Biography
In 1976 Tradition, a reggae outfit based in north London, England, came together initially under the name Special Brew. Chris Henry on bass, Paul Thompson on keyboards, Tony Matthews on drums, Michael Johnson on guitar and Grace Reed handling vocals formed the first configuration. After Reed and Johnson departed, Les McNeil and ex-Junior English bassist Paul Dawkins stepped into the open positions. The ensemble connected with Venture and laid down the tracks “Moving On,” which later served as their signature piece, “Rastafari” and a reading of “Summertime.”
During 1978 they issued the landmark “Why Why” as a pioneering 12-inch discomix single whose vocal and dub sides formed a ten-minute statement addressing tensions encountered by black communities in largely white surroundings; the release earned strong approval. The musicians established a distinct profile and kept issuing further well-regarded successes. Session work also came their way when David Tyrone hired them to back Aurora York on her renditions of “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” and “We Do It” as well as Dennis Pinnock’s “Dennis The Menace” and “Ride On.” Festival and concert appearances alongside Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Honey Boy and Culture further raised their standing.
Readers of Echoes selected the band’s 1978 single “Breezin’” as that year’s finest release. These achievements secured a deal with RCA Records, which put out the international debut album Born To Love You in 1978; like most reggae acts signed to major companies, the arrangement proved brief and yielded only a handful of records. Shakeel Khan took Paul Dawkins’s place in 1979 after Dawkins exited to launch his own solo success “Ebony Eyes.”
By 1982 the reduced roster issued the instrumental “Tribute To A King” and the album Spirit Of Ecstasy, which largely spotlighted Paul Thompson’s keyboard work. Les McNeil meanwhile began a solo path with “Love Mechanic” and scored a substantial success as part of Eargasm on “This A Lovers Rock.” David Tyrone launched the Chams imprint in 1983, making the group’s earlier recordings available again alongside McNeil’s “I Gave You Everything” and “Be Gentle With Me.”
During 1978 they issued the landmark “Why Why” as a pioneering 12-inch discomix single whose vocal and dub sides formed a ten-minute statement addressing tensions encountered by black communities in largely white surroundings; the release earned strong approval. The musicians established a distinct profile and kept issuing further well-regarded successes. Session work also came their way when David Tyrone hired them to back Aurora York on her renditions of “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” and “We Do It” as well as Dennis Pinnock’s “Dennis The Menace” and “Ride On.” Festival and concert appearances alongside Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Honey Boy and Culture further raised their standing.
Readers of Echoes selected the band’s 1978 single “Breezin’” as that year’s finest release. These achievements secured a deal with RCA Records, which put out the international debut album Born To Love You in 1978; like most reggae acts signed to major companies, the arrangement proved brief and yielded only a handful of records. Shakeel Khan took Paul Dawkins’s place in 1979 after Dawkins exited to launch his own solo success “Ebony Eyes.”
By 1982 the reduced roster issued the instrumental “Tribute To A King” and the album Spirit Of Ecstasy, which largely spotlighted Paul Thompson’s keyboard work. Les McNeil meanwhile began a solo path with “Love Mechanic” and scored a substantial success as part of Eargasm on “This A Lovers Rock.” David Tyrone launched the Chams imprint in 1983, making the group’s earlier recordings available again alongside McNeil’s “I Gave You Everything” and “Be Gentle With Me.”
Albums
