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Few figures in Jamaican music embody the bridge between the golden age of roots reggae and the dawn of dancehall quite like Linval Thompson. Singer, songwriter, and producer, Thompson’s career spans over five decades—an unbroken thread of rhythm, spirituality, and creative independence that has shaped generations of reggae artists.
New York Beginnings
Born Linval Alphanso Thompson on October 12, 1954 in Kingston, Jamaica, he spent his early years immersed in the island’s vibrant musical atmosphere before migrating to New York City as a teenager to join his parents. Life in the United States offered him his first real exposure to recording studios and the possibilities of a musical career. While attending high school, Thompson began writing his first songs and later studied engineering, though music remained his true calling he told Nathan Bush from AllMusic.
“I take a little money from my mother… went to the studio and recorded ‘There Is No Other Woman’,” he recalled in a 2019 interview at Reggae University during Rototom Sunsplash. The song—written, produced, and sung by Thompson himself with the Buccaneers Band in Brooklyn—became his debut single, a rare achievement for a self-managed Jamaican artist abroad. “I write the song, produce the song, and sing the song,” he reflected in the 2024 documentary Linval Thompson – Retrospective, describing it as the moment he first established his identity as an artist.
The track’s modest success led to further recordings for the New York-based Mart’s label, including “Weeping and Wailing,” “Jah Jah Deh,” and “Good Gracious Woman.” These early songs revealed a young songwriter finding his voice while drawing inspiration from artists like Dennis Brown, whom he would later go on to produce. “Dennis Brown was my singer—and still is,” Thompson told Reggae University.
Young Linval Thompson — Photo courtesy of Greensleeves Records, photographed by Tim O’Sullivan.Return to Jamaica
In 1974, Thompson returned to Kingston, determined to establish himself in Jamaica’s fiercely competitive music scene. His persistence led to a meeting with Keith “Stamma” Hobson, an associate of Keith Hudson, who gave him his first Jamaican recording opportunity. The track “Mama Say” didn’t make waves, but its follow-up “Westbound Plane”—a reworking of Dennis Brown’s “Westbound Train”—earned him attention for his unique phrasing and lyrical sincerity.
Soon after, Phil Pratt introduced Thompson to Lee “Scratch” Perry, who was then recording at the legendary Black Ark Studio. There he recorded “Jah Jah” and “Girlie Got to Run,” and later “Kung Fu Man,” which featured Perry’s distinctive experimental production. “Scratch had a two-track machine… harmony on one, bass on one, my voice on one. Everything go on one track,” Thompson recalled. “It was very basic, but it made magic.”
The period also saw him briefly work with Augustus Pablo, cutting tracks such as “Natty Dread a Pressure Them,” which further cemented his reputation as one of the young singers defining the roots renaissance.
Bunny Lee and the Dreadlocks Anthem
By 1975, Thompson had joined forces with the prolific producer Bunny “Striker” Lee. Their first collaboration, “Don’t Cut Off Your Dreadlocks,” became a landmark single of the roots reggae era. The track, which appeared on his debut album of the same name (engineered by Lee and released in the U.S. as Cool Down), was among the earliest to openly celebrate Rastafarian identity.
“I don’t hear no artist was singing about ‘don’t cut off your dreadlocks,’ maybe only Bob Marley,” Thompson told an audience at Rototom Sunsplash. “Every dance have it playing.” Songs such as “Ride On Dreadlocks” and “Cool Down Your Temper” solidified his place among reggae’s most thoughtful voices. As the Enki’s Music Records biography notes, “Thompson’s voice carried the authority of a prophet but the tone of a street poet—deeply rooted, conscious, and unpretentious.”
King Tubby, Channel One, and Thompson Sound
The late 1970s marked a turning point for Thompson as he began to transition from singer to producer. Working closely with King Tubby and Channel One Studios, he refined his sound while experimenting with dub techniques. “We never sing about killing song,” he explained in one interview. “We sing about positive songs, and King Tubby would play it—the whole place just get excited.”
It was during this period that he founded his Thompson Sound label, through which he recorded his 1978 masterpiece ‘I Love Marijuana’, featuring drummer Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace and bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett of the Wailers. The album’s success, recorded at Channel One, established Thompson as both a leading artist and a producer of serious pedigree.
His studio sessions gave rise to a new rhythm powerhouse—the Roots Radics Band—which would later anchor reggae’s next evolution. This period also introduced Henry “Junjo” Lawes, who began as Thompson’s assistant before becoming one of the most influential producers of the early dancehall era.
Mentor, Innovator, and the Birth of Dancehall
By the early 1980s, Thompson’s fingerprints were everywhere—from the rhythms of Scientist Meets the Space Invaders to Freddie McGregor’s global hit “Big Ship,” which he engineered. The era also saw his dub experiments such as Negrea Dub, Green Bay Dub, and Outlaw Dub become underground classics.
As reggae shifted toward the digital age, Thompson maintained his commitment to live instrumentation and message music. “Roots music—that’s the right way. Positive music,” he said firmly. But by the mid-1980s, with the rise of computerised rhythms like “Under Me Sleng Teng,” he quietly stepped back from the spotlight, focusing on his Stony Hill property and venturing into real estate.
Recent Work and Legacy
Even as digital dancehall dominated, Thompson’s influence endured. Reissues of his classic albums through Blood & Fire, Trojan, and Majestic Reggae introduced his catalogue to a new generation, while his songs continued to be sampled and remixed worldwide.
Thompson remains deeply rooted in the spiritual and moral principles that have guided him since his earliest days in music. Speaking during a 2019 Rototom Sunsplash panel reflecting on his career, he said, “When you are to be a Rasta, you have to have love for everyone. You have to stay positive and try to help people.” His words reflected not only his personal philosophy but also the enduring message woven through his music.
In recent years, he has collaborated with Spanish producer Roberto Sánchez, releasing “Borderline” and touring with the Strong Like Sampson Band. “Each time we entered the border, the sheriff asked for my passport… so I write the song,” he said of its inspiration.
In 2018, he released Linval Presents Dub Landing Vols. 1 & 2, showcasing rare and unreleased gems from his production archives. From his home in Kingston’s Stone Town, Thompson continues to record and mentor young artists, including female vocalists like Nadia McAnuff and Kay Vibes, whom he sees as the next wave of conscious roots reggae.
Sources:
- Reggae University, Rototom Sunsplash (2019)
- AllMusic Biography by Nathan Bush (2024)
- Enki’s Music Records: Linval Thompson – Dancehall Pioneer (2022)
- Linval Thompson – Retrospective Documentary (2024)
- Irie Ites Records Interview (2024)
English (US) ·