Cruise International Records,
Allerton Grange Vale,
Leeds,
LS17 6LS
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Junior Byles Curly Locks 7” vinyl
Junior Byles (Kerrie Byles Jr.)
Born 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica. In late 1967, Junior formed a vocal group named The Versatiles. They cut their first session for release on Joe Gibbs’s Amalgamated label. Three superb titles (“Just Can’t Win,” “The Time Has Come” and “Trust The Book” were recorded under the supervision of Lee Perry with musical backup from Lynn Taitt & The Jets.
Between 1968 and 1974, Perry and Junior collaborated in the production of over forth titles, including all time classics like “Curly Locks,” “Rasta No Pickpocket,” “Place Called Africa,” “Beat Down Babylon,” “King Of Babylon,” “Cutting Razor” and “Long Way.”
By the mid-seventies, Junior was a major star in Jamaica poised for international exposure.
Between 1968 and 1974, Perry and Junior collaborated in the production of over forth titles, including all time classics like “Curly Locks,” “Rasta No Pickpocket,” “Place Called Africa,” “Beat Down Babylon,” “King Of Babylon,” “Cutting Razor” and “Long Way.”
By the mid-seventies, Junior was a major star in Jamaica poised for international exposure.
As a Rastaman, Junior Byles explores themes of slavery, oppression, and repatriation in his music. These powerful subjects are vividly expressed in songs like “I’ve Got A Feeling”, “Beat Down Babylon”, and “A Place Called Africa”. It’s no surprise that these tracks rank among the most conscious ever written on such issues, offering clear and direct reflections on the ongoing suffering of Black people.
“Don’t Know Why” shifts the focus to heartbreak, serving as a sorrowful love song. Meanwhile, “A Matter of Time” addresses the troubling behavior of young girls—perhaps an attempt to reason with those seemingly beyond reason.
Other standout tracks include “Demonstration” (a version of “What’s The World Coming To” without strings and with a cleaner mix), “Coming Again”, and “Poor Chubby”. These songs tackle themes of global destruction, revolution, and exploitation, revealing the deepening awareness that Byles developed over time. This growth enabled him to craft enduring classics such as “Bur-O-Boy”, “Can You Feel It”, and “Chant Down Babylon”.
Though Beat Down Babylon was a ground-breaking album in reggae’s evolution, it was recognized by only a few at the time.
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