Ranking Dread



 

Biography

Ranking Dread (b. either Winston Brown or Robert Blackwood) grew up in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica. He became famous for his work as a deejay with the sound Ray Symbolic in the 70's.

 

By the mid 80's he had released three critically acclaimed deejay albums (the first two being produced by Linval Thompson, a dub record and a whole heap of discos and singles for various producers such as Sugar Minott, Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, Errol Dunkley and of course himself. His biggest hit, Fattie Boom Boom, topped the charts in 1981 with its humorous lyrics about over sized women.

 

After that he seemingly disappeared and sought a criminal career.

Ranking Dread was, under the name of Bowyark, known to be one of Englands most dangerous yardies. He was presumably murdered by poison in prison 1996.

 

Discography

Albums

Girls Fiesta 1978 Burning Sounds BS 1025 LP
Kunta Kinte Roots 1979 Burning Rockers BS 1037 LP
Kunta Kinte Roots 1979 Burning Sounds BS 1037 LP
Disco EP Showcase 1980 Art & Craft ACD 006 Tracks; My Liza / Same Thing / Hard Times Leave My Life / Jah Walk Through Galilee. Production by Ranking Joe & S. Douglas … Released as transparent yellow and red vinyl LP
Lots Of Loving 1980 Stand Firm FSLP-01 Pre-release. Same as Freedom Sounds? AE1232 as AE-number LP
Lots Of Loving 1980 Tad's SSLP 001 LP
Lots Of Loving 1980 Freedom Sounds FSLP 001 LP
Ranking Dread In Dub 1982 Silver Camel SCLP 002 SCLP03? LP
Lots Of Loving 1997 Jah Life GOCD 5013 CD
Ranking Dread In Dub 2004 Silver Kamel SKCD 024 CD
Ranking Dread In Dub 2004 Silver Kamel SKLP 001 LP
Lots Of Loving 198x Jah Life LP
Lots Of Loving xxxx Freedom Sounds FSLP 001 LP
2 Dread Inna Babylon (with Massive Dread) 2006 Silver Kamel SKLP 002 LP
2 Dread Inna Babylon (with Massive Dread) 2006 Silver Kamel SKCD 028 CD

 

 

12" Discos

Holding On (with Errol Dunkley) / Ranking Dub 1978 Burning Sounds BSD 022
That Little Girl (with Errol Dunkley), Illie Back Skank / That Little Girl Dub 1979 Jamaica Sounds JSD 919 Prod by Dunkley and RD
Palaving Spree (with Errol Dunkley) / Version 1979 Third World TWDIS 37 Produced by Errol Dunkley
Rush Me No Badness (with Errol Dunkley) / Version 1979 Earthquake EQ 1000 Mislabeled as Cornell Campbell - Sweet Baby
Rush Me No Badness (with Errol Dunkley) / Version 1979 DEB DEB 027 Prod by Dunkley
African Girl (with Sugar Minott) / African Girl Version 1980 Live & Love LLDIS 113
I Don't Want To Be No General (Dennis Brown) / General 1980 DEB DEB 039 Produced by Dennis Brown
I Don't Want To Be No General (Dennis Brown) / General 2004 DEB BMDEB 039 re-issue
My Liza & Same Thing Happen / First Cut & Wha We Do 1980 Freedom Sounds FSD 022
My Liza / Same Thing Happen 1980 Freedom Sounds FSD 022
Live Together (Dave Robinson) / One Destination (with Dave Robinson) 1980 Live & Love LLDIS 112 Ranking Dread is uncredited on the B-side. Production by Errol Dunkley.
Love Is A Hurting Thing (Religious Foundation)(with The Gaylads) / Hurting (Black Roots Players) 1980 Black Roots BR 002 Prod by Sugar Minott
You Really Don't Love Me (with Junior Delgado) / I Want You (Radic) 1980 Sound-Off SOFD 006 Produced by Junior Delgado & J. B.
Love A Dub / Dub A Dub (Roots Radics Band & Jackie Mittoo) 1981 Greensleeves GRED 57 Mix and Prod by RD
Fattie Boom Boom / Dub Boom 1981 Greensleeves GRED 65 Mixed by Scientist at King Tubby's
Poor Man Story / Poor Man Dub 1981 Live & Love LLDIS 119 Produced and arranged by Ranking Dread
Use Me (Diana) / Abusive Dub (Roots Radics) 1981 Silver Camel SC 006 Produced by Ranking Dread, he does not feature.
Ity Tity (with Junior Delgado) / Version 1981 Yvonne's Special YS-001 Junior Delgado & Dennis Brown production
Give Me What I Want, Last Train To Africa / Jerusalem, Jah Give I Love (all? Songs with Winston Godling) 1981 Starlight SLD-510 A1 - Frankie Jones - Give Me What Me Want (also released as a disco on J&F) A2 - Nazarene (Prince Alla) - Last Train To Africa (also released as a disco on Generation), B1 - Prince Alla - Jerusalem, B2 - Prince Alla - Jah Give I Love
Shut Me Mouth / Shut Up Shut Up 1982 Greensleeves GRED 82 Mix and Prod by RD
If Nanny Was Here / Nanny Was Here (Horsemouth & Wallace) 1982 Greensleeves GRED 91 Mix and Prod by RD
My Mammy / Mammy Mammy (Ranking All-Stars) 1982 Greensleeves GRED 96 Mix and Prod by RD
My Mammy / Revival Time 1982 Tad's TRD 271081 Prod by Tad Dawkins
Gate Man / Gate Man Fashion 1983 Body Music BMDIS 7 Ranking Dread & Tappa Zukie production
Old Lady Of Stokey 1984 Body Music BMDIS 10
Bandulu & Hard Time (both with Cornell Campbell) / Bandulu & Hard Time (Walkner.Möstl RMX) 2002 Select Cuts SC 6008
Emmanuell God Is With Us & Emmanuell Version (both Dennis Brown) / General (10") 2002 Glimmer GLM 1007 10", Written and produced by Dennis Brown. Published by D.E.B. Music. 1978/1979 Dennis Brown.
Wah We Do / Wah We Dub 198x Live & Love LLDIS 118 Release in either 80 or 81
Lots Of Loving / Loving Devotion 198x Tad's TRD LP 21881
Sting Stang Champion 198x Crystal CR 006 RD & Jackie Mittoo production. Also known as Stung Champion (Hot Milk-rhythm) on the '85 Jakki compilation with Hot Milk tracks
Dog Man Style / Version 198x Super Duper SD 151
When The Saints / My Mommy 198x Tad's
Pretty Brown Eyes / Pretty Brown Dub 19xx Embassy Records RSD 001 Produced and arranged by Ranking Dread.

 

7" Singles

London Thing 1979 Burning Sounds BS 040
Fattie Boom Boom 1981 Greensleeves FATTIE 1 Picturesleeve. Production by RD, mix by Scientist at Tubbys.
Superstar 198x Youth Promotions Prod by Lincoln Minott
Superstar 1981 Black Roots BR 031 Prod by Lincoln Minott
Death Trap / Version 197x Thompson Prod by Linval Thompson, also known as Natty On The Rock on the Girls Fiesta-album.
Love & Devotion / Stylelily 1998 Hi-Power US HP 171 Mixed by Collin (Bulby) York, Stilelily is also known as Lots of Loving. Label-/Cataloguenumber HP 0071

 

Compilation & V/A

V/A - Rocking Feeling 1979 Burning Vibrations BR 10001 Tracks; Leaving Out Of Babylon LP
V/A - It's Reggae Time 1979 Burning Sounds/Music Distributor F 1000 Tracks; Girls Fiesta, Kunta Kinte Roots LP
V/A - Unity Is Strength 1981 Park Heights PH LP 002 Tracks; Time Get So Hard LP
V/A - Whole New Generation Of DJ 1981 Greensleeves GREL 26 Tracks; Jean Green LP
V/A - Shank I Sheck Vol. 1 1982 Tad's TRD LP 41381 Tracks; Shank I Sheck. Produced by Tad Dawkins & Ranking Joe LP
V/A - Forward (Greensleeves Top Singles) 1983 Greensleeves GREL 60 Tracks; Fattie Boom Boom LP
V/A - Shank I Sheck 1983 Vista VSLP 2003 Tracks; Shank I Sheck LP
Version Studio (Jackie Mittoo) 1985 Jakki J 0026C Tracks; Stung Champion LP
I Shall Not Remove (Cornell Campbell) 2000 Blood & Fire BAFCD 030 Tracks; Bandulu - Hard Time (with Cornell Campbell) CD
I Shall Not Remove (Cornell Campbell) 2000 Blood & Fire/Simply Vinyl Tracks; Bandulu - Hard Time (with Cornell Campbell) LP
Rockers From Channel One (Linval Thompson & V/A) 2000 Trojan CDTRL 441 Tracks; Natty On The Rock, Marijuana In My Soul, Africa, Poor Man CD
V/A - A Place Called Africa (Songs Of The Lost Tribe) 2002 Trojan TJDDD 041 Tracks; Africa CD
V/A - The Biggest Dancehall Anthems 2002 Greensleeves GREZCD 4101 Tracks; Fattie Boom Boom, Love A Dub CD
V/A - The Biggest Dancehall Anthems Part 1 2002 Greensleeves Tracks; Fattie Boom Boom LP
V/A - The Biggest Dancehall Anthems Part 2 2002 Greensleeves Tracks; Love A Dub LP
The Promised Land (Dennis Brown) 2002 Blood & Fire BAFCD 039 Tracks; General CD
The Promised Land (Dennis Brown) 2002 Blood & Fire/Simply Vinyl Tracks; General LP
V/A - Trojan Ganja Reggae Box Set 2003 Trojan TJETD 102 Tracks; Marijuana In My Soul CD
V/A - Spirit Of Ragga 2003 Wagram Music A1098? Tracks; Fattie Boom Boom CD
V/A - This Is Crucial Reggae - The Deejays 2005 Trojan Tracks; Marijuana In My Soul CD
The Roots Lover (Sugar Minott) 2006 Moll Selekta MS 14 Tracks; Superstar CD
V/A - Best Of Vintage (The Original Singers) Joe Gibbs Tracks; Junkin Master CD
V/A - Forward (Greensleeves Top Singles) Greensleeves GRELCD 60 Tracks; Fattie Boom Boom CD
Linval Thompson & Friends Featuring Sly & Robbie, & The Revolutionaries Volume 2 xxxx Thompson Sound Tracks; Africa, Natty On The Rock LP