history / edit

Artist

Shortcut Code: [a64737]
Data Quality Rating: Correct
52 submissions pending
Add to List

Shopping

Search for this:
 eBay .uk
 Amazon .uk .de
X 160 For Sale

Jump To

Junior Byles

Real Name:
Kerrie Byles Jr.
Profile:
Born 1948 in Kingston, Jamacia. In late 1967, Junior formed a vocal group named The Versatiles. They cut their first session for release on Joel Gibson's Amalgamated label. Three superb titles ("Just Can't Win," "The Time Has Come" and "Trust The Book" were recorded under the supervision of Lee Perry with musical backup from Lynn Taitt & the Jets.
Between 1968 and 1974, Perry and Junior collaborated in the production of over forth titles, including all time classics like "Curly Locks," "Rasta No Pickpocket," "Place Called Africa," "Beat Down Babylon," "King Of Babylon," "Cutting Razor" and "Long Way."
By the mid-seventies, Junior was a major star in Jamaica poised for international exposure. However he was also acquiring a reputation for madness. By 1976, Junior Byles was confined to the mental ward at Belview Hospital in Kingston. Throughout the later part of the decade, Junior was in and out of the hospital sanitarium and in this period he managed to make many great records for a variety of producers. There was "Chant Down Babylon" and "Pitchy Patchy" for the JaMan label, a remake of "King Of Babylon" for Niney and Lloyd Campbell, "False Leader" for Micron, and the classic "Fade Away" for Channel One. Two albums were released, the first from Perry material on Dynamic/Trojan and the second co-produced by Perry and Pete Weston and Micron.
In Groups:
Variations:
edit genres sort

Discography

Releases:
Festival Da-Da / Da-Da (7")   Upsetter 1972
Pharoah Hiding / Hail To Power (7")   Dynamic Sounds 1972
Plat Skank / Break Up To Make Up (7")   Count Shelly 1973
Curley Locks (7", Single)   Orchid 1974
Gwane Joshua Gwane (7")   Jaguar (2) 1974
Bur-O-Boy (7")   The Thing 1975
Chant Down Babylon (Single) (2 versions)   Ja-Man Records 1975
Fade Away (4 versions)   Well Charge ... 1975
Dread Locks Time / Peel Head (7")   Errol T Records 1979
Rasta No Pickpocket (LP)   Nighthawk Records 1986
Beat Down Babylon "The Upsetter Years" (LP)   Trojan Records 1987
Jordan (Album) (3 versions)   Heartbeat Records (2) 1988
When Will Better Come (LP, Album)   Trojan Records 1988
Beat Down Babylon "The Upsetter Years" (CD)   Trojan Records 1997
Curly Locks: Best Of Junior Byles & The Upsetters 1970-1976 (CD)   Heartbeat Records (2) 1997
Long-Long Time / Fade Away (7")   Digital-B 1999
Social Classics (7")   Heavenly 2001
Lorna Banana (Single) (2 versions)   Pressure Sounds ... 2008
A Place Call Africa (7")   Orchid  
Beat Down Babylon (7")   Orchid  
Blackman's Paradise / Fade Away (7")   Digital-B  
Fever / This World (7", Single)   Black Art (UK)  
King Of Babylon (7")   Impact!  
Sugar-Sugar (7")   Tanasha  
The Long Way (Single) (2 versions)   Black Art (UK) ...  
Appears On:
Fade Away / Learn A Language (7") Fade Away On-U Sound 1980
New Age Steppers (Album) (2 versions) Fade Away Statik Records ... 1981
Lee Perry And Friends • Give Me Power (Comp) (2 versions) Rasta No Pickpocket Trojan Records 1988
Out Of Many, The Upsetter (Comp) (2 versions) The Long Way Trojan Records 1991
Threat To Creation (CD, Album, RE) Earthwire Line Cherry Red 1991
Fade Away (7", Single)   Shocking Vibes 1993
A Normal Family (CD, Album) Curlylocks Malawi Records 1996
Jackpot Of Hits (Explosive Rocksteady) (CD, Comp) Push It In Trojan Records 1997
Memories Of Barber Mack (Album) (3 versions)   Island Jamaica Jazz ... 1997
Juvenile (LP, Album) Music Penitentiary Records 2000
Natty Universal Dread (3xCD) Sugar Sugar Blood & Fire 2000
In The Beginning (LP) Fade Away Get Back 2001
The Best Of Inner Circle (CD) Curly Locks Trojan Records 2001
Da Real Thing (LP, Album) Trod Mt. Zion Digital-B 2002
Dubwise & Otherwise 2 : A Blood And Fire Audio Catalogue (CD, Comp) Chant Down Babylon Blood & Fire 2002
39 Minutes Of Bliss (In An Otherwise Meaningless World) (CD, Album, Copy Prot.)   Dolores Recordings, Virgin Records (Sweden) 2003
Rough Trade Shops - Post Punk 01 (2xCD, Comp) Fade Away Mute Records Ltd. 2003
Forward Jah Jah Children (2xLP, Comp) Curly Locks Earmark 2004
The Ultimate Upsetter (2xCD, Comp) Curly Locks, Dreader L... Metro Doubles 2005
Gone Out Of Your Mind (CD, Album) Fade Away Up Records (5) 2006
House Of Singles (LP) Blessed Is That Land A... Keyman Records 2006
Exterminate & Energize (CDr) Fade Away 2006 Not On Label 2007
Rare Trax Vol. 52 - White Man Can Dub - Roots Rock In A Jamaican Style (CD, Comp, Car) Fade Away Rolling Stone (Germany) 2007
The Upsetter Selection: A Lee Perry Jukebox (Comp) (2 versions) Beat Down Babylon, Cur... Trojan Records 2007
Boxen (Box + 4xCD, Comp, RM, RE + DVD, PAL) Tyna Bort Mistlur Records, MNW 2008
Tracks Appear On:
Battle Axe (2 versions) A Place Called Africa Trojan Records 1972
Creation Rockers Volume 3 (LP) A Place Called Africa Trojan Records 1979
Rebel Music - An Anthology Of Reggae Music (Comp) (2 versions) Beat Down Babylon Trojan Records 1979
Rockers (Original Soundtrack Recording) (Comp) (5 versions) Fade Away Mango ... 1979
Rock On (LP) Run Run Run Jah Live 1983
Reggae Hits Volume 2 (Comp) (4 versions) Curly Locks Jet Star Records 1985
Some Of The Best (Comp) (2 versions) The Thanks We Get Heartbeat Records (2) 1985
Lee Perry And Friends • Give Me Power (Comp) (2 versions) Rasta No Pickpocket Trojan Records 1988
Hit Bound! The Revolutionary Sound Of Channel One (Comp) (2 versions) Fade Away Heartbeat Records (2) 1989
Rebel Music (2xCD) Beat Down Babylon Trojan Records 1989
Various Artists With The Upsetters - Version Like Rain (2 versions) Fever, Beat Down Babyl... Trojan Records 1989
Observation Station (LP) Weeping Heartbeat Records (2) 1990
Observation Station (Cass, Comp) Weeping Heartbeat Records (2) 1990
Out Of Many, The Upsetter (Comp) (2 versions) Place Called Africa, T... Trojan Records 1991
Hard Works From The Observer All Stars (CD, Comp) Little Fleego Heartbeat Records (2) 1992
The Mighty Two: Joe Gibbs And Errol Thompson (CD, Album, Comp) Heart And Soul Heartbeat Records (2) 1992
Tougher Than Tough - The Story Of Jamaican Music (2 versions) Curly Locks Mango 1993
History Of Trojan Records 1972 - 1995 (Volume 2) (2xCD, Comp) Festival Da Da Trojan Records 1995
Reggae Classics Serious Selections Vol. 1 (Comp) (2 versions) Fade Away (Original Fu... Rewind Selecta 1995
Reggae's Greatest Hits Volume 3 (CD, Comp) The Thanks We Get Heartbeat Records (2) 1995
Reggae's Greatest Hits Volume 4 (CD, Comp) Fade Away Heartbeat Records (2) 1995
Reggae's Greatest Hits Volume 7 (CD, Comp) Weeping Heartbeat Records (2) 1995
Junior Byles & Friends 129 Beat Street Ja-Man Special 1975-1978 (2 versions) Chant Down Babylon (Ex... Blood & Fire 1998
Smokedown: 2 Further Travels Into The Leftfield (2xCD, Comp) Fever DCI 1998
Uptown Top Ranking - Joe Gibbs Reggae Productions 1970-78 (Comp) (2 versions) Heart And Soul Trojan Records ... 1998
Heavyweight 3: A Blood And Fire Sampler (CD) Pitchy Patchy Blood & Fire 1999
Trojan Producer Series Box Set (3xCD, Comp + Box) Heart And Soul Trojan Records 1999
Lee Perry & Friends - Chapter 3: Live As One (CD) Lock And Key, Live As ... Trojan Records 2000
Lee Perry - Jungle Lion (CD) Beat Down Babylon Music Club 2000
The Complete UK Upsetter Singles Collection Volume 3 (Comp) (2 versions) A Place Called Africa Trojan Records 2000
Trojan Jamaican Hits Box Set (3xCD, Comp + Box) Beat Down Babylon Trojan Records, Trojan Records 2000
Ultimate Collection - Songs Produced By Lee "Scratch" Perry (CD, Comp) Curly Locks Hip-O Records 2000
Dub / Original Bass Culture (CD) Dreader Locks Metro 2001
Forward To Victory! (Cass, Mixed) Fade Away Mikrokosmos 2001
Social Classics Volume 2 - Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown (2 versions) Fade Away Heavenly 2001
The Complete UK Upsetter Singles Collection Volume 4 1971 - 1973 (2 versions) Beat Down Babylon (Kin... Trojan Records 2001
Dubwise & Otherwise 2 : A Blood And Fire Audio Catalogue (CD, Comp) Chant Down Babylon Blood & Fire 2002
Rock On: Greatest Hits From The Observer Label (CD, Comp) Weeping-Water Rate (12... Heartbeat Records (2) 2002
Trojan Explosion (CD, Comp) A Place Called Africa Mojo Magazine, Mojo Magazine 2002
Trojan Upsetter Box Set (3xCD + Box) Coming Again Trojan Records 2002
Cutting Razor: Rare Cuts From The Black Ark (Comp) (2 versions) Cutting Razor (Alterna... Heartbeat Records (2) 2003
Don Letts Presents The Mighty Trojan Sound (Album) (2 versions) Fever Trojan Records 2003
Dub Sessions (2xCD) It Was The Long Way Sessions 2003
Fever / Hot And Cold Version (12") Fever Trojan Records 2003
Hurt So Good (CD, Album) Fever Trojan Records 2003
Trojan Reggae Chill-Out Box Set (3xCD, Comp + Box) Curley Locks Trojan Records 2003
Under The Influence (Album) (3 versions) Fade Away DMC Publishing 2003
Baba Boom! Musically Intensified Festival Songs (2xCD, Comp) Festival Da Da Trojan Records 2004
Dread Broadcasting Corp: Rebel Radio (2xCD) A Place Called Africa Trojan Records 2004
Here Comes That Feeling (2xCD, Comp) Fever Trojan Records 2004
Kung Fu! Reggae Vs The Martial Arts (CD, Comp) The Long Way All The Way Trojan Records 2004
Reggae Anthology: The Channel One Story (2xCD, Comp) Fade Away VP Records 2004
VersionExcursion Volume One: Roots & Rockers (Cass) Fade Away, Fever SoulForce Music 2004
Wonderman Years (2xLP) King Of Babylon Earmark 2004
Chris Coco Presents... The Dub Club Peace & Love & Dub (CD) Curley Locks / Dreader... Trojan Records 2005
I Am The Upsetter - The Story Of The Lee "Scratch" Perry Golden Years (4xCD, Comp) Place Called Africa, B... Trojan Records 2005
Low Income Tomorrowland (2 versions) Fade Away (Version) Tax Records ... 2005
Run It Red (CD) Pitchy Patchy Blood & Fire 2005
The Ultimate Upsetter (2xCD, Comp) A Place Called Africa,... Metro Doubles 2005
This Is Reggae Music - The Golden Era 1960 - 1975 (4xCD) A Place Called Africa Trojan Records 2005
All Shook Up - A Reggae Tribute To The King (CD, Comp) Fever Trojan Records 2007
Exterminate & Energize (CDr) Fade Away 2006 Not On Label 2007
Furry Selection: Luxury Cuts Of Trojan Chosen By A Super Furry Animal (CD) The Long Way Trojan Records 2007
Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller (CD, Comp) Fever, Dreader Locks Trojan Records 2007
Reggae (4xCD, Comp) Pitchy Patchy Wagram 2007
Singerman! (CD) Remember Me Blood & Fire 2007
The Upsetter Selection: A Lee Perry Jukebox (Comp) (2 versions) Beat Down Babylon, Cur... Trojan Records 2007
Micron Compilation - 'Every Mouth Must Be Fed' (Comp) (2 versions) Lorna Banana, Ain't To... Pressure Sounds 2008
Roots With Quality (2xLP) Weeping VP Records 2009
Black Art Singles Selector (CD, Comp) Fever, The Long Way Ascension Records (5)  
Clocktower Dub (LP) Longer Wax Dub Clock Tower Records Inc.  
Original Jamaican Classics - Volume Two (LP, Comp) Curly Locks Studio One  
Rebel Music - A Reggae Anthology Volume 1 (2xLP) Fever Trojan Records  
edit

YouTube Videos

Junior Byles - Fade Away