Barry Biggs

Barry Biggs

Barry Biggs (born 1946 St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known in the UK for his cover of the Blue Magic song, "Sideshow", which got to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977.

Career
Biggs worked as a recording engineer and cameraman with the Jamaican Broadcasting Company, and also spent time as a member of the band the Astronauts, before becoming the lead singer for Byron Lee's Dragonaires. It was at Lee's Dynamic Sounds studio (where he also worked as a producer and engineer) that Biggs recorded his first Jamaican hit, a cover of the Osmonds' "One Bad Apple". He broke through to international success in 1976 with "Work All Day", which had been recorded seven years earlier. Biggs had six hit singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1976 and 1981, the most successful of these, "Sideshow", reaching number 3 in January 1977. He recorded two songs with Bunny Lee; "Sincerely" and "You're Welcome" which did well in the reggae charts. He topped the reggae chart in the UK with "Wide Awake in a Dream" and "A Promise Is a Comfort to a Fool". Many of Biggs' recordings were reggae cover versions of popular soul hits, including songs such as Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour"; "Sideshow" and "Three Ring Circus" by Blue Magic; and others originally by the Chi-Lites, the Moonglows ("Sincerely"), and the Temptations ("Just My Imagination"). His version of "Love Come Down", originally recorded by Evelyn "Champagne" King, was a top 10 hit in 1983 in the Netherlands. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Biggs avoided the political and Rasta themes then popular in Jamaica. Biggs continued to perform occasionally in the 2000s, notably at a 2008 service of thanksgiving for his former bandleader, Byron Lee.

Albums (9)

Compilations (3)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Sideshow Barry Biggs Sideshow
The Best Of
TJACD 166 CD Trojan 197X-8X 2004
Just My Imagination Barry Biggs Just My Imagination GO 793862 CD Pure Gold 198X 2002
The Very Best Of Barry Biggs Barry Biggs The Very Best Of Barry Biggs MCCD 497 CD Music Club 198X 2002

Credits & Appearances (28)

Production
Arranger 3
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Dread Affairs Jah Ruby Dread Affairs DYLP 3011 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
Coming Down With Love Barry Biggs Coming Down With Love 205.671 LP Ariola 1983 1983
Reggae By Ruddy Thomas Ruddy Thomas Reggae By Ruddy Thomas LP 690 006 LP Friends 1983 1983
Producer 8
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Reggay International Byron Lee & The Dragonaires Reggay International DY 3363 LP Dynamic Sounds 1976 1976
Dread Affairs Jah Ruby Dread Affairs DYLP 3011 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
Sincerely Barry Biggs Sincerely DYLP 3010 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
What's Your Sign ? Barry Biggs What's Your Sign ? DY 3403 LP Dynamic Sounds 1980 1980
Wide Awake Barry Biggs Wide Awake MLPS 9753 LP Mango 1982 1982
Coming Down With Love Barry Biggs Coming Down With Love 205.671 LP Ariola 1983 1983
Reggae By Ruddy Thomas Ruddy Thomas Reggae By Ruddy Thomas LP 690 006 LP Friends 1983 1983
So In Love Barry Biggs So In Love SDLP 915 LP Starlight 198X 1989
Technicians
Engineer 1
So In Love
Starlight • 198X
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
So In Love Barry Biggs So In Love SDLP 915 LP Starlight 198X 1989
Mixing Engineer 4
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Dread Affairs Jah Ruby Dread Affairs DYLP 3011 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
What's Your Sign ? Barry Biggs What's Your Sign ? DY 3403 LP Dynamic Sounds 1980 1980
Top Of The Pops The Blues Busters Top Of The Pops TRDLP 8181 LP Tad's 1981 1981
Coming Down With Love Barry Biggs Coming Down With Love 205.671 LP Ariola 1983 1983
Recording Engineer 1
Dread Affairs
Dynamic Sounds • 1977
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Dread Affairs Jah Ruby Dread Affairs DYLP 3011 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
Musicians
Backing Vocals 3
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Sings The Golden Hits Of The Gaylads B.B. Seaton Sings The Golden Hits Of The Gaylads AYA 001 LP Ayana 1981 1981
Coming Down With Love Barry Biggs Coming Down With Love 205.671 LP Ariola 1983 1983
So In Love Barry Biggs So In Love SDLP 915 LP Starlight 198X 1989
Vocals 7
Tighten Up
Dynamic Sounds • 1970
Mr. Biggs
Pink Elephant • 1976
Sincerely
Dynamic Sounds • 1977
Comp. Sideshow
Trojan • 197X-8X
What's Your Sign ?
Dynamic Sounds • 1980
So In Love
Starlight • 198X
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Tighten Up Byron Lee & The Dragonaires Tighten Up DY 3315 LP Dynamic Sounds 1970 1970
Mr. Biggs Barry Biggs Mr. Biggs PE 877.097 H LP Pink Elephant 1976 1977
Sincerely Barry Biggs Sincerely DYLP 3010 LP Dynamic Sounds 1977 1977
Sideshow Barry Biggs Sideshow TJACD 166 CD Trojan 197X-8X 2004
What's Your Sign ? Barry Biggs What's Your Sign ? DY 3403 LP Dynamic Sounds 1980 1980
Coming Down With Love Barry Biggs Coming Down With Love 205.671 LP Ariola 1983 1983
So In Love Barry Biggs So In Love SDLP 915 LP Starlight 198X 1989

Also Appears On (23)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Trojan Creole Reggae Box Set Various Artists Trojan Creole Reggae Box Set TJETD 161 CD Trojan 1964-94 2004
Trojan Reggae Brothers Box Set Various Artists Trojan Reggae Brothers Box Set TJETD 072 CD Trojan 1967-77 2003
Young Gifted And Black Various Artists Young Gifted And Black TJDDD 006 CD Trojan 1968-75 2002
Trojan Singles Box Set Various Artists Trojan Singles Box Set TRBCD 012 CD Trojan 1968-78 1999
Trojan Motor City Box Set Various Artists Trojan Motor City Box Set TJETD 309 CD Trojan 196X-7X 2006
Trojan Soulful Reggae Box Set Various Artists Trojan Soulful Reggae Box Set TRBCD 021 CD Trojan 196X-7X 2000
Star Artist Various Artists Star Artist TWLP 202 LP Third World 1976 1976
Taxi Gang In Discomix Style 1978-1987 Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare Taxi Gang In Discomix Style 1978-1987 CLP 1207 LP Cree 1978-87 2017
Taxi Gang In Discomix Style 1978-1987 Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare Taxi Gang In Discomix Style 1978-1987 CCD 1207 CD Cree 1978-87 2017
Cactus Classics Various Artists Cactus Classics CT 3009 CD Cactus 197X 2002
Just My Imagination Vol 2 Various Artists Just My Imagination Vol 2 CDTRL 298 CD Trojan 197X 1992
Just My Imagination Vol 3 Various Artists Just My Imagination Vol 3 CDTRL 311 CD Trojan 197X 1992
King Size Reggae Various Artists King Size Reggae LPZ 553 LP Blue Elephant 197X 1977
Next Cut! Bunny Striker Lee & Friends Next Cut! PSCD 88 CD Pressure Sounds 197X 2015
The Heavy Sounds Are On Dynamic Various Artists The Heavy Sounds Are On Dynamic RNCD 7116 CD Rhino 197X
Trojan Seventies Box Set Various Artists Trojan Seventies Box Set TJETD 192 CD Trojan 197X 2004
70's Hits Reggae Style Various Artists 70's Hits Reggae Style CD Castle Pulse 197X-8X 2007
Even More Souled On Reggae Various Artists Even More Souled On Reggae EMPRCD 755 CD Emporio 197X-8X 1997
Strictly For Lovers Various Artists Strictly For Lovers IRG 8 LP Island 197X-8X 1985
Trojan Lovers Rock Box Set Various Artists Trojan Lovers Rock Box Set TJETD 292 CD Trojan 197X-8X 2005
Reggae Love Songs Vol 2 Various Artists Reggae Love Songs Vol 2 TLSAN 014 CD Trojan 197X-9X 2005
Lovers Rock Various Artists Lovers Rock TJTCD 603 CD Trojan 198X 2022
Trojan Eighties Box Set Various Artists Trojan Eighties Box Set TJETD 253 CD Trojan 198X 2005
12 albums
28 credits
12 labels
1970 - 2004