MUSIC-JAMAICA: “Dr. Dread” Back in Business.

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Sep 22 1998 (IPS) - After an absence of nearly one year, the all-reggae RAS Records label, credited with introducing reggae to a niche market in the United States and Europe, is back in operation.

Gary “Dr Dread” Himelfarb, who started the company in 1979 after operating a reggae radio programme in the Washington DC area, has adapted a low-key approach since resuming the reins of the company.

Himelfarb sold the label to Rounder Records several years ago but stayed on in a consultant’s role – similar to the agreement Chris Blackwell had with Polygram after he sold Island Records to that company in 1989. In 1997, Ernie B, the Los Angeles-based catalogue operation, began distributing the RAS catalogue which has well over 200 titles.

Himelfarb claimed that after almost 20 years of wheeling and dealing, the everyday job of operating RAS had become exhausting, but he has re-purchased the company from Rounder and, has resumed the business of releasing albums.

“I just decided to start all over again, it’s like a baby coming back home,” said Himelfarb. He was speaking just after RAS released a new live set from veteran roots act Culture and outlined, with some excitement, the label’s other releases for 1998.

Albums from Don Carlos and The Itals in May marked RAS’ first releases in nearly one year. That was understandable, says Himelfarb, since he was in negotiation with Rounder about reviving RAS. “We had the company on a bit of a holding pattern since I was busy buying it back,” he explained.

Though he’s back at the helm as far as signing acts and releasing albums are concerned, Himelfarb will not handle the distribution end of things. That will be left up to former rivals VP Records, Ernie B and distribution giants DNA.

The Culture set has been the most ambitious project since Himelfarb’s return to RAS, covering dates from the Joseph Hill-led group’s 1997 European and US tours.

Culture has been one of RAS’ most vibrant sellers in recent years and according to Himelfarb, a set to mark the label’s return is timely.

“Since One Stone (one of Culture’s albums) his career has been unbelievable and record sales have been great,” said a beaming Himelfarb. “He’s never released a live album in over 25 years of touring; we listened to the tapes and thought they were incredible.”

In the coming months Himelfarb will be releasing albums from other RAS luminaries like Yellowman, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Bunny Wailer and Israel Vibration.

The label has seen much success with Wailer whose tribute album (“Hall Of Fame”) to Bob Marley’s 50th Anniversary won the 1995 Reggae Grammy, and Vibration who has found a following in the US, thanks to the minor breakthrough of its last two studio albums, “On the Rock” and “Praises.”

In October, RAS plans to release Wailer’s “Dub Discos” for the first time on compact disc something he says that should be a treat for fans of the only surviving Wailer. “They sound incredible,” he said.

Before the market became saturated by a spate of independent reggae labels including Heartbeat (owned by Rounder) and VP, RAS Records led the way in the distribution of reggae albums in the United States. Himelfarb started the company in 1979 with the album “Rastafari Liveth” by roots singer Peter Broggs.

Over the years RAS has released albums from just about every reggae act to a niche US market concentrated among college students and toward the west coast where reggae has had one of its strongest following in the US.

The label’s most consistent results have come in Europe, Africa and Japan. Though the major breakthrough has never come in the US there have been instances of success.

Inner Circle, a band wallowing in obscurity, was signed to RAS at the time when their song “Bad Boys” album took off in 1993. Spurred by the song of the same name, the album took off when picked up by Atlantic Records.

“Bad Boys” eventually sold gold for Atlantic and won the Reggae Grammy in 1994. At the time Himelfarb pointed to the importance independent labels like RAS play in the music industry. “We’re a feeding tree of sorts for the majors,” he said.

While some critics have pointed to a decline in the quality of RAS product in recent years, its catalogue contains several gems including the famous “Bob Marley Interview” and the in-demand solo albums of the late Inner Circle vocalist, Jacob Miller.

Now that he’s back in the grind, and with the hassle of distribution a thing of the past, Himelfarb says RAS plans to once again deliver the goods. “We’ve got some great things in store,” he said.