Prince Hammer

Prince Hammer

Also known as: Berres Simpson, Jah Berry

Berris Simpson, better known as Prince Hammer, is a Jamaican reggae deejay, singer, and record producer.

Biography
Simpson was born at the Jubilee Hospital in Kingston and grew up in a Christian family in Kingston. After deejaying on the Vee-Jay sound system in the early 1970s, Simpson initially recorded under his own name (as 'Berris Simpson') in the mid-1970s with producer 'God Son' Glen Brown for whom he recorded "Whole Lot of Sugar" ( also versioned by Sylford Walker as "My Father's Homeland" on the "Lambsbread" album ) and "Tel Aviv Rock", before adopting the 'Prince Hammer' name when he began producing his own recordings on labels that he owned such as Gold Cup and Belva, sold through his own record shop on Orange Street. He released several singles in the late 1970s for a variety of producers. He made a cameo appearance in the film Rockers, and found a wider audience via his Blacka Morwell-produced 1978 album Bible, released on Virgin Records' Front Line label. Notably, the title track of the album features Hammer's version of Cornell Campbell's Jah Me No Born Yah vocal chant, lyrically inspired by King James Bible-translated King David Psalm 19. His 45 release, Ten Thousand Lions attracted significant interest in England amongst the followers of the Lloyd Coxsone and Jah Shaka sound systems. His album for the UK based Front Line (record label) was followed by the work Roots and Roots, released on Adrian Sherwood's Hitrun Roots Reggae, vocal and dub and Discomix label in 1979. In a departure from earlier releases, the album Roots and Roots is not entirely a DJ toasting work-a number of the tracks, such as Righteous Man, also showcase Prince Hammer as a singer and vocalist in a conscious Roots Reggae style. The album features Prince Hammer's version of Prince Far I and Augustus Pablo's Let Jah Arise, the original of which was re-released on Steve Barrow's Blood and Fire (record label). Hammer toured the UK with Carlton Bubbler's Ogilvie and Crucial Tony Phillips' Creation Rebel, Bim Sherman, Congo Ashanti Roy aka Roydel Johnson, Johnny Clarke's brother, Eric 'Fish' Clarke and Prince Far I in 1979, and later with punk rock bands such as The Clash and The Slits, as well as with avant garde musician Don Cherry (trumpeter). A second album for Hit Run, Dancehall Style, was released in 1981, and they worked again on his 1985 album Vengeance, versioning tunes that had already appeared on Singers & Players' Staggering Heights album, New Age Steppers Foundation Steppers album, and on Bim Sherman's Can't Stop Dancing Discomix and Across the Red Sea album. Prince Hammer also versions Stranger Cole and Gladstone Anderson's Just Like a River hit on Vengeance, as well as his take on Big Youth's Prince Tony-Barrington Spence based Some Like it Hot. There is also a version of The Revolutionaries' Kunta Kinte Dubplate. He appeared on the track "The Heat" on Suns of Arqa's 1983 fusion dance album Wadada Magic, also featuring on their live album with Prince Far I entitled Musical Revue which was recorded in 1982, and he provides vocals on "Libera Me" on their 1987 album Seven. He also worked with Tamoki-Wambesi and Dove labels' founder, Roy Cousins on the Respect I Man album (1989). Hammer also worked as a producer, releasing Rod Taylor's conscious Roots Reggae If Jah Should Come Now album on Keith Stone's Daddy Kool label out of the UK. Other artists that he produced included Echo Minott, Jennifer Lara ( who had gained success under the tutelage of Coxsone Dodd at Studio One), Toyan, Trinity, Enos McLeod and George Nooks aka Prince Mohammed. Several of these productions were compiled on the Africa Iron Gate Showcase album, released on his own Berris label in 1982, backed by Noel Simms aka 'Zoot' Sims, Style Scott, Uziah Thompson, Winston Wright, Ansel Collins, The Roots Radics, 'Horsemouth' Leroy Wallace and engineered by King Tubbys, Joe Gibbs (producer), as well as by Joseph Hoo Kim at his Channel One Studios.

Discography (6)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Bible Prince Hammer Bible FL 1004 LP Virgin 1978 1978
Roots Me Roots Prince Hammer Roots Me Roots PW 1 LP Miss Pat Walker 1979 1979
World War Dub Part 1 Prince Hammer World War Dub Part 1 APLP 9007 LP Hitrun 1979 1979
Respect I Man Prince Hammer Respect I Man TWLP 1026 LP Tamoki Wambesi 1984 1984
Vengance Prince Hammer Vengance BCS 2 LPR LP Melinda 1985
Rastafari Bible Prince Hammer Rastafari Bible PRP 005 CD Patate 1976-82

Credits & Appearances (12)

Production
Producer 5
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Rastafari Bible Prince Hammer Rastafari Bible PRP 005 CD Patate 1976-82
If Jah Should Come Now Rod Taylor If Jah Should Come Now DSR 0413 LP Belva 1979 1979
Roots Me Roots Prince Hammer Roots Me Roots PW 1 LP Miss Pat Walker 1979 1979
Africa Iron Gate Showcase Various Artists Africa Iron Gate Showcase PH 100 LP Berris 1982 1982
Vengance Prince Hammer Vengance BCS 2 LP Belva 1985
Technicians
Engineer 1
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Vengance Prince Hammer Vengance BCS 2 LP Belva 1985
Musicians
Guitar 1
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
That Man Is Forward Rico Rodriguez That Man Is Forward CHR TT 5005 LP 2 Tone 1981 1980
Vocals 4
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
World War Dub Part 1 Prince Hammer World War Dub Part 1 APLP 9007 LP Hitrun 1979 1979
Roots Me Roots Prince Hammer Roots Me Roots PW 1 LP Miss Pat Walker 1979 1979
Respect I Man Prince Hammer Respect I Man TWLP 1026 LP Tamoki Wambesi 1984 1984
Vengance Prince Hammer Vengance BCS 2 LP Belva 1985

Also Appears On (22)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
The Trojan Story Vol 1&2 Various Artists The Trojan Story Vol 1&2 TALL 100-200 LP Trojan 196X-7X
High Explosion Various Artists High Explosion TJDDD 085 CD Trojan 1970-76 2003
Dubble Attack Various Artists Dubble Attack GREL 601 LP Greensleeves 1972-74 1989
Motion Dub Special King Tubby & Friends Motion Dub Special FASTCD 017 CD Motion 1974-78 2006
Garden Of Eden Rod Taylor Garden Of Eden PRP 024 CD Patate 1975-82 2007
Roots, Vibes & Vision Various Artists Roots, Vibes & Vision TWLP 1025 LP Tamoki Wambesi 1975-83
Children Of Jah The Chantells & Friends Children Of Jah BAFCD 028 CD Blood And Fire 1977-79 1999
Front Line II Various Artists Front Line II FLB 3001 LP Virgin 1978 1978
Reggae Giant Various Artists Reggae Giant HJLP 8710 LP Harry J 1978 1978
Top Ranking DJ Session Vol 1&2 Various Artists Top Ranking DJ Session Vol 1&2 DBCDD 110 CD Doctor Bird 1979-80 2022
DJ Spooky Presents Riddim Come Forward Various Artists DJ Spooky Presents Riddim Come Forward TJDDD 334 CD Trojan 197X 2006
Joe Gibbs Original DJ Classics Vol 2 Various Artists Joe Gibbs Original DJ Classics Vol 2 RGLP 010 LP Rocky One 197X 1990
Phase One Collectors Edition vol 1 Various Artists Phase One Collectors Edition vol 1 PRFCD 3 CD Phase One 197X
The Front Line Box Set Various Artists The Front Line Box Set 8106782 CD Virgin 197X 2004
We Are Getting Bad Various Artists We Are Getting Bad FASTCD 013 CD Motion 197X 2003
Reggae Classics - Serious Selections Vol 2 Various Artists Reggae Classics - Serious Selections Vol 2 CD Rewind Selecta 197X-8X
Africa Iron Gate Showcase Various Artists Africa Iron Gate Showcase PH 100 LP Berris 1982 1982
Wadada Magic the Suns Of Arqa Wadada Magic Antler 024 LP Antler 1983 1983
Herb Dust Various Artists Herb Dust TWCD 1054 CD Tamoki Wambesi 198X 2022
Original Yardie Various Artists Original Yardie TWLP 1059 LP Tamoki Wambesi 198X
Reggae Sunsplash Showcase Various Artists Reggae Sunsplash Showcase CD Tamoki Wambesi 198X
King Jammy's Roots, Reality And Sleng Teng King Jammy King Jammy's Roots, Reality And Sleng Teng VPCD 5011 CD 17 North Parade 198X-9X 2015
6 albums
12 credits
10 labels
1978 - 1985