Island Records is one of the most influential pop music record labels of all time.
Mixing cultures and influences from reggae to pop, hip hop, and even punk, Island has shaken up ideas and introduced new genres to mainstream music, bringing cultures into the musical spotlight halfway across the world. Still alive and thriving today, Island has produced some of the music industry’s biggest names and groups including Jimmy Buffet, The B-52s, U2, and Bob Marley. But like all companies, Island too started out as a hobby before it was even a small business; and the story is incredible.
Chris Salewicz, Editor of Keep of Running: The Story of Island Records wrote a beautiful narration about how Island records came to be.
“Jamaicans in the mid-1950’s were familiar with who they should stay away from. Specifically that strange tribe of outcasts known as Rastafarians: even the downtown ghetto-dwellers knew that these eccentric-appearing individuals – known at the time on the island as ‘beardmen’ – carried pieces of dead bodies in the bags they all bore.”
At age 19, Chris Blackwell went with a couple of friends on a motorboat ride from the former pirate haven of Port Royal along the south coast of the island. When the boat became stranded in a swamp along a completely remote part of the island, Chris set out for the shore. After about four hours of struggling, he came upon a beach. Exhausted, he collapsed, dying of thirst. He heard a voice, and looked up to see a Rastafarian standing above him, his dreadlocks tumbling about him like Iliana vines. The dread led Chris to a nearby encampment where he collapsed asleep. Upon waking, he heard voices reading from the bible and reasoning. They continued to read as he was fed ital food. This e...
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...s coming out of of the world music scene when it first was recognized, but that didn’t matter. The U.K. was immediately hooked, and let that music influence their own. Some of the more unrecognized music released from Island was heavily influenced from African beats, Yoruba traditional music and western sounds, influencing dance halls and discotheques around the world. Although not quite as cutting edge, Island Records still produces some pretty big names, thus maintaining their name, 50 years later.
References
"Island Records UK." Island Records UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. .
"Keep on Running: 50 Years of Island Records." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. .
Salewicz, Chris. Keep on running: the story of Island Records. New York, N.Y.: Island Trading Co., Ltd. :, 2009. Print.
Gorinson, Stanley M., and Kevin P. Kane. “The Accidental Three Mile Island: The Role of
The main point of this documentary is a strong one. Strong Island is a documentary describing the effects of a crime going without justice to a family that had no other option but to move on. The documentary goes into the lives of the family of William Ford’s family and friends before and after his murder.
Although it may be perceived that music is a free market based on the love of music, others may argue it is based on profit. In the article “U2’s double trouble,” the band Negativland proclaims that Island Record’s, U2’s record label, only concern in the lawsuit is, “to control the marketplace” (139). Negativland believes Island is trying to control what music is being made and sold. Island is so focused on profit that they are limiting the musical market.
The island is about 4 square miles and is today a place for tourism in the great lakes. Many thousands of years ago though this was a little piece of land with bluffs reaching high above its surroundings and was a merely a small piece of land surrounded by water. It was because of these bluffs the appearance of the island resembled a turtle and led to it being named “The Great Turtle” (Piljac, 1998). Currently the island reaches several hundred feet above the lake and it’s because of this geography that many nations saw this as a perfect military post and would be used over and over again throughout its history as such.
One Hundred and One Albums that Changed Popular Music. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://books.google.com/books?id=G4mP7u6mPdkC&pg=PA172#v=onepage
Roberts, Randy and Olsen, James S. 2001. A Line in the Sand. New York and London:
I have seen Lundy Island twice since my sojourn in Devon. I was on holiday in 1966 and again in 2000, but there was no time in my busy itinerary to see the island of my dreams. I could only stand on the shore and relive memories that had faded over the years. I doubt if I’ll ever visit. Let the mystery remain. I have known the disappointment of visiting places that have not lived up to my expectations too many times. Besides, I am too far old to fight off cutthroat pirates!
“Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife—Fire Island has been a special place for diverse plants, animals and people for centuries”
Tabrah, Ruth M. Hawaii: A Bicentennial History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.
It wasn’t until 1984 that the Dutch finally took control of the island. This was following the end of the 80-year war between the Spanish and Dutch. There was a brief point in the history of the island when the English were in control (1805-1816), but this was short lived and the Dutch returned to the island in 1816(Hartog, 61).
Do the names “Dirty Diana”, “Superstition”, and “I Heard it through the grapevine” sound familiar to you any? Well does it? These are major hit records made by well-known artists and musicians whom we know couldn’t take overnight to accomplish. Where do you think most artists started their musical journeys? Maybe it all started while in their basements banging away at tools, shelves, etc., or while sitting on the swing set in their backyards imagining how it would be to be famous, or even while just having a good ole fashion play date in their tree-houses with friends or family discussing each other’s goals and dreams.
New Kingston, a family group featuring three brothers (Stephen, Courtney Jr., and Tahir) and their father play a refreshing brand of reggae that is as authentically Jamaican as it is refreshingly unique among other U.S. reggae outfits. A Jamaican roots reggae vocal trio at their core, New Kingston displays a remarkably expansive vocal range, impressive diction (check “Conquer Dem” featuring Sister Carol), an inspiriting lack of pretense, surprisingly adept musicianship, and musical sensibilities that span many sub-genres within reggae. For three youths who grew
There are several possible explanations for the rapid growth of Rastafari. One major factor in its expansion was the emergence in the late 1960s of reggae music, a derivative of American rhythm and blues and Jamaican ska. Reggae helped spread the philosophy of Rastafari to the wider Jamaican audience and the world. During that period of time, Bob Marley and the Wailers were the principal popularizers of reggae.
"Earth Island Journal." A Rising Ride Sinks All Islands Vol. 11. Fall 1999. 15 Jan 2005 .
Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica. Reggae greatly impacted the way Jamaicans identified themselves, it is said to have given the Jamaican people an identity and has a deep spiritual and cultural significance in the Jamaican society. Bob Marley is one of the most famous reggae artists and brought the musical style and genre of reggae to the western world and is enjoyed by all people of all ages.