Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What do Bob Marley, U2, Grace Jones, and James Bond have in common?
The name’s Blackwell — Chris Blackwell.
In this episode of Tape Spaghetti, Scott and Blake dive into the unexpected story of the Island Records founder who reshaped global music.
Raised among Jamaica’s colonial elites, Blackwell was rescued from a near-death experience by Rastafarian fishermen who gave him a new lease on life and a newfound devotion to reggae.
From there, Blackwell founded Island Records and launched Jamaican music into the mainstream.
And that wasn’t all—he gave Nick Drake freedom to fail, signed Roxy Music for their style alone, and gambled on a scrappy Irish band named U2.
Was Blackwell a visionary who elevated voices from the margins, or a clever colonizer who repackaged them?
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Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
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Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
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Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
This YouTube video and all associated audio-visual content are provided under license from Tone Mob LLC. Any reproduction, redistribution, public performance, or other use beyond personal viewing is prohibited without the express written permission of Tone Mob LLC.
What do Bob Marley, U2, Grace Jones, and James Bond have in common?
The name’s Blackwell — Chris Blackwell.
In this episode of Tape Spaghetti, Scott and Blake dive into the unexpected story of the Island Records founder who reshaped global music.
Raised among Jamaica’s colonial elites, Blackwell was rescued from a near-death experience by Rastafarian fishermen who gave him a new lease on life and a newfound devotion to reggae.
From there, Blackwell founded Island Records and launched Jamaican music into the mainstream.
And that wasn’t all—he gave Nick Drake freedom to fail, signed Roxy Music for their style alone, and gambled on a scrappy Irish band named U2.
Was Blackwell a visionary who elevated voices from the margins, or a clever colonizer who repackaged them?
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: youtube.com/stringjoy?sub_confirmation=1
SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST: manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=UemY8r&g=VmVi9a
WHAT'S OUR DEAL?
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
This YouTube video and all associated audio-visual content are provided under license from Tone Mob LLC. Any reproduction, redistribution, public performance, or other use beyond personal viewing is prohibited without the express written permission of Tone Mob LLC.
