Rocksteady: Alton Ellis
And then, there were the vocals.
While Sam Cooke was busy becoming the King of soul, Alton Ellis was cementing his place in history as the Godfather of rocksteady. Like most of the other rocksteady musicians of the time, Ellis got his start in the world of ska, and was already a popular vocalist by 1966. But with a voice like his – the voice of a real crooner – rocksteady’s slower pace and soulful influences really let him shine.
There’s a real romance to much of Ellis’ crooning, and the quality and style of his vocals were perfectly suited for stories of love and love lost. He was not alone in recording covers of American soul hits – lots of rocksteady artists were doing it – but the combination of his tone and his genuine love of the soulful tunes really sets his versions a cut above most others.
He definitely did not embrace the rude boy culture that was gaining steam. In fact, among the songs he wrote himself were some stern condemnations of the rude boys (Don’t Trouble People and Cry Tough come to mind).
As rocksteady wound down and transitioned to reggae, Ellis became disillusioned with his circumstances, and with the fact that he was still living in the ghettos despite his musical “success,” so he left the country, heading first to Canada and then – after a failed attempt to reenter the reggae scene in Jamaica – to the UK.
Although he never got a big label record deal, Ellis continued to record with UK and Jamaican producers, and even started his own label, Alltone Records (he also opened a record store in London with the same name).
In 1994, Ellis was awarded the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government in recognition of his vital contribution to the island’s popular culture. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame.
He passed away in London in 2008.
No matter where I go, I can never escape my Motown roots. When I listen to Ellis croon, I close my eyes and savor these perfect moments when it’s as if two glorious musical worlds collide.
So open your summertime windows, poor a stiff drink, wrap your arms around your lover (Ellis did, and had more than 20 children to show for it!) and turn up the volume for 1967’s Alton Ellis Sings Rock and Soul… and then follow it up with a dive into 1970’s spectacular Sunday Coming. We’ll meet you in the dancehall.