trojan records

Trojan Records

Trojan Records is a United Kingdom label founded in 1968 and closely associated with the spread of ska, rocksteady and reggae in Britain. It grows out of mail-order record sales connected to Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, after which Gopthal opens the Musicland record shop, later part of the Muzik City Record Shops chain.

Name and background

The Trojan name comes from a Croydon-built Trojan truck used in Jamaica by Duke Reid. Reid’s sound system carries the name Trojan Sound, and that becomes linked with the new music culture around ska and reggae.

Artists and chart success

By 1970, Trojan Records has artists making inroads into the pop charts, including Lee Perry’s Upsetters, Bob & Marcia, The Cimarons, Desmond Dekker, Bruce Ruffin, Nicky Thomas, and Dave and Ansell Collins.

Cataloguing and compilations

Trojan Records also issues compilations, and its catalogue is associated with reggae, dub and ska as well as soundtrack and compilation material.