Front Line (record label)

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Front Line
Parent companyVirgin Records
Founded1978 (1978)
FounderRichard Branson
StatusDefunct
GenreReggae
Country of originUK

Front Line was a reggae subsidiary of Virgin Records established in 1978.[1] Over forty albums were issued on the label before it folded in 1979.

History[edit]

Virgin had been releasing reggae records since BB Seaton's "Dancing Shoes" in 1974.[1] By 1975, label owner Richard Branson had begun signing roots reggae artists, and in the three years that followed, Virgin released successful albums by the likes of U-Roy, The Mighty Diamonds, Keith Hudson, Johnny Clarke, Peter Tosh, and I Roy.[1] Johnny Rotten is rumoured to have signed with Virgin because of the company's progressive policy towards reggae.[1] In 1978, Branson decided to form a subsidiary label dedicated wholly to reggae, and called this Front Line.[1]

Branson and Rotten travelled to Kingston and signed artists to the label including Prince Far I, Big Youth, Prince Hammer, Tappa Zukie, Sly Dunbar, and The Twinkle Brothers.[1] Many of the artists who had previously released records on Virgin also moved to the new label.[2] Front Line folded after two years although some of the artists remained signed to Virgin.[1]

Many of the albums were reissued on compact disc in the 2000s.

Catalogue[edit]

7-inch singles[edit]

  • FLS 101: I Roy - "Fire Stick" / "Casmas Town" (1978)
  • FLS 102: The Gladiators - "Stick a Bush" / "Music Makers from Jamaica" (1978)
  • FLS 103: Jah Lloyd the Black Lion - "This Ya Sound" / "Upfull Rastaman" (1978)
  • FLS 104: The Twinkle Brothers - "Free Africa" (1978)
  • FLS 105: Sly Dunbar - "A Who Say" / "Cocaine Cocaine" (1978)
  • FLS 106: Prince Hammer - "Bible" / "Morwell Esquire" (1978)
  • FLS 107: Althea & Donna - "Puppy Dog Song" / "Sorry" (1978)
  • FLS 108: Joyella Blade - "Cairo" (1978)
  • FLS 109: Tappa Zukie - "She Want a Phensic" / "Rastaman Skank" (1978)
  • FLS 110: Althea & Donna - "Going to Negril" / "The West" (1978)
  • FLS 111: The Gladiators - "Dreadlocks the Time is Now" / "Pocket Money" (1978)
  • FLS 112: Prince Far I - "No More War" (1978)
  • FLS 113: The Abyssinians - "Hey You" / "This Land is for Everyone" (1978)
  • FLS 114: Vivian Weathers - "Hip Hug" (1978)
  • FLS 115: Tappa Zukie - "Oh Lord" / "First Street Rock" (1978)
  • FLS 116: Culture - "Natty Get Weary" (1978)
  • FLS 117: The Twinkle Brothers - "Distant Drums" (1978)
  • FLS 118: The Gladiators - "Struggle" / "Parises to the Most High" (1979)
  • FLS 119: The Twinkle Brothers - "Keep on Trying" / "Keep on Dubbing" (1979)
  • FLS 125: Culture - "International Herb" / "Down in Jamaica" (1979)
  • FLS 126: The Gladiators - "Holiday Ride" / "No Disturbance" (1979)

10-inch singles[edit]

  • FBL 3001: Various Artists - "Various" (1978)
  • FCL 5001: The Twinkle Brothers - "Love" (1978)

12-inch singles[edit]

  • FLS 11912: The Twinkle Brothers - "Keep on Trying" / "King Pharaoh" (1979)
  • FLS 12012: Sly Dunbar - "Rasta Fiesta" / "Dirty Harry" (1979)
  • FLS 12112: Gregory Isaacs - "Soon Forward" / Gregory Isaacs & Prince Far I - "Uncle Joe" / "Come Off Mi Toe" (1979)
  • FLS 12212: The Mighty Diamonds - "Bodyguard" / "One Brother Short" (1979)
  • FLS 12312: The Twinkle Brothers - "Jahoviah" / "Free Africa" (1979)
  • FLS 12412: I Roy - "Fire in a Wire" / "Hill and Gully" (1979)

12-inch singles VOLE SERIES[edit]

  • Vole 1: Dr. Alimantado - "Slavery Let it Go" / "Find the One" (1978)
  • Vole 2: U-ROY - "Small Axe" / "Small Axe" (1978)
  • Vole 4: U-Brown - "Black Star Liner" / "River John Mountain" (1978)
  • Vole 5: U-ROY - "Live at the Lyceum" / ".." (1978)
  • Vole 6: Sly - "A Who Say" / "Cocaine Cocaine" (1978)
  • Vole 7: Althea & Donna - "Going to the Negril" / "The West" (1978)

Albums[edit]

  • FL 1001: I Roy - Heart of a Lion (1978)
  • FL 1002: The Gladiators - Proverbial Reggae (1978)
  • FL 1003: U Brown - Mr. Brown Something (1978)
  • FL 1004: Prince Hammer - Bible (1978)
  • FL 1005: Jah Lloyd the Black Lion - The Humble One (1978)
  • FL 1006: Tappa Zukie - MPLA (1978)
  • FL 1008: Sly Dunbar - Simple Sly Man (1978)
  • FL 1009: Tappa Zukie - Peace in the Ghetto (1978)
  • FL 1010: The Icebreakers with The Diamonds - Planet Mars Dub (1978)
  • FL 1011: Big Youth - Isaiah First Prophet of Old (1978)
  • FL 1012: Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking (1978)
  • FL 1013: Prince Far I - Message from the King (1978)
  • FL 1014: Big Youth - Dreadlocks Dread (1978)
  • FL 1015: Ranking Trevor - In Fine Style (1978)
  • FL 1016: Culture - Harder Than The Rest (1978)
  • FL 1017: Poet & the Roots - Dread Beat an' Blood (1978)
  • FL 1018: U-Roy - Version Galore (1978)
  • FL 1019: The Abyssinians - Arise (1978)
  • FL 1020: Gregory Isaacs - Cool Ruler (1978)
  • FL 1021: Prince Far I - Long Life (1978)
  • FL 1023: U-Roy - Jah Son of Africa (1978)
  • FL 1025: Vivian Weathers - Bad Weather (1978)
  • FL 1028: I Roy - Ten Commandments (1978)
  • FL 1029: Tappa Zukie - In Dub (1978)
  • FL 1030: U Brown - Can't Keep a Good Man Down (1978)
  • FL 1031: Jah Lloyd - Black Moses (1978)
  • FL 1032: Tappa Zukie - Tapper Roots (1978)
  • FL 1033: I Roy - World on Fire (1978)
  • FL 1034: Various Artists - Hottest Hits (from the vaults of Treasure Island) (1979)
  • FL 1035: The Gladiators - Naturality (1979)
  • FL 1040: Culture - Cumbolo (1979)
  • FL 1041: The Twinkle Brothers - Praise Jah (1979)
  • FL 1042: Sly Dunbar - Sly Wicked and Slick (1979)
  • FL 1044: Gregory Isaacs - Soon Forward (1979)
  • FL 1045: The Mighty Diamonds - Deeper Roots (Back to the Channel) (1979)
  • FL 1047: Culture - International Herb (1979)
  • FL 1048: The Gladiators - Sweet So Till (1979)
  • FLX 4001: I Roy - Cancer (1979)
  • FLX 4002: Prince Far I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Part 2 (1979)
  • FLX 4003: The Twinkle Brothers - Love (1979)
  • FLX 4004: U-Roy - With Words of Wisdom (1979)
  • FLD 6001: The Mighty Diamonds - Deeper Roots (Back to the Channel) (1979)
  • FLD 6002: I Roy - The General /Spider's Web (dub) (1979)
  • FLB 3001: Various Artists - The Front Line II (1978)
  • FLB 3002: Various Artists - The Front Line III (1979)

[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p.107-108
  2. ^ Michael de Koningh (1 August 2014), "Sounds Of Reality – Virgin Front Line", recordcollectormag.com, Record Collector, archived from the original on 22 May 2024, retrieved 22 May 2024
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