The Groove Master - Prince Tony Robinson Productions

An awesome selection on offer here as we present this collection of Prince Tony Robinson productions. We received a number of requests for this one and here it is.

Tony Robinson was based on Slipe Road, just off Orange Street, in Kingston, Jamaica and began producing in the very late 1960's. His early years and just how he got involved in the Reggae scene is pretty sketchy and much of his biography remains rather unclear.

Robinson's debut production is widely regarded as being "Casa Boo Boo" by Count Sticky who introduces the 'Prince' at the start of the song. How he acquired this royal title is again unclear.

Robinson would release a heavy output of DJ material during his career, it was obviously an area of Reggae music he favoured and would promote the toasters on a-side singles as well as albums before many of Jamaica's other producers.

Robinson created a number of labels for his productions including High School, TR Groovemaster, State Line, Jam Rock and Front Line. His dub sides were credited to the Prince Tony All-Stars, again it's unclear who made up this band but it's likely to have predominantly been the Skin, Flesh & Bones group with occassional variations. The majority of Robinson's productions were recorded at Joe Gibbs' and Harry J's studios. Front Line became the output label for his international productions when it was picked up by major label Virgin Records after they signed the roots group The Gladiators.

The Gladiators, made up of Albert Griffiths, Tony Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland, had some early success recording for Joe Gibbs and Lee Perry but it was after linking with Robinson that the group really took off.

Robinson produced the groups incredible debut album "Trenchtown Mix Up" in 1976 and when released via Front Line and Virgin Records it went on to become a roots classic. The group and producer would work together on follow up albums including "Proverbial Reggae" in 1977, "Naturality" in 1978, "Reggae To Bone" in 1979 and the fantastic "Babylon Street" released in 1982.

Tony Robinson also produced classic mid to late seventies albums by Big Youth ("Dreadlocks Dread" - 1975), U-Roy ("Dread In Babylon" - 1975 & "Rasta Ambassador" - 1976) and Barry Brown ("Mafia" - 1980) as well as fine material with future Reggae legends including Gregory Isaacs, Ken Boothe, John Holt, The Heptones, Delroy Wilson and Linval Thompson.

Robinson was highly influenced by the roots sound of the mid to late seventies, especially the style created by Lee Perry at his Black Ark studio and Robinson's productions are full of the atmospheric, dubbiness that made Perry's productions stand out, albeit Robinson had access to much more advanced recording studios.

Another artist who frequently appears on Robinson's productions is (the Ken Boothe sound-a-like) Barrington Spence. Also Roman Stewart, Dillinger, Owen Gray, The Clarendonians and Richard Ace make regular appearances.

Richard Ace cut his debut, self titled, album with Robinson in 1979 and it contained a number of fine cover versions of Disco and Funk tunes including "You Are The One I Want" and "Stayin' Alive".

Another set of covers had been recorded by Robinson back in 1975 by the group The Chosen Few who's album "Everybody Plays The Fool" sold well after the single "Tears Of A Clown" became an international hit.

By the 1980's Robinson's production output slowed down as roots reggae was slowly being edged out by the digital scene and the popular dancehall artists that were emerging.

He recorded the album "Reggae In The City" with Tony Tuff in 1981 and the album "Nice Time", a collaboration LP between Tristan Palmer and Toyan, in 1982.

He also recorded with albino duo Yellowman and Mellow Yellow in the mid-80's before heading to the US.

Robinson had some slight involvement on the US Hip-Hop scene and eventually settled in Miami where he set up a number of small businesses.

In the late 1990's, and heavily throughout the 2000's, Virgin Records began remastering and re-releasing Robinson's productions on the Front Line label, this remains ongoing to the present.

This collection gathers up singles, b-sides and album cuts from the late 1960's right up to the mid 1980's, covering every aspect of Robinson's incredible, and often hard to find, production work.


Enjoy!  : )

The Groove Master - Prince Tony Robinson Productions

Disc One

1) Count Sticky - Casa Boo Boo
2) Delroy Wilson - Here Comes The Heartache
3) Jackie Brown - Living In Sweet Jamaica
4) Norman Brown - La La La At The End
5) Barrington Spence - Bleaching Cream
6) Lloyd Parks - You Don't Care
7) Ronald Wilson - I Care
8) U-Roy - Natty Don't Fear
9) Winston Scotland - Butter Cup
10) Ranking Joe - A You Mr. Fenniegan
11) The Gladiators - Pocket Money
12) Prince Tony All-Stars - Pocket Money Dub
13) U-Roy - Evil Doers
14) Bunny Brown - My Little Girl
15) Winston Scotland - My Little Filly
16) Dillinger - My Girl
17) Noel Brown - After Laughter
18) Barrington Spence - Get It On
19) Prince Tony All-Stars - Get It On Dub
20) The Gladiators - Thief In The Night
21) U-Roy - Runaway Girl
22) The Chosen Few - Tears Of A Clown

Disc Two

1) Big Youth - Natty Dread She Want
2) Max Brown - Any Man Can Be A Fool
3) Desmond Irie - Babylon Must Fall (Extended Mix)
4) Naggo Morris & U-Roy - Say You (Extended Mix)
5) Prince Tony All-Stars - Zambia Connection
6) Ranking Joe - John Never See Them A Come
7) George Nooks - Burn It In The Palace
8)  Barrington Spence - Jah Jah Train
9) Skin, Flesh & Bones - Move Yah
10) Big Youth - Train To Rhodesia
11) The Gladiators & Trinity - Jah O Jah O (Extended Mix)
12) The Heptones - We Got To Be Free (Extended Mix)
13) Delroy Wilson - Keep On Running
14) Ranking Joe - Steal The Show
15) Gregory Isaacs - Fly Little Silver Bird
16) U-Roy - Silver Bird
17) Ranking Joe - Navel String Cutter (Extended Mix)
18) Richard Ace - Ghetto Nation
19) Tony Tuff - For Every Man There Is A Woman (Extended Mix)
20) Roman Stewart - Daughter Like It Hot
21) The Gladiators - Hearsay
22) Barrington Spence - Children Don't You Cry

Disc Three

1) The Clarendonians - High School Dance (Extended Mix)
2) Brad Lundey - I Feel Sorry (Extended Mix)
3) Owen Gray - Dread Up In A Shanty Town
4) Toney & The Sweet Bunch - Fly Robin Fly
5) John Holt & U-Roy - Wear You To The Ball
6) The Gladiators - Marvel Not
7) Ranking Joe - The Loving Feeling
8) Prince Jazzbo - Free From Chains
9) Keith Poppin - Kick The Bucket
10) Barrington Spence - Let Locks Grow
11) Big Youth - House Of Dread Locks
12) Naggo Morris - Come Home Little Girl
13) Dillinger - Fat Beef Skank
14) Tony Tuff - Hope It's True (Extended Mix)
15) Delroy Wilson - I've Been In Love (Extended Mix)
16) Junior Brown & Ranking Reuben - Jah Find Babylon Guilty (Extended Mix)
17) The Gladiators - Struggle
18) The Morwells - Africa Is Calling (Extended Mix)
19) Bunny Brown - Queen Majesty
20) U-Roy - Chalice In The Palace
21) Dennis Alcapone - Majesty In Bed
22) Winston Scotland - Quick & Slick

Disc Four

1) Brent Dowe & U-Roy - Rivers Of Babylon (Extended Mix)
2) Jackie Brown - Tug-A-War A Yard (Extended Mix)
3) Richard Ace - You're The One That I Want
4) Prince Tony All-Stars - You're The One That I Want Dub
5) The Gladiators - Mix Up
6) Barrington Spence - Burr Head Rasta (Extended Mix)
7) Lennox Brown - High School Serenade
8) Dennis Alcapone - Rub Up A Daughter (Extended Mix)
9) Keith Poppin - I'm A Man Of My Word
10) Carlene Davis - Let Me Be There
11) Big Youth - Dread Locks Festival
12) The Clarendonians - Night Owl (Extended Mix)
13) Dennis Alcapone - Fine Style
14) Linval Thompson & Trinity - Love In The Ghetto (Extended Mix)
15) Gregory Isaacs - The Tide Is High
16) Barrington Spence - Darling Dry Your Eyes
17) The Gladiators - Soul Rebel
18) U-Roy - Natty Rebel
19) Dave Barker - It's Alright
20) Barry Brown - Mafia (Extended Mix)
21) Nicodemus -  Natty Sell A Million
22) Ken Boothe & The Prince Tony All-Stars - Now You Come Running Back (Extended Mix)

Disc Five

1) The Morwells - Reggae Party
2) Winston Scotland - On The Track
3) The Gladiators - Dreadlocks The Time Is Now
4) Brent Dowe - Same Song Everyday

5) Barrington Spence - Getti Getti No Want It
6) Trinity - Walky Talky
7) Pat Satchmo - What's Going On?
8) The Gladiators - Ship With A Captain
9) Jackie Brown - Lion Head (Extended Mix)
10) Winston Scotland - Power Skank
11) Barrington Spence - Speak Softly
12) Jah Lloyd - This Ya Sound
13) Tristan Palmer - Fussing & Fighting
14) Toyan - Irie Feeling
15) The Gladiators - Write To Me
16) Lloyd & Carey - Tubby's In Full Swing
17) Jah Lloyd - Upful Rasta Man
18) George Nooks - You're Too Greedy
19) Barrington Spence - Use Chiney Brush
20) The Gladiators - A Prayer To Jah
21) Tony Tuff - Tired Of This Life I Am Living
22) Richard Ace - If I Can't Have You (Extended Mix)

Disc Six

1) Yellowman - Lover's Take Over
2) Dillinger - I Man A Nyah (Extended Mix)
3) Linval Thompson & Trinity - Natty Roots (Extended Mix)
4) The Heptones - Sea Of Love
5) Dennis Alcapone - You Are Old
6) Delroy Wilson - Sweets For My Sweet (Extended Mix)
7) Keith Poppin - Take It Easy With Six
8) The Gladiators - Fussing And Fighting
9) Barrington Spence - Go Deh Natty
10) Richard Ace - She's Gone
11) Lloyd Parks - Trench Town Girl (Extended Mix)
12) Mellow Yellow - Me Hard
13) U-Roy - Jah Jah
14) Toyan - Radics Connection
15) Barrington Spence - Jah For All
16) Tony Tuff - Roots Man
17) Lloyd Parks - Strike Strike Strike
18) Triston Palmer - Walk Out On Me
19) Earl Sixteen - Super Duper
20) Jah Earl Locks - Trials And Tribulation (Extended Mix)
21) Owen Gray - Turning Point (Extended Mix)
22) The Gladiators - The Music Makers From Jamaica

Please be aware that all download links are currently unavailable as of January 2023

For further listening I would highly recommend the Prince Tony produced albums listed below:

The Gladiators    - Trenchtown Mix Up - (1976)
                              - Proverbial Reggae - (1977)
                              - Naturality - (1978)
                              - Reggae To Bone - (1979)
                              - Babylon Street - (1982)

U-Roy   - Dread In Babylon - (1975)
              - Rasta Ambassador - (1976)
              - Natty Rebel - (1977)
              - Jah Son Of Africa - (1978)

Big Youth - Dreadlocks Dread - (1975)

The Chosen Few - Everybody Plays The Fool - (1975)

Tony Tuff - Reggae In The City - (1981)

Richard Ace - Richard Ace - (1979)

Tristan Palmer & Toyan - Nice Time - (1982)

Barry Brown - Mafia - (1980)

King Yellowman Meets Mellow Yellow - (1982)

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