Beverley's
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Beverley's was a Jamaica-based record label (1961 – 1971) owned by the Chinese Jamaican record producer Leslie Kong. Beverley's was essential to the development of Ska and Rocksteady into Reggae. The label launched the careers of Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley, having released Jimmy Cliff's first recording "Dearest Beverley" in 1961 and Bob Marleys first singles "Judge Not" and "One Cup of Coffee" in 1962.
Leslie Kong launched the label in 1961 after Derrick Morgan and Jimmy Cliff visited him to seek financing for recording Cliff's song Dearest Beverley [1]. Prior to this, Beverley's was a restaurant, ice-cream parlour and records shop owned by Leslie Kong and his brothers, Fats and Cecil.
Throughout the 1960s Beverley's recorded many Jamaican artists including Joe Higgs, Desmond Dekker, Toots & The Maytals, Derrick Morgan, John Holt and Stranger Cole. [2]
In 1963, Kong signed a deal with Black Swan, a subdivision of Chris Blackwell's Island Records, then with Graeme Goodall's Pyramid and with Trojan Records by the end of the 60s.
The Beverley's label folded with the untimely death of Leslie Kong in 1971.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Beverley Label and Leslie Kong: Music Business bobmarley.com
- ^ Reggae 67-70 Jammin Reggae Archives
