At A Glance: Studio One

Studio One
Born in Kingston, Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a former farm worker who started the Downbeat sound system in the mid 1950s. It was at a time when Jamaica's popular music scene was taking shape and a "new beat called ska was being-played in Kingston's clubs.
read more...

Studio One
In October 1963 Dodd established Studio One which many regard as Jamaica's version of Berry Gordy's Motown. Most of the people who eventually became immortals recorded there: Don Drummond and the Skatalites (pictured), Toots and The Maytals, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Bob Andy, The Heptones, Ken Boothe, and the six year old wonder, Dennis Brown.
read more...

Studio One
Studio One became synonymous with names like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Monty Alexander, Burning Spear, Marcia Griffiths (pictured here in 1969), to name but a few of the iconic performers who came out of its Brentford Road headquarters.
read more...

Studio One
By the mid 1960s, Studio One and rival producer Arthur 'Duke' Reid's (pictured) Treasure Isle were fighting for control of local charts, both releasing a flurry of hit songs. Bass player Jackie Jackson, who was a member of the Supersonics house band at Treasure Isle, said the competition between the two labels was “like a silent cold war”.
read more...

Studio One
Like Motown in Detroit, Studio One was more than music. It was owned by a black man competing with not only Reid, a former policeman, but powerhouse labels Federal and Beverlcy's which were owned by the middle-class Khouri family and Leslie Kong. These are some of the many albums which are part of the phenomenal output at Studio One.
read more...

Studio One
Even though the equipment at Studio One was reportedly primitive, its timeless rhythms saw Dodd making a comeback in the 1970s with a new slate of artistes that included singers Freddie McGregor (pictured), Sugar Minott, Johnny Osbourne and Earl Sixteen.
read more...

Studio One
In the early 1980s Dodd packed his bags and headed for the United States. Throughout that decade, the American company, Heartbeat Records began distributing Studio One music in the U.S. and Europe, introducing his productions to a new demographic.
read more...

Studio One
When the Copyright Act came into being in 1993, Dodd went on the warpath against those who have been sampling or covering music from his catalogue without his permission. In 2000 he filed a claim against North American reggae giant, VP Records, who he claimed owed him at least US$3 million in royalties. A ‘Wall of Honour’ (pictured) was unveiled at Studio One in 2008 listing the artistes who are a part of Dodd’s legacy.
read more...

Studio One
Ironically, Dodd fell out with some of his former protégés including Leroy Sibbles of The Heptones and Bob Andy who claimed that he cheated them of royalties. In his defence, he pointed out to the contracts they signed with Studio One as legitimate. Some performers, including Bob Andy, successfully sued him.
read more...

Studio One
Brentford Road in Kingston was renamed Studio One Boulevard on April 30, 2004, for the famous studio operated at number 13 by Dodd since 1963. The Chase Fund in association with The Clement Dodd Foundation unveiled the Clement "Sir Coxone" Dodd Monument at Studio One on October 25, 2008.
read more...