Mike Anthony

The Lewisham-rooted Saxon sound system, based in London, gave rise to several respected talents such as Phillip Papa Levi, Daddy Colonel, Maxi Priest and Tippa Irie. Early recordings by Priest were shaped alongside Barry Boom, who guided Anthony into the studio during the closing years of the 1980s. Working firmly in the lovers rock idiom, Anthony scored a reggae Top 10 entry with “Crash Crash” and quickly followed it by unveiling the silky-voiced “Glide Gently.” Further successes arrived in quick succession, among them “Cruising In Love” and “Open Your Heart,” before he teamed with Fashion Records luminary Gussie Prento for “Still Your Number One.” The year 1991 brought an extended reign at the summit of the reggae chart via his interpretation of David Ruffin’s “Walk Away From Love.” That same track had already registered as a seventies reggae success for Ken Boothe, prompting Anthony to pay homage to the Studio One stalwart; Lloyd Charmers, heartened by the newcomer’s breakthrough, later reissued Boothe’s original cut. Momentum continued with “No Halfway Love,” which underscored his enduring appeal. Across the decade Anthony maintained a steady presence inside the UK reggae Top 10, logging additional entries such as “Spread Love,” “Don’t Play Games,” “Sexy Eyes” and “Call Me,” while the Gussie P–Nine Lives collaboration yielded Top Cat’s rude boy mix of “This Time I Know.”