A. Chuck Turner – One The Hard Way
B. Chuck Turner – Run Around Girl
Live And Love – LLD 55
This edition of 12″ Double Spin delves into the second half of 1980, a period dominated by digital riddims. We’ve chosen two vocalists who enjoyed significant popularity and success during the 1980s, though their output and acclaim diminished in later years, Chuck Turner and Mikey Melody.
This edition opens with Jamaican singer Chuck Turner (born Charles Turner in 1963). His musical journey began at a young age, drumming in various Jamaican studios by the time he was 11. He later joined Black Culture, then Zenith, with whom he primarily played the Jamaican hotel circuit, including a performance at Reggae Sunsplash ’84. While working with The Tony D’Costa Affair (another hotel circuit band), he also began performing as a vocalist on local sound systems. This led to his first recording for E.J. Robinson’s Top Ranking Sounds, and his breakthrough hit I Need You with King Jammy in 1987, which achieved significant chart success.
This marked the start of a successful period for Chuck Turner, with hits like One The Hard Way, Run Around Girl, and Tears all released in the same year. His debut album, One The Hard Way, produced by the prominent King Jammy, followed in 1987 and featured these hits. Throughout the late 1980s, Turner continued to release music and enjoyed regular chart success. He released two more albums, Them Trying To Conquer I and Presenting Chuck Turner, and toured internationally, sharing stages with reggae legends like Josey Wales, Leroy Smart, Sugar Minott, Admiral Bailey, Frankie Paul, Super Cat, and Shabba Ranks, as well as pop artists such as Chaka Khan, New Edition, Ronnie Dyson, and Johnny Gill.
1989 was a devastating year for Turner. He suffered a severe motorcycle accident and was also the victim of a robbery in New York, where he was shot in the head. His recovery was challenging, and these experiences led him to embrace Christianity. While he continued to release singles until the mid-1990s, they didn’t achieve significant success. Although he still performs and records occasionally, it’s his earlier hits that continue to be reissued and remain popular.
Chuck Turner’s 12″ single features two of his biggest hits produced by King Jammy: One The Hard Way and Run Around Girl, both backed by the renowned Steely & Clevie. Run Around Girl rides Jammy’s updated Tonight riddim, the same one that underpinned Eccleton Jarrett’s Turn On The Heat (featured in issue #36).
A. Mikey Melody – Soldier In Town
B. Firehouse Crew – Version
Dennis Star International/Jamwax – Jamwax Maxi 22
Our second 12″ single features vocalist Mikey Melody performing Soldier In Town. Hailing from Portland, Jamaica, he honed his skills on his local sound system as a youth. His friends gave him the nickname “Mikey Melody” in recognition of his beautiful voice. He cites American soul singers of the 1960s and 70s, along with Jamaican icons like Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Bob Andy, and Sugar Minott, as his primary influences.
To further develop as a singer and possibly launch a career, he settled in Kingston. There he was taken under the wing of deejay Lord Sassafrass and recorded for him his first tune, Under Mi Fat Thing. Lord Sassafrass was associated with Jack Scorpio, successful producer, sound system owner and owner of the Black Scorpio label. Jack Scorpio recorded several songs with Mikey, of which Ragga Muffin is perhaps the best known.
Following this successful period, Mikey Melody began working with the production duo Dennis “Star” Hayles and June “Star” Hayles of Dennis Star International. They released several of his singles, as well as an album titled Mona Lisa, which included Soldier In Town. Mikey continued to work with both Dennis Star International and Black Scorpio (who released his album World Is A Disaster in 1991) for many years. While he continued to make music, he no longer achieved significant chart success. However, the consistent reissuing of his songs demonstrates his enduring popularity.
This 12″ single of Soldier In Town, originally released in 1988, is a beautifully packaged reissue from France’s Jamwax Records, licensed directly from Mikey Melody and Dennis Star International. The track was recorded at Tuff Gong and Dynamic Sounds Studios in Jamaica, featuring backing from the renowned Firehouse Crew.
[All tracks were ripped straight from vinyl using SoundForge. They’re in high-quality WAV format (24-bit/96kHz). I used a Technics SL-1210MK2 turntable with an Ortofon cartridge.]