Gregory Isaacs — The Cool Ruler
Introduction:
Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1950 – 25 October 2010) was, in the words of The New York Times, "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae" — and few who ever heard his silky, smooth, achingly romantic voice would argue otherwise. Known the world over as The Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs was one of the most prolific, beloved and distinctive artists in the history of Jamaican music — a man who virtually invented lovers rock as a genre, recorded an estimated 500 albums and singles across a 40-year career, and left behind songs that will endure for as long as reggae music exists. His 1982 classic "Night Nurse" remains one of the most recognisable and beloved reggae records ever made.
African Museum & The Early Years;
Born in the Fletcher's Land area of Kingston in 1950, Gregory Isaacs first recorded in 1968 — as a teenager, for producer Byron Lee, in a duet with Winston Sinclair. The single made little impact, but the voice was unmistakable. After brief involvement with vocal groups including The Concords, Isaacs teamed up with Errol Dunkley in 1973 to found the African Museum record label and shop — one of Jamaica's first artist-run labels. Their first release, Isaacs' self-produced "My Only Lover", was an immediate hit and is credited by some as the first lovers rock record ever made. Between 1973 and 1976 he released more material than most artists produce in a lifetime, covering ballads, roots reggae, conscious themes and romantic numbers with equal mastery.
Gregory Isaacs -The Best Of - Track Listing:
01 Barry Gee Intro - Gregory Isaacs- Sunsplash 1990.mp3
02 Night Nurse.mp3
03 Rumours - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
04 Top Ten - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
05 Hard Drugs - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
06 Tune In - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
07 Soon Farward - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
08 My Number One -Gregory Isaacs.mp3
09 Front Door - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
10 The Border - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
11 Ragamuffin - Dennis Brown Ft Gregory Isaacs.mp3
12 One Man Against The World - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
13 Oh What A Feeling - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
14 Private Beach Party - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
15 Permanent Lover - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
16 Private Secretary - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
17 Once Again - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
18 One More Time - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
19 Cool Down The Pace - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
20 Uncle Joe - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
21 If I Don't Have You - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
22 Half - Pint - Talks About The Big , Bad Chinchilla Choons.mp3
23 Gregory Isaacs - Babylon Too Rough.mp3
24 Mr. Cop - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
25 Black A Black - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
26 Hot Stepper -Gregory Isaacs.mp3
27 Poor Millionaire - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
28 Material Man - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
29 Slave Master - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
30 The Sun Shines For Me - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
31 Confirm Reservation - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
32 Mr Brown - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
33 Objection Overruled - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
34 Out Deh -Gregory Isaacs.mp3
35 Hang On (Storm) - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
36 Set The Captives Free - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
37 Smile - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
38 Stranger In Town - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
39 My Love Is Overdue - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
40 Sunday Morning - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
41 My Only Lover - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
42 All I Have Is Love - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
43 Loving Pauper - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
44 Rock Away - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
45 Chinchilla Choons - Skt - (Warrior king).mp3
46 John Public - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
47 I Can't Give You My Love - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
48 Sad To Know You're Leaving - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
49 Rasta Business - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
50 Thief A Man - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
51 Substitute - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
52 Danger In Your Eyes - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
53 Disrespect - Gregory Isaacs Ft. Shabba Ranks & Josey Wales.mp3
54 Off A Mi Fender - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
55 Hartical Don aka Hail Artical Don - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
56 Going Downtown - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
57 Extra Classic - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
58 Mr Know It All - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
59 A Riot - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
60 Warriors - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
61 Beautiful Africa - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
62 Motherless Children (12_ Mix) - Gregory Isaacs.mp3
63 Chinchilla Choons ( Skit ) The Best Of.mp3
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The Cool Ruler, Night Nurse & International Stardom:
His 1978 signing to Virgin's Frontline label produced the classic album Cool Ruler — the nickname that would define him forever — and his appearance in the reggae film Rockers. The title track of Sly & Robbie's 1979 production "Soon Forward" gave their new Taxi label its first hit. But it was his 1982 Island Records album Night Nurse — recorded with the Roots Radics — that broke him to the widest international audience. Received with enormous enthusiasm in the UK and across the Caribbean diaspora, "Night Nurse" became a standard, and the album reached number 32 in the UK. His collaboration with Dennis Brown on albums like Two Bad Superstars Meet (1984) brought two of reggae's greatest voices together.
Despite personal struggles — including a period of drug addiction that he was commendably open about — Isaacs never stopped making music. He recorded with virtually every major Jamaican producer, from King Jammy and Bobby Digital to Sly & Robbie and Gussie Clarke, whose production of "Rumours" became another major hit. His 2008 album Brand New Me was Grammy nominated, and his final album Isaacs Meets Isaac received a fourth Grammy nomination in 2011, the year after he died of lung cancer at his home in London on 25 October 2010. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in 2016.
Key Albums:
- Cool Ruler (1978, Virgin Frontline)
- Soon Forward (1979)
- The Lonely Lover (1980)
- Night Nurse (1982, Island) — international classic
- Out Deh! (1983, Island)
- Rumours (1988)
- Brand New Me (2008) — Grammy nominated
Gregory Isaacs on Reggae On A Stick: 
Gregory Isaacs is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience the Cool Ruler alongside 99 other legends of Jamaican music.
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