Mikey Dread

Although Mikey Dread earned widespread recognition across America chiefly through his partnership with the punk legends the Clash, his stature in Jamaica and his chosen home of Britain extends considerably further. Born Michael Campbell in 1954 in Port Antonio, Jamaica, the future artist first achieved national visibility during the 1970s via a weekly program on JBC, the Jamaican Broadcasting Company. Adopting the moniker Mikey Dread, he hosted a four-hour program titled Dread at the Controls that transformed local airwaves. Prior to this, Jamaican stations had favored imported American recordings over homegrown material; even after the island’s recording industry expanded throughout the 1960s, this preference persisted. Larger labels such as Studio One and Treasure Isle circumvented the obstacle by purchasing blocks of advertising time during which their newest releases received airplay, yet only two stations served the entire country, limiting options for smaller operations. Dread’s broadcast altered the landscape by spotlighting Jamaican music and introducing the latest tracks within days or even hours of their release. He also drew upon deep musical knowledge, frequently pairing original classics with the contemporary rhythms dominating dancehalls.

Beyond his unconventional commentary and timely selections, the jingles he crafted at King Tubby’s studio proved equally innovative. He recruited whichever singers were present, among them schoolgirls Althea Forrest and Donna Reid, whom he began featuring regularly. The duo had recently recorded a feminine reply to DJ Trinity’s hit “Three Piece Suit” with the production team the Mighty Two, and Dread incorporated that cut into one of his jingles. The Mighty Two responded by issuing “Uptown Top Ranking” near the close of 1977; the track topped charts in both Jamaica and Britain. Sensing an opportunity, Dread attempted to translate his radio success into the studio with assistance from Lee Perry. Their first collaboration, “Dread at the Controls,” quickly became his signature recording and was soon followed by “Schoolgirls” and the forceful “Homeguard.” Additional singles emerged, including several with the Mighty Two and “Rootsman Revival” for Sonia Pottinger. Throughout this period Dread’s radio program continued delighting listeners while straining relations with his conservative JBC superiors. In 1979 he resigned, briefly serving as an engineer at Treasure Isle before teaming with producer Carlton Patterson to cut the single “Barber Saloon Haircut.” The pair also worked together behind the board, producing Ray I’s hit “Weatherman Skank.”

Before year’s end Dread launched his own imprint, Dread at the Controls, which also served as the title of his debut album and the label’s inaugural release. Its dub counterpart, African Anthem Dubwise, appeared shortly afterward, containing remixes by King Tubby, Prince Jammy, and Dread himself. Both LPs blended deep dub excursions with jingles, spoken-word passages, and toasts. As the 1980s began, Dread traveled to England to support the Clash on a month-long tour. Immediately afterward the five musicians entered the studio, where Dread guided the creation of the band’s landmark “Bankrobber” single. Although the Clash had initially envisioned a ska arrangement, Dread rejected that approach and restructured the track into a heavy dub production. He also recorded his own DJ version, titled “Rocker’s Galore — U.K. Tour.” Sessions continued in New York City, where he contributed to the Clash’s cover of Eddy Grant’s “Police on My Back” and to “One More Time,” later included on Sandinista!. While there, Dread cut his own bruising single “Rocker’s Delight.” Planned further sessions in Kingston were abandoned after repeated theft attempts, prompting the Clash to depart and leaving Dread to refocus on DATC and his own releases. Continuing his partnership with Patterson, the label issued a series of influential dancehall singles by artists including Sugar Minott, Edi Fitzroy, and Junior Murvin. Dread sustained his connection with King Tubby, whose remixes frequently graced B-sides and contributed to the label’s impact. He also released several of his own singles—“Proper Education,” “Love the Dread,” and “African Map” among them—often pairing them with potent dub versions crafted by Patterson, Dread, or King Tubby that collectors sought as avidly as the vocal sides.

Dread’s next album, Beyond World War III, appeared in 1981. Jungle Signal followed in 1982, alternating vocal tracks with extended dub passages. The single “Jumping Master” became a substantial hit that year, and Dub Merchant soon arrived, offering eight striking remixes of the track. While Dread’s music, label, and productions exerted considerable influence on the British scene, Britain had likewise shaped his direction. Lovers rock had taken hold across the U.K. reggae landscape, prompting him to issue S.W.A.L.K., his third album of 1982. Given his distinctive nasal delivery, the style proved an imperfect fit. Concurrently, Britain launched its fourth television channel, Channel Four, which was tasked with serving minority interests. The station commissioned a six-part documentary series, Deep Roots, on Jamaican music and selected Dread as narrator. The following year he returned to Channel Four as host of Rockers Road Show, supplying the theme “Roots and Culture.” That track featured prominently on 1984’s self-produced Pave the Way, which showcased leading musicians from both Jamaica and Britain and stands among the most inventive reggae albums on record. Pave the Way Part I & II appeared the next year, yet five years elapsed before Dread issued another full-length project. His single output also slowed as he concentrated on television work.

When Happy Family surfaced in 1989, public attention had largely waned. Portrait, another lovers-rock collection released in 1991, met a similar fate, although its dub companion, African Anthem Revisited, hinted at a return to stronger material. In the early 1990s Dread briefly joined the Rykodisc roster, releasing the lovers-rock-oriented Obsession in 1992; that same year he appeared on Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds, the debut album by the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist. Four years later he returned with Come to Mikey Dread’s Dub Party. Since then he has maintained a prolonged absence from recording, though he has remained visible on screen through projects such as the documentary series Deep Roots Music and the British program Rockers International. In 1991 Rykodisc issued Best Sellers, a compilation of early singles and album highlights. At the close of the decade Music Club presented Prime of Mikey Dread: Massive Dub Cuts 1978-1992.