Randy's 50th Anniversary

A brief intro into the history of Randy's record distribution started.

Randy's the Foundation of VP Records Celebrating 50 years.

This is a video series about the history Jamaican Music and Its cultivation at Randy's Records, the foundation of today's VP Records currently celebrating 50 years in Caribbean Music.

Founded in 1958 by Vincent and Patricia Chin, Randys was the first complete package - studio, distribution, sales and most importantly vibes. Producers and artists crowded Idlers Rest—a famous spot around the corner of Randys—to get a chance to record in the studio. Many legends today made their mark at this historic location.

Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded their ground-breaking album Catch A Fire and Peter Tosh voiced his first two solo albums Legalize It and Equal Rights at Randys Studio. According to reggae luminary Pat Kelly, Randys had the sound people want. We can call it the ghetto sound. The real roots sound.

From the very start, Randys linked itself to the popular yet controversial musical styles of the day particularly SKA, ROOTS and DUB REGGAE.

From its start to the early 60s Randy's featured the early politically motivated Ska tunes Independent Jamaica from Lord Creator and Malcolm X from the Skatalites, the Bob Marley & The Wailers cover of the Archies pop single Sugar Sugar and John And James by a youthful Toots & The Maytals displaying their spiritual and subtly subversive style. Also musical pioneers like the great trombonist Don Drummond on Machine Shop, organ player Jackie Mittoo on End Dust and the original sound system deejay Winston Count Machukie Cooper on Warfare.

The special significance of singers in the 1970s is reflected in songs like Dont Go by Horace Andy, Lonely Soldier by Gregory Isaacs, For The Love of You by John Holt, and Cheater from Dennis Brown. Randys critical role in the birth of reggae was re-confirmed with the release of Augustus Pablos Java that decade. This Clive Chin (son of Vincent Chin) production was an instant hit not to mention the 1972 Instrumental of the Year and title track to the first ever dub album, Java, Java, Java, Java. DJ I-Roys Hospital Trolley (recorded on the Java riddim), Peter Toshs You Cant Fool Me Again and Junior Byles King of Babylon are also must-listen recordings included on this extraordinary bicentennial release.

Sly Dunbar one half of the famed riddim twins Sly & Robbie sat in on many Randys Studio 17 sessions in those years. In this series of videos he describes how the Randys sound was one that sounds ten times better than the stuff being put out today. We are [now] trying to get back that sound but we cant get it back.

From ska to reggae, to dub to Jamaicas leading singers, Randys over its 50 years is a historic part of reggae culture from its beginnings in the 1960s to perhaps its most ingenious peak in the 1970s and then 80s.

This commemorative series puts these influential music-makers in their proper place, in the hands of reggae collectors and music fans everywhere with a complete package with Online Videos, and the entire series available on the DVD in Double disk CD/DVD album available with all music included from the videos. Respect to Randys every time