Black Uhuru


 * (This page covers both the group Black Uhuru and the solo work of Michael Rose.)

Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful period in the 1980s, with their album 'Anthem' winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
Before joining Black Uhuru, Michael Rose had been played by Peel in 1976, when the DJ aired the solo single 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner', produced by Dennis Brown and Niney The Observer, and released in the UK on the Oval label of Charlie Gillett. The song would later be re-recorded by Black Uhuru, this time produced by the Taxi label duo of Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, and be played by Peel in 1980.

Black Uhuru's best-known lineup of Rose as lead vocalist and writer alongside group founder Duckie Simpson and Puma Jones, allied to the production skills of acclaimed rhythm section Sly & Robbie, quickly attracted attention with a string of singles that Peel featured heavily from the second half of 1979, including 'Shine Eye Girl', which boasted contributions from Keith Richards. The DJ subsequently played multiple tracks from the albums the vocal trio released in the early 1980s as their international reputation grew.

Despite this, Peel admitted to reservations as early as 'Red', leaving the choice of which three tracks to feature from the LP on 18 May 1981 to producer Chris Lycett. On his 31 July 1983 (BFBS) show, the DJ wondered aloud whether he was the only person unsure about the “metronomic” precision of Sly & Robbie, who updated roots reggae with electronic sounds and other innovations.

Rose left Black Uhuru after the Grammy success of the 'Anthem' album in 1985 and Peel played relatively little of their subsequent work, although he continued to give time to solo releases by their former standout performer.

Singers from other lineups of the group who were also regularly featured solo by Peel include initial Rose replacement Junior Reid, who lasted four years from 1986, and co-founder Don Carlos, who rejoined for six years from 1990. In 2003, the Don Carlos track "Late Night Blues" appeared on the Peel mix album FabricLive.07.

Among other vocalists, third co-founder Garth Dennis went on to become a long-time member of Wailing Souls, who were much played by Peel, before returning to Black Uhuru with Don Carlos in the early 1990s. Errol Nelson, who came into Black Uhuru with Rose but left after one album, recorded with the Jays (aka Jayes), whose song 'Truly' (with Ranking Trevor) was chosen by Peel for his self-selected 1977 Festive Fifty.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions

 * None

Other Shows Played

 * 1979
 * 01 May 1979: No No No (7") Taxi
 * 17 July 1979: Abortion (7") Taxi
 * 25 July 1979: Abortion (7") Taxi
 * 04 August 1979 (BFBS): Abortion (7") Taxi
 * 07 August 1979: Plastic Smile
 * 27 August 1979: Rent Man (7") Joe Gibbs Record Globe
 * 29 August 1979: Wood For My Fire (single) DEB
 * 01 September 1979 (BFBS): Wood For My Fire (7") D.E.B.
 * 05 September 1979: Plastic Smile (7") Gorgon
 * 08 September 1979 (BFBS): Plastic Smile (7" - Shine Eye) Taxi
 * 24 September 1979: Shine Eye (12” single) D-Roy (JP: “This next is from Black Uhuru … and on the label it says ‘featuring Keith Richard from The Stone on guitar’ – and indeed it probably does.”)
 * 27 September 1979: General Penitentiary (single) Taxi
 * 01 October 1979: Shine Eye (12") D-Roy
 * 06 October 1979 (BFBS): General Penitentiary (7") Taxi
 * 08 October 1979: General Penitentiary (7") Taxi


 * 1980
 * 07 July 1980: World Is Africa (LP - Sinsemilla)
 * 07 July 1980: Push Push (LP - Sinsemilla)
 * 07 July 1980: No Loafing (LP - Sinsemilla)
 * 10 July 1980: Vampire (LP - Sinsemilla) Island
 * 12 July 1980 (BFBS): The World Is Africa
 * 17 July 1980: Push Push
 * 30 July 1981: Sistren (Red) Island
 * 13 August 1980: General Penitentiary (LP - Black Uhuru) Virgin
 * 14 August 1980: Sinsemilla (unknown) Island
 * 18 August 1980: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (LP - Black Uhuru) Virgin
 * 28 August 1980: No Loafing (Sit And Wonder) (album - Sinsemilla) Island
 * 22 September 1980: Push Push (album - Sinsemilla) Island
 * 30 September 1980: The World Is Africa (album - Sinsemilla) Island (JP: "It's records like that, that make me think it's worth pressing on for a few more days")


 * 1981
 * 16 April 1981: African Love (LP-Black Sounds Of Freedom) Greensleeves
 * 18 May 1981: Sistren (LP-Red) Mango (during the show, JP plays three tracks from the new Black Uhuru LP, which he confesses not having made his mind up about yet: the songs were chosen for him by producer Chris Lycett.)
 * 18 May 1981: The Youth Of Eglinton (LP-Red) Mango
 * 18 May 1981: Carbine (LP-Red) Mango
 * 19 May 1981: Rockstone (LP - Red) Island
 * 28 May 1981: Utterance (LP - Red) Island
 * 02 June 1981: Spongi Reggae (LP - Red) Island
 * 30 July 1981: Sistren (LP - Red) Island


 * 1982
 * 12 October 1982: Bad Girl's Dub (LP - Uhuru In Dub) CSA
 * 21 October 1982: Bad Girls Dub (LP 'Uhuru In Dub') CSA


 * 1983
 * 31 July 1983 (BFBS): Party Next Door (7") Taxi (John wonders if he is alone in thinking that Sly & Robbie aren't the best thing in reggae, opining that they are a bit metronomic)


 * 1984
 * 23 January 1984: Bull In The Pen (album - Anthem) Island
 * 24 January 1984: Botanical Roots (album - Anthem) Island
 * 24 January 1984: Somebody's Watching You (album - Anthem) Island
 * 09 July 1984: Solidarity (7") Island
 * 18 July 1984: Anthem (LP - Anthem) Island
 * 18 July 1984: Try It (LP - Anthem) Island
 * 10 September 1984: No No No  (7") Taxi


 * 1986
 * 20 January 1986: Conviction Or Fine (7") Taxi
 * 21 May 1986: Brutal (album - Brutal) Real Authentic Sounds


 * 1988
 * 08 June 1988: Get Rich & Switch (12") JR All Stars


 * Later
 * 08 January 1998 (BFBS): Boof N' Baff N' Biff (Black Uhuru Meets The Thievery Soundsystem) (Compilation CD-Dubmission 2: The Remixes) Quango
 * 13 January 1998: Eye Market (LP - Chill Out ) Island
 * 03 August 2000: Party Ajang
 * 27 November 2001: Hard Time (LP – King Tubby Meets The Reggae Masters) Jet Star
 * 01 January 2003: I Love King Selassie (10") King Jammy's
 * 20 February 2003: Times To Unite Dub (10” single) Prince Jammy’s Gold


 * Other
 * The Evolution of John Peel: World Is Africa


 * MICHAEL ROSE


 * 1970s
 * 10 March 1976: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (7") Oval ‎


 * 1980s
 * 04 September 1985: Demonstration (shared 7" with Body Snatcher - Demonstration / Big Mac) Grammy Rose
 * 11 September 1985: Demonstration (shared 7" with Body Snatcher - Demonstration / Big Mac) Grammy Rose (JP: 'A little tranquil from my barbaric tastes, but I thought you might find it interesting')
 * 11 November 1985: Bogus Badge (7") Grammy Rose


 * 1990s
 * 20 October 1991: Bad Boys (7") Taxi
 * 21 December 1991: Bad Boys (7") Taxi
 * 24 October 1992: Monkey Business (7") Taxi
 * 24 September 1993: unknown
 * 01 October 1993 (BFBS): Lit The Speci
 * 08 October 1993: ? ( [ ]) Penthouse
 * 14 May 1994 (BFBS): Clap The Barber (v/a album - Truth And Rights, Observer Style) Heartbeat
 * 11 March 1998: None No Deh Deh (7") Record Factory
 * 02 April 1998: None No Deh Deh (7 inch ) Record Factory