Inner Circle

Inner Circle

Inner Circle is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1968 by brothers Ian Lewis and Roger Lewis. The band begins by playing covers of American soul and R&B songs, and later also performs reggae material, particularly songs by Bob Marley. It remains active from 1968 to the present.

Early years and first recordings

The group records two albums as The Inner Circle in 1974 for the Jamaican label Starapple, with UK distribution through Trojan. It later signs to Capitol Records in 1976 and to Island Records in 1979. In this period, Jacob Miller becomes the band’s frontman and lead singer, and the group’s sound is strongly shaped by his presence.

Jacob Miller era

With Jacob Miller, Inner Circle reaches major popularity in Jamaica in the late 1970s, at one point becoming more popular there than Bob Marley. The band also appears in the reggae film Rockers in 1978. Its album Everything Is Great reaches the UK top 20 in 1979. Miller dies in a car crash in 1980.

Break-up, revival and later hits

After Miller’s death, the group breaks up. It later releases Something So Good in 1982. Ian and Roger Lewis re-establish Inner Circle in 1986 with singer Carlton Coffie, and the band returns to prominence with Black Roses. In 1989 it releases “Bad Boys,” later becoming known as “The Bad Boys of Reggae.” Another international hit follows in 1993 with “Sweat (A La La La La Long).”

Members

Members associated with the group include Charles Farquharson, Calton Coffie, Lancelot Hall, Bernard “Touter” Harvey, Ian Lewis, Roger Lewis, Jacob Miller, Michael Sterling and Lester Adderley.