Steve Barrow
Profile
Steve Barrow is a British reggae historian, writer and producer.
He is the founder and A&R Director of Blood And Fire Records (1993-), a UK record label specialized in reissuing Jamaican lost artists.
He has written a number of books on reggae. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Barrow [Apr 2005]
Bibliography
--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Barrow [Apr 2005]
Trojan [...]
I went back to college again and in 1984 I did sleeve notes for Island on "Return of the big guns" (Skatalites) and in 1985 Trojan approached me. They found a tape called "Rhythm shower" and they didn't know what it was, so I said "That's Lee Perry!" At that time Trojan had a lot of tapes. They originally released some materials and had those tapes, but they don't have the rights to hold those tracks cause the property is of the Jamaican producer. --http://www.niceup.com/interviews/steve_barrowBlood and Fire (record label)
What philosophy do you have with Blood and Fire?
- The aim is to increase the standards of re-issued reggae so it reaches the same level as jazz or blues. It is simple, I want to save it from the worlds all bargain bins and half price tags just by compiling and presenting it in an attractive way. --http://www.reggaenews.co.uk/interviews/steve_barrow.asp [Apr 2005]
Founders :Steve Barrow, Bob Harding, Mick Hucknall, Elliot Rashman, Andy Dodd Philosophy
To bring the standard of reggae reissues up to the level of the best in jazz, blues, R&B etc., and to ensure that both artists and producers are paid for their work. --http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk/ [Apr 2005]
Blood and Fire is a British reggae record label.
The label was formed in 1993 by Steve Barrow, Bob Harding, Mick Hucknall, Elliot Rashman and Andy Doddin Manchester. It had the objective of reissuing roots reggae, dub and DJ albums. Along with Pressure Sounds and Auralux the label has gained critical acclaim for the quality of its releases.
Despite the reissue objective the label released a one-riddim album in 2006. This release utilises the "Fisherman" riddim by The Congos and features new material from a variety of singers including Horace Andy, U Roy, Big Youth, Luciano, Tony Tuff and Dillinger. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Fire [Sept 2006]
Steve BARROW Interview
Q:In wich way you started working with reggae?
A:In 1974 when I left college I started a record shop called Old Change
Records, in London with a guy called Ed Deppo, that later founded Mo'
Jazz, a big jazz shop in London and a guy called Graham Griffiths, that
went to Mo'Jazz, and now is running the New Note distribution. Since
1975 I work with reggae: in october 1975 I started another shop called Daddy Kool. This shop became very successful since the first year: it was a tiny place but always packed of customers. We sold two thousand records in the summer of the '76.
Q:Was it a shop with the style of the today reggae shops?
A:Yes, I had a pile of records and I changed the records on the
turntable every ten seconds as people spent money...
Q:Did you sell mostly to black people?
A: No, black and white people, a lot of people: people like Johnny
Rotten, John Peel, Don Letts...
[...] http://www.niceup.com/interviews/steve_barrow
The Rough Guide to Reggae (2001) - Steve Barrow
- The Rough Guide to Reggae (2001) - Steve Barrow [Amazon.com]
Finally, a comprehensive guide covering the entire span of Jamaican music, from the 1950s mento and R&B through dub, dancehall and ragga. Along with interviews of crucial reggae personalities (Bunny Lee, King Jammy, and Coxsone Dodd, for example) and profiles of major careers (like Gregory Isaacs, Sugar Minott, and of course, Bob Marley), Barrow and Dalton provide the irreplaceable service of reviewing and recommending more than 1,000 CD and vinyl selections. The writers clearly love their topic and are exceedingly knowledgeable about it. The resulting guide is a combination of fascinating historical tidbits, scholarly attention to musical detail, and a definitive treatment of reggae's genre, artists, albums, and songs. --Stephanie Gold