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in: Record Labels, Compilations, Discography

Trojan Records

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Trojan

Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica. The truck had "Duke Reid - The Trojan King of Sounds" painted on the sides, and the music played by Reid became known as the Trojan Sound. Trojan was instrumental in introducing reggae to a global audience and by 1970 had secured a series of major UK chart hits. Successful Trojan artists from this period including Tony Tribe, Lee "Scratch" Perry's Upsetters, Bob and Marcia, Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Harry J All Stars, The Maytals, The Melodians, Nicky Thomas and Dave and Ansel Collins.

Links to Peel[]

As one of the UK's leading sources of Jamaican music from the late 1960s, Trojan had a major influence on Peel's musical tastes, leading him to feature increasing amounts of reggae on his shows. Many of the reggae records he played came from the label, especially later re-issues of vintage material. In the 1960s, label owner Lee Gopthal founded the Musicland chain of record shops[1], most of which sold reggae, ska and blue beat records to London's West Indian community and were advertised on Radio London. On Peel's daytime Radio London show of 02 August 1967, he reads an ad for two Musicland shops as "Radio London Disc Centres"; one in Dalston,and the most famous branch, in Berwick Street, Soho, where JP would go in the late 1960s to obtain American import LPs. In the early 1970s, Elton John supplemented his earnings with a Saturday job there.

But while the record shops changed ownership in the 1970s, the Trojan label's reputation continued to grow in subsequent decades. As well as reggae releases, in the early 1970s Trojan subsidiary label B&C (Beat and Commercial) released records by folk and progressive rock artists Peel favoured[1]. On rare occasions, Trojan also released African compilation albums that Peel would play.

In a 1988 LPs Of The Year list for the Observer newspaper, Peel mentioned "reggae reissues on Trojan" in his highlights of the previous 12 months. Apart from albums by particular artists, he also played many of the label's themed compilations of old reggae sounds from an earlier era. Tracks from "Flashing Echo: Trojan In Dub 1970-1980" were featured on his shows for six months between October 2002 and March 2003.

From the late 60's until his death, nearly every Peel show had an artist that was either signed or had links to the Trojan record label.

Trojan Compilations[]

Plays by Peel of various artist (v/a) compilations from Trojan. Please add more information if known.

Tighten up 201
Flashing echo
Trojan story
Creation rockers

(2xLP - Rebel Music - An Anthology Of Reggae Music)

(LP - Creation Rockers Volume 1)

(LP - Creation Rockers Volume 6)

(LP - Creation Rockers Volume 4)

(LP - Creation Rockers Volume 3)

(LP - Creation Rockers Volume 2)

(LP - Tighten Up Volume 2)

(LP - Version To Version)

(LP - Version To Version Vol.3)

(3xLP - The Trojan Story)

(LP - The Best Of Beverley's Records (Or Masterpieces From The Works Of Leslie Kong))

(LP - Melodica Melodies)

(LP - Gems From Treasure Isle Or Real Cool Rock Steady)

(3xLP - The Trojan Story Volume Two)

(LP - Loch Ness Monster)

(LP - Tighten Up Volume 3)

(LP - "Keep On Coming Through The Door…" Jamaican Deejay Music 1969 - 1973)

(LP - Blow Mr. Hornsman (Instrumental Reggae 1968-1975))

(CD - Studio Kinda Cloudy - Keith Hudson And Friends)

(LP - Dance Crasher (Ska To Rock Steady))

(LP - Joe Gibbs & Various ‎– The Reggae Train 1968 - 1971)

(LP - Niney And Friends - Blood And Fire 1971-1972)

(LP - Clancy Eccles And Friends - Fatty Fatty 1967 - 1970)

(LP - Harry Mudie & Friends : Let Me Tell You Boy)

(LP - U Roy And Friends - With A Flick Of My Musical Wrist (Jamaican Deejay Music 1970-1973))

(LP - Ba Ba Boom)

(LP - Jumping With Mr. Lee 1967-68)

(2xLP - Clement "Coxsone" Dodd - Musical Fever 1967-1968)

(LP - Now This Is What I & I Call Version)

(LP - Various With The Upsetters ‎– Version Like Rain)

(LP - It's Rockin' Time: Duke Reid's Rock Steady 1967 - 1968)

(3xLP - The Upsetters With Lee Perry And Friends ‎– Build The Ark)

(LP - Rupie Edwards, Various ‎– Let There Be Version)

(LP - Township)

Seven_Mabone

Seven Mabone

(LP - Bringing It Down - South African Sax Jive)

(LP - Transkei Special)

(LP - "Solid Gold" From The Vaults)

(LP - Tighten Up Volume 5)

  • 07 July 1991: Jimmy London & The Impact Allstars: Bridge Over Troubled Water
  • 14 July 1991: Dynamites: Hello Mother
  • 14 July 1991: Julian & The Chosen Few with The Gaytones: Joy To The World

(LP - Club Reggae)

(LP - Save The Last Dance For Me (18 Fab Fifties And Swinging Sixties Reggae Classics))

(CD - Tighten Up Volumes Three & Four)

(LP - Rudies All Around)

(CD - People Funny Boy)

(CD - Lee Perry & Friends - Chapter 2 Of 'Words')

(2xCD - Return Of The Liquidator By Harry J & His Friends)

(CD - Tougher Than Tough)

(LP - Tighten Up)

(2xCD - Let's Do Rocksteady - The Story Of Rocksteady 1966-68)

(2xCD - Flashing Echo: Trojan In Dub 1970-1980)

(3xCD - Trojan Jamaican Hits Box Set)

(2xCD - Don Letts Presents The Mighty Trojan Sound)

(3xLP - Haul And Pull Up Selecta (Heavy Weight Dancehall 1979-82))

See Also[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ It evolved into Charisma Records, run by Tony Stratton-Smith, described by Peel as one of the few record company executives he actually liked. B&C also distributed Stable Records, run by Simon Stable, DJ , International Times columnist and record shop proprietor. Stable was home to a number of late 1960s underground acts including the Deviants, whose leader Mick Farren wrote in his autobiography Give The Anarchist A Cigarette, that the label "turned out really to be owned by bluebeat gangsters" (p.207)

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