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 ...
at the time, a continuation of the soulful and commonly love-themed rocksteady style, based on singers like
Alton Ellis Alton Nehemiah Ellis (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008)Godfather ...
, who were not very optimistic about the rise of Rastafarian reggae. It combined the smooth soul sounds of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
and
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
with rocksteady and reggae bassline rhythms. "Lovers' Rock" allmusic.com, Macrovision CorporationBarrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae", Rough Guides, Rooted in the sound systems of
South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...
, the style had particular appeal amongst women and produced many female stars including
Carroll Thompson Carroll Thompson is a British lovers rock singer, best known as the "Queen of Lovers Rock" Biography Thompson was born in England and is of Jamaican descent. Thompson undertook classical piano training on the piano and sang in school and chur ...
.
Louisa Mark Louisa Lynthia Mark, also known as "Markswoman" (11 January 1960 – 17 October 2009), was a British lovers rock singer, best known for her work between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Her 1975 single "Caught You in a Lie" is regarded as the f ...
was aged 14 when she had a major lovers' rock hit with her version of Robert Parker's "Caught You in a Lie" in 1975. This spawned the distinctive young girl female sound associated with early lovers' rock. Simplicity formed in 1975 and released their first hit "To Be in Love" produced by Coxson; the B-side was the
Emotions Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
US R&B song, "A Feeling Is a Feeling". They were headhunted by Neville King who produced their UK reggae chart hit "Black Is Our Colour". This was followed by the husband and wife production team of Dennis and Eve Harris who then had a big hit with T.T. Ross's "Last Date". Dennis Harris then set up a new record label, Lover's Rock, at his South East London Studio on Upper Brockley Road along with
John Kpiaye John Ogetti Kpiaye (born 1948) is a reggae session and live guitarist.Larkin, Colin (1998) "John Kpiaye" in ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , pp. 160-161 He was a member of The Cats who had a No. 48 UK hit with "Swan Lake", a ...
and Dennis Bovell, which gave the new genre a name. South London trio
Brown Sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
(including a young Caron Wheeler, later of
Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...
) pioneered a subgenre, 'conscious lovers', with songs such as "I'm in Love with a Dreadlocks"(1977) and "Black Pride". Others who released records in this subgenre included the
Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...
songstress Winsome and Kofi. Lovers' rock became a staple of London's
sound systems In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
such as Chicken Hi-Fi, Success Sound, and Soferno B. Neil "Mad Professor" Fraser would be a key lovers' rock producer, working with
Deborahe Glasgow Deborahe Elizabeth Glasgow (19 January 1966 – 25 January 1994) was an English lovers rock singer of Guyanese parentage, who was active from the late 1970s to the beginning of the 1990s. Though Glasgow released only one album in her lifetime, 19 ...
, while Bovell would produce one of the genre's biggest hits,
Janet Kay Janet Kay Bogle (born 17 January 1958) is an English actor and vocalist, best known for her 1979 lovers rock hit "Silly Games". Biography Janet Kay Bogle was born in Willesden, North West London. She was discovered singing impromptu at a rehea ...
's "
Silly Games Silly may refer to: Places * Silly, Belgium, a town * Silly Department, a department or commune of Sissili Province in southern Burkina Faso Music * Silly (band), an East German rock group from the 1970s * The Sillies, an American punk rock b ...
", which reached number 2 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1979. Although noted for the preponderance and youth of its female exponents, the new style produced male stars as well, notably Honey Boy Martin, Trevor Walters, Honey Boy, and
Winston Reedy Winston Reedy (born 13 July 1950, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, West Indies) is a Jamaican reggae singer. Previously vocalist for the Cimarons from 1970, he is best known as a lovers rock vocalist with hits such as "Paradise in Your Eyes", "Mo ...
. The trend also saw the emergence of many male groups, including
Tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
, The Investigators and the
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
group Beshara, who in 1981, had the emotive reggae chart hit "Men Cry Too". Subsequently, numerous well-established Jamaican acts came to try their hand at the new sound. Most successful among these were
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 ...
,
Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of l ...
,
Sugar Minott Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...
, and later
Freddie McGregor Freddie McGregor (born 27 June 1956, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Jamaican singer, musician and record producer. His music career began when he was seven years old. Biography In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to form The C ...
. Brown's "Money in My Pocket" (#14 in 1979) and Minott's "Good Thing Going" (#4 in 1981) were both big hits in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Another lovers' rock singers were
Junior Murvin Junior Murvin (born Murvin Junior Smith, circa 1946 – 2 December 2013) was a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single " Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Early life He was born in Saint J ...
, Beres Hammond,
Horace Andy Horace Andy (born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951) is a Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", as well as "Angel", "Spying Glass" and "Five Man Army" with English tri ...
, Kofi, Sanchez, Samantha Rose, and Macia Aitken.
Maxi Priest Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott (born 10 June 1961), known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one ...
gained lovers' rock hits such as "Wild World"(1988) and "Close to You"(1990). Seminal
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
/
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
/
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
/reggae
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
band
The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
popularised the term, introducing it to a wider mainstream audience, by including a song called " Lover's Rock" on their 1979 signature
double LP A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
, ''
London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. The C ...
''. The popularity of lovers' rock has continued, and in the 1980s the
Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
label was successful with UK audiences, and the Revue label had a chart-topper in 1986 with
Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner (born 13 January 1943) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist. He was a member of several groups during the 1960s before recording as a solo artist and having hit singles with " Elizabethan Reggae" (in 1970), " I Wann ...
's " I Wanna Wake Up with You". In the 1990s, the likes of Mike Anthony,
Peter Hunnigale Peter Hunnigale, also known as Mr. Honey Vibes (born 12 December 1960, South London, England) is a British reggae singer best known for his lovers rock releases. Biography Hunnigale started his career as bass guitarist with the Vibes Corner Coll ...
and Donna Marie enjoyed success with the genre, and several British stars have performed at
Reggae Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, befo ...
.


Influence

The genre of lovers' rock has heavily influenced the R&B, hip hop and pop music scenes since its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Songs incorporating a mixture of love and romance, politics and reggae-inspired sounds have become an accepted trend in music. Most notably is Bajan singer
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
, whose songs such as " Man Down", " No Love Allowed" and others follow the same subject matter and structure as songs belonging to the lovers' rock genre. Other artists such as
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
,
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
,
Musiq Soulchild Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by the stage name Musiq Soulchild or simply Musiq (pronounced "music") is an American singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and Gospel music, gospel influ ...
and countless others utilize techniques from lovers' rock to create reggae-influenced love songs in their discography. British singers
Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * Sade Baderinwa (born 1969), WAB ...
and Estelle both titled their albums ''Lovers Rock'' and the songs on those albums were inspired by the genre.
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...
's ''Lovers Rock'' film (with Dennis Bovell in a minor role), released in December 2020, chronicled a night at a 1980 blues party in West London in which lovers' rock music played a central part in both the storyline and soundtrack. Lovers rock has been heavily constructed in line with romantic sound and themes. Lisa Palmer's "Men Cry Too: Black Masculinities and the Feminisation of Lovers Rock in the UK" discusses the lyrical contents found within this genre, which are notable due to how they shaped its gendering and politicization. For instance, the song "Men Cry Too/Man a Reason" was important because it "captured the sense of loss, longing, and vulnerability that was part of black male life in Britain, but was and remains frequently overshadowed by the notion that black masculinity within the British roots reggae music scene is constructed upon the paradigm of political resistance and protest detached from emotional or erotic expression" (Palmer 128). An element of lovers' rock was also featured in British direct Steve McQueen's '' Small Axe'' BBC series.


Politics

Because the majority of its audience were women, and it tended to have a romantic influence in sound and lyrics, lovers' rock was often seen as intrinsically apolitical, where roots reggae and the black masculinity associated with it had clear political messages of emancipation and liberation. While not as explicitly politically conscious as other subgenres of reggae, lovers' rock was indeed political, however, “never teeringtoo far away from the politics of romantic love and heartbreak”. Lovers' rock, being indigenous to Britain with strong Jamaican influences, emerged with regard to the cultural and political environments of the time for Caribbean people in the United Kingdom. It engaged with politics for the female face of the genre, as well as for the male-dominated production and ownership of the genre. It portrayed patriarchal discourses through its creation of politically contentious erotic spaces that challenged racism, while also encapsulating the struggles of gendered oppression dealt with by women. Though much more subtle than other politically outspoken music, lovers' rock did portray its own stance on the political climate of Britain in the mid-1970s. There’s a “faulty logic follow(ing) dominant perceptions within wider patriarchal cultures that love is not political and is ultimately female work" (Palmer 117). "While there remains much to celebrate within lovers rock’s historical legacy, sentimentality has given way to tackling the more challenging question of how black Britons are now imagining new discourses on black freedom that take seriously the gendered and erotic entanglements that shape and define our visions of black liberation," (Palmer 129). In an anti-black world that constantly places black people in a separate category as human anything fighting against these notions is a push towards liberation. Love is the quintessential human feeling and by expressing it, the artists of Lover's Rock and other black genres are showing the humanity of black people and pushing towards liberation. The genres of
Brit funk Brit funk (or Britfunk) is a musical style that has its origins in the British music scene of the late 1970s and which remained popular into the 1980s. It mixes elements from jazz, funk, soul, urban dance rhythms and pop hooks. The scene originate ...
and lovers' rock also displayed a very interesting interrogation of a black diasporic that received far less attention from mainstream music society; its portrayals of black diasporic identities in the United Kingdom at the time are unlike any other culture in the history of black music.Strachan, Robert (2014). Britfunk: Black British Popular Music, Identity and the Recording Industry in the Early 1980s. Aldershot: Ashgate. Strachan states that being black and British, much like the thesis of "The Black Atlantic", involves quite a bit of maneuvering as far as identities go. The identities went far beyond that of just Black Brits, as well as the musical influences. Much like how lovers' rock and Brit funk have allowed for many genres to interact that never would have, many of these identities were introduced to each other for the first time. Though the genres were very much framed apolitically, as these tracks were the ones that received radio time, there was still a deep emphasis on the identity of the artists and listeners as marginalized in every sense. Many tracks displayed this, as well as artist interviews, but these received far less airtime. According to sociologist Lisa Amanda Palmer, the patriarchal structures within Lover’s Rock dictated female success as men were often the DJs and producers in that space. She cites the experience of Carroll Thompson, who created her own company (in which she maintained complete creative control of her projects) because she was tired of the sexist and prejudice attitudes within the industry. She also argues that these patriarchal structures are inherently harmful to both men and women. Pointedly, this gendering neglects the men who were allowed to be emotionally expressive and vulnerable within the context of Lover’s Rocksuch as Beshara’s 1981 track “Men Cry Too” which highlighted the emotions that consumed Black British men. Furthermore, this gendering creates a tension between political protest and the emotional/erotic. Additionally, it places femininity in opposition to Black political protest. The gendering of Black diasporic music is a commonplace, but Lover’s Rock makes it clear that Black femininity is not inherently oppositional to Black power. Ultimately, Palmer asserts that Lover’s Rock and Roots Reggae are not oppositional, but instead demonstrate the many forms of Black expression in a period of extreme racialization and prejudice.


See also

* List of lovers rock artists


References

{{reggae Reggae genres English styles of music 1970s in music