1 month ago
6
The story of reggae music is a big part of the stories of Chris Blackwell, the Jamaican-British founder of Island Records and Englishman Richard Branson, co-founder of the Virgin Group, now described as “one of the world’s most irresistible groups”.
The 87-year-old Blackwell and the 74-year-old Branson have long been fierce rivals in the global music space, but as the latter told a gathering at the Bob Marley Museum at a 4/20 celebration “we’ve always been friends”. Branson, who was in the island recently hanging out with Blackwell, also spoke highly of reggae icon, Peter Tosh, whom he signed to his Virgin Records label in the early ‘80s.
Branson is a treasure trove of stories about the early days of reggae music and he delighted the audience by sharing again the one about his meeting with Peter Tosh.
“First of all, I have a feeling that Chris Blackwell is somewhere in the audience,” he told the audience as he joined roots reggae singer, Jesse Royal, onstage. “Chris ... put your hands up. Chris is obviously someone I looked up to. He ran Island Records ... he discovered Bob Marley, and obviously Bob is somebody who the whole world looks up to. He produced him, Chris nearly got shot with him. He is an extraordinary man and I think he is responsible for building this stage. So one round of applause for Chris,” Branson said.
Addressing their long-standing friendship, Branson noted that Virgin, through its Front Line label, and Island Records competed to sign the best bands, but stated previously that “in the evening, we would put our competitive gloves, have a drink together and remain friends. Life is too short to fall out with people”.
He recalled signing the Gladiators, the Abyssinians, U-Roy, I-Roy, the Mighty Diamonds and Peter Tosh.
“When Bob Marley sadly died, I flew to Jamaica with the aim of signing Peter Tosh who I thought was one of the greatest artistes, greatest song-writers, greatest guitarists around. I went to his house and I knocked on his door and there was no response. I thought I saw the curtain move a little bit. I was only in my 20s at the time ... he wouldn’t have necessarily known who I was,” Branson recalled.
Branson’s next move was to sit outside Peter Tosh’s gate for two days, after which the reggae singer and former member of the iconic band, the Wailers, agreed to have audience with him.
“[He] finally he invited me into his house ... and he rolled the biggest spliffs ever. I mean one foot long ... and he put me through an initiation of fire. I ended up laying prostrate on the floor and somehow I passed the initiation test and he agreed to sign with Virgin,” Branson said to cheers.
He continued, “The first record he put out .... and maybe if that record hadn’t come out ... we’re celebrating 10 years of legalisation of cannabis in Jamaica ... and without that record I think it may never have been legalised. Legalise It was the first record he put out and I am now going to beg you, if possible, to play that record ... Legalise It.”
Known as much for his activism as he was for his music, Tosh was an advocate for the legalisation of marijuana. Ten years ago, Jamaica decriminalised the possession of up to two ounces of ganja. Producer, Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, who was at the event, told The Gleaner that he agreed with Branson’s assessment.
“Peter Tosh was a visionary who saw that marijuana could be used for commercial and pharmaceutical purposes. Like his songs against Apartheid, I definitely agree that his song Legalize It influenced the policy- makers and lawmakers in the legalisation and decriminalisation of marijuana worldwide.
In a 2017 interview with www.nme.com, Branson named Legalise it as “the song I wish I had written” noting that it is “a very beautifully written, beautifully crafted song”.
English (US) ·