Glen Brown

For the Australian rules footballer, see Glen Brown (footballer). For the Utah politician, see Glen E. Brown. For other people, see Glenn Brown (disambiguation).

Glen Brown
Birth nameGlenmore Lloyd Brown
Born1943 or 1944
Kingston, Jamaica
OriginJamaica
Died (aged 75)
New York City
GenresReggae
OccupationMusician
Years active1960s–2019
LabelsPantomime, South East Music

Glenmore Lloyd Brown (1943 or 1944[1][2] – 4 October 2019), also known as "God Son"[3] and "The Rhythm Master",[4] was a Jamaican singer, musician, and record producer, working primarily in the genres of reggae and dub.

Biography

Born in Kingston, Brown began his musical career in the 1960s as vocalist with Sonny Bradshaw's jazz group, subsequently recording duets with Hopeton Lewis, Lloyd Robinson and Dave Barker for producers such as Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd.[2][3] In the early 1970s, he began working as a producer, initially for the Shalimar label,[3] and recorded Augustus Pablo-influenced melodica tracks,[5] such as 1972's "Merry Up".[6] He also recorded for Prince Buster, Leslie Kong, and Derrick Harriott. He formed two record labels; Pantomime (or Pantomime), and South East Music, and produced tracks by U Roy, Gregory Isaacs, Big Youth, I-Roy, Prince Jazzbo, Johnny Clarke, Lloyd Parks, and Little Roy. Due to low funds, his early releases were pressed in limited runs,[3] but since became more widely available on various compilations, such as The Way To Mount Zion (featuring material from the 1969–1976 period), and Termination Dub, featuring material recorded with King Tubby between 1973 and 1979, and released on Simply Red vocalist Mick Hucknall and reggae chronologist historiographer Steve Barrow's Blood and Fire (record label). Although he had fewer hits in the latter half of the 1970s, he maintained his profile with hits from the likes of Wayne Jarrett and Sylford Walker.[2]

In 2000, Small Axe and Terminal Head remixed Brown's work for a single release that included remixes of fellow reggae artist, Yabby You.[7] In 2002, Glen Brown's single produced by Ras Kush, "We Dem A Watch", was the first release on New York's Black Redemption label.[8]

In 2010 Brown was admitted to a New York nursing home, suffering from renal failure, diabetes, loss of vision, dementia, and a heart condition.[1] He did not benefit greatly from sales of his recordings, limiting the treatment that he could receive.[1] He died at the Far Rockaway Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in New York City on 4 October 2019, at the age of 75.[9]

Partial album discography

As musician

  • Glen Brown Sings, Melodica Talks (Number One Sound) (1988, Pantomime Records, PRLP444)
  • Glen Brown Plays Music From The East (1990, Fashion)
  • Mike Brooks and Glen Brown Meet Rhythm Foundation ina Sound Clash (1990, Rhythm Foundation) with Mike Brooks
  • Cotton Style (1990) South East – with Joseph Cotton, credited to 'Joseph Cotton and the Lord Son'

As producer

  • Dubble Attack: The Original Pantomime DJ Collection 1972–74 (Greensleeves)
  • Boat To Progress: The Original Pantomime Vocal Collection 1970–74 (Greensleeves)
  • Check the Winner: The Original Pantomime Instrumental Collection 1970–74 (1989, Greensleeves, GREL603), (1990, Shanachie, SH 47007)
  • Horny Dub (1989, Grounation)
  • Dub From The South East (1991, Pantomime Records, PRLP02)
  • Termination Dub – Glen Brown and King Tubby (1996, Blood & Fire, BAFCD015)
  • The Way to Mount Zion (1998, ROIR, RUSCD8215)
  • Rhythm Master Volume One (2004, Hot Pot, HPCD1001)
  • Rhythm Master Volume Two (2005, Hot Pot, HPCD1003)
  • Green Bay Killing (Pantomime)
  • Dirty Harry – Version Excursion (Hot Pot)
  • Ghettoman Corner – Welton Irie (Pantomime)
  • Lamb's Bread – Sylford Walker (Pantomime)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013) "Tough Times for Glen Brown Archived 8 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 15 July 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2014
  2. ^ a b c Larkin, Colin, The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.
  3. ^ a b c d Barrow, Steve and Dalton, Peter: Reggae: The Rough Guide, 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0.
  4. ^ "Forum Ados". Public.fr. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Glen Brown MP3 Downloads – Glen Brown Music Downloads – Glen Brown Music Videos – Glen Brown Pictures". MP3.com. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  6. ^ O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998) Reggae Routes, Temple University Press, ISBN 978-1566396295, p. 49
  7. ^ "Glen Brown MP3 Downloads - Glen Brown Music Downloads - Glen Brown Music Videos". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Dub Flash Information Portal – Record review 93 – Glen Brown We Dem A Watch". Dubflash.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. ^ Lyew, Stephanie (2019) "Rhythm Master Glen Brown Has Died", Jamaica Gleaner, 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019