Black Slate are a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

band based 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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, formed in 1974. They toured heavily around

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and backed

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

n musicians such as

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of l ...

Delroy Wilson Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995) Greene, Jo-Ann, " Delroy Wilson Biography, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child s ...

, and

Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...

when they played in the UK. They toured the UK in their own right for the first time in 1978, and released four albums between 1979 and 1985.

History

Black Slate was formed in 1974, including musicians from England,

, and

Anguilla Anguilla is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Sa ...

. They backed several Jamaican singers, including

and

on their UK appearances, and had their first reggae-chart hit themselves in 1976, with the anti-mugging song "Sticks Man", also lined up with Disco Reggae Band under Disco Reggae Band & Black Slate. The record hit the Dutch and Flemish charts as well, after being an underground hit in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

discothèques. They toured the UK for the first time in 1978, and formed their own TCD label, having a minor hit with "Mind Your Motion". They also backed

when he played live in the UK, and in 1980 their

Rastafarian Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much ...

rallying call, "Amigo", was picked up by

Ensign Records Ensign Records was a record label started in 1976 by London-born Nigel Grainge, elder brother of UMG Chairman Sir Lucian Grainge. History Nigel Grainge began his career in the record business as a sales office assistant at Phonogram UK in 1 ...

, and broke into the UK Singles Chart, reaching no. 9. A Dub Album "Ogima" (Amigo spelled backwards), was released in 1981. The follow-up, "Boom Boom" was also a hit, though less successful. An album, ''Sirens in the City'', followed on Ensign the following year. The band released two further albums in 1982 and 1985. After a ten-year hiatus they released a new EP, ''World Citizen'', on 15 June 2013, with a UK and European Tour to follow. In November 2014, the band embarked on their first US tour, with dates across California and Texas. The lineup featured original founding members Anthony Brightly, Chris Hanson, Desmond Mahoney and vocalist Jesse Brade. Their 2014 album ''Now and Then'' was released on TCD Records and in 2016 they followed up with ''Peaceful Demonstration'', also on TCD.

Later years

Anthony Brightly aka Anthony "Pure Silk" Brightly would get involved in production. In an interview with ''Reggae Vibes'', published Feb 11, 2018, he said that he had produced over 500 records in the last thirty years. He even released a single that he produced, " One Girl Too Late", a

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit " The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his c ...

composition originally recorded by Brenda & the Tabulations in 1973. Released in 1992, this song was credited to Pure Silk feat. Winsome.Who Sampled
One Girl Too Late by Brenda & the Tabulations
/ref>

Discography

Albums

*''Black Slate'' (1979, TCD) *''Amigo'' (1980, Ensign, Wise Owl) *''Sirens in the City'' (1981, Virgin, Ensign) *''Rasta Festival'' (1981, Alligator) *''Ogima'' (1981, Hit and Run) (CD) *''Six Plus One'' (1982, Top Ranking) *''Black Slate'' (1985, Sierra) *''Get Up and Dance'' (1995, FairWood Music) *''Now and Then'' (2014, TCD) *''Peaceful Demonstration'' (2016, TCD) *''Young Gifted and Black'' (2020 TCD)

Singles

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control British reggae musical groups Musical groups established in 1974 Roots Reggae Library