About Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s.
He commented, "Deejays were closest to the people because there wasn't any kind of establishment control on the sound systems".
Before beginning his musical career, Buchanan worked as a diesel mechanic at Kingston's Sheraton Hotel, where he would develop his toasting skills while he worked, and was nicknamed "Big Youth" by his co-workers. He started to perform at dances, initially influenced by U-Roy, and became a regular with Lord Tippertone's sound system by 1970, becoming the resident deejay, and attracting the attention of Kingston's record producers. His early singles for producers such as Jimmy Radway , Lee Perry and Phil Pratt were artistically and commercially unsuccessful.
By 1972 he had begun working with Augustus "Gussie" Clarke, a teenage producer whose rhythms and singers were more in tune with the vibes on the streets of Kingston, and "The Killer" became his first major Jamaican hit, soon followed by "Tippertone Rocking". Following this, he released the successful "S-90 Skank", featuring a motorbike being revved in the studio, for Keith Hudson's Imbidmts label, versioning the producer's own "We Will Work It Out". This became his first Jamaican number one hit, and also featured in a television advert for the Honda motorcycle that inspired it. The first album to feature his vocals, Chi Chi Run was produced by Prince Buster in 1972. Distinctive musically, his half-sung style contrasting with his contemporaries, he was also visually distinctive, with his teeth inlaid with red, gold, and green jewels.
In 1973, he released his first album entitled Screaming Target, produced by Gussie Clarke. The album is still considered as a classic of its genre, featuring rhythms from well-known hits by Gregory Isaacs, Leroy Smart, and Lloyd Parks, among others. Around this time, he also notched up some achievements in the singles chart, having seven singles in the chart at one time, and having four singles remain in the top 20 for an entire year. Throughout 1974 and 1975, he continued to record for other producers, including Glen Brown , The Abyssinians , Yabby You "), Bunny Wailer and Joe Gibbs .
His next LP, Dread Locks Dread, was released on Klik Records in 1976. Although ostensibly a Big Youth LP produced by "Prince" Tony Robinson, it in fact only featured six vocal tracks, two of which – "Marcus Garvey Dread" and "Lightning Flash" had been released as singles for other producers.
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