Zap Pow is 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 ...

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 ...

band, founded by singer/bassist Michael Williams aka Mikey Zappow and guitarist

Dwight Pinkney Dwight Pinkney OD (born 1945), also known as Brother Dee, is a Jamaican guitarist best known for his work as a session musician and as a member of Zap Pow and the Roots Radics, who since 1999 has recorded as a solo artist. Biography Dwight Pi ...

. Members also included singer

Beres Hammond Beres Hammond Order of Jamaica, OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock St ...

, trumpeter David Madden, saxman Glen DaCosta, and drummer Cornell Marshall. They originally existed from 1969 to 1979. They re-formed in 2016.

History

The band was formed in 1969, by musicians Michael Williams (bass, guitar, vocals, songwriter, former drummer of

Bobby Aitken Bobby Aitken is a Cuban-born Jamaican guitarist and singer who had a string of hits in Jamaica in the 1960s and led the band The Carib Beats. Biography Aitken is the brother of Laurel Aitken, and recorded in the early 1960s for producer King ...

's Caribbeats),Katz, David (2003) ''Solid Foundation: an Oral History of Reggae'', Bloomsbury, , p. 69 ) and Dwight Pinkney (guitar, vocals, formerly of The Sharks and guitarist on a 1966 session by

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 ...

), Max Edwards (drums), Glen DaCosta (tenor saxophone, vocals, flute, a former pupil at

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, still run by Roman Catholic ...

), Joe McCormack (trombone), and David Madden (trumpet, vocals, another former pupil at

, who had previously recorded with

Cedric Brooks Cedric "Im" Brooks (27 April 1943 – 3 May 2013) was a Jamaican saxophonist and flautist known for his solo recordings and as a member of The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, The Sound Dimensions, Divine Light, The Light of Saba, and The Skatali ...

under the name 'Im and Dave').Leggett, Steve
Zap Pow Biography
,

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 ...

, retrieved 2011-01-02Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 323-4 Pinkney and Williams had previously played together in the band Winston Turner & the Untouchables. The band's name came from a comic book that Williams had read. Several singles were released in 1970-71 including the hit "This is Reggae Music", and in 1971 their debut album, ''Revolutionary Zap Pow'', was released on the

Harry J Harry Zephaniah Johnson (6 July 1945 – 3 April 2013), known by the stage name Harry J, was a Jamaican reggae record producer. Biography Born in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, Johnson started to play music with the Virtues as a bass player bef ...

label. In 1975, Beres Hammond joined as lead singer (other singers with the band included Winston "King" Cole, Milton "Prilly" Hamilton,

Bunny Rugs William Alexander Anthony "Bunny Rugs" Clark , OD (6 February 1948 – 2 February 2014), also known as Bunny Scott, was the lead singer of Jamaican reggae band Third World as well as a solo artist. He began his career in the mid-1960s and wa ...

and Jacob Miller), and their

Tommy Cowan Tommy Cowan CD (born Thomas Lincoln Cowan, 6 April 1946, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica) is a producer and singer, initially working in reggae but later concentrating on gospel, who has been involved in the music business since the 1960s.Brooks, Sade ...

-produced 1976 album, ''Zap Pow Now'' topped the reggae chart in the UK.

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck t ...

issued ''Revolution'' in the same year. Edwards left in 1977, to be replaced by Cornell Marshall. The band split up in 1979 with Hammond going on to a successful solo career. Pinkney went on to play with

Roots Radics The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkney ...

, and Edwards also pursued a solo career. Williams recorded and performed solo as Mikey Zappow. The horn section of DaCosta, McCormack and Madden were regularly used in recording sessions for other artists including Bob Marley & the Wailers, and they also recorded prolifically as individual

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

s, often being used by

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 ...

for sessions at his

Black Ark The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica. Despite the rudimentary set-up and dated eq ...

studio.Katz, David (2000) ''People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry'', Payback Press, , p. 294 Madden went on to release solo albums, as did DaCosta. Williams died in 2005, aged 61.Jamaica's musical icon Michael Williams dies
", ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 18 August 2005, retrieved 2011-01-02 In 2007 the band were honoured at the Prime Minister's Gala on Jamaican independence day.Cooke, Mel (2007)
Zap Pow honoured 30 years after break-up
", ''

'', 30 August 2007, retrieved 2011-01-02 Pinkney and DaCosta re-formed Zap Pow in 2016, and by 2017 the band also included Lebert "Gibby" Morrison (bass), Richard "T Bird" Johnson (keyboards), Lando Bolt (drums), Everol Wray (trumpet), and singers Geoffrey Forrest and Fiona.Campbell, Howard (2017)
The Return of Zap Pow
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 5 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017 They recorded a new album, ''Zap Pow Again'', released in October 2017.

Discography

Albums

*''Revolutionary Zap Pow'' (1971),

*''Zap Pow Now'' (1976), Vulcan *''Revolution'' (1976),

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 1890 ...

*''Zap Pow'' (1978),

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

*''Zap Pow Again'' (2017), VP

Compilation albums

*''Beres Hammond Meets Zappow in Jamaica'', Rhino *''Jungle Beat'', Lagoon *''Love Hits'', LMS *''Reggae Rules'', Rhino *''Revolution (the best of)'' (2007), Trojan

References

External links

Zap Pow
at Roots Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Zap Pow Jamaican reggae musical groups Trojan Records artists Island Records artists