ABSTRACT
London-born Chris Blackwell developed a love of jazz during a six-month visit to New York in 1959. Soon after, in Jamaica, Blackwell recorded a group led by blind pianist Lance Hayward and released the cuts on newborn Island Records. The company’s first office was in Jamaica, and its first hit single was “Little Sheila” (Laura Aiken), a number one hit in that country. Over time, Island Records sold more in England than on the island, and Blackwell moved his headquarters to London in 1962. Even so, Blackwell concentrated on recording Jamaican-sourced Ska during the 1960s, while simultaneously producing pop records through his BPR Music production company. Island’s first major pop signing was the Spencer Davis Group, featuring young organist/vocalist Stevie Winwood; in 1967, Blackwell signed on as manager for Winwood’s new band, Traffic, and Island began solely focusing on rock acts, turning over its back catalog of Jamaican recordings to Trojan Records. Island was known for its innovative marketing and packaging; it was one of the first labels to emphasize the rock album over singles, and Blackwell gave his artists considerable freedom, as well as nurturing many artists who never achieved great chart success. In the early 1970s, Island’s biggest act was singersongwriter Cat Stevens. Then, the company returned to its first focus with the release of the Wailers’s Catch a Fire album. Group leader Bob Marley became the label’s hottest act, and reggae helped propel it to new heights of financial success. By the 1980s, however, the label had a diversified lineup, including long-time artist Steve Winwood (who enjoyed a commercial comeback mid-decade) along with new acts like U2. In 1989, Island was sold to A&M, then a division of Polygram. It is now part of the Universal Music Group.
