However, in his heyday, during the mid- through late 70s, the singer recorded a stream of crucial cuts, as well as a bundle of seminal albums.Clarke has also had an inestimable impact on the dancehall scene, which in his day was still the preserve of DJs.His ability to write new lyrics, mostly in a cultural vein, to classic rocksteady hits opened the dancehall door for vocalists, and most critics acknowledge him as the first of the dancehall singers.
Certainly his influence on such stars as Sugar Minott is evident. Clarke was born in Whitfield Town, Jamaica, in January, 1955. The producer was impressed enough to record the singers debut single, God Made the Sea and the Sun, but was apparently unwilling to publicize it, at least thats how Clarke interpreted the songs lack of success. Impatient, he left Eccles and eventually hooked up with producer Rupie Edwards. Perhaps Clarkes complaint was correct, for he immediately scored a clutch of hits with Edwards. Julie, Everyday Wondering, and Ire Feelings all shook the charts in 1973. The latter single provided the template for the producers own massive success with Ire Feelings (Skanga). The following year, Clarke cut a number of singles for a variety of different producers, including Jump Back Baby for producer Glen Brown. However, although Clarke was already a well-known figure, it was only after he joined forces with producer Bunny Lee that the singer reached his full potential. Lee, who had made his name in the rocksteady era and helped inaugurate the shift to reggae, was undergoing his own period of creative brilliance, introducing the flying cymbal sound that swiftly became his trademark and earned him the nickname Striker, whilst also delving into the possibilities of dub. Together the two men would unleash a host of unforgettable singles, opening with the massive hit None Shall Escape the Judgement. Intriguingly, Clarke would divide his time between radical roots and exquisite lovers rock, with a third pole of remarkable cover versions, with by John Holt and Delroy Wilson particular favorites. Over the next two years, the singer inundated Jamaica with hit singles including Move Out of Babylon Rastaman, Rock with Me Baby, Enter Into His Gates With Praise, Too Much War, Joyful Festival. But most notable of all was a cover of Bob Marleys No Woman No Cry, an international smash which sold a whopping 40,000 copies in Jamaica alone but was to have unforeseen consequences. The singers first two albums, 1974s None Shall Escape the Judgement and the following years Moving Out, were both hits-heavy collections while also boasting some hefty doses of cover versions. The U.K. Vulcan labels Im Gonna Put It On, also released in 1975, featured both. The Trojan label would later also compile up much of this material for the Enter into His Gates with Praise album. The British Attack labels Dont Trouble Trouble offered up more recordings from this period and includes songs that didnt make it onto None Shall Escape the Judgement album. Virtually all of the tracks, however, were worthy of inclusion on that debut record. There was little surprise when Clarke clinched the Artist of the Year award in 1975 and 1976 (and then annually for another three years after that). By 1976, the singer had come to the attention of the Virgin labels Front Line subsidiary, to whom he now signed.
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