Remember Me: The Junior Byles Story (Reggae Spotlight 19)
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- A look at an unsung reggae legend (once considered as a creative equal to Bob Marley) and the personal struggles that derailed his early successes...
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Playlist:
The Versatiles - The Time Has Come (1968) • Video
King Chubby - What's The World Coming To (1970) • King Chubby (Junior By...
Junior Byles - Da Da (1972) • Junior Byles - Dada
Junior Byles - Beat Down Babylon (1971) • Junior Byles "Beat Do...
Junior Byles - Fever (1972) • Junior Byles - Fever
Junior Byles - A Place Called Africa (1970) • Video
Junior Byles - The Long Way (1975) • Junior Byles - Long Wa...
Junior Byles - Curly Locks (1974) • Junior Byles - Curly L...
Junior Byles & Rupert Reid - Chant Down Babylon (1975) • JUNIOR BYLES & RUPERT ...
Junior Byles & Rupert Reid - Remember Me (1975) • JUNIOR BYLES & RUPERT ...
Junior Byles - Fade Away (1976) • JUNIOR BYLES - Fade Aw...
Junior Byles - Jordan • Video
Junior Byles - Weeping (1978) • JUNIOR BYLES - W-E-E-P...
Junior Byles - Rasta No Pickpocket (1986) • Junior Byles - Rasta N...
Thanks. Junior needs to be more recognized for his contribution. He is really down on his luck now
For sure, hope he can get the aid he needs...
Thank you sir for your feature on junior byles well done he is still with us but even though illness has taken a toll his works won't be forgotten
Thank you, much appreciated!
Never heard Junior Byles before Doug......... Great tribute........ Tragic life........ Thanks......
A common theme with a lot of these artists Kit...a tough life, often a tragic ending, but great and uplifting music. Cheers and take care!
BIG RASPECT JUNIOR.B 🎼🎵🎵🎶📖📖🎼🎼
Unsung (enough) legend for sure...
you touch my heart mi brother, just to the way you presented this junior byles info. i actually cry when you played the last song... remember me
That is wonderful to hear, thank you so much! Just got a comment on here the other day from the brother of Rupert Reid who wrote the song...the music touches hearts and souls down through the years, for sure 🙏
Thank you,someone needed to do this long,long time ago.He was the man,his songs were needed in those times,while growing up.
Thank you for watching 🙏 always happy to spotlight these important artists who need to be better known and understood...
Excellent video Doug! Thumbs up! Trish
Thanks Trish!
Thank you for posting this. He is criminally underrated artist.
Thank you! He will appear again in the Lee Perry series I am currently working on...
@@FatCityVinyl vc tem bernie lyon ? e noticias dele ?
@@washingtonsuzart2478 Sorry, I have no information...
What city are you in Doug?
@@hairscience1016 Outside Vancouver, Canada...
Very cool! Sounds great!
Thank you for watching!
Outstanding video and very touching. I had no idea of the struggles he has been through. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! He is still out there, struggling to get by as of the latest I've heard. Think this is one of my most watched videos on my channel, a testimony to how loved his songs are ❤✌
Just seeing this. Thanks well put together information. Am 70 yrs old , used to listen to him a lot but then just didn’t hear anything of him. Who could ever forget Fade Away ?OMG. Only when I saw that video of him recently. ☺️☺️. Have son who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder for the past 20 years and I can tell you it is not easy to deal with. 😢😢 Thank creator he is doing much better now. Been 3 yrs since his last relapse. Mental illness is no respect or of persons. They need love more than ever and even so when he has a relapse God you just have to love unconditionally. May the creator bless him (Junior) the people responsible for producing his songs should have a heart /conscience and do the right thing. No one in life has any control over his destiny and my mom always say we can’t see further than our noses so just be kind to all you meet along the way for you just never know. One never knows how,when,where or what may befall one. God is love. Peace ☮️
Thank you, growing up I had an aunt (my mom's sister) who suffered from bipolar disorder & schizophrenia most of her life so I have been around that, my late mother used to help her as much as possible but it's a long and difficult road for all involved. My aunt actually passed away just a couple of weeks ago, after a hard life she is finally at rest. I am getting a lot of views and comments on this video I did quite a while back, I appreciate your very thoughtful one!
I was 10 years old when I heard it on the radio in 1973
Before my time, I was only 4 then...and wasn't getting played on the radio much here in Canada I imagine...
I didn't know anything about the guy, Doug, or the dietary requirements of that religion. Very informative video on a topic I knew nothing about. I love these! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Tom
Appreciate that Tom - I have kind of avoided getting into some of the arcane intricacies of Rasta philosophy & ideology in these videos so far...it's a bit difficult to tackle in a however minute video and not always apropos to the music but it was kind of unavoidable in this instance. The diet stuff is drawn from the Bible as I understand it, the Rasta approved food is called "ital", short for vital. Thanks for hanging out, cheers!
@@FatCityVinyl The most interesting videos to me are often the ones where people are teaching me things outside of my wheelhouse. Thank you!
Beautifully done again. Didn't Jr. Byles have a stroke .. not sure if it was recent. Wish Heartbeat & BnF was still active. 😔
Thanks! Don't remember hearing about a stroke but certainly possible. Recent information on Junior is pretty sketchy but apparently he's still around in Kingston so far as I can tell. I've found two of the Heartbeat expanded CD reissues from the early 2000's recently, a still sealed Dennis Alcapone - Forever Version and then Johnny Osbourne - Truth & Rights (used) just today, must have missed those ones at the time. Yeah really miss those labels, gotta do a tribute to Heartbeat one of these days...
A name I'm familiar with from various comps (although frustratingly, the main comp I remember him being on I can't put my hands on). As usual I knew little or anything about him. I laughed at the idea of him 'forgetting' to tell his band mates about forthcoming recording sessions. Imagine the mutterings that went on in the back of the band van during that period. Nice work as ever Doug.
I'm sure that technique must have been used more than once to dodge unwanted band members James ;-) Junior recorded very few albums (I've just picked up the new CD reissue of his last one, Rasta No Pickpocket) otherwise he might be somewhat better known. He's usually present on any sort of 70's Lee Perry comp, or a general reggae one might possibly include Curly Locks or Fade Away. Cheers and have a good weekend!
@@FatCityVinyl Seems like Lee is not getting his royalties bcz his family is not getting the royalties....
Love junior byles 🔥
Tenho o LP Jordan
Foundation artist 👊🙏✌️
Really love your shirt! I actually had never heard of Junior Byles. Sounds great. So cool! I may see if I can pick up some of his stuff on CD! Thank you! Peace.
Thanks for watching Hanna! Junior didn't record much in the way of albums or maybe he would be better known - there are quite a few compilations out there though, either of him or that he has songs on. Cheers!
So many Jamaican artist had such tragic lives. Obviously life was tough there and still is. I really enjoy these videos Doug. It is great to learn more about a genre that you are not strong in. Great information and stories on Byles. Thanks as always for taking the time to do this. Steve
Cheers Steve - I've said before, if there's one thing I want people in the vinyl community to take away from these videos, it's that there is an almost inconceivable amount of hardship, suffering and tragedy behind what some consider on the surface to be happy, beach type music. Despite it all, the positive message comes through and that is the heart of reggae right there. Thanks for watching, take care Steve!
So sad and they still making money of is music and because of is situations they used and abuse it may God bless him and keep him
É sempre um prazer aprender sobre reggae! DOUG é fantastic!
Thank you 🙏 much appreciated, bless up ❤️💛💚
Hey Doug, I know the name Junior Byles, but I think the only song I know is Curly Locks. Certainly I am familiar with some of his producers like Lee Perry. Oh yes I also know Fade Away from Rockers.
Those along with Beat Down Babylon were his biggest hits Lou but there were several others. He had quite the run actually in the 70's but only put out a couple of LP's otherwise he might be more well known. I've since picked up a couple more singles by him as well as the Rasta No Pickpocket CD that is out now. Thanks for watching, cheers!
Hello there Doug. I always anticipate these Reggae Spotlight Editions. This one was fantastic just like the previous ones.
So cool that you got a copy of 'Beat Down Babylon'. I was just going to ask you which {if any} of his albums are available on vinyl? Also are they tough to find? I am going to check out 'Fade Away' from The Rockers soundtrack, Junior and the Lee Perry comp. Thanks so much Doug. This was such a pleasure to watch~
Rob/Boston
Thanks Rob - as a matter of fact, although Junior recorded very few albums, the ones he did do have been reissued relatively recently; Beat Down Babylon a couple of years ago by Trojan in its original format (this expanded edition is a good option too though, the first pressing is expensive), and Rasta No Pickpocket a few months ago on Omnivore Recordings, I just picked that up actually (only available on CD but with expanded tracklist from the 80's vinyl issue). Jordan I believe is out of print but the 80's US pressing should be fairly inexpensive. Those are some good places to start with Junior, I put some links in the description box also. Thanks for tuning in Rob, cheers!
@@FatCityVinyl Thanks so much for the info Doug. I will forever think of you whenever I listen to or see Junior's name. Your reggae spotlights are really enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and appreciation of the music/artists with us.
Have a nice weekend~
Rob
@@FatCityVinyl His music is selling but he is not getting money from the sales of his CDs and Vinyl...
@@Dtella55 The age old story where reggae music is concerned, unfortunately...
Just a small correction. His name is Kenneth Byles not Kerry. I am his brother. Thanks for highlighting him. 👍🏾❤
Thank you for the correction and best wishes, I appreciate your stopping by!
U love true reggae music white boy
Fat city vynil you know a lot of reggae artist how do you do your channel is great
Much appreciated 🙏 yes, as soon as I discovered reggae I wanted to learn about as many artists as I could...it all started from getting into Bob Marley first though...
Junior Byles did a classic track with the Wailers... called Demonstration... check it out...
Yeah have it on the Trojan Upsetter Years LP...recut of his very first solo single (as King Chubby)...
Regarding the comment about royalties ,now that the Doctor Bird label has released a much expanded(51 tracks) 2disc edition of 'Beat Down Babylon' (with original cover pics)hopefully the situation may improve..
Aaaaand now I need that Doctor Bird CD ;-) I'm well behind on their (very excellent) more recent releases...
@@FatCityVinyl strange but Doctor Bird are promoting it on Amazon as 'first legitimate release of album on CD'( are they saying the Trojan issue isn't 'legitimate'?) But they did say L.Thompsons 'Negrea love dub/Outlaw Dub' was 'First time on CD' when they had been released on the 'evolution of dub' box sets....
I've got the Trojan lp you have 'Beat Down Babylon- the Upsetter years' a top selection ,with Perrys proto dubs on the Side2.
And Chat Yes I’ve got that Evolution Of Dub set as well...interesting claim about Beat Down Babylon (and isn’t Doctor Bird itself largely releasing old Trojan material?), most of the Trojan releases from that period were based on legitimate contracts possessed by Trojan, according to Steve Barrow who compiled many of them including the Junior Byles...spotted another Perry comp he did around then, Public Jestering, at a local shop recently...may go back and pick that one up if still there...
@@FatCityVinyl yes it seems the 'reactivated' Doctor Bird label is repressing quite a few from the Trojan catalog. Trojan had their struggles, but ive not heard any claims they were not honest in their dealings.. unlike many that issued JA releases (particularly Perry & Tubbys)... 'Public Jestering' is a good collection..
chant down Babylon is a song that was sung by Rupert Reid and Junior byles.it was written by Rupert Reid.
Magnificent song!
Great material. If u can make a spotlight about Prince Lincoln Thompson. Blessed
Prince Lincoln, would love to spotlight him...a heavenly voice for sure ✌️
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Curley Locks was a popular song in the UK, but the supposed sales figure of 250,000( almost entirely via specialist shops)did seem an exaggeration.
Who knows how they arrive at such figures but a well remembered classic, in any case...
remember me is a song that was sung by Rupert Reid and Junior byles.it was written by Rupert Reid.
Yes indeed, any relation?
Yes Rupert is my big brother. I knew Junior byles since I was a child.
@@andrewreid5040 Appreciate the information and you watching, respect!
He is not getting any royalties from his music I heard seems like Lee getting all of Byles money on Google/iTunes/sales of his music...can watch Claude Sinclair about Byles and his family and World A Reggae...
Yes I think I've checked out some of those videos, cheers!
R u another Roger steffens ?
Ha, no, nowhere near to Ras Rojah, thank you though!
Junior Byles has mental issues it seems from bipolar disorder/depression...he loved his wife and had 3 children but his son passed 2018...
So much tragedy in one man's life...he must be a strong individual to even carry on in such circumstances...
Selassie was certainly not God
Selassie is not God to you but he is God to whomever chose him to be their God.
A race that let another race choose their God, is going to end up worshipping the ones who did the choosing.
Rasta is about black empowerment and not about strengthening strengthening white supremacism like you may be doing through christianity.
Man created God and not the other way around.