Gregory Isaacs - Soon Forward (Deluxe Edition) '1979; 2018

Tracks list

About Gregory Isaacs
One of Jamaicas most beloved vocalists who was as pertinent in dancehalls as he
was in bedrooms, Gregory Isaacs career stretched over 30 years. From the heady
days of reggae through lovers rock, a genre he virtually invented, his talent
reached into the modern age. Born in the Fletchers Land area of Kingston,
Jamaica, on July 15, 1951, Isaacs arrived in the music business via the talent
show circuit, a tried and true formula for many of the islands budding singing
stars. Byron Lee was the first in the industry to spot his talent and brought
him and Winston Sinclair into the studio to record the duet Another Heartbreak
in 1968. Sadly, it went nowhere, and Isaacs decided to try his fortunes with a
new vocal trio, the Concords. They set up home at Rupie Edwards Success label,
and over the next couple of years released a number of singles, including one
with Prince Buster, but none caught the attention of the Jamaican public.

In 1970, the Concords folded and Isaacs struggled on alone. His initial
self-productions were similarly unsuccessful, while further cuts with Edwards
did no better. Regardless of this poor track record, in 1973 Isaacs set up his
own record store and label, African Museum, in partnership with Errol Dunkley, a
young singer with a string of hits to his own name. Apparently some of Dunkleys
own magic wore off and one of the labels first releases, Isaacs own
self-produced My Only Lover, was an immediate hit and the floodgates opened
wide. Besides African Museums offerings, Isaacs helped keep the label solvent by
recording with virtually every producer on the island for a stream of hits that
showed no sign of abating.

Between 1973 and 1976 alone, the singer released more material than most artists
do in a lifetime, virtually all of it timeless classics. Isaacs early albums
inevitably gathered up strings of these hits, while usually also including a few
new songs. Released in 1975, In Person, for example, features a heavy-hitting
collection of successes for producer Alvin Ranglin and was followed up in 1977
by Best Of, Vol. 1 and Best Of, Vol. 2 in 1981. (The Heartbeat label would
bundle up this material across three CDs for the U.S. market: My Number One,
Love Is Overdue, and The Best Of, Vols. 1-2). Similarly, 1976s All I Have Is
Love includes a hit-filled package of Sydney Crooks productions. Extra Classic,
co-produced by Isaacs, Pete Weston, and Lee Perry, is also stuffed with
chartbusters and showcases the singers deepest roots material. The latter album
appeared on African Museum, cut with a diverse range of producers, across three
volumes titled Over the Years.

In 1977, the U.K. was treated to an equally dread experience via Mr. Isaacs,
released on Dennis Browns DEB label. (Turnabout is fair play and Brown had
released several classic albums of his own on African Museum.) By this time, the
two polar sides of Isaacs were apparent: the roots singer, whose emotive
sufferers songs and cultural numbers were filled with fire, and the crooning
lover, whose passionate declarations of devotion quivered with emotion.
Eventually, the vocalists ties to the lovers rock scene saw his reputation as
the Cool Ruler overshadow the equally impassioned roots performer, but his work
in the latter half of the 70s shows his heart was true to both. Isaacs was quick
to take advantage of the rise of the DJs; producer Ranglin paired him with a
string of cutting-edge toasters for another flood of hits, beginning in 1978. It
was at this time that he first hooked up with DJ Trinity, a partnership
maintained into the next decade across a stream of seminal singles.

By now, Isaacs was too big a talent to ignore, and in 1978 he signed with
Virgins Frontline label. That same year, the singer had a featured role in the
classic Rockers movie. Inexplicably, however, as Isaacs was poised on the brink
of international success, he failed to set the rest of the world alight. His
debut Frontline album, the excellent Cool Ruler, barely ruffled a feather
outside Jamaica. It did, however, provide most of the material for Slum: Gregory
Isaacs in Dub, which boasted fat rhythms by the Revolutionaries, keyboardist
Ansel Collins with Prince Jammy, and Isaacs himself behind the mixing board.
Cool Rulers follow-up, 1979s Soon Forward, was filled with hits that would soon
become classics, but also did not make the slightest dent on the world beyond
Jamaica. The latters title track was produced by Sly & Robbie and gave the pairs
new Taxi label its first hit. Isaacs cut several more great singles with the
team, which were brought together for 1980s Showcase album. Even with Frontline
out of the picture, Isaacs continued going from strength to strength. Inking a
U.K. deal with the Pre label and with his fortunes secure in Jamaica, the artist
continued turning out hit after hit. His Pre debut, The Lonely Lover, and its
follow-up, 1981s More Gregory, both boast the Roots Radics and a host of
Jamaican hits that range from lovers rock to deep roots and on to the emerging
dancehall sound. No wonder the singer was a hands-down success at the first
Reggae Sunsplash. It was at this point that Island stepped up to the plate and
signed the singer to their Mango imprint.

Virgin label head Richard Branson must have cursed his own stupidity, as Isaacs
immediately repaid his new labels faith with his biggest hit of all, Night
Nurse. The song titled his Mango debut, another masterpiece, and again featured
the steaming Roots Radics. Amazingly, as the song spread around the world, the
singer sat whiling his time away in a Jamaican jail as the result of a drug
arrest. He was released later in 1982 and immediately entered the studio to
record Out Deh with producers Errol Brown and Flabba Holt. Once again able to
take the stage, Isaacs played a series of awe-inspiring shows over the next
year, captured on both 1983s Live at Reggae Sunsplash and the following years
Live at the Academy Brixton albums. Behind the scenes, Isaacs joined the shadowy
conspiracy of vocalists determined to return vocalists to their rightful place
in the market by flooding the shops with music. An all-star cast of veteran
singers joined the plot, including Dennis Brown, John Holt, Delroy Wilson, and
many more, but none would reach the prolificacy of the determined Isaacs.

Its been estimated that the singer released up to 500 albums (including
compilations) in Jamaica, the U.K., and the U.S. combined. The singer recorded
with anyone and everyone and was just as quick to revise his old songs as create
fresh ones. Although none of these are entirely disposable, inevitably the
quality of Isaacs full-length work began to decline in the mid-80s. The Ted
Dawson-produced Easy and All I Have Is Love, Love, Love, for example, certainly
have their charms, but are hardly crucial. But that didnt mean the hits had
dried up. Those 500 records are albums only, not singles, and the shops (and
charts) continued to overflow with Isaacs 45s. And the rise of ragga just added
hot new producers to the singers packed recording diary.

In 1984, producer Prince Jammy, equally intrigued with the changing sounds of
dancehall, brought Isaacs into the studio for the superb Lets Go Dancing, while
also pairing the singer with Dennis Brown for Two Bad Superstars Meet. The
latter proved so popular that a second set, Judge Not, appeared the next year.
The two singers dueted again on a track on Isaacs 1995 solo album, Private Beach
Party, which also boasted an exquisite Feeling Irie, which paired him with
Carlene Davis. The album was produced by Gussie Clarke, a man with the
determined goal of creating an international crossover sound via his own
one-stop operation à la Motown. He hadnt quite succeeded yet, but Private
Beach Party helped lay the groundwork.

In 1987 Isaacs collaborated with the equally sweet-singing DJ Sugar Minott for
the Double Dose album. Isaacs swiftly found himself a dancehall hero. It was
during this period that Isaacs also recorded an album for King Tubby. Warning
boasts the magnificent rhythms of the Firehouse Crew, and a dark atmosphere of
foreboding slinks through the entire set. It was not released at the time and
only came to light after the great mans murder in 1989. By then, Isaacs had
already stormed the world, digital or otherwise, with the 1988 Gussie
Clarke-produced Rumours (whose rhythm would launch scores of further version
hits, including J.C. Lodges Telephone Love, an even bigger smash). The masterful
Red Rose for Gregory boasts a clutch of hits beside equally sublime non-45
tracks, all cut for Clarke. The pairs follow-up, 1989s I.O.U., is arguably an
even stronger album. That same year, Clarke reunited Isaacs and Brown for the No
Contest album. Isaacs continued to cut seminal singles with Clarke, while also
recording with a host of other producers. In 1990, the singer joined forces with
Niney Holness for the excellent On the Dance Floor album. The next year saw
Fatis at the controls for Call Me Collect, which boasts Sly & Robbie and Clevie,
while Bobby Digital adds his unique production sound to 1991s Set Me Free. And
having inked a deal with RAS in the U.S., that labels head, Doctor Dread,
oversaw 1992s memorable Pardon Me. Philip Burrell was in the producers chair for
1994s Midnight Confidential album.

But there was a slew of lesser titles as well; while Isaacs seemed able to
always hit the mark with singles, albums required more effort than he was often
willing, or able, to give. No Intention and Boom Shot, both from 1991, are
workaday records, with the singer on autopilot. Past & Future sounds promising
and features such illustrious guests as Sly & Robbie, J.C. Lodge, Winston Riley,
and Boris Gardiner on material both new and old, but its obvious that no ones
heart is really in it, Isaacs least of all. The patchy Rudie Boo (released by
Heartbeat in the U.S. as My Poor Heart) suffers from a similar lack of interest
on the singers part. At least 1993s Unlocked featured a stronger set of songs,
but much of Isaacs releases throughout the 90s were hit-and-miss affairs.
Midnight Confidential, for example, is totally disposable, except for the
magnificent Not Because I Smile. Most of the albums frequently revisit older
hits, which even at their worst tend to stand out from the newer fare.

Younger or less experienced producers were in particular danger, and as the
years progressed it was only the toughest and most innovative producers who
could coax the best from the singer. Alvin Ranglin, for example, wrung an
exquisite set of emotionally riven songs from Isaacs for 1995s Dreaming. Mafia &
Fluxys fat, dubby rhythms inspired one of the singers best performances in ages
for Hold Tight two years later. The wisest course in negotiating ones way
through the minefield of latter-day Isaacs is to look at the production credits.
If you like the slick production thats the trademark of Bunny Gemini, chances
are youll appreciate 1996s Mr. Cool. Junior Reid likes diversity, and thus, Not
a One Man Thing has that in spades, from the slacker-themed Big Up Chest to a
remodeled Dont Dis the Dance Hall. Steely & Clevie laid down the rhythms for
1998s Hard Core Hits; if youre not a fan of their digitized dancehall mayhem,
choose another album. King Jammy is let loose on 1999s Turn Down the Lights, and
while not up to the standards of Lets Go Dancing, its still an enjoyable ride.
Joe Gibbs, Errol Thompson, and Sydney Crooks lent their expertise to So Much
Love, another one of Isaacs better later offerings.

The singer began the new millennium with aplomb on Father and Son, which, true
to the title, features Isaacs and his son Kevin. The duets are gorgeous, while
the younger Isaacs is given plenty of room to prove that his talent is equal to
his dads. The next year, I Found Love marked the second time the two worked
together. In between times, the singer continued to impress audiences live, and
his recorded output continued sporadically during the remainder of the decade.
However, by 2007 he had reportedly lost his teeth due to crack cocaine
addiction, and he was later diagnosed with lung cancer, which spread and
ultimately took his life. Gregory Isaacs died at his home in London on October
25, 2010 at the age of 59. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

Tracklist:
6:31 | 01. Gregory Isaacs - Soon Forward
5:12 | 02. Gregory Isaacs - Going Downtown (Extended Version)
3:32 | 03. Gregory Isaacs - Down the Line
3:59 | 04. Gregory Isaacs - Lonely Girl
3:14 | 05. Gregory Isaacs - My Relationship
6:08 | 06. Gregory Isaacs - Next to You (Extended Version)
3:29 | 07. Gregory Isaacs - Bumping and Boring
3:05 | 08. Gregory Isaacs - Mr. Brown
3:05 | 09. Gregory Isaacs - Sergent Brown
3:32 | 10. Gregory Isaacs - Hand Cuff
2:46 | 11. Gregory Isaacs - Black Liberation Struggle
3:42 | 12. Gregory Isaacs - Slave Market
6:05 | 13. Gregory Isaacs - Slave Driver (Extended Version)
3:05 | 14. Gregory Isaacs - Slavemaster
3:02 | 15. Gregory Isaacs - Set the Captives Free
3:45 | 16. Gregory Isaacs - Universal Tribulation
3:49 | 17. Gregory Isaacs - Wailing Rudie
3:03 | 18. Gregory Isaacs - John Public
6:40 | 19. Gregory Isaacs - Tenament Yard (Extended Version)
3:00 | 20. Gregory Isaacs - Jah Music

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