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CHRIS BLACKWELL IS w h a t record executives dream of being: an innovator, a barrier breaker and an international man of mystery. Mention Blackwell’s name and the first association many people make is with Bob Marley. Fair enough: Blackwell’s role in bringing Marley’s music to the world assures him a place in pop history. Mention Island Records, the label Blackwell founded and personified for thirty'years-pius, and most people will think of U2. Fair enough: Island and Blackwell nurtured U2 from the begin- nine. But as enormous as Marley and U2 are, they are only the tip of the story. Blackwell’s mother’s family had settled in Jamaica in the 1700s after the Inquisition chased them out of Portugal. In Jamaica they began selling rum, cattle and sugar. Those were good businesses then and remained so for the next two hundred years. Chris was bom in London in 1937 to an Irish aristocrat, Middleton Joseph Blackwell. When Chris was six months old, he was brought to his mother’s family’s mansion in Jamaica to be raised. He was brought home. At age ten, Chris left Jamaica to be edu- cated in England, feat he was already too free-spirited to slide into the British class system. left Harrow in 1955 and returned to Jamaica, where he worked at odd jobs while falling more and more deeply in love with music. In 1959 he started Island Records, Which at first mostly supplied Ja- maican records, including early efforts by the fledgling Wailers, to Britain. Always curious and still a very young man, Blackwell also took a job as a second assistant to the director of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, filmed in Jamaica. Offered a permanent job in the production company, Blackwell asked a fortune-teller what to do. She told him his destiny lay with music. Blackwell passed on 007. In 1964 he produced Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop,” which sold six million copies around the world. Chris Blackwell was on his way. That same year, he recorded the Spencer Davis Group with Stevie Winwood. “Keep On Running,” “Gimme Some Lovin’ ” and “I’m a Man” gave Blackwell big hits, an influx of cash and the start of a long, fruitful rela- tionship with Winwood. Over the next few years, Island Records signed Free; Jethro Tull; Fairport Convention; King Crimson; Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Traffic; Cat Stevens; Richard and Linda Thompson; Spooky Tooth; Nick Drake; Robert Palmer; and Roxy Music. It was the hippest independent label in the world. In the early Seventies, Blackwell played a key role in launching the reggae explosion when he financed the film The Harder They Come - and released its seminal soundtrack. Blackwell put out records by Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear, Third World, Sly & Robbie and Black Uhuru. Bob Marley, down and out in London, ap- proached him, and they made a deal. Marley went back to Jamaica and made a rough ver- sion of Catch a Fire, which he and Blackwell then remade, overdubbed and re-created in a London studio. It was the start of Blackwell’s most important collaboration. The records Island made with Bob Marley reached across the planet. It was the greatest - and truest - world music. By the 1980s, when U2 hit, Chris Black- well was already pretty close to a living leg- end. He was at home all over the globe, but his spiritual center was Goldeneye, the Ja- maican estate where Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond novels. In the Bahamas, Black- well opened Compass Point studios and a string of exotic hotels. He continued to sign, record and promote new talent, including the Cranberries and Melissa Etheridge, whom he heard singing in a California sea-

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Page 1: Blackwell’s mother’s family had settled in Jamaica in the ... Blackwell_2001.pdfside bar. Island also provided at home to Tom Waits, who made some of the most ac claimed albums

CHRIS BLACKW ELL IS w h a trecord executives dream of being: an innovator, a barrier breaker and an international man of mystery. Mention Blackwell’s name and the first association many people make is with Bob Marley. Fair enough: Blackwell’s role in bringing Marley’s music to the world assures him a place in pop history. Mention Island Records, the label Blackwell founded and personified for thirty'years-pius, and most people will think of U2. Fair enough: Island and Blackwell nurtured U2 from the begin- nine. But as enormous as Marley and U2 are, they are only the tip of the story.

Blackwell’s m other’s family had settled in Jam aica in th e 1700s afte r th e In q u is itio n chased them out of Portugal. In Jamaica they began selling rum , ca ttle an d sugar. Those w ere good businesses then and rem ained so for the nex t tw o h un d red years. Chris w as b om in London in 1937 to an Irish aristocrat, M id d le ton Josep h Blackwell. W h en C hris w as six m onths old, he w as brought to his m other’s family’s m ansion in Jam aica to be raised. He w as brought home.

At age ten, Chris left Jamaica to be edu­ca ted in E ngland , feat h e w as a lread y too free -sp irited to slide in to th e B ritish class system. left H arrow in 1955 and re tu rned to Jam aica, w h e re h e w o rk ed a t o d d jobs w hile falling m ore and m ore deeply in love w i t h m u s ic . In 1959 h e s t a r t e d I s la n d Records, Which a t firs t m ostly supplied Ja­maican records, including early efforts by the fledgling W ailers, to Britain.

Always curious and still a very young man, Blackwell also took a job as a second assistant to the d irector of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, filmed in Jamaica. Offered a perm anent jo b in th e p ro d u c tio n com pany, Blackwell asked a fo rtune-teller w ha t to do. She to ld h im h is d es tin y lay w ith m usic. Blackwell passed on 007.

In 1964 he p roduced M illie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop,” w hich sold six million copies around th e w orld. Chris Blackwell w as on his way. That same year, he recorded the Spencer Davis G roup w ith Stevie W inw ood. “Keep On R unning,” “Gimme Some Lovin’ ” an d “I’m a Man” gave Blackwell big h its, an influx of cash and th e s ta rt of a long, fruitful rela­tionship w ith W inw ood.

Over th e nex t few years, Island Records signed Free; Jethro Tull; Fairport Convention; King Crim son; Em erson, Lake an d Palmer; T raffic ; C a t S tevens; R ic h a rd a n d L in d a T h o m p so n ; S p o o k y T o o th ; N ic k D rake ; R obert Palmer; and Roxy Music. It w as the h ippest independent label in the w orld.

In the early Seventies, Blackwell played a key ro le in launching th e reggae explosion w h en he financed th e film The Harder They Come - and released its sem inal soundtrack. B lackwell p u t o u t reco rds by Jim m y Cliff, Toots and the M aytals, Burning Spear, T hird W orld, Sly & Robbie and Black Uhuru. Bob M a rle y , d o w n a n d o u t in L o n d o n , a p ­proached him , and they m ade a deal. Marley w en t back to Jamaica and m ade a rough ver­sion of Catch a Fire, w hich he and Blackwell then rem ade, overdubbed and re-created in a London studio. It w as the s ta rt of Blackwell’s m ost im p o rtan t collaboration. The records Island m ade w ith Bob M arley reached across the planet. It w as the g reatest - and truest - w orld music.

By the 1980s, w hen U2 h it, C hris Black- w ell w as already p re tty close to a living leg­end. He w as a t hom e all over th e globe, b u t his sp iritua l cen ter w as Goldeneye, th e Ja ­maican estate w here Ian Fleming w ro te th e Jam es Bond novels. In th e Bahamas, Black- w ell opened C om pass Point s tud io s an d a string of exotic hotels. He continued to sign, reco rd an d p ro m ote new ta len t, includ ing th e C ra n b e rr ie s a n d M e lis sa E th e r id g e , w hom he heard singing in a California sea-

Page 2: Blackwell’s mother’s family had settled in Jamaica in the ... Blackwell_2001.pdfside bar. Island also provided at home to Tom Waits, who made some of the most ac claimed albums

side bar. Island also p rovided at hom e to Tom W a its , w h o m ad e som e o f th e m o s t ac ­claim ed albums of the Eighties and N ineties during his tenure w ith the label. U nder the M ango b an n e r, B lackw ell re leased b reak ­through in ternational m usic by King Sunny Ade, Baaba M aal an d A ngélique Kidjo. He also kep t a h and in movie p roduction, w ith Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Trip to Bountiful and Mona Lisa among his credits.

Blackwell sold his stake in Island to Poly- Gram in 1989. , He stayed on to run his com­

pany, but, un in terested in being p a rt of any­one else’s system, he resigned in 1997. Then, merging his Palm Pictures w ith Rykodisc, he created a new mini-major, RykoPalm.

In a business full of people w ho risk no th ­in g m o re th a n th e ir o p in io n s , B lackw ell stands ou t as a visionary w ho gam bled ev­erything to follow the m usic he loved for a s im ple reason : He b e liev ed o th ers w o u ld surely love it as m uch as he d id , if only they h ad a chance to hear it. O ut o f such faith , Chris Blackwell bu ilt empires. ®

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