REISSUE OF YELLOWMAN'S 1984 ALBUM
• Jamaica's first dancehall superstar, Yellowman ushered in a new era in
reggae music following Bob Marley's death.
• His early-‘80s success brought the popularity of toasting – the reggae
equivalent of rapping – to a whole new level, and helped establish dancehall
as the wave of the future.
• After 1983’s Zungguzungguguzungguzeng album, Yellowman signed a
major-label deal with CBS Records, which encouraged him to maintain the
stylistic versatility of his previous work.
• His lone album for the label, 1984's King Yellowman, sported mixed results,
attempting everything from slack toasts to R&B and poptinged crossover
tracks, including covers of “Sea Cruise” and “Take Me Home Country
Roads,” and fusion attempt “Disco Reggae.”
• Yellowman's jump to a major label might have had some reggae purists
gasping, but the one album that resulted introduced many listeners to the rich
world of dancehall music and its cadre of talented DJs.
• Before he cut this 1984 record for CBS, Yellowman had already hit the peak
of his fame in Jamaica, waxing some stellar sides for the supreme early
dancehall producer, Henry “Junjo” Lawes.