Culture (band)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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- The 1977 Culture album Two Sevens Clash is probably Gibbs' most internationally acclaimed production, with a major impact on the punk rock band The Clash. Other successful artists produced by the Mighty Two during the end of the 1970s include: Marcia Aitken, Althea & Donna, John Holt, Barrington Levy, Cornell Campbell, Dean Fraser, Delroy Wilson, Beres Hammond, Ranking Joe, Prince Jazzbo, Prince Mohammed, Dillinger, Trinity, Prince Far I, Clint Eastwood, I-Roy and Kojak & Liza.
Culture was a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976. Originally they were known as the African Disciples.
The members of the trio were Joseph Hill (lead vocals), Albert Walker (backing vocals) and Kenneth Dayes (backing vocals).
Shortly after Culture came together, they began working with the "Mighty Two" – producer Joe Gibbs and engineer Errol Thompson. While at Gibbs’ studio, they recorded a series of powerful singles, many of which ended up on their debut album ‘Two Sevens Clash’. After their success with Gibbs, the group went on to make a string of albums for producer Sonia Pottinger. Culture began working with some of the premier musicians of the day including Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Ansel Collins, Cedric Brooks and the ever-present percussionist Sticky. Virgin Records picked up the albums, and that added distribution enabled Culture to gain an even larger following outside of Jamaica.
Critically considered one of the most authentic traditional reggae acts, at the time of the first Rolling Stone Record Guide publication, they were the only band of any genre whose every recording received a five-star review (of bands with more than one recording in the guide).
In 1982 the three singers went their own ways. Joseph Hill carried on using the Culture name, and recorded the ‘Lion Rock’ album, which was released in the United States by Heartbeat Records. For their part, Walker and Dayes recorded a handful of songs on their own – a few of which turned up on an album titled ‘Roots & Culture’. In 1986 the original line-up reformed to record two highly regarded albums – ‘Culture in Culture’ and ‘Culture at Work’. These releases marked the beginning of a very busy period for the group, including annual albums and countless tours. The U.S. label Shanachie released a steady stream of new and old Culture albums up to ’Wings Of A Dove’ in 1992.
Joseph Hill, who came to symbolise the face of Culture, died in Germany on 19 August 2006 while the group was on tour. Now Joe Hill's son Kenyatta Hill sings with the band.
Discography
- Two Sevens Clash (1977)
- Baldhead Bridge (1978)
- Africa Stand Alone (1978)
- Harder Than the Rest produced by Sonia Pottinger (1978)
- Culture in Dub: 15 Dub Shots (1978)
- Cumbolo produced by Sonia Pottinger (1979)
- International Herb produced by Sonia Pottinger (1979)
- More Culture aka "Innocent Blood" (1981)
- Lion Rock (1982)
- Culture at Work (1986)
- Culture in Culture (1986)
- Nuff Crisis (1988)
- Good Things (1989)
- Rare and Unreleased Dub Revolver Records (1989)
- Three Sides to My Story (1991)
- Wings of a Dove (1992)
- Trod On produced by Sonia Pottinger (1993)
- One Stone (1996)
- Stoned(is One Stone in Dub engineered by Fathead and Jim Fox) (Ras, 1997)
- Trust Me (1997)
- Cultural Livity: Culture Live '98 (Live) (1998)
- Payday (2000)
- Humble African (2000)
- Scientist Dubs Culture into a Parallel Universe (2000)
- Live in Africa (2002)
- Live in Negril (2003)
- World Peace Rounder (2003)
- Pass the Torch(Tafari Records)(2007)(7 different versions of old tunes by Joseph Hill and 7 Tunes by his son Kenyatta Hill)
Compilations
- Vital Selection (1981)
- Too Long in Slavery produced by Sonia Pottinger (1989)
- Production Something
- 17 Chapters of Culture (1992)
- Ras Portraits
