Alton Ellis
Wikimp3 information about the music of Alton Ellis. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Alton Ellis. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Alton Ellis represents Reggae genres.
Biography
[Edit]One of the first vocalists to enter the Jamaican music business, Alton Ellis was generally revered as the greatest and most soulful singer the country ever produced — that is, until Bob Marley came along. Ellis had his first hit during the ska craze, but made his true lasting mark as the definitive solo singer of the rocksteady era. Sweet, smooth, and deeply emotive, Ellis was equally at home on Jamaican originals or reggae-fied covers of American R&B hits. He cut a series of ska singles for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, but reached his prime during the mid- to late '60s, when he recorded some of rocksteady's signature tunes for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle imprint.
Ellis was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1938 and grew up in the Trenchtown area as part of a musically inclined family. As a youngster, he learned to sing and play piano, the latter often by breaking into a local youth center to practice by night. In his early teens, he teamed up with another singer, Eddie Perkins, to form the duo Alton & Eddie. In 1959, after winning a prominent talent show, they recorded the single "Muriel," which became a substantial hit in Jamaica. Not long after cutting the follow-up "My Heaven," Perkins left to try a solo career in the United States, leaving Ellis a solo act.
Ellis recorded for Dodd's Studio One label during the early '60s, but made little money. Dissatisfied, he moved over to Reid's Treasure Isle in 1965, and formed a backup vocal trio called the Flames (the first incarnation featured his brother Leslie, and membership would fluctuate). Ellis quickly scored a major hit with the antiviolence plea "Dance Crasher," and the following year, he released what was arguably the first rocksteady single, "Get Ready - Rock Steady." Its innovative beat grew out of a session where the scheduled bassist didn't show up, forcing keyboardist Jackie Mittoo to play the bass part himself; Mittoo's left hand couldn't keep up with the frantic ska beat, so he elected to slow down the tempo. The result was a choppier rhythm that wound up allowing the vocalist to stretch out more, and soon the rocksteady sound had taken over Jamaican music, with Ellis leading the charge. He had several other major successes in 1966, including "Cry Tough" and the smash "Girl I've Got a Date," the latter of which became his biggest hit and signature song. He also cut several duets with Phyllis Dillon (making them Jamaica's answer to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell), as well as his sister Hortense Ellis (including a hit cover of Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"). The classic LP Mr. Soul of Jamaica (later reissued on CD as Cry Tough) gathered many of his best Treasure Isle tracks.
By 1968, Ellis had resumed working for Studio One in addition to his output for Treasure Isle, making him one of the few singers to bridge the gap between the two archrivals. Most of his biggest hits of the late '60s came on Studio One, including the American soul cover "Willow Tree," "I'm Just a Guy," and "Sitting in the Park." In 1970, he released the album Sunday Coming, one of his strongest Studio One sets. Ellis later teamed with producer Lloyd Daley for a brief period, which resulted in the more Rastafarian-tinged hits "Lord Deliver Us" and "Back to Africa"; he also worked with Keith Hudson. However, he was still not receiving proper financial compensation for all his success. Disillusioned, he spent some time in the U.S. and Canada, then relocated to England on a mostly permanent basis in 1973.
In England, Ellis established his own Alltone label, which he devoted to both new recordings and compilations of his early classics. The international popularity of Bob Marley and the rise of roots reggae meant that Ellis' considerable legacy was soon overshadowed, but over time, he remained a fondly remembered pioneer of Jamaican music. He made triumphant returns to Jamaica with well-received sets at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in both 1983 and 1985, and recorded a new single, "Man From Studio One," for Dodd in 1991. Numerous compilations of his work appeared during the CD era, illustrating his stunning consistency.
Title: In Memoriam 1938-2008 (His Last Concert) (Live At the Jazz Cafe, London)
Artist: Alton Ellis
Genre: Reggae
Title: Be True to Yourself: The Godfather of Lover's Rock (Anthology 1965-1973)
Artist: Alton Ellis
Genre: Reggae
Title: Two of a Kind
Artist: John Holt, Alton Ellis
Genre: Rock, Reggae, Country, Pop, Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Live In Amstelveen
Artist: The High Notes, Rude Rich, Alton Ellis
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Ska
Title: Lovely Place
Artist: Naoyuki Uchida, The Dreamlets, Alton Ellis
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Ska
Title: Live With Aspo. Workin' On A Groovy Thing
Artist: Alton Ellis
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Ska
Title: Many Moods Of Alton Ellis (1978-80)
Artist: Alton Ellis
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Ska
Title: Alton Ellis Sings, Heptones Harmonise
Artist: Alton Ellis
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Ska
Collections
Title: Stars Ah Shine ~ Star Records 1976-1988
Genre: Reggae
Title: Bunny Lee Salutes Sir Coxsone Dodd
Genre: House, Tech House, Hip Hop/R&B, Reggae, Pop
Title: Famous Reggae Volume One
Genre: Reggae
Title: Famous Reggae Volume Two
Genre: Reggae
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 01
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 06
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 11
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 35
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 36
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 39
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 22
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 27
Title: Studio One Archives Vol. 31
Title: The Treasure Isle Story (CD2)
Genre: Reggae
Title: The Treasure Isle Story (CD3)
Genre: Reggae
Title: Room In The Sky Presents Masters Of Reggae 2017 (CD1)
Genre: Reggae
Title: Room In The Sky Presents Masters Of Reggae 2017 (CD2)
Genre: Reggae
Title: Goodnight Reggae
Genre: Reggae
Title: Jamaican Vibes
Genre: Reggae
Title: Studio One: Black Man's Pride
Genre: Reggae
Title: Roots And Culture 2018
Genre: Rock, Reggae, Dancehall, Reggae Fusion
Title: This Is Trojan Rock Steady
Genre: Reggae
Title: Greatest Reggae Lovers Rock
Genre: Reggae, Lovers Rock, Ska
Title: Trojan 50: The Rare And Unreleased (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae, Dub, Ska
Title: Doing Our Thing - More Soul From Jamdown 1970-1982
Genre: Soul, Jazz, Reggae, World Music, Disco
Title: STUDIO ONE Lovers Rock
Genre: Reggae, World Music
Title: Reggae Archives Vol. 2 (CD2)
Genre: Reggae, Roots Reggae
Title: Nova La Nuit (CD2)
Genre: Electronica
Title: Reggae Lovers Rock Vol. 3
Genre: Reggae
Title: Ska For Life 2019 (CD1)
Title: Ministry Of Sound - Reggae Summer Soundsystem 2019 (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae, Dub, Dancehall, Ska
Title: Jet Star Meets Hospital
Genre: Drum & Bass
Title: Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One Disco Mix 2019
Genre: Soul, Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae, Dub, Lovers Rock, Disco, Ska, Funk
Title: Reggae Greatest Hits 2019
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae, Dancehall, World Music, Ska, Funk, Folk
Title: 100% Reggae Live (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Reggae
Title: 100% Reggae Live (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Reggae
Title: Hot Dancehall Music (CD2)
Title: 160 DJ Loaded Structural Culture (CD2)
Genre: Dancefloor, Dance Pop
Title: Afrikan Blood
Genre: Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae
Title: Ultimate Reggae & Ska Legends (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Blues, Ska
Title: Dread Lion Dub (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Reggae, Dub, Ska
Title: Exotic Dub Reggae (CD1)
Genre: Reggae
Title: Reggae Box 2021 (CD4)
Title: Reggae Box 2021 (CD5)
Title: Treasure Isle Hottest Hits Volumes 3 & 4
Genre: Reggae
Title: Treasure Isle Hottest Hits Volumes 5 & 6
Genre: Reggae
Title: Treasure Isle Hottest Hits Volumes 1 & 2
Genre: Reggae
Featuring albums
Title: Clancy Eccles Presents His Reggae Revue
Artist: Clancy Eccles
Genre: Rock, Reggae, Roots Reggae, World Music, Ska, Alternative
Title: Love Is All I Had : A Tribute to the Queen of Jamaican Soul
Artist: Phyllis Dillon
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Pop
Title: Reggae Anthology - Joe Gibbs: Scorchers From The Early Years (1967-73)
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Latin
Title: Out Of Many - 50 Years of Reggae Music
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Latin
Title: The Hudson Affair - Keith Hudson and Friends
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Latin
Title: Lloyd Daley's Matador Productions 1968-72: Reggae Classics from the Originator
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock, Reggae, World Music, Latin, Pop, Ska, Indie
Title: Clancy Eccles Presents His Reggae Revue -- Rock Steady Intensified
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Alternative Rock, Reggae, World Music, Latin, Ska
Title: Let's Do Rocksteady: The Story of Rocksteady 1966-68
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Latin
Title: Stingray Special Edition
Artist: Various Artist
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Reggae, World Music, Latin
Title: Fire Down Below: Scorchers from Studio One
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae, Alternative
Title: Alton & Hortense Ellis
Artist: Hortense Ellis, Alton
Genre: Reggae, World Music, Ska, Alternative
Title: Reggae Anthology: Winston Riley - Quintessential Techniques
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Reggae