Tyrone Taylor — Cottage in Negril
Introduction:
Born in Negril, Jamaica, in 1957, Tyrone Taylor was a reggae singer of extraordinary emotional depth — a man whose golden voice, instinct for melody and gift for songwriting AllMusic compared to Bob Andy's. He recorded his debut single "Delilah" at the age of twelve for producer Joe Gibbs, making him one of the youngest artists in the history of the Jamaican recording industry. His career touched producers across the full breadth of Jamaica's golden era: Clancy Eccles, Jack Ruby, Winston "Niney the Observer" Holness, King Tubby, Willie Lindo, and Bob Marley's Tuff Gong organisation. His self-produced 1983 lovers rock anthem "Cottage in Negril" — inspired by a failed romance and written while living in Negril — became the best-selling single in Jamaica in 1983 and won him the title of Best Selling Singer of the Year. MCA Records, fresh from their UK number one success with Musical Youth, signed him on the strength of it. The song has since become a standard of the reggae lovers rock canon, with no reggae collection considered complete without it. He died in Kingston on 1 December 2007, from prostate cancer, aged fifty.
Negril, Tuff Gong & The Song That Lives Forever:
Tyrone Taylor's formal musical education came through his relationship with legendary guitarist Willie Lindo — who encouraged him to return to singing after an early period of disillusionment — and through years working with Jamaica's finest session musicians. After the Gibbs debut at twelve, he formed the Soul Menders with singer Vince Brown, then the Soul Twins with Clancy Eccles in 1972, recording "Don't Call Me Nigga" and "Rastafari Ruler" — two of the more remarkable protest recordings of the early 1970s. His move toward a more romantic and reflective style came through his work with Jack Ruby in 1975: "Life Table" and "I'd Like to Know" were his first properly acknowledged hits. Then came 1977's "Sufferation" with Niney the Observer — his biggest single to that point, and significant enough to earn a King Tubby dub mix. His affiliation with Bob Marley's Tuff Gong organisation briefly brought him into the heart of Jamaica's most prestigious music camp.
"Cottage in Negril" — self-produced in 1981 and released to wider circulation in 1983 — arrived at a moment when dancehall was dominating the Jamaican market and romantic ballads seemed commercially vulnerable. Its success was therefore all the more remarkable. The song's quietly devastating romantic melancholy, its beautiful melody and the specific, lived-in detail of its Negril setting — written, as a close friend later confirmed, at his own cottage in Negril during a relationship — gave it an emotional authenticity that audiences recognised immediately. MCA signed him, arranged a European tour, and scheduled album recordings — but the lack of label support led to his premature departure from the contract. A series of 1987 hits including "Members Only" and "Be For Real!" brought him back before health challenges and personal difficulties dimmed his output. His 1993 comeback album The Way to Paradise — produced by Willie Lindo, featuring cover versions — was a quiet, graceful return. He died in 2007, beloved.
Tyrone Taylor - The Best Of - Track Listing:
01 Chinchilla Choons Intro - (George Nooks).mp3
02 Cottage In negril - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
03 Rainy Sunset - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
04 Members Only - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
05 Midnight Hour - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
06 Test Of Our Love - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
07 My Music - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
08 When You're Down - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
09 True Love - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
10 Ain't No Love - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
11 Big City - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
12 Got To Make Me Love You - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
13 Happiness Is Loving You - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
14 Funny Hang Over - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
15 Hold Your Hand In Public - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
16 Rock Me - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
17 Don't Let Me Be Lonely - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
18 Conquered My heart - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
19 A Little Bit Of Love - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
20 I'm A Believer - Tyrone Taylor.mp3
* The Best Of
* Play Tracks Directly On Your Mobile Phone.
* All Tracks Are Individual.
* Full Tracks. *
* All Tracks Are Mp3 (320kbps) Quality.
* No Jingles Over The Tracks*
Key Releases:
- Move Up Blackman (1976) — debut album
- Cottage in Negril (1983, self-produced) — Jamaica Best Selling Single of the Year; MCA Records signing
- Jamming in the Hills (1986)
- Two of a Kind (1987, with Ken Boothe)
- The Way to Paradise (1993, produced by Willie Lindo)
Tyrone Taylor on Reggae On A Stick: 
Tyrone Taylor 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 timeless beauty of Cottage in Negril alongside 99 other legends.
👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB