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Cool Runnings And The Crown Prince Of Reggae - A Short Story By Penny Reel.

Penny Reel`s beautiful and highly personal account of the life and music of the late great Dennis Emmanuel Brown. Penny draws on his own experiences as a young reggae fan in the seventies who, as a writer for publications such as Black Echoes and the New Musical Express, immersed himself in London`s vibrant and exciting underground reggae scene and saw first hand the impact Dennis made during those times. Beautifully and generously illustrated with rare photos, record labels and handbills from the author`s own collection, this is one of the best books ever written about the reggae scene in England in the seventies and is an essential acquistion for anybody wishing to know more about it.


Review by Dub Vendor
http://www.dubvendor.co.uk/deep-down-wi ... 3683-p.asp

peace

Crucial reading I'd say! Bought a copy directly from Penny Reel and he even signed the copy.

It is really a fantastic read and one can only hope for Penny Reel to release more books. Especially since I wasn't around to read the interviews, articles and reviews he published earlier in his career.

hope this isnt considered trolling but this book is hard to source in the USA so here goes...

if anyone in the usa wants a copy please contact me on jbwelda@gmail.com jah reel is supposed to be sending me a box of copies to sell off over here. theyve not arrived yet but im told soon...hopefully sooner than soon come. i will be selling them at cost plus shipping and donating my time to the cause of trying to get this book out of the warehouse and into readers hands!

top grade book, 100% killer photos and some great insights to the UK reggae scene around d brown and castro brown.

one love
jah bill

PRESS RELEASE - A DRAKE BROS PUBLICATION

"Deep Down With Dennis Brown Cool Runnings And The Crown Prince Of Reggae"

A Short Story By Penny Reel

The sudden death aged just 42 of Jamaican singer Dennis Brown on July 1, 1999 sent a shockwave through the world of reggae and robbed the music of its most popular ever grassroots performer.

Fated as a child star in the 1960`s and billed as the Boy Wonder, Dennis Brown went on to fulfil his earlier promise with a recording career that spanned 30 years and dominated the reggae dancehalls for the next three decades. During this time, the singer released more records and scored a greater number of hits than any other artist working in the reggae field.

"Deep Down With Dennis Brown - Cool Runnings And The Crown Prince Of Reggae" traces the busy years of his early rise to prominence in the 1970s, when the singer developed his distinct style and also made the majority of his best and most famous recordings. Told as a short story in the author`s highly personal style and set against the backdrop of the London underground reggae scene during these turbulent times, this profile of its star act provides a fascinating insider`s insight into an otherwise hidden world. In this respect, here is a unique piece of written work, not only in the medium of reggae music, but as a wholly original approach to the debate of popular music and its wider cultural concerns. In addition to the text, full colour illustrations of photographs, album sleeves, record labels, concert posters and other ephemera from the era are reproduced throughout the book, adding a striking visual accompaniment to the story as it unfolds and the half that has never been told revealed.

The Author:

Penny Reel has written extensively about popular black music and specifically reggae since the early 1970s and in that time has met and interviewed most of the latter`s major players. During this period he has freelanced on a regular basis for pulications including International Times, Oz, Time Out, Mojo, Virgin Yearbook, Sounds, Music Week, Wire, Straight No Chaser, Underground and many others. During the 1970s-80s, he was the chief correspondent on reggae for New Musical Express, at the height of the paper`s success as market leader in its field, and from the mid-70s until the end of the millennium wrote a regular column for the weekly tabloid Black Echoes as well as sundry articles, reviews, think pieces and other work.

"Fans Of Penny Reel`s writings on London and reggae have a double treat here in this atmospheric story of Dennis Brown`s, "unrivalled importance as a reggae artist" during the music`s golden years - bookended in this account with two different Joe Gibbs recordings of the infamous Money In My Pocket: 1972 to 1979. Throughout the early part of this period reggae was underground: ill-reported outside its immediate community, served by dozens of transient shebeens, clubs and record labels. Reels` account is poetic, impassioned and respectful of arcana which would otherwise be lost to knowledge. Ending on the eve of Brown`s first national chart hit , Deep Down With . . . leaves you wanting more." - Jon Savage - Mojo

"A visual as well as literary feast. The writer makes his unorthodox approach work in impressive fashion and furthermore remains true to his own personal experience. There have been a number of new reggae titles over the past twelve months, but I doubt any of them are as essential as this lavishly illustrated and beautifully presented retrospective." - John Masouri - Echoes

"Deep Down is a book set in the clubs and dives of inner city London during the 1970s and charts the progress of the local underground reggae scene as it existed during these times. The book traces the years of the Jamaican singer`s early rise to prominence and discusses in detail some of his most famous and noteworthy recordings. It is a visual treat, as well as an entertaining and imformative read . . . a timely reminiscence. Reel`s aim to achieve accuracy of imformation, facts and figures is very successful." - King Appiah - Agyemang Darkerthanblue (online mag)

"Mr Reel has a way with words. His wondeful richly distilled Runyonesque prose marks him out as an authentic character and chronicler of the developments and paths of Jamaican music in London . . . Very entertaining and fact rich read." - Dave Hucker - Beat

"A handsomely illustrated testament to the life of a singer who brought more than a little love into the hard lives of the Jamaican people and those whose roots lay in the Caribbean." - Paul Bradshaw - Straight No Chaser

"Reggae`s much respected and longest serving writer delivers a stylish homage to the late crown prince. Hugely enjoyable." - John Williams Top (Tower Rec.)

"A singular kind of illuminations through reggae`s maze of names, faiths and fashions. Reel`s voice suits this kind of street level narrative - chancers, semi-Rastas, one horse backers and scene stealers." - Ian Penman - The Wire

"Indispensable to not only Dennis Brown aficionados but reggae lovers in general. Penny Reel`s text is a revelation." - Michael de Koningh

"From archive facts on releases of his myriad hits to personal and private conversations, this book informs as it entertains." - Lionvibes

"This massive book is a must for anyone with a true love of reggae music and who wants to know why Dennis Brown is one of the music`s greatest stars." - Ray Hurford - Small Axe

A Drake Bros Publication - Softback with embossed cover size; (HxW) 265mm x 190mm Pages 112pp Illustration: Full colour and b&w throughout.

PRESS RELEASE - A DRAKE BROS PUBLICATION

peace

Since it was first published in Nov 7th 2000 and is widely available worldwide. I notice that some places says it has 102 pages, some say 103 pages, the press release in 2000 says it has 112 pages. Was it ever reprinted with a different amount of pages?
And about how many copy`s would the book have sold in the eight years?

In the 1970`s in the UK there were two mags Black Echoes and Black Music that had reggae news and reviews, interviews and the whole reggae scene of JA and UK, with the two main reggae writers Penny Reel for Black Echoes and Carl Gayle for Black Music, and can remember getting both mags (I don`t know where my Black Echoes went) but I remember reading the articles each month.

Since reggae was still a very much underground music at that time, but if you lived in a inner city there would be music playing from peoples houses down the street as you went by. A friend of mine lived next door to Jah Observer and they were always playing tune. Also there were a lot of british rail waste ground (thats now a sink estate) and in the summer a Sound System would set up and play once a week and all the community would come, black and white, old and young.


I started the thread to see if anybody else was around in the UK in the inner cities in the reggae scene in the 70`s, and/or read Black Echoes and Black Music then also.

peace

@Stepping Razor - I've been reading (Black) Echoes since the late 70s and still get the monthly magazine version though I really preferred the tabloid version! They used to get some great interviews with visiting reggae stars like I remember one with Johnny Osbourne in his early days, and their reggae reviewer Cyril Saunders just thought everything was great, basically. I think I've mentioned before in these columns that Penny Reel came up to Edinburgh to do an article on the local club I was involved with (the Ital Club), I think it was published in Echoes but my copy is long since gone.

Jesco! I've have the article on Ital Club in a Small Axe (#17). Send me a mail if you want a scan (my user name at R-A _at_ hotmail.com)

Was going to add the information to Reggaepedia some time ago but forgot. If I add info you're very welcome to complete and add to the article.

That's great Kalcidis, thanks. Will be in touch probably from home over the weekend (should really be working not reminiscing right now!).

Regards

Jesco

Hi There,

Would you happen to have the e-mail address of Penny Reel

Many thanks,

Paul Simons

You can contact, Mr. Reel at drakebros _at_ hotmail.com or over at Chatty Mouth.

(edited email to avoid spambots)