Жамайкалық "Gladiators" тобының тарихы

Jamaican roots reggae band

The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths (lead guitar and vocals; born 1945, died December 15, 2020), Clinton Fearon (bass guitar and vocals) and Gallimore Sutherland (rhythm guitar and vocals). Their two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up (1976) and Proverbial Reggae (1978) with songs such as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks the Time is Now". "Mix Up", "Music Makers from Jamaica", and "Soul Rebel" – a song written by The Wailers. Gladiators also cooperated with the toaster U Roy.

Albert Griffiths, singer and guitar player, was the founder of the reggae group The Gladiators. After some success with the singles "You Are The Girl" (a b side to The Ethiopians' hit record "Train to Skaville") in 1967, he recruited his childhood friends David Webber and Errol Grandison in 1968 to form the original Gladiators vocal group. The group's name was allegedly suggested by a fellow bus passenger during the time of their first recordings. The group's first major success was with the single "Hello Carol" in 1969, for producer Coxsone Dodd, which topped the Jamaican music charts. Shortly afterwards, in 1969, Webber was stricken with illness and was replaced by Clinton Fearon, one of Griffiths' proteges. Similarly Grandison left the group in 1973 for family commitments and was replaced by Gallimore Sutherland. During the early 1970s the Gladiators cut numerous records for various producers such as, Lloyd Daley and Lee Perry, but it was their recordings for Dodd at Studio One that became the biggest hits. During this time at Studio One the Gladiators' hits included "Bongo Red", "Jah Jah Go Before Us", "Mr. Baldwin", and "Roots Natty". The success of these recordings garnered the attention of Britain based Virgin Records, who gave the group their first major recording contract in 1976. a compilation of some early Gladiators' records released 1968 – 1974. The Gladiators' next two albums on Virgin were Naturality (1978) and Sweet So Till (1979). Nevertheless, the Gladiators released eleven studio albums in the 1980s. They soon found a home at US based Nighthawk Records and released Symbol of Reality in late 1982 followed by Serious Thing in 1984. In 2005, the Gladiators released Fathers and Sons which has been regarded as Albert Griffiths' farewell after ill health forced him to retire from touring, with his sons, Alan and Anthony, joining the group.

Album Release Year Label Trenchtown Mix Up 1976 Virgin Records Studio One Presenting the Gladiators 1977 Studio One Proverbial Reggae 1978 Virgin Records Naturality 1979 Virgin Records Sweet So Till 1979 Virgin Records Gladiators 1980 Virgin Records Babylon Street 1982 Jam Rock Records Back To Roots 1982 Stunt Sounds Symbol of Reality 1982 Nighthawk Records Reggae To Bone 1982 Jam Rock Records Serious Thing 1984 Nighthawk Records Show Down Vol. 3 w/ Don Carlos & Gold 1984 Empire Records Reggae Jamboree 1984 Roots Reggae Library Country Living 1985 Heartbeat Records Dread Prophesy w/ The Ethiopians 1986 Nighthawk Records In Store For You 1988 Heartbeat Records On The Right Track 1989 Heartbeat Records Valley of Decision 1991 Heartbeat Records A True Rastaman 1992 MPO Records The Storm 1994 Riddim Mu Records Something a Gwaan 2000 RAS Records Once Upon A Time in Jamaica 2002 XIII Bis Records Fathers and Sons 2005 RAS Records Continuation 2009 Mediacom Back on Tracks 2014 Utopia