‘Making of the box set’ by Carter Van Pelt (english) : Télécharger : Pdf
Tracklistiong complet / Press-release : Pdf
L’anthologie définitive d’une société qui sut amener le reggae et le dancehall aux Etats-Unis puis dans le monde entier.
« Down In Jamaica: 40 Years of VP Records » est un magnifique coffret-collector qui vient célébrer le 40ème anniversaire de VP Records. La sélection musicale compile pas moins de 94 titres, pour un total de 101 artistes représentés ! L’ensemble est conditionné dans un coffret multi formats incluant des cartes collector, des 45 tours, maxis, CDs et un livret de 24 pages détaillant les hits, les raretés et l’histoire du plus grand label de reggae au monde.
« Le but de Down in Jamaica est de raconter l’histoire d’une grande famille de passionnés, qui finit par devenir un acteur majeur du marché du Reggae, du dancehall et de la musique caribéenne, au niveau mondial » explique Carter Van Pelt, directeur de développement du catalogue VP Records. « En l’espace de 40 ans, la compagnie, en tant que fabricant et distributeur a vu passer un nombre incroyable de singles à succès. Cette anthologie vient raconter cette histoire, dans sa chronologie et propose aussi quelques trésors cachés, pour la première fois réédités en vinyles et remasterisés ». Fondé par Vincent et Patricia Chin, la société était à l’origine la branche distribution du label basé à Kingston : Randy’s Records. Dès sa création, Randy s’est retrouvé au cœur de l’industrie musicale jamaïcaine. C’est à New York, en 1989 que démarrera l’histoire VP Records, au moment où le reggae connaissait une transition majeure vers l’ère du dancehall. VP Records a ainsi fait éclore des artistes-phénomènes comme Yellowman, Chaka Demus, Shabba Ranks, Ninja Man, Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder ou Bounty Killer.
« Nous sommes très fiers de proposer ce coffret au public et ravis de nous replonger dans notre histoire » dit Randy Chin, président de VP Records. « C’est une belle façon de célébrer notre 40ème anniversaire ».
Le single ayant toujours été le véhicule favori de la musique jamaïcaine, le coffret tient naturellement son nom d’une chanson, celle de Red Fox and Naturalee paru en 1989 : Down in Jamaica.
Parmi les titres historiques présents en sélection musicale, on retrouve les incontournables comme Sean Paul & Sasha I’m Still In Love With You, Wayne Wonder No Letting Go, Beenie Man Who Am I et les classiques de Yellowman, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs ou Dennis Brown pour n’en citer que quelques uns. La sélection vinyle inclut des titres rares d’Echo Minott, Freddie McKay, Junior Reid, Tenor Saw et d’autres, des titres qui, pour la plupart n’avaient bénéficié que d’un unique pressage et n’étaient plus disponibles. Le contenu des quatre CD fera l’objet d’une sortie digitale sur toutes les plateformes de téléchargement fin novembre.
Dimensions coffret :
Longueur = 33.02cm x largeur = 33.02cm x hauteur = 5.08cm
Poids = 3,2Kg
Édition collector limitée à 2000 exemplaires
VP RECORDS – A REGGAE JOURNEY, FOUR DECADES AND COUNTING
VP Records celebrated 40 years in New York City in 2019. With origins in Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1950s as Randy’s Record Mart, Vincent and Patricia Chin’s small used record business would grow to become one of the world’s largest independent record labels, with a catalog of 25,000 recordings. The VP and Randy’s story is woven into the story of Jamaican music itself, from ska to rocksteady to reggae to dub to dancehall. As the new decade turns, VP continues to guide a reggae journey for all to enjoy.
RANDY’S – THE ROOTS OF VP RECORDS
Vincent and Patricia Chin started Randy’s Record Mart by reselling used records out of their shop at 36 East Street in Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1950s. Vincent Chin worked for Isaac Issa, stocking new records into jukeboxes and accumulating the records he took out. These records were the springboard for what would eventually become the largest reggae record company in the world.
In the early 1960s, Jamaica was on the cusp of a transformation from being a music importer to a prolific creator of original recordings, at the same time on the verge of becoming an independent nation after hundreds of years of British colonial rule. As proud Jamaicans moved abroad and wanted to hear the new sounds from home, the export market for Jamaican records blossomed. In 1962, the Chins moved to 17 North Parade and within years converted part of their new shop into a studio. From 1968, ‘Studio 17’ became one of the island’s top studios, eventually recording thousands of artists from Bob Marley and The Wailers to Peter Tosh, The Heptones, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Burning Spear, nearly all of the new genre’s top acts from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. The name Randy’s became synonymous with the golden era of reggae.
A JAMERICAN STORY – KINGSTON, JAMAICA TO JAMAICA, QUEENS
Jamaica in the 1970s was a challenging environment for a small business aspiring to compete in a global market. After two decades in Kingston, Jamaica, Randy’s founders Vincent and Patricia Chin set their eyes on New York City, with its growing Jamaican community and access the world’s largest market for recorded music. After relocating to a small shop at 170-03 Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York, (and later to 170-21 Jamaica Avenue, the current location) the Chins continued the retail, manufacturing and distribution model developed in Kingston.
Early VP releases included the work of Bob Marley’s eccentric producer Lee Perry as well as Bunny Striker Lee, Ossie Hibbert, Tappa Zukie, and Donovan Germain. During the first five years in New York, VP developed a variety of sublabels including Love, Roots, Roots From The Yard, Jah Guidance, Lightning, and Reggae Sound. VP helped establish the sound of the ‘early dancehall’ period of the 1980s, featuring artists such as Yellowman, Michigan & Smiley, Johnny Osbourne, Michael Prophet, and Barrington Levy. Hits such as “Zunguzunguguzeng,” “Diseases,” “Ice Cream Love,” “Gun Man”, and “Prison Oval Rock” highlighted the era (…)
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VP TODAY
In 2008, the VP Music Group purchased Greensleeves Records, a British record label dating to 1977 with a catalog that encompassed much of the same music VP released in the US in the early 1980s, in addition to its more recent marquee artists Mr. Vegas, Vybz Kartel, and Alborosie. Acquisition of the Greensleeves catalog has allowed VP to market over 25,000 songs, which in addition to traditional vinyl and CD formats, can now be heard on all major streaming platforms – Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, etc. VP also established an independent distribution arm, VPAL (VP Associated Label Group) in 2009 to help independent producers and artists bring products to the market.
Through the years, succeeding generations of the Chin family have been active in the day to day management of the company, with co-founder Patricia enjoying matriarchal status. With offices in New York, Miami, London, Kingston, and satellites in Tokyo and Rio, VP Records and the VP Music Group are truly global in its operation. As VP Records turns the corner on 2020, its roster includes Beres Hammond, Alborosie, Romain Virgo, Jah Cure, Spice, Busy Signal, Jah9, Raging Fyah, Kumar Bent, Christopher Martin, Ikaya, Fay-Ann Lyons, Gyptian, Queen Ifrica, and Spiritual.