Gregory Isaacs



Gregory Anthony Isaacs (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010) was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in The New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". In 1974 he began working with producer Alvin Ranglin, and that year he had his first Jamaican number one single with "Love Is Overdue". Isaacs recorded for many of Jamaica's top producers during the 1970s. By the late 1970s, Isaacs was one of the biggest reggae performers in the world, regularly touring the US and the UK, and only challenged by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley. International stardom seemed assured in 1978 when Isaacs signed to the Virgin Records offshoot Front Line Records, and appeared in the film Rockers. In 1981, he made his first appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival (returning annually until 1991) and moved on to the Charisma Records offshoot Pre, who released his The Lonely Lover and More Gregory albums along with a string of increasingly successful singles. The following year, he signed to Island Records and released the record that finally saw him break through to a wider audience, "Night Nurse", the title track of his first album for the label ... (read more at Wikipedia).

Links to Peel

 * (please add)

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1982 Festive Fifty: Night Nurse #53

Sessions
Two sessions, both with Roots Radics. All tracks except ‘Permanent Lover” from #1 released on The Lonely Lover – Deluxe Edition 2010, digital (Goldenlane).

1. Recorded: 1981-10-26. First broadcast 05 November 1981. Repeated 24 November 1981.
 * The Front Door / Permanent Lover / Confirm Reservation / Substitute

2. Recorded: 1982-11-27. First broadcast 06 December 1982. Repeated 06 January 1983.
 * That's Not The Way / Sad To Know You're Leaving / Cool Down The Pace / Night Nurse Repeated

Other Shows Played
(The list below was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add additional information if known.)




 * 1979
 * 07 May 1979: Number One
 * 12 May 1979 (BFBS) (& Trinity): Chunnie You Are The Number One (12") GG's
 * 14 August 1979 (& U Brown}: The Border (12” single) GG’s
 * 06 September 1979: Tune In (LP - The Lonely Lover) African Museum
 * 10 November 1979 (BFBS): Rock Dis Ya Reggae Beat (12") Taxi
 * 13 November 1979: Rock This Ya Reggae Beat
 * 13 December 1979: Poor And Clean (12” single) African Museum
 * 18 December 1979: Poor and Clean (12") African Museum


 * 1980
 * 16 July 1980: Poor And Clean (7”) Cash & Carry (for Ali Campbell of UB40)
 * 15 September 1980: Gi Me (LP - The Lonely Lover) PRE
 * 24 September 1980: Tribute To Wa De (LP - The Lonely Lover) PRE
 * 02 October 1980: I Am Sorry (album - The Lonely Lover) Pre PRE X1


 * 1981
 * 22 June 1981: unknown (not recorded)
 * 30 July 1981: Front Door (7") Pre PRE 19
 * 14 September 1981: Substitute (LP - More Gregory) Mango
 * 02 November 1981: Special Guest (LP - unknown)


 * 1982
 * 18 May 1982: Who Cares (10" - Who Cares / Don't Believe In Him) Silver Camel SC 009
 * 16 August 1982: Night Nurse (10” single) Island
 * 15 November 1982: Reform Institution (album - Slum In Dub)


 * 1983
 * 20 February 1983 (BFBS): Poor And Clean (12") African Museum
 * 13 July 1983 (BFBS): Secretary (7") African Museum
 * 27 July 1983 (BFBS): Private Secretary (album - Out Deh!) Island ILPS 9748
 * 17 September 1983 (BFBS): Night Nurse (7") Island WIP 6800
 * 29 October 1983 (BFBS):Soon Forward
 * 14 December 1983: Sheila (LP-Out Deh!) Island
 * 15 December 1983: Good Morning (LP - Out Deh) Island


 * 1984
 * 06 August 1984: Baby I Lied To You (single) Dynamite
 * 28 November 1984: Soon Forward (LP - Live At The Academy, Brixton) Rough Trade


 * 1985
 * 22 April 1985: Land Of Africa (v/a 7") Music Is Life - None
 * 13 May 1985: Settle Nuh
 * 04 June 1985 (and Dennis Brown): Let Off Sup'm (12") Greensleeves

1988
 * 1986
 * 08 September 1986: Settle Nuh (album - All I Have Is Love, Love, Love) Tads TRDLP 15586
 * Peel June 1988 Lee Tape 11: Rumours (12") Greensleeves GRED 221
 * Peel August 1988 Lee Tape 16: Rough Neck (12") Greensleeves GRED 225 not play of 7th
 * 07 September 1988: featuring Mighty Diamonds: Rough Neck (12") Greensleeves GRED 225
 * 13 September 1988: Rough Neck (12") Greensleeves
 * 12 October 1988: Mind Yu Dis (12”) Greensleeves
 * 31 October 1988 (& Josey Wales): What A Disaster (12”) BP


 * 1989
 * 10 January 1989: My Love Alone (album - Feature Attraction) Mixing Lab VPRL 1066
 * Peel Early 1989 (Jan/Feb 1989): Can't Give You Love On My Own (separate play)
 * 17 July 1989: Mr. Knows It All (12") The Thing
 * 16 August 1989: Wailing Rudie (album - Consequence) Black Scorpio
 * 23 August 1989: Thinking (7") Digital-B
 * 29 August 1989: I'm Sinking (LP - In Red) Tappa
 * Autumn 1989 (Rockradio): Thinking
 * 23 October 1989: Opel Ride Red Man International
 * 25 October 1989: Cross The Line
 * 01 November 1989: Cross The Line (7") Ossie
 * 07 November 1989: Cross The Line (single) Ossie
 * 05 December 1989: Ghetto Celebrity (7") Jammy's
 * 11 December 1989 (with Johnny P): Whey You Get Ina (12") Sting
 * 13 December 1989: It's Christmas Time Again (7") Taurus


 * 1990
 * 16 January 1990: Rude Boys (7") New Name Music
 * 24 January 1990: Over The Bridge (LP - Let's Go Dancing) Jammy's
 * 27 February 1990: Hang On (v/a album - Electrocutioner Phase 1) Jammy's
 * 09 April 1990: Counterfeit Lover (7") Penthouse
 * 25 April 1990: Counterfeit Lover (7") Penthouse
 * 07 June 1990 (& Johnny Ringo): Second Hand Bad Boy Mr. Doo
 * 18 June 1990 (& Johnny Ringo): Second Hand Bad Boy Mr. Doo
 * 08 August 1990: What A Feeling (12") Taxi
 * 21 August 1990: John Public
 * 17 September 1990: John Public
 * 25 September 1990: John Public
 * 14 October 1990: Nah Skin Up (Single) Leggo
 * 20 October 1990: Mr. Brown (CD - Cool Ruler - Soon Forward - Selection) Front Line
 * 01 December 1990: Curfew International (7") Oasis OA006
 * 08 December 1990: Curfew International (7") Oasis


 * 1991
 * 16 February 1991: unknown track
 * 23 February 1991: Rude Boy Saddam (single) Black Scorpio
 * 03 March 1991: I Am Gregory African Museum
 * 04 March 1991 (Ö3): Rude Boy Saddam (LP-Boom Shot) Shanachie
 * 23 March 1991 (& Bunny Rugs): Here Comes Rudi Exterminator
 * 21 April 1991: Storm Digital B
 * 05 May 1991 (& Ninjaman): Cowboy Town Digital B
 * 09 June 1991 (& Ninjaman): Cowboy Town Digital B
 * 14 June 1991 (BFBS) (& Ninjaman): Cowboy Town (7") Digital-B


 * 1993
 * 20 February 1993: Top Ten (7") African Museum
 * 05 March 1993: Commitment (7") Tappa
 * 21 March 1993 (BFBS): Commitment (7") Tappa


 * 1994
 * 29 July 1994: Make Me Prosper (single) Xterminator

1996
 * 1995
 * 06 January 1995: Don't Call Me Baldhead (LP-Unattended) Pow Wow
 * 10 February 1995: Don't Call Me Baldhead (7 inch) Anchor
 * 02 December 1996: Cool Down The Pace (27/11/82) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
 * 1997
 * 18 September 1997: Bounty Hunter (7”) Xterminator
 * 25 September 1997 (BFBS): Mr. Coke Seller (CD-Kingston 14 Denham Town) Jamaican Vibes


 * 1998
 * 08 January 1998: Night Nurse (Buttonbelly Re-mix) (LP - Dubmission: The Remixes) Quango


 * 2001
 * 04 April 2001: Story Book Children (Blood/Fire)
 * 24 April 2001: Slavemaster (CD: Mr Isaacs) Blood & Fire
 * 01 May 2001: Handcuff (CD: Mr Isaacs) Blood & Fire
 * 08 May 2001: Wha Dee (Yam Euphony)


 * 2002
 * 17 January 2002: Night Nurse (African Museum)


 * 2003
 * 06 March 2003 (Gregory Isaacs All-Stars): Legoo Beast (Compilation LP-Flashing Echo) Trojan
 * 09 December 2003: Yes Baby (7") Mun Mun
 * 19 December 2003 (BBC World Service): Storm (7") Penthouse


 * 2004
 * 07 January 2004: Storm (7") Penthouse
 * 28 January 2004: Yes Baby (single) Mun Mun International
 * 22 January 2004: Storm (single) Penthouse