Ansel Collins is a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...

, composer,

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and producer, best known for his work with

Dave Barker Dave Barker (born David John Crooks, 10 October 1947, Franklyn Town, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae and rocksteady singer who has made a string of solo albums along with recordings as a member of The Techniques and as half of the duo Dave and A ...

as Dave and Ansel Collins.

Biography

Born 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica,Dave & Ansel Collins
profile at

bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the children ...

Collins began his career as a drummer, moving to keyboards in the mid-1960s.Campbell, Howard (2018)
Ansell Collins: Man behind the beats
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety ...

'', 14 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018 In the late 1960s, he performed with the Invincibles band (whose members also included

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

Sly Dunbar Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar (born 10 May 1952, Kingston, Jamaica) is a drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie. Biography Dunbar began playing at 15 in a band called T ...

and Ranchie McLean. He played on

The Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...

' "

Pressure Drop Pressure drop is defined as the difference in total pressure between two points of a fluid carrying network. A pressure drop occurs when frictional forces, caused by the resistance to flow, act on a fluid as it flows through the tube. The main d ...

" and "Sweet and Dandy". After working with

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

, Collins was part of the duo Dave and Ansel Collins along with

, with whom he had a number one hit in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1971 with " Double Barrel". His keyboard playing exemplified the Skinhead reggae style. Collins is also a producer and has released solo records, including single sides "Cock Robin", "Atlantic One", "

Stalag In Germany, stalag (; ) was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager'', a literal translation of which is "War-prisoner" (i.e. POW) "enlisted" "ma ...

" and "Nuclear Weapon" between 1969 and 1971, as well as a handful of later albums. He was a member of 1970s Channel One studio band

The Revolutionaries The Revolutionaries (sometimes known as "Revolutionaires") was a Jamaican reggae band. Career Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Bertram "R ...

, as well as the Impact All Stars and

Sugar Minott Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...

's Black Roots Players, performing on many of the classic songs of the

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah b ...

era (album 1979 Black Roots). He was also part of

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

's backing band, Oneness, in the 1970s. He continued to record during the 1980s, mainly as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, and released a solo album in 1986. He also worked with

backing band A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session, and the group may or may not have its own name, such ...

s such as Lynn Taitt and the Jets (including the reggae producer

Joe Gibbs Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and ...

). In the 1970s, he was the regular member of the backing band

The Aggrovators The Aggrovators were a dub/reggae backing band in the 1970s and 1980s, and one of the main session bands of producer Bunny Lee. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time.Larkin, Colin ...

and the band Soul Syndicate. In 1978 he was the member of the band The Gladiators (1978 album '' Proverbial Reggae''). He played keyboards on the several albums of the various musicians: albums of the dub musician

Scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophica ...

Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires ''Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires'' is an album by the dub musician Scientist. It was originally released in 1981. A digitally remastered version was released by Greensleeves Records as the 25th of their Reggae Classic ...

'' and ''

Scientist in the Kingdom of Dub ''Scientist in the Kingdom of Dub'' is an album recorded and released in 1981 by the dub musician Scientist. Recorded at Channel One Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, the album was produced by Roy Cousins. It was released by Kingdom Records. Trac ...

'' (1981), album of Rico Rodriguez ''

Man from Wareika ''Man from Wareika'' was the first album recording for Rico Rodriguez led by his own artistic imagination, and his first recording created for album release. It is notable for being the only roots reggae album to be released on Blue Note Records. ...

'' (1977), album of

Lincoln Thompson Prince Lincoln Thompson, known as Sax (10 July 1949
''

...

Natural Wild ''Natural Wild'' is a reggae album by Jamaican artist Lincoln Thompson and the Rasses released in 1980 and recorded in the United Kingdom. Joe Jackson collaborated on the album whose central theme was the promotion of the culture and moralit ...

'' (1980), album of

Augustus Pablo Horace Swaby (21 June 1953 – 18 May 1999),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 200-202 known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer and a multi-instrumentalist, active f ...

'' This Is Augustus Pablo'' (1974), albums of

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful peri ...

Sinsemilla Cannabis sinsemilla () also known as sensimilla, sinse or sensi (can be translated into English as seedless cannabis) is the female ''Cannabis'' plant that has not been fertilized and therefore does not develop seeds, increasing the density of can ...

'' (1980) and '' Chill Out'' (1982), albums of

Give Thanx ''Give Thankx'' is the twelfth album by Jimmy Cliff. Track listing All tracks written by Jimmy Cliff; except where indicated #"Bongo Man" – 5:03 #"Stand Up and Fight Back" – 3:16 (Rebop Kwaku Baah) #"She Is a Woman" – 4:08 #"You Left Me S ...

'' (1978), album of

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...

and Prince Jammy ''

His Majesty's Dub ''His Majestys Dub'' is a 1983 dub album by King Tubby and Prince Jammy, sometimes credited to Prince Jammy v King Tubbys. It featured Carlton Barrett and Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare and Aston Barrett on bass guitar, and Ansel Coll ...

'' (1976), ''

Cliff Hanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

'' (1985) and ''

Humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

'' (1999), album of The Royals '' Pick Up the Pieces'' (1977), album of

Mighty Diamonds The Mighty Diamonds were a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group was formed in 1969 and were best known for their 1976 debut album, '' Right Time'', produced by Joseph Hoo Kim, and the 19 ...

Right Time ''Right Time'' is the 1976 studio album debut of influential reggae band the Mighty Diamonds. The album, released by Virgin Records after they signed the Mighty Diamonds following a search for talent in Jamaica, is critically regarded as a reg ...

'' (1976), album of

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

'' Cool Ruler'' (1978), album of

Prince Far I Prince Far I (23 March 1945 – 15 September 1983) was a Jamaican reggae deejay and producer, and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics abou ...

Health and Strength ''Health and Strength'' is an album by Prince Far I recorded in the late 1970s but not released until 1998. Recording It was recorded for Virgin Records' Front Line label between 1978 and 1979 but the master tapes were lost en route to Virgin's o ...

'' (1998), but also on the albums of the musicians like

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoc ...

(''

Aux armes et cætera Aux or AUX may refer to: Science and technology * Auxiliary connector or AUX jack, typically used for analog audio signals * Aux/IAA repressors, related to auxin plant hormones Computing * AUX: (for auxiliary), a DOS text device * AUX (CONFIG.S ...

'', 1979). Mid-1970s, reggae

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...

began working with some of the premier musicians of the day including Ansel Collins,

Robbie Shakespeare Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare (27 September 1953 – 8 December 2021) was a Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer, best known as half of the reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly and Robbie, with drummer Sly Dunbar. Regarded as ...

Cedric Brooks Cedric "Im" Brooks (27 April 1943 – 3 May 2013) was a Jamaican saxophonist and flautist known for his solo recordings and as a member of The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, The Sound Dimensions, Divine Light, The Light of Saba, and The Skat ...

and the ever-present percussionist Sticky. Collins worked with the guitarist

Earl "Chinna" Smith Earl "Chinna" Smith (born 6 August 1955), a.k.a. Earl Flute and Melchezidek the High Priest,Johnson, Richard (2013)The Melchizedek way, ''Jamaica Observer'', 6 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013 is a Jamaican guitarist active since the late ...

and with the deejay Errol Scorcher on a series off recordings including "Mosquitoes", which was also a hit.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books,

Roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah b ...

singer

I Wayne I Wayne, Rastafarian stage name for Cliffroy Taylor (born September 13, 1980 in Portmore, Jamaica), is a roots reggae singer. He is known for his hit singles "Living In Love" and "Can't Satisfy Her" from his debut album, '' Lava Ground''. Biog ...

was raised by his aunt and her husband Ansel Collins.

Albums

*''Double Barrel'' (1971)

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

(Dave and Ansel Collins) *''Riding High'' (1977) Shelly Power *''So Long'' (1978) *''Ansel Collins'' (1986) Heartbeat *''Jamaican Gold'' (2002) Moll Selekta (Ansel Collins/Sly & Robbie)

References

External links

Ansel Collins at discogs.comAnsel Collins at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Ansell 1949 births Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians Living people