Junior Byles

Kenneth Byles (born 2 February 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica), also known as "Junior Byles", is a reggae singer. He formed the vocal trio The Versatiles in 1967, along with Dudley Earl and Ben 'Louis' Davis, while also working as a firefighter. The group split up in 1970, with Byles still working as a firefighter but continuing to record solo for Lee Perry (sometimes with the other former-Versatiles providing harmonies).
At the end of 1972, Byles had his biggest hit to date, with a cover version of Peggy Lee's "Fever", with a dubby rhythm produced by Perry. November 1972 saw the release of Byles debut album, ‘Beat Down Babylon’, which along with a series of singles that followed, established Byles as a major force in Jamaica as well as establishing him with audiences in the United Kingdom, "Curly Locks" being particularly successful there.
Regarded by some as his greatest work, "Fade Away" was recorded in 1975 for producer Joseph Hoo Kim; It was a massive hit in Jamaica and was also a big success in the UK, and was covered five years later by Adrian Sherwood's New Age Steppers group.
(Read more at Wikipedia.)
== Links to Peel ==
As well as playing early tracks by Junior Byles with the Versatiles, Peel regularly gave airtime down the decades to the singer's solo works, including vintage Lee Perry productions, despite a lack of new material after the mid-1970s due to the performer's poor health.
Byles classic 'Fade Away' was first played by the DJ as a single in 1975, with the final airing in 2003. The cover version by the New Age Steppers, with vocal by Ari Up of Peel session band the Slits, initially appeared on his show in 1980.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*None
== Sessions ==
*None
== Other Shows Played ==
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;1970s
*15 September 1975: Fade Away (7") Eagle (JP: 'Junior Byles and that's called Fade Away on the Eagle label, very nice indeed there I think.)
;1980s
*28 January 1981: Fade Away (played to follow New Age Steppers version)
*05 September 1981 (& Lee Perry): Dreader Locks (7") Black Art
*27 August 1983 (BFBS): Curly Locks
*09 October 1984: Beat Down Babylon
*15 October 1984: Beat Down Babylon
;1990s
*03 April 1990: Fever (v/a album - Various With The Upsetters - Version Like Rain) Trojan (Little Willie John song, also covered by Elvis Presley, Peggy Lee, etc)
*05 April 1990: Beat Down Babylon (v/a with Upsetters album - Version Like Rain) Trojan
*16 September 1998: Know Where You're Going (CD - Junior Byles & Friends 129 Beat St) Blood & Fire
;2000s
*25 April 2002 (Radio Eins) (& Rupert Reid): Chant Down Babylon (album - Dubwise & Otherwise 2) Blood & Fire
*03 September 2003: Fade Away (LP - Ian Brown: Under The Influence) (DMC (white labels))
;Other
*Where It's At: 'Fade Away' (vocal and dub versions)
== See Also ==
*Versatiles
*Lee Perry
*Niney The Observer
*I-Roy
*Cover Versions
*Trojan Records
*Blood & Fire
*Reggae Compilations
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
* Other
Category:Artists