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Keith Hudson

Profile:
Keith Hudson was born into a musical family in Kingston, Jamaica in 1946. His musical education began as Hudson worked as a sort of roadie for Skatalite and Jamaican trombone king Don Drummond. By age 21, Hudson, who had been trained as a dentist, sunk his earnings into his own record label, Inbidimts, and had a hit with Ken Boothe's recording of "Old Fashioned Way." Not long after this chart success, the suddenly hot Hudson was producing some of the biggest names (and soon-to-be biggest names) in reggae -- John Holt, Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, and the great toasters U-Roy and Dennis Alcapone, all of whom benefited from what would be Hudson's trademark production style: groove-centered, bass/drum-dominated, lean and mean stripped-down riddims. By the mid-seventies, Hudson began releasing more solo work, hitting paydirt from the start with his 1974 debut, "Entering the Dragon" and his intense second record, "Flesh Of My Skin" for Brent Clarke's Tottenham based Atra imprint. This 1974 set was the first real solo flowering of Hudson as "The Dark Prince Of Reggae", the overriding atmosphere was sombre and brooding, but also righteous and proud. In 1976, Hudson relocated to New York City and worked pretty much nonstop, producing as well as recording solo records up until 1982. He succumbed to lung cancer on 14th November 1984, at age 38.
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Aliases:
Variations:
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Discography

Releases:
Too Expensive (Album) (4 versions)   Virgin ... 1976
Bloody Eyes / Bloody Eyes Dub (12")   Greensleeves Records 1978
Nuh Skin Up Dub (Album) (3 versions)   Joint International ... 1979
Rasta Communication (LP)   Joint International 1979
Rasta Communication (2 versions)   Greensleeves Records 1979
Pick A Dub (Album) (4 versions)   Jah Live ... 1981
Brand (Album) (4 versions)   Pressure Sounds 1995
Turn The Heater On / Version (7")   Conqueror Records (2) 1996
Playing It Cool & Playing It Right (Album) (2 versions)   Basic Replay 2003
Satan Side / Evil Spirit (7")   Trojan Records 2003
Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood (2 versions)   Basic Replay 2004
The Betrayer / Hot Stuff (7", Single, Ltd)   Trojan Records 2004
Entering The Dragon (CD)   Trojan Records 2006
Barbican Heights (7")   Pressure Sounds 2007
Ace 90 Skank / True True To My Heart (7", Gre)   Mafia 2008
Darkest Night On A Wet Looking Road (7", Yel)   Mafia 2008
Fat Baby / Fight On Fight On (7", Gre)   Mafia 2008
Jah Lion Jungle / Torch Of Freedom (7", Yel)   Mafia 2008
Peter And Judas / Satan Version (7", Single, Gre)   Mafia 2008
Satan Side (7", Gre)   Mafia 2008
Silver Platter (Satan Riddim) (7", Gre)   Mafia 2008
Class And Subject (7", Blu)   Mafia 2009
Desiree (12", Ltd)   Joint International  
National Anthem / Rast A Country (7", Rep)   Clock Tower Records Inc.  
Production:
I Am Alright (7")   Original Music 1975
The Front Line (2 versions) Civilisation Virgin ... 1976
Green Valley (LP, Album)   Manic Records (3) 1979
Pistol Boy (12")   Manic Records (3) 1979
Everyday Skank - Best Of Big Youth (LP)   Trojan Records 1980
Mr. Hornsman. Instrumental Reggae 1968 - 1975 (LP, Comp)   Trojan Records 1988
Studio Kinda Cloudy - Keith Hudson And Friends (LP)   Trojan Records 1988
Rebel Music (2xCD) S. 90 Skank, Melody Ma... Trojan Records 1989
Studio Kinda Cloudy - Keith Hudson And Friends (CD)   Trojan Records 1994
Heavyweight Sound - A Blood And Fire Sampler (CD, Smplr) Black Heart, Black Right Blood & Fire 1995
Shades Of Hudson (Album) (2 versions)   VP Records 1996
Natural Selection (CD, Album)   Not On Label (Pivot (2) Self-Released) 2000
The Wire 20 1982 - 2002: Audio Issue (3xCD, Comp + Box) Satan Side Mute Records Ltd. 2002
King Tubby's - In Fine Style (2 versions) Don't Think About Me (... Trojan Records 2004
Old Fashioned Way / Dynamic Fashion Way / Spanish Omega / Fat Baby / Broken Contract (10", Ltd)   Trojan Records 2004
The Hudson Affair - Keith Hudson And Friends (Comp) (2 versions)   Earmark ... 2004
This Is Reggae Music - The Golden Era 1960 - 1975 (4xCD) S90 Skank Trojan Records 2005
The Big J Of Reggae (LP)   Joint International  
Appears On:
Oh My Darlin' / Ball Of Confusion (7")   Punch 1970
Barbican Hights (7")   K&B Records 1977
Green Valley (LP, Album)   Manic Records (3) 1979
The Peel Sessions (EP) (4 versions) Turn The Heater On Strange Fruit 1986
Indie Top 20 Vol. 1 (Cass, Comp) Turn The Heater On Band Of Joy 1987
Classic Selection Volume 1 (CD) Satan Side On-U Sound 1989
The John Peel Sessions (Album, Comp) (5 versions)   Strange Fruit ... 1990
Dubwise & Otherwise: A Blood And Fire Audio Catalogue (CD, Comp) Michael Talbot Affair Blood & Fire 1997
Skanking With Pablo - Melodica For Hire 1971 - 77 (CD, Comp) Fat Baby Trojan Records 2002
The Wire 20 1982 - 2002: Audio Issue (3xCD, Comp + Box) Satan Side Mute Records Ltd. 2002
The Hudson Affair - Keith Hudson And Friends (2xLP, Comp) Old Fashion Way, Spani... Earmark 2004
Idi Amin (12")   Jumbo Caribbean Disco  
Tracks Appear On:
The Front Line (2 versions) Civilisation Virgin ... 1976
Rebel Music - An Anthology Of Reggae Music (Comp) (2 versions) Melody Maker Trojan Records 1979
Studio Kinda Cloudy - Keith Hudson And Friends (LP) Satan Side Trojan Records 1988
Rebel Music (2xCD) Melody Maker Trojan Records 1989
Beyond The Front Line (CD, Smplr, RM) Civilisation Front Line Records, Virgin 1990
Studio Kinda Cloudy - Keith Hudson And Friends (CD) Satan Side Trojan Records 1994
A History Of Dub - The Golden Age (CD) In The Rain Part 2 Munich Records 1995
Heavyweight Sound - A Blood And Fire Sampler (CD, Smplr) Black Heart, Black Right Blood & Fire 1995
Sounds & Pressure Volume One (CD, Comp) Barbican Dub, Black Be... Pressure Sounds 1995
Shades Of Hudson (Album) (2 versions) Freedom Freedom, Old F... VP Records 1996
Dubwise & Otherwise: A Blood And Fire Audio Catalogue (CD, Comp) Michael Talbot Affair Blood & Fire 1997
In The Red Zone: The Essential Collection of Classic Dub (CD) Don't Move Shanachie 1997
Trojan Rare Groove Box Set (2 versions) True True To My Heart,... Trojan Records ... 1999
Select Cuts From Blood & Fire (3 versions) I'm Alright (Orbing Al... Select Cuts 2000
Bloodlines: Jamaican Dub & Roots (2xLP) Satan Side One Stop Records 2002
Select Cuts From Blood & Fire Chapter Three (2 versions) Satia (Henry & Louise ... Select Cuts 2002
The Wire 20 1982 - 2002: Audio Issue (3xCD, Comp + Box) Satan Side Mute Records Ltd. 2002
Don't Think About Me / I'm Alright (10") Melody Maker Trojan Records 2003
Dub Sessions (2xCD) I'm Alright Sessions 2003
Young Gifted And Black (CD, Comp) Melody Maker Trojan Records 2003
Kung Fu! Reggae Vs The Martial Arts (CD, Comp) Black Belt Jones Trojan Records 2004
The Hudson Affair - Keith Hudson And Friends (Comp) (2 versions) Old Broom, (You Must B... Earmark ... 2004
The Nextmen - Blunted In The Backroom (CD) Black Belt Jones Antidote 2005
The Rough Guide To Dub (CD, Comp) Satia World Music Network 2005
Dubby Sport (CD, Mixed, Promo) Playing It Right Dub Jazzy Sport 2006
Basic Replay (CD) Hunting Basic Replay 2007
Furry Selection: Luxury Cuts Of Trojan Chosen By A Super Furry Animal (CD) Darkest Night On A Wet... Trojan Records 2007
Sun Is Shining (CD) Nuh Skin Up Dub Mojo Magazine 2007
Rebel Music - A Reggae Anthology Volume 1 (2xLP) Melody Maker Trojan Records  
The Big J Of Reggae (LP) Freedom Freedom Joint International  
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YouTube Videos

Keith Hudson - Pick A Dub