Paul Love, better known as Jah Screw (born in Greenwich Farm, Jamaica, 9 February 1955)
, Greensleeves Records, retrieved 2010-07-17 is a Jamaican singer and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

best known for his work in the 1980s and 1990s with artists such as

Barrington Levy Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist from Clarendon, Jamaica. Career In 1977, Levy formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Bla ...

, Barry Brown, and

Ranking Joe Ranking Joe Little Joe (born Joseph Jackson, 1 July 1959, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae deejay who rose to prominence in the 1970s and had continuing success in the 1980s. Biography Jackson was initially inspired towards a musical career by ...

Biography

Jah Screw started in the music business in the second half of the 1970s working as a selector on the Echo Vibration, Ray Symbolic, and (

U-Roy Ewart Beckford OD (21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021), known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting.Jo-Ann GreeneU-Roy Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2013. U-Roy was known for a melodic style ...

's) King Stur-Gav Hi-Fi

sound systems Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 153-4Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 141 By 1980, he had begun working as a

, initially working with his friend from sound system days,

, and they set up the Sharp Axe label together. The success from the label, with hots such as "Ice Cream Style" and the album ''Armageddon'', was enough encouragement for Jah Screw to set up his own label, Time One Records. He continued to produce Ranking Joe and also produced music for artists such as

Earl 16 Earl Sixteen (born Earl John Daley, 9 May 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 152 is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the mid-1970s. Biography Daley grew up in Waltham Park R ...

, Tristan Palma,

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 ...

and Barry Brown. In 1984 he started laying rhythms in London. The version to the classic "African Beat" rhythm became the foundation for

's massive hit "Under Mi Sensi". Screw then produced the even more successful single "Here I Come" for Barrington, which reached number 41 in the UK Singles Chart in 1985.Barrington Levy
, Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-07-17 Levy moved on to work with

Black Scorpio Black Scorpio is a Jamaican sound system and record label run by Maurice "Jack Scorpio" Johnson. History Johnson started to operate a single turntable and speaker sound system in 1968 and started the Special I sound system in 1972, changing the ...

but returned to work with Jah Screw for several years. Jah Screw released his

Harry J Harry Zephaniah Johnson (6 July 1945 – 3 April 2013), known by the stage name Harry J, was a Jamaican reggae record producer. Biography Born in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, in 1945, Johnson started to play music with the Virtues as a bass p ...

-produced album, ''Herb Base Function'' in 1986. Further collaborations from this era included Levy's ''Duets'' album, the 1991 reggae chart-topper "Dancehall Rock", with Levy joined by

Cutty Ranks Philip Thomas (born 12 February 1965), better known as Cutty Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall singer. Biography Thomas was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica in 1965. He began his career as a reggae artist at the age of ...

, and the 1996 hit "Living Dangerously".Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edition'', Rough Guides, , p. 251 Ever since then Barrington and Jah Screw have had a fruitful relationship releasing music up in to the 90's with Jah Screw even turning his hand at producing

Jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

remixes of Barrington's music. Jah Screw has written, arranged, engineered and produced a lot of influential

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 ...

music. He continued to be active as a producer until 1996, after which he said he "wasn't getting the vibes to do any more production". He has since been working on preserving his back-catalogue of productions.

Credits

Writing

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

Meets

Roots Radics The Roots Radics Band is a Jamaican reggae group, formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. The nucleus of Holt and Lamont had previously worked together in the ...

- ''Dangerous Dub'' (1981)

Albums

*Jah Screw - ''Herb Base Function'' (1986)

Productions

- ''Here I Come'' (1985) * Barry Brown - ''Right Now'' (198?) *Earl Cunningham - ''John Tom'' (1984) *

Earl Sixteen Earl Sixteen (born Earl John Daley, 9 May 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 152 is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the mid-1970s. Biography Daley grew up in Waltham Park R ...

- ''Super Duper'' (1982) *

- ''King At The Control'' (1981) *King Tubby Meets

- ''Dangerous Dub'' (1981) *

- ''Armageddon'' (1982) *Ranking Joe - ''Armageddon Time'' (1982) *Ranking Joe - ''Disco Skate'' (1981) *Ranking Joe - ''Shaolin Temple'' (1980) *Ranking Joe - ''Showcase'' (1981) *Ranking Joe - ''Tribute To John Lennon'' (1981) *Roots Radics Meets King Tubbys - ''More Dangerous Dub'' (1981) *

Tony Tuff Winston Anthony Morris (1 April 1955 – 20 April 2024), known professionally as Tony Tuff, was a Jamaican conscious roots reggae singer and a member of The African Brothers in the late 1960s and 1970s before embarking on a solo career. Biogr ...

- ''Reggae In The City'' (1981) *''Original Experience'' (1991) *''Jah Screw Presents Dancehall Glamity'' (1994)

References

External links

Jah Screw
at Roots Archives

from Greensleeves records {{DEFAULTSORT:Jah Screw 1955 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica