JUNIOR BYLES
Jamaican singer-songwriter Junior Byles, also known as King Chubby, began his career in 1967 as part of the vocal trio The Versatiles alongside Dudley Earl and Louis Davis. At that time, Lee Perry, who was a talent scout and engineer for Joe Gibbs, signed the trio to the producer’s newly established Amalgamated label. Following the group’s breakup in 1970, Byles ventured into a solo career with Perry, achieving a minor hit with What’s The World Coming To, credited to King Chubby. Over the subsequent five years, his collaborations with Perry produced some of his most celebrated tracks, including Beat Down Babylon, King Of Babylon, and Place Called Africa, in which he expressed his Rastafarian beliefs. By the end of 1972, Byles achieved his biggest success yet with a rendition of Little Willie John’s Fever, set to a dub-infused riddim produced by Perry. This track was released in the UK by Pama Records. Apart from Junior Byles, Horace Andy, Toots & The Maytals, Johnny Osbourne, and Susan Cadogan also covered the song.