John Holt (singer)

Infobox musical artist

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Name = John Holt
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = John Kenneth Holt
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Born = birth date and age|1947|7|11|df=y
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Origin = Kingston, Jamaica
Instrument =
Genre = Reggae
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Years_active =
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Associated_acts = The Paragons
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John Holt (born John Kenneth Holt, 11 July 1947, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae singer and songwriter.

Biography

Holt was born in Kingston in 1947. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9] He recorded his first single in 1963 with "I Cried a Tear" for producer Leslie Kong, and also recorded duets with Alton Ellis. He achieved prominence in his home country as lead singer of The Paragons, with whom he enjoyed a string of hits, including "Ali Baba", "Tonight", "I See Your Face", and the Holt-penned "The Tide Is High" (later made famous by Blondie and also covered by Atomic Kitten). "Wear You To The Ball" was another of his hits with The Paragons, later covered by U-Roy. During his time with the Paragons, he also recorded solo material for Studio One (including "Fancy Make-up", "A Love I Can Feel", "Let's Build Our Dreams", and "OK Fred") and Prince Buster ("Oh Girl", and "My Heart Is Gone").

Holt left the Paragons in 1970 and concentrated on his solo career full-time. By the early 1970s, he was one of the biggest stars of reggae, and his "Stick By Me" was the biggest-selling Jamaican record of 1972, one of a number of records recorded with producer Bunny Lee. His 1973 album, "Time Is The Master", was hugely successful, with orchestral arrangements recorded in London. The success of the string-laden reggae led to Trojan Records issuing a series of similarly arranged albums produced by Bunny Lee starting with the "1,000 Volts of Holt" in 1973, a compilation of Holt's reggae cover versions of popular hits (and later followed by similarly named releases up to "3,000 Volts of Holt"). "1,000 Volts" spawned the UK Top 10 hit "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (written by Kris Kristofferson), which peaked at number 6, and also included covers of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" and Diana Ross's "Touch Me In The Morning", amongst others. [ [http://www.everyhit.com everyHit.com UK Top 40 Hit Database] ]

Holt's style, notably slower and more romantic than most of his contemporaries, is a recognisable forerunner of a style of reggae known as Lovers Rock which developed in the UK during the 1970s."Don't Want To See You Cry" was one of Holt's many Jamaican hits. The lyrics about "moving to a far away land" and leaving loved ones behind must have rung true for many Jamaicans in the 1960s.

While Holt became well-known internationally for these lushly produced ballads, back in Jamaica he also recorded more roots-oriented material such as the "rockers" single "Up Park Camp", as well as a short-lived attempt at crossing over into disco. Holt further explored his more rootsy side on the album "Police In Helicopter" from 1983, the title song from which became a hit.

Album discography

*"A Love I Can Feel" (1970) Bamboo
*"Holt" (1971) Jaguar
*"Still in Chains" (1971) Trojan
*"Greatest Hits" (1972) Melodisc
*"OK Fred" (1972) Melodisc
*"Pledging My Love" (1972) Jackpot/Trojan
*"The Further You Look" (1973) Trojan
*"Time Is The Master" (1973) Moodisc
*"Dusty Roads" (1974) Trojan
*"Before the Next Teardrop (1976) Klik
*"Up Park Camp" (1976) Channel One
*"Channel One Presents The Magnificent John Holt" (1977) Channel One
*"Roots of Holt" (1977) Trojan
*"Showcase (New Disco Style)" (1977) Thunderbolt
*"Holt Goes Disco" (1978) Trojan
*"In Demand" (1978) Dynamic Sounds
*"Let It Go On" (1978) Trojan
*"Super Star" (1978) Weed Beat
*"The Impressable John Holt (Disco Mix)" (1978) Harry J
*"A1 Disco Showcase" (1981) Taurus
*"Introspective" (1980) Dynamic Sounds
*"My Desire" (1980) Jackpot
*"Just the Two of Us" (1982) CSA
*"Sweetie Come Brush Me" (1982) Volcano
*"Gold" (1983) Creole
*"Police in Helicopter" (1983) Greensleeves/Arrival
*"For Lovers and Dancers" (1984) Trojan
*"Live In London" (1984) Very Good
*"Wild Fire" (1985) Natty Congo/Tad's (with Dennis Brown)
*"Vibes" (1985) Leggo Sounds
*"The Reggae Christmas Hits Album" (1986) Trojan
*"From One Extreme to Another" (1986) Beta
*"Time Is The Master" (1988) Creole
*"Rock With Me Baby" (1988) Trojan
*"If I Were a Carpenter" (1989)
*"Why I Care" (1989) Greensleeves
*"Reggae, Hip House, R&B Flavor" (1993)
*"Peacemaker" (1993)

There have also been dozens of compilations of Holt's work, starting in the early 1970s with a "Greatest Hits" compilation from Studio One, and notably followed by the "1,000 Volts..." series on Trojan Records.

References

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hifoxqq5ldfe~T1 John Holt biography] at Allmusic website
* [http://www.riddimguide.com/view/artist_John%20Holt/ Riddimguide information]
* [http://jamuzik.tripod.com/holt.html Biography at Jamuzik]
* [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/92 John Holt at Roots Archives]