Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born Clarendon, Jamaica, 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist.
Although albums were not terribly important in Jamaica at the time, Levy released four albums before 1980: Shaolin Temple, Bounty Hunter, Shine Eye Gal (United Kingdom) and Englishman, a critically acclaimed record. His success led to many earlier studio and sound system performances being reissued without his consent, releases he described as "joke business". By the time his 1980 album Robin Hood was released, Levy was one of the biggest Jamaican stars, and saw his international fame growing as well, especially in the United Kingdom.
He began working with Paul "Jah Screw" Love and toured the UK in 1984, where he enjoyed a big hit on the reggae charts with "Under Mi Sensi", which was followed by the crossover hit "Here I Come", which reached number 41 in the UK Singles Chart in 1985. He returned to LPs with Lifestyle and Money Move, followed by a British hit album called Here I Come: Levy received the Best Vocalist prize at the British Reggae Awards in 1984. In 1991 he returned to the UK chart with "Tribal Base", a single by Rebel MC featuring Levy and Tenor Fly, which reached number 20....(Read more)
AllMusic called him "one of the first true singers to challenge the dominance of toasters in 80s dancehall reggae."
Links to Peel
Peel began playing Levy's material early on in his career with Let's Clean It Up in 1980. Particular favourites appear to have been Murderation, a collaboration with Beenie Man, which he was playing as late as 2002.
Festive Fifty Entries
Sessions
- None
Other Shows Played
- 1980
- 10 April 1980: Let's Clean It Up
- 12 April 1980 (BFBS): Let's Clean It Up (7") Busy
- 15 May 1980: Warm And Sunny Day (12”) Cha Cha
- 1981
- 04 March 1981: You Have It (single) GG's
- 01 April 1981: M16
- 08 April 1981: M16
- 11 April 1981 (BFBS): M 16 (7") Live, Look & Learn
- 10 September 1981 (BFBS): Deep In The Dark (7") B. L. Sounds
- 14 September 1981: Deep In The Dark (7") B.L. Sounds
- 1982
- 11 March 1982: She Too Bummy (7") Volcano
- 22 December 1982: I Saw Mommy Kiss A Dreadlocks (v/a album - Yard Style Christmas With Jah Iriest Artists) Mic Productions with Trinity
- 1983
- 20 June 1983: Suffer The Little Children
- 01 December 1983: Like Soldier (7") Hit Bound
- 06 December 1983: Like Soldier (7") Hit Bound
- 19 December 1983: Dances Are Changing (v/a LP - General For All General) Hit Bound
- 28 December 1983 (BFBS): Like Soldier (7") Hit Bound
- 1984
- 05 January 1984: Money Move (7") Power House
- 14 January 1984 (BFBS): Money Move (7") Power House
- 11 February 1984 (BFBS): Prison Oval Rock (single)
- 31 March 1984 (BFBS): Please Jah Jah (7") Volcano
- 03 April 1984: Please Jah Jah (7") Volcano
- 16 May 1984 (BFBS): Jah Save My Live (album - Money Move) Power House
- 26 May 1984 (BFBS): Pon Your Toe (12") Greensleeves Records GRED 145
- 03 December 1984: Here I Come (7") Time
- 1985
- 17 March 1985 (BFBS): 'Murderer (12")' (Jah Life)
- 01 April 1985: 'Murderer (12")' (Jah Life)
- 1986
- 01 January 1986: Pick Your Choice (7") Arrival
- 12 November 1986: Come (7") Jah Life Time
- 18 November 1986: Come (7") Jah Life Time
- 01 December 1986: Come (7") Jah Life Time Peel mentions it's from an import, which later on was released as a single in 1990
- 1987
- 13 July 1987: Get Up Stand Up (7") Jah Life Time
- 24 July 1987 (BFBS): Get Up Stand Up (7") Jah Life Time
- 1989
- 06 June 1989 (Radio Bremen): Do It (7") Power House with Half Pint
- 1992
- 18 January 1992: Looking My Love (12": Looking My Love ('92 Lick)) Greensleeves Records with Cutty Ranks
- 1994
- 09 September 1994 / John Peel vol 3: Under Mi Sensi (single) Greensleeves with Beenie Man
- 17 September 1994 (BFBS): Under Mi Sensi (X Project Remix) (12") Greensleeves with Beenie Man
- September 1994 (BBC World Service): Under Mi Sensi (Jungle Spliff) (X Project Remix) (12") Greensleeves
- 1995
- 25 August 1995: 'Murderer (7 inch-Murderation)' (Yaga Yaga Prod) with Beenie Man
- 08 September 1995: 'Under Me Sensi (7 inch)' (Time 1 International) with Beenie Man
- 09 September 1995 (BFBS): 'Murderer (Madhouse Murderation '95 Remix (12")' (Priority) with Beenie Man
- 16 September 1995 (BFBS): 'Under Mi Sensi (12")' (Greensleeves) with Beenie Man
- 18 September 1995 (BBC World Service): Murderation (7") Yaga Yaga
- 23 September 1995: Murderation (v/a album - Dancehall Ole Skool) Yaga Yaga Productions with Beenie Man
- 30 September 1995 (BFBS): 'Murderation (7")' (Jah Life)
- 25 November 1995: Two Sounds (7") Time 1 International with Beenie Man
- 08 December 1995: Two Sounds Jungle (12") Greensleeves with Beenie Man
- 09 December 1995 (BFBS): 'Here I Come (7")' (Time International) with Mega Banton
- 1997
- 16 December 1997: Whom Shall I Be Afraid Of? (split 12" with Siugar Minott- Sandy / Whom Shall I Be Afraid Of) Rub-A-Dub
- 2002
- 06 February 2002: 'Murderation' (Xtra Large)
- 07 March 2002 (Radio Eins): Murderation (7") Xtra Large Productions with Beenie Man
- Other
- This One Fades In...: Do It (single) Power House with Half Pint
