Dawn Penn

Biography

Dawn Penn (born 11 January 1952) is a Jamaican reggae singer. She first had a short career during the rocksteady era from 1967 to 1969, but she is most known for her single "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)", which became a worldwide hit in 1994.

Career

Penn's early recordings were composed and written by her around 1966 using session musicians. In 1967, she recorded the rocksteady single "You Don't Love Me×You Don't Love MeReleaseSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAYou Don't Love MeBYou Don't Love Me Ver.", produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. She also recorded "Why Did You Lie?" at Studio One, "Broke My Heart" for Bunny Lee, "I Let You Go Boy" and covers of "To Sir with Love" and "Here Comes the Sun". Penn also recorded for singer and producer Prince Buster early in her career with songs like "Long Day, Short Night", "Blue Yes Blue" and "Here's the Key". By 1970, Penn had left the music industry and had moved to the Virgin Islands. However, she faced racism there, and in 1987, she returned to Jamaica and to music.

In the summer of 1992, she was invited to appear on stage at a Studio One anniversary show, where she performed the song "You Don't Love Me" with Steely & Clevie as backing musicians. The performance was a success, and she returned to the recording studio to re-record the song for the tribute album Steely & Clevie Play Studio One Vintage×Vintage2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1I Don't Wanna Fight2Chilling3I'll Let You Go Aka Let Me Go Boy4Are You There5Let Her Try6Long Day Short Night7Love You So Much8Love Is Here To Stay9Make Up Your Mind10Sad Movies11Silly12That's Not the Answer13When I'm Gonna Be Free Aka I'm Always Wrong14Why Did You Lie15Feel Love16Blue Yes Blue17It Must Be Him18Here's the Key Aka Don't Miss You19What Do You Do20Too Much Hurt Aka Hurt21Don't Sleep In The Subway. It was released as the single "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" over a year later, reaching the charts in the U.S. and Europe, hitting number one in her native Jamaica, and making number three in the UK Singles Chart. Penn's album No, No, No×No, No, No1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1I Want a Love I Can See3:542I'm Sorry4:113You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)4:384Night and Day4:555My Love Takes Over3:586The First Cut Is the Deepest4:277I'll Do It Again4:068Hurt3:589Samfi Boy5:0910Keep in Touch4:3011My Man3:5912Blue Yes Blue4:5213You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (remix)5:13, was released on Big Beat Records in 1994.
"You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" has been sampled and covered by the artists Kano, Hexstatic, Jae Millz, 311, Ghostface Killah, Mims, Eve featuring Stephen Marley, and Damian Marley. Their versions were renamed as "No, No, No", except for Ghostface's, which was named "The Splash", and 311's "Omaha Stylee".
Penn performed at the Drum in Birmingham, England, in April 2006, and, in the same year, she was on the bill at the Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden. In 2011, Penn released a music video for the song "City Life", directed by Antoine Dixon-Bellot. On 30 June 2013, Penn performed "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" at the BET Awards. In 2014, The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra released the single "Bangarang" featuring Penn on lead vocals, and she appeared in the official video to accompany the single. Penn joined the Ska Orchestra on stage to perform the track on Halloween night 2013, at The Jazz Café in London's Camden Town. Penn also appeared with Thompson and backing singer Darren Fordham on Jools Holland's 2013/2014 Hootenanny and again at the Glastonbury Festival in 2014.
Penn features on the track "Crocadillaz" alongside De La Soul on Gorillaz's 2023 studio album Cracker Island.