Michael Baxter | The Voiceroys - The Viceroys - Punch Records - 1969 @mickeypenguin | Uploaded November 2019 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
The Viceroys mistakenly labeled as The Voiceroys on this Punch 7" record from 1968. Added to the mistakes list of one, is a second. The B-side 'Give To Get' is not a song performed by the Viceroys, but instead, a long time early ska performer called Winston Samuels.
Other than those mistakes, this little 7" single is magnificent, no doubt fitting into any skinhead dance from back in those days with ease (and also no doubt in more recent times).
Many artists that had records released on the Pama umbrella of their specialised labels (some set up for individual reggae producers) would have had success in the town discos. Punch, Crab, Bullet, Camel, Gas, Nu Beat, and Unity record labels all had massive impact back then. And then there was of course the Trojan umbrella of specialised labels, but life's too short to list all those... I'll give you three... Pyramid, Attack and Green Door. Google the rest... Good luck.
Although releasing dozens of 7" singles from 1967 on various record labels, for various producers, including the big hitters, The Viceroys would become better known at the dawn of the 1980's when under the guidence of Sly and Robbie and their use of the Channel One studio.
A 12" extended play single, "Heart Made Of Stone" was released on Sly and Robbie's Taxi record label, kicked started a flagging career to a newer, younger audience across the world.
The album from 1982, "We Must Unite", recorded with Linval Thompson, and the essential Roots Radics band, released on Thompson Sound in Jamaica, and Trojan Records in the U.K, is an absolute classic. Tight no flab rhythms, clean sugar-sweet vocal harmonies... Great stuff.
The text on Viceroys below was ripped from reggaevibes blog.
Wesley Tinglin has been the foundation of the group from the inception back in the mid sixties, then the group also consisted of Daniel Bernard and Bunny Gayle, sometimes spelled ‘Bonnigale’. On different occasions in the Viceroys’ history they also had Norris Reid and Chris Wayne in the line up.
The tradition of harmony singing has brought us many enjoyable moments in Jamaican music over the years. But as this is no longer a part of what the young Jamaican audience are looking for artistically, harmony groups have been on the way out for several years now, with only a few left maintaining the tradition from reggae’s classic era. Groups like the Itals, the Meditations, Culture, the Mighty Diamonds and even the Heptones are still going in one form or another, and so do the Viceroys. Perhaps one of the most loved and respected among them, the Viceroys have also been one of the longest going vocal trios apart from the Heptones, but at the same time – which is a great shame – one of the most underexposed even though there’s almost a plethora of releases on seven-inch vinyl by this group as well as a few album releases, although it never broke them bigger than having a hit for Sly & Robbie with ‘Heart Made of Stone’ in 1980; but no tour came out of it and the group only recorded on and off since with a lack of consistency in their career due to bad management and the typical ‘bad luck’ (read: non payment of royalties from various reggae producers) in the business.
Q:
"Unlike most of the ‘major league’ of groups, the Viceroys never seemed to get off the ground to do a tour, if we go back some twenty to twenty-five years in time. What is the cause of this, you never hooked up with a proper management at the time?"
A:
"Well, the producers. Because they do not want to give you money. Alright, I tell you: a guy come to these part of the world, and them hear you going on with a t’ing, yunno. They hear that you have plenty music out there and nice and t’ing, they come home and seh – they come and look for you and seh: “Man, gi’ the I a lickle money an’ come record an album”. And after they get that, they leave. You don’t see them for a long time an’ dem kinda t’ing, y’know what I mean. And when them come back to Jamaica, they would even stop to talk to you".
Text on Winston Samuels below was ripped from Discogs.
Winston Samuels started recording for Clement "Coxson" Dodd in 1961. His first release was "In Jail" on the All Stars label. His follow up song was "In Paradise," also done for producer Dodd.
He then recorded "Angela" for producers Nembhard & Henry's N & H label.
That was a #1 hit. In 1964, Samuels began recording for L. O. Pottinger's SEP label. Among his hits for Mr. Pottinger were "Be Prepared," "You Are The One" and "Come What May."
Samuels also cut hits for other producers such as Lloyd "Matador" Daley and Cecil "Prince Buster" Campbell. For Matador there was "Here I Come Again" and "Give To Get." (NOTE: The Viceroys song on this Punch 7" record "Jump In A Fire" was also recorded for Lloyd "Matador" Daley hence no doubt why the mistake on this record exists).
For Prince Buster there's "Peace Of Mind," "Holding Out" and "I'm Still Here."
The Viceroys mistakenly labeled as The Voiceroys on this Punch 7" record from 1968. Added to the mistakes list of one, is a second. The B-side 'Give To Get' is not a song performed by the Viceroys, but instead, a long time early ska performer called Winston Samuels.
Other than those mistakes, this little 7" single is magnificent, no doubt fitting into any skinhead dance from back in those days with ease (and also no doubt in more recent times).
Many artists that had records released on the Pama umbrella of their specialised labels (some set up for individual reggae producers) would have had success in the town discos. Punch, Crab, Bullet, Camel, Gas, Nu Beat, and Unity record labels all had massive impact back then. And then there was of course the Trojan umbrella of specialised labels, but life's too short to list all those... I'll give you three... Pyramid, Attack and Green Door. Google the rest... Good luck.
Although releasing dozens of 7" singles from 1967 on various record labels, for various producers, including the big hitters, The Viceroys would become better known at the dawn of the 1980's when under the guidence of Sly and Robbie and their use of the Channel One studio.
A 12" extended play single, "Heart Made Of Stone" was released on Sly and Robbie's Taxi record label, kicked started a flagging career to a newer, younger audience across the world.
The album from 1982, "We Must Unite", recorded with Linval Thompson, and the essential Roots Radics band, released on Thompson Sound in Jamaica, and Trojan Records in the U.K, is an absolute classic. Tight no flab rhythms, clean sugar-sweet vocal harmonies... Great stuff.
The text on Viceroys below was ripped from reggaevibes blog.
Wesley Tinglin has been the foundation of the group from the inception back in the mid sixties, then the group also consisted of Daniel Bernard and Bunny Gayle, sometimes spelled ‘Bonnigale’. On different occasions in the Viceroys’ history they also had Norris Reid and Chris Wayne in the line up.
The tradition of harmony singing has brought us many enjoyable moments in Jamaican music over the years. But as this is no longer a part of what the young Jamaican audience are looking for artistically, harmony groups have been on the way out for several years now, with only a few left maintaining the tradition from reggae’s classic era. Groups like the Itals, the Meditations, Culture, the Mighty Diamonds and even the Heptones are still going in one form or another, and so do the Viceroys. Perhaps one of the most loved and respected among them, the Viceroys have also been one of the longest going vocal trios apart from the Heptones, but at the same time – which is a great shame – one of the most underexposed even though there’s almost a plethora of releases on seven-inch vinyl by this group as well as a few album releases, although it never broke them bigger than having a hit for Sly & Robbie with ‘Heart Made of Stone’ in 1980; but no tour came out of it and the group only recorded on and off since with a lack of consistency in their career due to bad management and the typical ‘bad luck’ (read: non payment of royalties from various reggae producers) in the business.
Q:
"Unlike most of the ‘major league’ of groups, the Viceroys never seemed to get off the ground to do a tour, if we go back some twenty to twenty-five years in time. What is the cause of this, you never hooked up with a proper management at the time?"
A:
"Well, the producers. Because they do not want to give you money. Alright, I tell you: a guy come to these part of the world, and them hear you going on with a t’ing, yunno. They hear that you have plenty music out there and nice and t’ing, they come home and seh – they come and look for you and seh: “Man, gi’ the I a lickle money an’ come record an album”. And after they get that, they leave. You don’t see them for a long time an’ dem kinda t’ing, y’know what I mean. And when them come back to Jamaica, they would even stop to talk to you".
Text on Winston Samuels below was ripped from Discogs.
Winston Samuels started recording for Clement "Coxson" Dodd in 1961. His first release was "In Jail" on the All Stars label. His follow up song was "In Paradise," also done for producer Dodd.
He then recorded "Angela" for producers Nembhard & Henry's N & H label.
That was a #1 hit. In 1964, Samuels began recording for L. O. Pottinger's SEP label. Among his hits for Mr. Pottinger were "Be Prepared," "You Are The One" and "Come What May."
Samuels also cut hits for other producers such as Lloyd "Matador" Daley and Cecil "Prince Buster" Campbell. For Matador there was "Here I Come Again" and "Give To Get." (NOTE: The Viceroys song on this Punch 7" record "Jump In A Fire" was also recorded for Lloyd "Matador" Daley hence no doubt why the mistake on this record exists).
For Prince Buster there's "Peace Of Mind," "Holding Out" and "I'm Still Here."
