Rod Taylor is a Jamaican reggae vocalist associated with roots reggae and soul and is known for a run of recordings from the 1970s onwards. He grows up in Kingston’s Trenchtown area and begins singing at a young age. In the early 1970s he forms the harmony trio The Aliens with Barry Brown and Johnnie Lee, but the group splits before recording.

Early recordings and roots reggae period

Rod Taylor begins his solo career by entering talent contests and looking for a recording break. In 1975 he meets producer Ossie Hibbert and records his first single, “Bad Man Comes And Goes”, at Channel One for the Hound Dog label. A DJ version by Dillinger, “Nuh Chuck It”, helps bring the song wider attention.

After some unreleased recordings, including an album project for Linval Thompson, Taylor works with Bertram Brown’s Freedom Sounds label, recording “Ethiopian Kings”, “In The Right Way” and “Don’t Give It Up”. These recordings become key parts of his reputation in roots reggae. He also issues singles such as “His Imperial Majesty” and “Hail HIM” for Mikey “Dread” Campbell, and “No One Can Tell I About Jah” for Prince Far I.

Albums and later work

Taylor records an album for Prince Hammer, If Jah Should Come Now, and in 1980 releases Where Is Your Love Mankind for producer Henry “Junjo” Lawes on Greensleeves. He continues recording through the 1980s, then relocates to France in the early 1990s, where he still lives.

In the 1990s he records two albums for UK roots producer Robert Tribulation, Liberate and Tell Dem. He later appears in live shows and continues to record, including work with Jah Warrior and a dubplate session at Third Eye studio that leads to “Going Home”, produced by Rootsman. He also records an album with his own band, including a new version of “His Imperial Majesty”.

Legacy

His recordings from the mid-1970s are compiled on Ethiopian Kings 1975-80 from Patate Records. Taylor is regarded as a significant roots reggae singer from Jamaica, with a voice and catalogue that remain associated with the genre’s classic period.