Zap Pow is a

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 ...

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, founded by singer/bassist Michael Williams aka Mikey Zappow and guitarist Dwight Pinkney. Members also included singer Beres Hammond, trumpeter David Madden, saxman Glen DaCosta, and drummer Cornell Marshall. They originally existed from 1969 to 1979; they re-formed in 2016.

History

The band was formed in 1969, by musicians Michael Williams (bass, guitar, vocals, songwriter, former drummer of Bobby Aitken's Caribbeats),Katz, David (2003) ''Solid Foundation: an Oral History of Reggae'', Bloomsbury, , p. 69) and Dwight Pinkney (guitar, vocals, formerly of The Sharks and guitarist on a 1966 session by The Wailers), Max Edwards (drums), Glen DaCosta (tenor saxophone, vocals, flute, a former pupil at

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys' School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, still ru ...

), Joe McCormack (trombone), and David Madden (trumpet, vocals, another former pupil at

, who had previously recorded with Cedric Brooks under the name 'I'm and Dave').Leggett, Steve
Zap Pow Biography
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved 2011-01-02Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 323-4 Pinkney and Williams had previously played together in the band Winston Turner & the Untouchables. The band's name came from a comic book that Williams had read. Several singles were released in 1970-71 including the hit "This is Reggae Music", and in 1971 their debut album, ''Revolutionary Zap Pow'', was released on the

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 ...

label. In 1975, Beres Hammond joined as lead singer (other singers with the band included Winston "King" Cole, Milton "Prilly" Hamilton, Bunny Rugs and Jacob Miller), and their Tommy Cowan-produced 1976 album, ''Zap Pow Now'' topped the reggae chart in the UK.

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded by Jamaican Duke Reid, Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. Th ...

issued ''Revolution'' in the same year. Edwards left in 1977, to be replaced by Cornell Marshall. The band split up in 1979 with Hammond going on to a successful solo career. Pinkney went on to play with Roots Radics, and Edwards also pursued a solo career. Williams recorded and performed solo as Mikey Zappow. The horn section of DaCosta, McCormack and Madden were regularly used in recording sessions for other artists including Bob Marley & the Wailers, and they also recorded prolifically as individual

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

s, often being used by

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

for sessions at his

Black Ark The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub music, dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. Despite the ru ...

studio.Katz, David (2000) ''People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry'', Payback Press, , p. 294 Madden went on to release solo albums, as did DaCosta. Williams died in 2005, aged 61.Jamaica's musical icon Michael Williams dies
", ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

'', 18 August 2005, retrieved 2011-01-02 In 2007 the band were honoured at the Prime Minister's Gala on Jamaican Independence Day.Cooke, Mel (2007)
Zap Pow honoured 30 years after break-up
", ''

'', 30 August 2007, retrieved 2011-01-02 Pinkney and DaCosta re-formed Zap Pow in 2016, and by 2017 the band also included Lebert "Gibby" Morrison (bass), Richard "T Bird" Johnson (keyboards), Lando Bolt (drums), Everol Wray (trumpet), and singers Geoffrey Forrest and Fiona.Campbell, Howard (2017)
The Return of Zap Pow
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 5 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017 They recorded a new album, ''Zap Pow Again'', released in October 2017.

Discography

Albums

*''Revolutionary Zap Pow'' (1971),

*''Zap Pow Now'' (1976), Vulcan *''Revolution'' (1976),

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 18 ...

*''Zap Pow'' (1978),

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

*''Zap Pow Again'' (2017), VP

Compilation albums

*''Beres Hammond Meets Zappow in Jamaica'', Rhino *''Jungle Beat'', Lagoon *''Love Hits'', LMS *''Reggae Rules'', Rhino *''Revolution (the best of)'' (2007), Trojan

References

External links

Zap Pow
at Roots Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Zap Pow Jamaican reggae musical groups Trojan Records artists Island Records artists