The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond
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As the founder of Island Records, fabled music producer Chris Blackwell has discovered and worked with some of the most important musicians of the second half of the twentieth century – from Steve Winwood to Cat Stevens, Bob Marley to Grace Jones, U2 to Roxy Music, plus countless others. He is also widely credited with having brought reggae music to the world stage.
Now, as reflects on his life, Blackwell takes us back to the island where it all began: Jamaica – the place where his family once partied with the likes of Noël Coward, Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn and where, as Jamaican local music began to adopt contemporary American trends, Blackwell’s burgeoning musical instincts flourished. It was also the birthplace of the now-legendary Island Records, founded by Blackwell in 1959.
Five years later, while living in London selling Jamaican records to Caribbean immigrants, Blackwell came across the vocal talents of teenager Millie Small, who he paired with the song ‘My Boy Lollipop’. The producer added a ska beat and released what would be a worldwide hit.
But this was just the beginning of a truly remarkable career. In this fascinating memoir, including up to fifty photos supplied by Blackwell’s team, the music icon will discuss the many artists he’s worked with over the years, as well as unpicking the initiatives, decisions and risks that ultimately brought such success to both Blackwell and his esteemed musical collaborators.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Nine Eight Books (8 Jun. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 400 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1788705777 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1788705776 |
| Dimensions | 12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm |
by Erika Dehner
Entertaining and revealing
by Liam Devany
Chris was born into a wealthy family on what was the paradise island of Jamaica in the 60s. He had the foresight to see a market opportunity of exporting ska/reggae records to expats living in the UK. He lived in a time when there were no rules about the music business and had a vision of the type of artists he wanted to sign as Island records started to grow. We can thank him for many important cult/minor artists who are still remembered today. Ironically, he had to be strongly persuaded by his staffers to sign his one big mega act, U2, that made him fabulously wealthy.
by Marco Scarpelli
This book of memoirs and a lot more is a must-read to all the lovers of fine music, Pop and not.
Jamaica, the Swinging London, Reggae taking over the world, the best songwriters of the 20th century. All is narrated like an ode to life. With love for nature and human nature. There are too many facts and tasty anecdotes to overlook this autobiography.
Thank you, Chris. Tonight, I’ll raise a glass of your Rum to your good health and memory. Cheers!
by John
When I first started buying records in the 1970s the Island label was always a sign of quality. If it was on Island it was worth a listen. Even after recent clearouts a quick count through my LP/CD collection comes to 44 Island records (split roughly equally between Fairport Convention and their offshoots, and reggae).
So I found this book fascinating, it was not just an upper-class white Jamaican upbringing, but real elite as Errol Flynn, Noel Coward and Ian Fleming are around, and when Blackwell needs a job the Governor-General is there to help out. The early years are the most interesting as the record label grows steadily from nothing. The artists are clearly his surrogate family – his first wife gets two mentions, and if you miss page 191 you’d never know he had any children (number and sex unknown) as that’s the only time they appear in the entire book.
As with some families he has his favourites, Nick Drake gets 13 pages whereas Sandy Denny gets one mention as being a member of Fairport Convention. The same with the Wailers where he skims over the pushing out of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in favour of Bob Marley. The different covers for the “Catch A Fire” LP – the first one credited to the Wailers, the later one to Bob Marley & the Wailers, for example. It would have been interesting to see his response to the comment by Peter Tosh (in the Honorary Citizen boxset) “before we make the (autumn 1973) tour there was an agreement that Island records would cover all expenses. Instead we were told we owed Island records £42k” (equivalent to £625k today)
Finally “when people think of Island records they think of U2”. Really? That was news to me as I’ve never owned a U2 record and didn’t realise they were on Island.
Overall however it’s well written and well produced, just like an Island LP used to be. Highly recommended.
by D. W. Leggatt
My older brother recommended so many Island bands to me in my youth, and to hear Chris’s inside line on how he created Island was just wonderful. I read lots of music books and this is one of the best. As someone said in a review, Chris is low key and humble in an egotistical world. The proof reading needs work in the hardback edition, just a tiny point. I loved this book, and if you love the music of the 60/70’s/80’s I recommend this book highly. No one else in music has had as broad an influence. Chris Blackwell, thank you so very much from all us music lovers out there!
by Ian G. Watson
great book from a great guy
by MB
So, first of all, some background!
I was SO Inspired by ‘Get up Stand up’ the AWESOME Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre (London, UK) in December 2022 (I had booked it for a family member’s birthday based on the reviews) and was SO blown away that afterwards I found myself searching out books relating to Bob Marley.
– Bear in mind that I was born in UK in 1955, (female, white British) so statistically I should have been susceptible to media brainwashing machines telling me to buy certain records.
But I didn’t own a radio or a record player or a stereo player. and couldn’t stand television (especially Top of The Pops (TOTP) which was clearly SO fake and VERY creepy – how come no-one else was seeing this?), so when I went to Uni in 1973 (University of Kingston Upon Hull – the ‘Fish and Chip Shop up a railway siding’ ) I had absolutely no access to commercial music (unlike more affluent students who had Stereos and Radios). But I had my guitar which I took it to local folk clubs where my three chords and I were allowed to perform the permitted two songs as a ‘floor singer’ ( e.g. with rousing audience singing along with ”No nay never,- bang bang bang bang – no nay never no more, will I play the Wild Rover, No never no more!!).
So, given that I was utterly oblivious to commercial music during Chris Blackwell’s most active period, I feel I am living my life again through his book, joining the dots I never joined in the past.
For me, Chris Blackwell, Bob Marley and Nick Drake, music came before money. Thanks to Chris Blackwell’s book, I am actively seeking out Bob’ Marley’s and Nick Drake’s music on Youtube.
So reading Chris Blackwell’s book ‘Islander’ has basically changed my outlook on life.
So thank you Chris Blackwell and here’s to you Bob Marley and Nick Drake!
And to Chris Blackwell,I am so sorry you have had to face so much death around you and in particular, death of so many young people whose time should not have yet come.
I raise a glass of ‘Blackwell Rum’ to you Chris Blackwell, to Bob Marley and to Nick Drake to salute your legacy to all of us
Thank you all and CHEERS!!!