Harry J 3887969 224042639 2008-07-07T01:40:56Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other :''This article is about a reggae producer for other names see [[Harry Johnson (disambiguation)]]'' {{Cleanup|date=October 2006}} '''Harry Johnson''' (known as '''Harry J''', born circa 1945, [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]) is a [[Jamaica]]n [[reggae]] [[record producer]]. He ran a record label, also called Harry J. [[Image:HarryJAllstars-Liquidator.jpg|thumb|right|cover of the Harry J Allstars' single "Liquidator" released in 1969 by Trojan]] == Career == Mostly known for his "Harry J Studio" where [[Bob Marley & The Wailers]] [[sound recording and reproduction|recorded]] many of their [[Bob Marley discography|albums]] in the 1970s, Johnson is also an important record producer who met success during the early [[reggae]] era. Johnson started to play [[music]] with the Virtues as a [[bass guitar|bass]] player, but soon quit to work as an [[insurance]] salesman. He first appeared as a record producer in 1968, when he launched his own [[record label]], "Harry J", by releasing [[The Beltones]]' local [[chart-topper|hit]] "No More Heartaches", considered by many to be the very first reggae [[song]] ever recorded, along with the [[Studio One]] [[single (music)|single]] "Nanny Goat" by Larry & Alvin. His agreement with [[Coxsone Dodd]] allowed him to use Studio One's facilities, where he produced the hit "Cuss Cuss" with [[singer]] Lloyd Robinson, which became one of the most covered [[riddim]] in Jamaica. In October 1969, he met success in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] with "[[The Liquidator (song)|The Liquidator]]" (number 9 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]) recorded with his [[session musician|session]] [[band (music)|band]], The Harry J All Stars. This single became one of the [[anthem]]s of the emerging [[skinhead]] youth [[subculture]]; together with other [[instrumental]] hits released in the UK through his own subdivision "Harry J" on [[Trojan Records]], on a [[compilation album]] of the same name (see cover). In the beginning of the 1970s, (apart from other UK compilations of his own Jamaican productions, including songs by The Cables, Tony Scott, Busty Brown, Val Bennett etc.), he enjoyed another big success with the vocal duo Bob & Marcia. They were [[Bob Andy]] and [[Marcia Griffiths]] with the song "[[To Be Young, Gifted and Black|Young, Gifted and Black]]". His productions also included Jamaican hits with [[toasting|DJs]] like Winston Blake or Scotty among others, and many [[Dub music|dub]] versions. == Harry J Studio == <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Label-Harry J.jpg|thumb|right|The Harry J label]] --> In 1972, Harry Johnson sold his record shop and set up his own [[recording studio]] "Harry J", on 10 Roosevelt Avenue, Uptown Kingston. Harry J Studio soon became one of the most famous Jamaican studios after having recorded several Bob Marley & The Wailers albums from 1973 to 1976 before the [[Tuff Gong]] era; such as ''[[Rastaman Vibration]]'' and ''[[Catch A Fire]]''. Johnson's deal with [[Island Records]] led him to record [[musician|artists]] such as [[Burning Spear]] and [[The Heptones]]. Throughout the 1970s and the 1980s, backed by former Studio One [[sound engineer]] Sylvan Morris, he also recorded artists like [[Ken Boothe]], [[Augustus Pablo]], The Cables and the [[United States|American]] [[pop music|pop]] [[singer]], [[Johnny Nash]], and produced albums by Zap Pow and Sheila Hylton. In 2002, after seven years of inactivity, he reopened his Harry J studio and since has recorded people like [[Burning Spear]]. The studio appears in the [[film|movie]], ''[[Rockers (film)|Rockers]]''. == Discography == === Harry J Allstars === * Harry J Allstars - "[[The Liquidator (song)|The Liquidator]]" - 1969 - Harry J/Trojan * Harry J Allstars - ''Liquidator: The Best Of Harry J Allstars'' - 2003 - Trojan *Harry J Allstars - ''Dubbing At Harry J's 1972-1975'' - Jamaican Recordings === Compilations === *Various Artists - ''Reggae Movement'' - 1970 - Harry J/Trojan *Various Artists - ''What Am I To Do'' - 1970 - Harry J/Trojan *Various Artists - ''Reggay Roots'' - 1977 - Harry J *Various Artists - ''Computer'' - 1985 - Sunset *Various Artists - ''The Return Of the Liquidator: 30 Skinhead Classics 1968-1970'' - 1989 - Trojan - 2 [[Compact disc|CD]] === As a producer === *Sylvan Morris & Harry J - ''Cultural Dub'' - 1978 - Harry J *Sylvan Morris - ''Jah Jah Dub'' - Roosevelt *[[The Heptones]] - ''Book Of Rules'' - 1973 - Jaywax *The Heptones - ''Cool Rasta'' - 1976 - Trojan *Leslie Butler - ''Ja-Gan'' - 1975 - Trojan *Zap Pow - ''Revolution'' - 1976 - Trojan *Lloyd Willis - ''Gits Plays Bob Marley's Greatest Hits'' - 1977 - Harry J *[[The Melodians]] - ''Sweet Sensation'' - 1977 - Harry J *[[Dennis Brown]] - ''So Long Rastafari'' - 1979 - Harry J == See also == *[[List of Jamaican record producers]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Harry}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:Jamaican record producers]] [[Category:Living people]]