Born in 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica, Michael Bennet launched his professional path singing lead in the vocal quartet Home T-4. Their 1980 single “Irons In The Fire” brought early attention, after which the group became noted for reinterpretations of familiar material such as Bunny Wailer’s “Cool Runnings” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” Live appearances at Reggae Sunsplash in 1984 solidified their reputation, and they remained the sole vocal ensemble booked for the Dancehall ’84 presentation in Kingston, sharing the bill with Half Pint, Michael Palmer, Edi Fitzroy, Charlie Chaplin and Ini Kamoze. Although sessions alongside Sly and Robbie failed to yield chart-topping releases, mid-decade pairings with Josie Wales on “Changing,” Yellowman on “Mr Counsellor” and Phillip Papa Levi on “Dear Pastor” broadened their reach.
After the lineup contracted to a trio, Bennet carried on under the Home T name with Tony Anderson and Winston “Diego” Tucker at Gussie Clarke’s Music Works Studio. The resulting sides—“Rockers Don’t Move You,” “Are You Going My Way,” “How Hot” and “Same Friend”—all scored local successes. In 1988 the trio recut “Telephone Love” as “Single Life,” simultaneously supplying backing vocals and arrangement input for J.C. Lodge’s original. Two years later Clarke assembled Shabba Ranks, Cocoa Tea and Home T for “Pirates Anthem,” which Kiss FM selected as the first track aired once the London station received its broadcast license.
Home T remained with Clarke into the early 1990s, when the producer inaugurated the Philadelphia-based Two Friends imprint alongside Patrick Lindsay. Continuing to work from Music Works, the partners scored a major hit with Dennis Brown’s “No More Walls.” In 1991 they again united Home T, Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks, this time delivering a reggae-chart success via the Philadelphia soul cover “Your Body’s Here With Me.” Additional Two Friends productions included Gregory Isaacs’ “Loverman,” Brian and Tony Gold’s “Ram Dance” and Daddy Lizard’s “Show Them The Way.” When Shabba proved unavailable for a follow-up combination, Cutty Ranks stepped in; the resulting tracks “The Going Is Rough” and “Another One For The Road” both reached the top of the reggae listings.
By 1992 Bennet had shifted to Twin City Productions in partnership with Clifton “Specialist” Dillon. The new team achieved international traction with Shabba Ranks and Chevelle Franklin’s remake of “Mr Loverman”—originally a Deborahe Glasgow recording—and with the Maxi Priest–Shabba collaboration “Housecall.” Twin City continued to enjoy a number
