Derrick Morgan

Biography

Derrick Morgan OD (born 27 March 1940) is a Jamaican musician who was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He worked with Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, and Jimmy Cliff in the rhythm and blues and ska genres, and he also performed rocksteady and skinhead reggae.

Biography

In 1957, Morgan entered the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, a talent show held at the Palace Theatre in Kingston. He won with rousing impressions of Little Richard and, shortly after that, was recruited to perform around the island with the popular Jamaican comedy team Bim and Bam.
In 1959, Morgan entered the recording studio for the first time. Duke Reid, the sound system boss, was looking for talent to record for his Treasure Isle record label. Morgan cut two popular shuffle-boogie sides "Lover Boy", a.k.a. "S-Corner Rock", and "Oh My". Soon after, Morgan cut the bolero-tinged boogie "Fat Man", which also became a hit. He also found time to record for Coxsone Dodd.
In 1960 Morgan became the only artist ever to fill the places from one to seven on the Jamaican pop chart simultaneously. Among those hits were "Don't Call Me Daddy", "In My Heart", "Be Still", and "Meekly Wait and Murmur Not". But it was the following year that Morgan released the biggest hit of his career, the Leslie Kong production of "Don't You Know", later retitled "Housewives' Choice" by a local DJ. The song featured a bouncing ska riddim, along with a duet by Morgan and Millicent "Patsy" Todd.
"Housewives' Choice" began the rivalry between Morgan and Prince Buster, who accused Morgan of stealing his ideas. Buster quickly released "Blackhead Chiney Man", chiding Morgan with the sarcastic put-down "I did not know your parents were from Hong Kong" – a swipe at Kong. Morgan returned with the classic "Blazing Fire×Blazing FireAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks1Lover Boy2:472Be Still2:443Meekly Wait2:444Should Be Ashamed2:405Sunday Monday2:306Forward March2:517Miss Lulu3:048Shake a Leg2:429Oh My3:3610Edmarine2:3711Blazing Fire2:5712You Never Miss the Water2:4513Fat Man2:2314Don't Call Me Daddy2:3115I've Found a Queen3:0716It's Alright2:5917Housewives' Choice2:3818I'm in a Jam2:5219Tougher Than Tough2:2320Derrick Top the Pop2:4821I Love You2:4422Hey Boy Hey Girl3:2123Seven Letters3:1024Some Women Must Cry3:15", in which he warns Buster to "Live and let others live, and your days will be much longer. You said it. Now it's the Blazing Fire". Buster shot back with, "Watch It Blackhead", which Morgan countered with "No Raise No Praise" and "Still Insist". Followers of the two artists often clashed, and eventually the government had to step in with a staged photo shoot depicting the rivals as friends.
Morgan had a major success in 1962 with "Forward March×Forward March1970 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Forward MarchA2The HopA3Look Before You LeapA4Don't Be a FoolA5It's True My DarlingA6Housewife's ChoiceB1The Blazing FireB2I've Found a QueenB3Teach My BabyB4Angel With the Blue EyesB5Last ChanceB6Don't You Worry", a song celebrating Jamaican independence from Great Britain.
In the mid-1960s, when ska evolved into rocksteady, Morgan continued to release top quality material, including the seminal rude boy songs, "Tougher Than Tough", "Do the Beng Beng×Do the Beng Beng2004 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks1Tougher Than Tough2:322Judge Dread in Court4:373Retrial of Rudie3:014What a Revenge2:435I Mean It3:566Kill Me Dead2:467No Dice3:148Greedy Girl2:399Happy Independence3:0010Conquering Ruler2:5411You Never Miss the Water2:4712Want More2:4613I Am the Ruler2:3314Woman a Grumble2:5015Got You on My Mind3:1116Try Me3:4517Pretty Blue Eyes3:3118Do the Beng Beng2:1719Real Ring Ding2:4920What's Your Grouse3:3621Ben Johnson Day2:3622What La La Bam Bam2:4223Johnny Pram Pram2:1424Be Still2:20", "Conquering Ruler", and a cover of Ben E. King's soul hit, "Seven Letters×Seven Letters1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1Seven LettersA2Blazing FireA3Gypsy WomanA4Tears on My PillowA5Hold You JackA6Gimmie BackA7Conquering RulerB1Fat ManB2Shower of RainB3Forward MarchB4Housewives' ChoiceB5It's AlrightB6No Raise No PraiseB7One Morning in May". Produced by Bunny Lee, "Seven Letters" is often cited as the first true reggae single. In 1969 Morgan recorded the skinhead anthem "Moon Hop×Moon Hop1970 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Night at the Hop2Oh Babe3Let's Have Some Fun4Man Pon Moon5Just a Little Lovin'6Moon Hop7Derrick Top the Pop8Give Me Lovin'9The Story10This Ain't My Life11Wipe These Tears12Telephone" (on Crab Records). However, failing eyesight then forced him to give up regular stage appearances. He remained popular in Jamaica and the UK into the early 1970s, and has lived primarily in the UK or the US since the late 1960s.
Morgan has written several songs that have won the Festival Song Contest for other artists, including "Jamaica Whoa" (1998, Neville Martin), "Fi Wi Island A Boom" (2000, Stanley Beckford), and "Progress" (2002, Devon Black).
In July 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a two-night "Legends of Ska" concert was held. Reuniting were The Skatalites, Lloyd Knibb, Rico Rodriguez, Lloyd Brevett, Lester Sterling, Johnny Moore and Lynn Taitt; along with Prince Buster, Alton Ellis, Owen Gray, Lord Creator, Justin Hinds, Derrick Harriott, Winston Samuels, Roy Wilson, Patsy Todd, Doreen Shaffer, Stranger Cole, Lord Tanamo, and Derrick Morgan. In 2007, Morgan appeared on the bill at the annual Augustibuller music festival. His song "Tougher Than Tough" was featured in the video game Scarface: The World is Yours.
Morgan continued to perform occasionally at ska revival shows across the world, often backed by the guitarist Lynn Taitt until the latter's death in 2010. He retired from the music industry because of illness in the 2010s, but returned in 2016 to collaborate with Kirk Diamond on a remake of Morgan's song 1960s "Conqueror".
Morgan headlined the Supernova International Ska Festival, in Fredericksburg, Virginia from 27 to 28 May 2017.

Albums

Seven Letters (1969)
Derrick Morgan in London (1969)
Moon Hop (1970)
Feel So Good (1975) (featuring Hortense Ellis)
People's Decision (1977)
Still in Love (1977) (also featuring Hortense Ellis)
Sunset at Moonlight City
Love City
The Legend of Derrick Morgan (1980)
I Am the Ruler (1992) – Trojan Records
Tougher Than Tough (Rudie in Court) (1992)
The Conquering Ruler (and the Sensational Yebo) (1994) – Pork Pie Records
Ska Man Classics (1995)
Ska Man Classics (1997)
21 Hits Salute (1997)
Meets the High Notes Live (2003)
Moon Hop: Best of the Early Years 1960–69 (2003)
Derrick:Top the Top (2003)
Derrick Meets the High Notes (2004)
Shake A Leg (2014)
Storybook Revisited (2019)

Singles

Morgan released nearly 200 singles in the UK, and more than 250 in Jamaica.
These include:

"The Hop" / "Tell It To Me", 7-inch: Island WI 006, UK, 1962
"Forward March×Forward March1970 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Forward MarchA2The HopA3Look Before You LeapA4Don't Be a FoolA5It's True My DarlingA6Housewife's ChoiceB1The Blazing FireB2I've Found a QueenB3Teach My BabyB4Angel With the Blue EyesB5Last ChanceB6Don't You Worry" / "Please Don't Talk About Me", 7-inch: Island WI 011, UK, 1962
"See The Blind" / "Cherry Home", 7-inch: Island WI 013, UK, 1962
"I Am The Ruler×I Am the Ruler1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracksA1Teach My Baby2:24A2The Hop2:32A3Forward March2:51A4Housewive's Choice2:40A5Gypsy Woman2:23A6Blazing Fire2:56A7No Raise No Praise2:50A8Look Before You Leap2:31A9I Found a Queen3:09B1Don't You Worry2:57B2It's Alright3:05B3Got You on My Mind3:03B4You Never Miss Your Water2:46B5I Am the Ruler2:31B6I Want to Go Home2:22B7Conquering Ruler2:54B8Gimme Back2:32B9Tears on My Pillow2:50" / "I Mean It" Pyramid 1968
"No Dice" / "I Mean It" Pyramid 1968
"Fat Man" / "South Parkway Rock" Trojan TR 626 UK, 1968
Singles on Crab Records

"Moon Hop×Moon Hop1970 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Night at the Hop2Oh Babe3Let's Have Some Fun4Man Pon Moon5Just a Little Lovin'6Moon Hop7Derrick Top the Pop8Give Me Lovin'9The Story10This Ain't My Life11Wipe These Tears12Telephone" – 1969 – UK No. 49* "River to the Bank" / "Reggae Limbo", 7-inch (B side – Peter King)
"Seven Letters×Seven Letters1969 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1Seven LettersA2Blazing FireA3Gypsy WomanA4Tears on My PillowA5Hold You JackA6Gimmie BackA7Conquering RulerB1Fat ManB2Shower of RainB3Forward MarchB4Housewives' ChoiceB5It's AlrightB6No Raise No PraiseB7One Morning in May" / "Lonely Heartaches", 7-inch (B side – The Tartons)
"The First Taste of Love" / "Dance All Night", 7-inch
"Don't Play That Song" / "How Can I Forget You", 7-inch
"Mek It Tan Deh" / "Gimme Back", 7-inch
"Send Me Some Loving" / "Come What May", 7-inch
"Hard Time" / "Death Rides A Horse", 7-inch (B Side – Roy Richards)
"Man Pon Moon" / "What A Thing", 7-inch
"Moon Hop" / "Harris Wheel", 7-inch (B Side – Reggaeites)
"A Night at the Hop" / "Telephone", 7-inch
"Oh Baby" / The Rat", 7-inch (B Side – The Thunderbirds)
"Need To Belong" / "Let's Have Some Fun", 7-inch (with Jennifer Jones)
"I Wish I Was An Apple" / "The Story", 7-inch
"Take A Letter Maria" / "Just A Little Loving", 7-inch (with Owen Gray)
"Rocking Good Way" / "Wipe These Tears", 7-inch (with Jennifer Jones)
"My Dickie" / "Brixton Hop", 7-inch
"I Can't Stand It No Longer" / "Beyond The Wall", 7-inch
"Endlessly" / "Who's Making Love", 7-inch
"Hurt Me" / "Julia", 7-inch
"Searching So Long" / "Drums of Passion", 7-inch