Born in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica, Alton Ellis was raised within a musical family and learned to play the piano at a young age. He attended Ebeneezer and Boys' Town schools, where he excelled in both music and sport. While at Boys' Town Ellis performed as a dancer (in a duo) in the first show that a school director called Mr Bailey had organized for Vere Johns who had been invited down to talent scout. He would later compete on Vere Johns' Opportunity Hour. After winning some competitions, he switched to singing, starting his career in 1959 as part of the duo Alton & Eddy with Eddy Parkins.
Ellis and Parkins recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, initially in the R&B style, having a hit in 1960 with "Muriel" (from Dodd's first commercially-oriented recording session at Federal studios), a song Ellis had written while working as a labourer on a building site. This initial success was followed by the release of "My Heaven", which like "Muriel" was a slow R&B ballad with the instrumental triplets and vocal harmonizing common to the ballads of that period. Further releases in the R&B style followed: "Lullabye Angel", "I Know It All", "I'm Never Gonna Cry" and "Yours". The duo also recorded R&B tracks for Vincent Chin's Randy's label including "Let Me Dream". The duo split after Parkins won a major talent contest and moved to the United States. Ellis remained in Kingston, working as a printer and after losing his job, he restarted his music career, initially forming a new duo with John Holt. When Holt joined The Paragons, Ellis formed a new group, The Flames. Ellis continued to work for Dodd and also recorded for his arch-rival, Duke Reid on his Treasure Isle label. At the start of his career Ellis recorded with his younger sister Hortense; early tracks with Hortense like "Don't Gamble With Love" (1965) were still in the R&B style.
By the mid-1960s, ska was moving on and the beat was slowing down to rocksteady and becoming associated with the violent rude boy subculture in Jamaican dancehalls. Many artists made records referring to the rude boys, including Ellis, although his records were consistently anti-rudie, including "Don't Trouble People", "Dance Crasher", and "Cry Tough". Releasing records under the name Alton Ellis and The Flames (the varying line-up of which included his brother Leslie Ellis, David "Baby G" Gordon and Winston Jarrett); the group had hits with "Girl I've Got a Date" and "Cry Tough". The release of "Rock Steady" (1967) backed by Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, the first song to refer to the name of the new genre, heralded the new direction Jamaican popular music was taking. Ellis continued to have hits for Treasure Isle; working with artists such as Lloyd Charmers, Phyllis Dillon and The Heptones. His Mr Soul of Jamaica album (with Tommy McCook and the Supersonics) is regarded as one of the definitive rocksteady albums.
Ellis toured the United Kingdom in the 1967 with Ken Boothe and Studio One session band the Soul Vendors and on his return to Jamaica he worked with Dodd, recording the tracks that would be released as his debut album Alton Ellis Sings Rock & Soul. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ellis recorded for some of Jamaica's top producers including Bunny Lee, Keith Hudson, and Herman Chin Loy. He also began to produce his own records, including "My Time Is The Right Time" (1968) and "The Message". He had two hits with Lloyd Daley in "Deliver Us" (1970) and "Back to Africa" (1971), both released in the UK on the Gas record label, a subsidiary of Pama Records.
Ellis regularly returned to England, working with several London-based producers and after spending a few years in Canada, from 1972 he based himself permanently in the UK. Ellis continued to record and perform regularly, recording in the early 1980s for emerging producers including Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Sugar Minott, and King Jammy. He also opened up the All-Tone record shop in South London, and started a record label of the same name.
Ellis continued to be active on the reggae scene until his health began to deteriorate. His latest works include performing all over Europe with a French backing-band called ASPO (About Some Precioux Oldies) at the beginning of the 21st century. Recorded in Bordeaux, France, Live with Aspo: Workin' on a Groovy Thing is the only live album Alton Ellis ever published (2001).
In 2004, Ellis was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in recognition of his achievements.
In December 2007, he was admitted to hospital in London for treatment of cancer of the lymph glands (Hodgkins disease), but he returned to live performance after receiving chemotherapy.
Ellis died of cancer on 10 October 2008 at Hammersmith Hospital, London. His death prompted a statement from Jamaica's Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia "Babsy" Grange, who said "even as we mourn the great Alton Ellis, we must give thanks for his monumental contribution to the development of Jamaica's popular music". A funeral service and celebration of his life was held on 3 November, attended by family, fans, music industry personnel and government ministers, with tribute performances from stars including Winston "Fix It" Francis, Tinga Stewart, George Nooks, Tony Gregory, Ken Boothe, Judy Mowatt and Carlene Davis.
In 2012 it was announced that the main hall of the new Trench Town Multi-Purpose Building would be named the Alton Ellis Auditorium in his honour.
He was the older brother of the late Hortense Ellis, and the father of more than twenty children including Noel Ellis and Christopher Ellis, who are both reggae singers. He was also the uncle of the Jamaican comedians Owen "Blakka" Ellis and Ian "Ity" Ellis.
Legacy
The "Mad Mad" riddim (the track "Mad Mad" by Alton Ellis and the Sound Dimension band was released in 1968 on the Coxsone label) has been reused or sampled by many hip-hop, dancehall and reggae producers and artists. The recognizable three-note descending horn line was reinterpreted by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, and eventually became known as the "Diseases" reggae riddim. "Diseases" is notably utilized in Yellowman's hit song "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng", which has in turn has been sampled and reinterpreted by a long list of popular hip-hop artists, including KRS-One, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Sublime, and Blackstar. This constant reinterpretation and referencing has made Ellis a major but little-known influence in the trajectory of dancehall, reggae and hip hop.
--------------------------------
Alton Ellis (1938-2008) was a musician best known as the innovator of rocksteady music. He began recording in the late 1950s and continued until his death in 2008, but he reached his period of greatest popularity in the late 1960s.
Ellis was born in Trenchtown, a poor area of Kingston, Jamaica, and learned to play the piano at a young age. In his teens, Alton and Eddie Perkins formed Alton & Eddie, and began recording for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, scoring a hit in 1958 with "Muriel".
Ellis launched his solo career after Perkins left for the United States around 1965. He moved to Treasure Isle and began recording with the back-up trio The Flames. His first hit for Treasure Isle was "Dance Crasher", a plea for peace, and he followed it up with "Get Ready - Rock Steady", perhaps the first rocksteady recording. The song was apparently recorded with keyboardist Jackie Mittoo playing the bass guitar part because the bassist did not show up; Mittoo could not keep up with the ska beat, and the tempo was slowed down to accommodate him. This allowed for a choppier rhythm that led Ellis to expand his vocal range.
Ellis' most well-known song is probably "Girl, I've Got A Date", or "I'm Still In Love With You", a song that has been versioned many times by artists such as Sean Paul, Althea & Donna (As 'Uptown Top Ranking').
In 2006, Ellis was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards (IRAWMA), Hall Of Fame.
http://www.myspace.com/altonellisod
The Message
Alton Ellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is... The Message
If the world surround you
Like the chain that bound you
Be patient, boy
You will draw [?] right, yes you will
Be patient
Up tight, The Message
Sit and wait, sir, till his fortune goes
Through the gate, sir
No sir
Up tight, out of sight, haha!
Hah! Right now
Do good, sir, real good, sir
Good follows, sir, real good follows
Take it easy
One stop from the top
Out of sight, sir
Out of sight, sir
Up tight, sir
The Message
Shake your head, one
Shake your hip, two
I can do anything, sir
I'm a rocksteady king, sir
That's it, that's it
One stop from the top, sir
The Message, this is The Message
Get with it, get with it
From the top, one stop...
The lyrics of Alton Ellis's 'The Message' convey an inspiring message of hope and perseverance. In the first few lines, Ellis speaks to those who may feel trapped or limited by their surroundings, encouraging them to be patient and wait for their chance to succeed. The use of the metaphor of chains is a powerful image, suggesting that the world can sometimes feel like a prison, but that there is always a way out. The repetition of the phrase 'up tight' serves to reinforce the idea that people should be motivated and driven, pushing themselves to succeed in whatever ways they can.
As the song continues, Ellis becomes more assertive, insisting that people do not simply wait around for their fortunes to change but take action to improve their lives. The repetition of 'out of sight' and 'the message' serves to reinforce the idea that there is a powerful force in the world that can help people achieve their goals, and that they just need to tap into it. The lyrics also suggest that there is a sense of joy and freedom that comes from breaking free of limiting circumstances and achieving success. The call to 'shake your head' and 'shake your hip' is an invitation to express this sense of liberation.
Overall, 'The Message' is a powerful testament to the human spirit and the importance of persistence in the face of adversity. The lyrics urge listeners to believe in themselves and their abilities, reminding them that they have the power to improve their own lives and make a positive impact on the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Haha! Right now, The Message
I'm delivering the message right now, at this moment, and it's important
This is... The Message
I'm making it clear that what I'm saying is the message and it should be heard
If the world surround you
If the world is weighing down on you
Like the chain that bound you
Like a chain that has held you back
Be patient, boy
Don't get discouraged, young man
You will draw [?] right, yes you will
You will achieve success in due time
Be patient
I'm emphasizing that it's important to wait and not give up
Up tight, The Message
The message is about staying focused and determined
No guy should sit and wait, sir
I'm saying that no one should just sit around waiting for success to come to them
Sit and wait, sir, till his fortune goes
Don't just sit and wait until your luck changes, take action and make a change yourself
Through the gate, sir
Success will come through hard work and perseverance
No sir
I'm rejecting the idea that you should wait around for success
Up tight, out of sight, haha!
Stay determined and focused, and you'll achieve success that others might not have seen coming
Do good, sir, real good, sir
I'm encouraging listeners to do their best and put forth their best effort
Good follows, sir, real good follows
If you put forth a good effort, good things will follow
Take it easy
Don't stress too much or give up
One stop from the top
Success is just one step away
Out of sight, sir
Success might not be immediately apparent to you, but it's there
Up tight, sir
Stay determined and focused, and you'll achieve success
The Message
Once again, I'm emphasizing that this is the important message I want to get across
Shake your head, one
I'm encouraging listeners to dance and move with me
Shake your hip, two
Dance and show your enthusiasm for the message
I can do anything, sir
I'm expressing confidence and encouraging others to believe in themselves
I'm a rocksteady king, sir
I'm at the top of my game and I'm confident in my abilities
That's it, that's it
This is the end of the song, and I'm emphasizing that the message has been delivered
One stop from the top, sir
Success is within reach, so keep pushing forward
The Message, this is The Message
Once again, I'm clarifying that what I'm discussing is the message that's truly important
Get with it, get with it
This is an upbeat ending to the song, and I'm encouraging people to get into the message and enjoy the music
From the top, one stop...
I'm emphasizing again how close success is, and how important it is to keep pushing forward until you reach it
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Devil City
Thanks