It's easy to make noises about how under-valued he is as a producer, but he was one of my very favourites. What's more he was apparently One Of The Good Guys, helping rival producers and paying his artists properly.
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 29 July 2005 08:53 (twenty years ago)
― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 29 July 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)
― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 29 July 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)
Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927–July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.He is brother to singer Bobby Aitken.
Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in my Bones" (1958). It was also the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label. He had massive hits through the 1950s to the 1970s, while recording for such renowned ska labels as Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He moved to England in the 1960s. Aitken, who is also known as "The Godfather of Ska", performed live almost until his death (he suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died). He had a loyal following among Skinheads and other music lovers.
He died from a heart attack in Leicester, England on July 17, 2005
― steve-k, Friday, 29 July 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)
Laurel Aitken RIP
― steve-k, Friday, 29 July 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)