Dandy Livingstone: The Original Rude Boy
Probably one of the first Rude Boys, or at least one of the first to sing about the Rude Boy, Dandy Livingstone is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician that was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1943. He was born as Robert Livingstone Thompson and he made his way to the United Kingdom when he was 15 years old.
Dandy unwittingly released his first record when he discovered that someone in the building where he and a friend had recorded some tracks peddled the songs to the Planetone Label without his knowledge.
Meanwhile, in London, the Carnival Records label was shopping for Jamaican vocal duo. Dandy stepped in and got the job by making double tracks of his voice to satisfy the requirement for a pair of Jamaican voices.
He continued to release music using this studio technique under the name Sugar & Dandy. When live performances required the addition of a real second vocalist, Roy Smith and Tito “Sugar” Simone were called upon to fill in with Dandy.
Ska Beat Records signed Dandy Livingstone in 1967 and he made a debut album in 1968 called Rocksteady With Dandy. Of course, Rudy A Message To You scored big with listeners in the United Kingdom when it became a Top 50 hit.
As his career progressed, Dandy began to make his mark as a very fine music producer. An association with trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who later played with The Specials, saw Dandy’s Rudy A Message To You covered by The Specials in 1979.
Dandy found a real music home when he signed with the famous Jamaican record label, Trojan Records, in 1968. Dandy was given his own production function at the studio and he operated under the Down Town Records label during his relationship with Trojan Records. Dandy stayed in Jamaica until 1973 when he returned to the United Kingdom to continue his career as a musician and producer.
The 2-Tone ska revival in the late 1970s saw a well deserved interest in his music develop. Dandy’s best known work is his smash hit Suzanne Beware Of The Devil in 1972. The entire album, currently released under the Trojan Label, is a wonderful summation of his career and his masterful skills as a musician and producer.
Dandy Livingstone was a big part of early Jamaican reggae music and Jamaican ska music – there is much to appreciated from this work especially the sophisticated groove that Dandy lays down on each and every track.
