Sad news has reached us here at the Springline HQ that the UK label Rockers Revolt is winding down. We here have been strong supporters of the label run by Sean Flowerdew since 2008 and are very sorry to see its demise as they have brought out many great albums from the likes of his own band Pama Int’l plus the likes of Babyhead, Ed Rome, The Slackers, the fantastic Mungos Hi Fi and more, but as they say all good things must come to an end…..
However this does not mean it is all doom and gloom for the UK ska / reggae scene as just like a phoenix from the flames a new label is about to be launched aptly named Phoenix City Records!
Phoenix City will be a subsidiary one of the UK's longest running independents Cherry Red Records who were founded in 1978 and promises to offer the best in ska, rocksteady and reggae from classic reissues to the best new sounds around from acts around the world.
The label launches in August 2011 and will be run by Sean Flowerdew, and this is why, along with his other commitments to the London International Ska Festival etc Rockers is closing. It is hoped the August launch will see a series of previously unreleased digital releases from The Caroloregians, the original King Fatty featuring members from Big Boss Man, The Bongolian & The Loafers, Intensified, The Sidewalk Doctors, plus reissues from Pama International and Capone & The Bullets. There will also be the release of the first in a monthly series of samplers, titled 'Phoenix City Scorchers', showcasing some of the hottest ska, rocksteady & reggae sounds of now, with Volume One including previously unreleased material from Sir Horace Panter of The Specials, which all sounds very interesting and exciting.
At present the label are looking for new and established acts to sign, so if you think you or your band has what its got in the fields of ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub or even soul then send an email to
sean@pamainternational.co.uk with a mp3 or weblink to your music.
Also with the Rockers Revolt label being slowly wound up they are holding a closing down sale with prices starting from as little as prices starting at £0.01p, so visit
www.rockersrevolt.com/ while stocks last.
Born in the Payne Avenue district of West Kingston, Jamaica on February 11th 1966, Clive Bright would go on to become one of the most influential singers of the early digital reggae when in 1985 he joined up with producer Winston Riley and had his most successful hit single "Ring the Alarm", voiced over the Stalag riddim. This tune even now still brings the house down and has been sampled and had influence on many artists including the megastar Beyonce Knowles who based a performance around Tenor Saw's "Ring The Alarm" which was incorporated in to her The Beyonce Experience shows in 2007. The song had millions of views on youtube and was seen as a highly influential artist in today's media being influenced a genre which is different to her own.
However by the time of the albums release, Tenor Saw had relocated to Miami, joining the Skengdon crew, where he recorded "Dancehall Feeling" and "Bad Boys". He also recorded "No Work On a Sunday" for Donovan Germain, before moving to New York, where he worked with Freddie McGregor on "Victory Train" plus he made his last ever recording, "Chill Out Chill Out", a duet with General Doggie, because in the August of 1988 while in Houston, Texas he was found dead on the road side, apparently killed by a speeding car in a hit and run, he was just 22 years of age. No one has ever faced charges about that night and conspiracy stories abounded and led to Nitty Gritty recording "Who Killed Tenor Saw?". He was highly regarded with King Kong recording a tribute and Supercat's singing "Nuff man a Dead" about the death of Tenor Saw and other superstars of the time.
