Dennis Harris





b. Jamaica, West Indies.
Harris is credited with introducing the term lovers rock to reggae.

His initial involvement was marketing recordings from Jamaica under the collective banner of Eve Records, securing a contract to release work from such luminaries as Winston Edwards, Lee Perry and Yabby You.

Notable Upsetters releases included Jimmy Riley’s cover version of Pluto Shervington’s ‘Ram Goat Liver’, which included a version on the b-side performed by the young Perrys, Omar And Marsha, who also appeared on a different cut of the Mighty Diamonds’ ‘Talk About It’.
Other releases included ‘Cutting Razor’ by the Versatiles and ‘Hurt So Good’ by Susan Cadogan, which entered the UK pop chart, peaking at number 4 in 1975 when Harris licensed the release to Magnet.
The song also influenced a pop remake by Jimmy Somerville in 1995, revitalizing interest in the original version. Magnet were also licensed to release the classic Junior Byles tune, ‘Curly Locks’, but disappointingly failed to secure an entry in the UK pop chart. With Yabby You, the label released Ram A Dam, considered by many to be a classic, along with Big Youth’s ‘Lightning Flash (Weak Heart Drop)’.

Inspired by his success, Harris began recording in the UK, producing hits with Two In Love (‘You Are Mine’) and with white singer T.T. Ross (a version of ‘Imagine’ and a remake of ‘Last Date’). ‘Last Date’ was licensed to Polydor Records as both parties were hoping to emulate the success of Cadogon’s hit.

His initial releases surfaced on the Dip, Lucky and Eve labels, but it was the introduction of the Lovers Rock label that coined the phrase that lives on to this day.

Harris recorded Brown Sugar for their hits ‘I’m In Love With A Dreadlocks’, ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘Black Pride’. Other Lovers Rock productions were Vivian Clark’s ‘Come And Take Me’ and Carolyn And Roland’s ‘You’re Having My Baby’, both of which had crossover potential but were sadly overlooked by the media.

By 1976 Harris was offering a dub plate service, where anybody could make a trip to Upper Brockley Road and purchase a unique disc similar to those heard in the sound systems, as well as take advantage of his generous rates to hire Eve’s eight-track recording studio facilities.

He enjoyed enormous success with his dub albums Leggo Ah Fe We Dis and Ah Who Seh Go Deh, credited to the 4th Street Orchestra whose albums were originally thought to have been recorded in Jamaica.
The musicians who had successfully recreated the Jamaican sound were reported to be members of Matumbi, who had recorded the tunes in Harris’ south London studio.

He also introduced Sunday afternoon auditions in the same way that Coxsone Dodd had done in Jamaica in the early 60s.
In 1977, Laurel Aitken ventured to Harris’ studio where he cut a version of the Demis Roussos tune ‘Forever And Ever’, which worked surprisingly well when given a reggae beat. Sadly, by the early 80s Eve Records had vanished, but not before making an important contribution to the history of reggae.

ALBUMS


Dennis Harris
Perfidia
1978, 12", Lover's Rock
Various
Step Forward Youth (Roots Masters From The "Punky Reggae Party")
2018, 2x CD, ,
Reggae/Roots Reggae/Dub
Various
Lovers For Lovers Vol. 9
1994
Brown Sugar
Black Is The Colour / Hello Stranger
1980, 12", African Drums Music
Winston Groovy Backed By Sweet Harmony
We Shall Overcome
1978, 12", Lover's Rock
T.T. Ross
No Charge
1978, 12", Lover's Rock,
Brown Sugar (4) / Afro Connection
Forever My Darling / Free / Albatross
1978, 12", Lover's Rock, ,
Lovers Rock
T.T. Ross / Eve All Stars
Imagine
1978
Various
Lover's Rock
1978
Ken & Stepping Tony / Rocka & Dave & Girl Wonder
Sticks Man Affair / Skip-A-Dip
1977, 12", Rama (2)
T. T. Ross* / Eve All Stars
I Will / I Will Dub
1977, 7", Lover's Rock
Carolyn Catlin
Peaceful Woman
1977, 7", Single, Lover's Rock
Cassandra (10) / Eve All Stars
If You Are Not Back In Love By Monday / Deadline Monday
1977, 7", Lover's Rock
George Williams
Reggae Woman
1977, 12", Lover's Rock
Carolyn & Roland
(You're) Having My Baby
1977, 7", Lover's Rock
Brown Sugar
For All Eternity
1977, 7", Lucky (2)
Carolyn & Roland / Eve All Blacks
I Admire You
1977
Cassandra
I'll Never Let You Go Out Of My Life
1977
Have Sound Will Travel
Police And Youth In The Grove
1976, 7", Lucky (2)
Lord Happiness
Brixton Market
1976, 7", Eve (2)
African Stones*
Singer Man
1976, 7", Concrete Jungle (2)
T. T. Ross*
Let The World Go Away
1976, 7", House Of Eve
J. G. Streeter / Lucky All-Stars*
Got To Go Back Home / Home Instrumental
1976, 7", Single, Lucky (2)
African Stones*
How Long Must I Wait
1976, 7", Concrete Jungle (2)
T. T. Ross*
Piece Of My Heart
1976, 7", House Of Eve
Lucky All Stars
Zion "I"
1976, 7", Lucky (2)
Errol "C"* With The 4th Street Orchestra / The 4th Street Orchestra
Jah For I / For I (Instrumental)
1976, 7", Single, Concrete Jungle (2)
Sue-Lovely
It Should Have Been Me
1976, 7", Lucky (2), ,
Lovers Rock
Amigo (15) / Amigo Band
Judas A-No Rasta / Judas A-No Rasta (Version)
1976, 7", Lucky (2)
Cassandra (10) / 7 Gituars*
Love Me Sweeter Tonight / Albatross
1976, 7", Lucky (2)
T. Ross* Backed By Tough Gang
Baby Why
1976, 7", Single, Lucky (2)
I Jahman Levi*
Jah Heavy Load
1976
T.T. Ross
Single Girl
1976
Cassandra (10) And Tough Gang
Kiss And Say Goodbye / Lovers Call
1976
Amigo
Jah-A-Go Bus Dem Shut
1976
T.T. Ross
Jealousy / Jealous Rock
1976
Trevor & Liz
Devoted To You
1976
T.T. Ross
Misty Blue
1976
Two In Love
You Are Mine / We Belong Together
1975, 7", Eve (2)
Gene* & T. T. Ross*
Little Things Mean A Lot
1975, 7", Single, Dip
T.T. Ross
No Charge
1975
Big 'M' / Hot Ice
Before The Next Tear Drop Falls / Part 2
1975
Elpido Burke*
Walking In The Dark
1974, 7", Dip
Soyna Spence* / Gladstone Henry
Jamaica Jump / Promises
12", Cima Records, ,
Reggae
T.T. Ross / Ronnie Williams All Stars*
Last Date / Dated Version
7", Lucky (2), ,
Reggae/Lovers Rock
T.T. Ross / Cassandra
Last Date / If You Want Me
12", Cima Records
Errol Campbell
Wolves / Follow Follow
7", Fou, Shebazz
T.T. Ross / Cassandra
Last Date / If You Want Me
12", Cima Records
Gene Rhondo* & T. T. Ross*
Miss Grace