A descendant of the Jamaican National Hero the Rt Excellent Deacon Paul Bogle, as a sixties child Kay was exposed to the singing greats, especially those from the Tamla Motown stable and as a result of the exposure and inspiration, Janet's love for singing was born. In 1977, whilst in Secretarial College, Kay was invited by her school friend Sonia Ferguson (who recorded a cover version of Smokey Robinson's 'Oh Baby Baby' in the late 70s) to a band rehearsal. As destiny had it, band member Tony Gad heard Kay singing in the rehearsal room. He was so impressed that he introduced her to the reggae legend, the great Alton Ellis. That meeting resulted in Kay recording a cover version of Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You' (produced by Alton Ellis) that became a reggae smash hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
The following year, 1978, saw Kay record two more cover versions, 'I Do Love You' and 'That's What Friends Are For', again, both spending weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.
In 1979, Kay made history by becoming the first British-born black female to have a reggae song at the top of the British charts. The song, 'Silly Games', (produced by Dennis Bovell) was a hit not only in the UK but also in Europe. Kay's history making has been recorded in the Music Guiness Book of Records.
Kay's songwriting prowess became evident on the release of her first album 'Capricorn Woman'. The album was, and still is, a best seller. All the songs except two were penned by Kay.
By now, Kay had become known as the 'Queen of Lover's Rock'. In that same year Kay was presented with the awards for Best 7" single, Best 12" single and Best Female Vocalist 1979 by Black Echoes Music Newspaper.
Kay's voice was not exclusive to reggae music and in the early 80s she also penned and sung the soulful 'Eternally Grateful' which became an underground hit.
The early 80s also saw the collaboration between Kay and reggae legend Jackie Mitto with the Randy Crawford classic, 'You Bring The Sun Out'.
In 1980, after a chance meeting with actor/singer Victor Romero Evans, Kay as introduced to the theatre company 'Black Theatre Co-operative'. A successful audition saw the birth of Janet's theatrical career, in the play 'Mama Dragon' by Faroukh Dhondy's which toured England and Europe.
Kay's theatre credits include:
Mama Dragon - BTC
Shooting Stars At Day - BTC
Redemption Song - BTC
Sink or Swim - Foco Novo
Tewodos - BTC (Black Theatre Forum)
Say Hallelujah - Black Theatre Forum
Don,t Blame The Post Man - Roots Theatre
65 With a Bullett - BTC (song writer) On a Level - BIBI CREW
Another Level - BIBI CREW
Radio credits:
Pheonix England - BBC play
Read Peoms and short stories - BBC
Friends - BBC
Advertisements credits:
Job Club
Data Protection
Skip Crisps (Voice Over)
McEwan Lager
Tilda Rice (radio)
Malibu (radio)
In 1981, Kay starred in the 'Black Theatre Co-operative's' TV sitcom 'No Problem' (LWT/Channel 4), the first black TV show which was created and conceived by a black theatre company. The show became a cult classic.
Other television credits include:
Top of the Pops - BBC
Party at the Palace - with special guest Trevor McDonald and Gary Bird - LWT/CH4
Birds of a Feather - BBC
Verdict - CH4
Razamtaz - Southern TV
Runaround - ITV
Afternoon Plus - ITV
Hale and Pace - ITV (sung theme track for one episode)
Snakes and Ladders - CH4
Blacka and Bella Show - CH4
In Between the Lines "Cracker" - BBC1
Casualty - BBC1
A Touch of Frost โ ITV
Film Credits:
Burning an Illusion
Time and Judgement
The late 80's saw Kay's collaboration with the singer/producer Lloyd Charmers with the cover album 'Sweet Surrender'.
In 1990 Kay collaborated with Beats International (Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim) on their track Burundi Blues. Following this collaboration, Janet was invited to feature on Lindy Layton's version of Silly Games.
In the early 90s Kay, along with fellow actresses Judith Jacob, Suzanne Packer, Suzette Llewellyn, Beverley Michaels, Josephine Melville and the Late Joanne Campbell formed the highly successful female theatre company the Bibi Crew. All the shows were written produced and directed by the Crew.
In 1991, the album 'Sweet Surrender' was renamed 'Lovin' You, Best of Janet Kay', (which included a newly recorded version of 'Lovin' You'), and was released in Japan.; The track 'Lovin' You' propelled Janet to stardom in Japan. Kay subsequently signed to Sony Music (Japan). As a Sony artist Kay has, to date released the following albums:
Loving You (The Best of Janet Kay) - 1991
Love You Always - 1993
For the Love of You โ 1994
In Paradise - 1996
Making History - 1998
Through The Years - 1999
Lovin' You โฆ More - 2003
Over the years Kay has collaborated with top producers, Drummie Zeb and Tony Gad (Aswad), Junior Giscombe ('Mama Used To Say'), Jeremy Meehan, Shinichi Osawa (Japan), Kodama & Gota (Japan), Omar and Sly and Robbie. Janet's albums have sold in excess of a million copies in Japan, 'Love You Always' selling over 400 thousand copies in its first year alone.
Japan entitled 'La Dolce Vita', alongside the renowned Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro.
Kay has visited Japan at least once a year every year since 1990. Such visits have included performing at the exclusive Blue Note Night Club for 2 to 3 weeks at a time in Fukuoka, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo.
2006-7 saw Kay's return to theatre, where she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in Hackney Empire's Pantomime, 'Cinderella', which the Evening Standard rated the best 'Panto of the season'. Janet is currently promoting and performing, along with Victor Romero Evans and Carroll Thompson, their newly devised โLoverโs Rock Unpluggedโ shows.
Kay is an accomplished Machine Knitter/Designer and Lacemaker her works have been published in craft editorials. Janet has recently completed a Film Editors course and already she has co-edited a short feature film by Clive Gandison ('Evergreen Man') which was recently nominated for an award by the BFM.
Kay has been voted one of Britain's Top 100 Black Britain's by the Evening Standard and she has also been presented with an award for her Outstanding Contribution to Black Music by Darker Than Blue in association with Barclays.
http://www.janetkay.com/
Rock The Rhythm
Janet Kay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock it, rock it
Rock it
It was nothin' I could hardly see
When you held my hand
Through your touch you held me tenderly
I could barely stand
The tune it had the melody
The music sounded, oh, so sweet
We are lovers rockin' to the reggae beat
Rock the rhythm
Nice and slow
Rock the rhythm
Until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
Put your arms around my waist
And you held me tight
In my ear you whisper
We could rock it till the morning light
In your arms forever I could stay
We could rock it till the break of day
We are lovers rockin' to the reggae beat
Rock the rhythm
Nice and slow
Rock the rhythm
Until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
Rock it, rock it
Rock it
Rock it, rock it
Rock it
In your arms forever I could stay
We could rock it till the break of day
We are lovers rockin' to the reggae beat
Rock the rhythm
Nice and slow
Rock the rhythm
Until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
Rock it, rock it, rock, baby, nice and slow
Rock it, rock it, rock, till it's time to go
Rock the rhythm nice and slow
Rock it till it's time to go
Rock the rhythm
We could rock it till the break of day
On until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
The song "Rock the Rhythm" by Janet Kay is a classic lovers rock song that tells a story about a couple rocking to reggae music. The lyrics describe the experience of being held tenderly by a lover and swaying to the sweet melody of the music. The rhythm is slow, and the couple rocks back and forth until it's time to go. The chorus repeats the phrase "Rock the rhythm" and encourages the couple to continue rocking slowly until the end of the night.
The imagery in the lyrics is vivid and romantic, with descriptions of holding each other tightly and whispering in each other's ears. The song captures the essence of lovers rock, a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and is characterized by slow rhythms, melodic basslines, and romantic lyrics. With its laid-back groove and sentimental lyrics, "Rock the Rhythm" is a perfect example of the genre.
In summary, "Rock the Rhythm" is a beautiful love song that captures the spirit of lovers rock. The lyrics paint a picture of a couple swaying to the rhythms of reggae music and holding each other tightly, lost in their own world of romance and music.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock it, rock it, yeah
Let's groove to the music together, with energy and enthusiasm.
Rock it, rock it
Let's keep the rhythm going strong, with passion and commitment.
Rock it
Stay with the beat, and keep the good vibes flowing.
It was nothin' I could hardly see
When I was feeling lost, you took my hand and led the way to happiness.
When you held my hand
By your side, I feel safe, protected and loved.
Through your touch you held me tenderly
Your gentle caress made me feel cherished, valued and respected.
I could barely stand
Your love overwhelmed me and swept me off my feet.
The tune it had the melody
The music was catchy, uplifting and inspiring.
The music sounded, oh, so sweet
The harmonies and rhythms blended perfectly, creating a beautiful and unique sound.
We are lovers rockin' to the reggae beat
We share a deep connection and passion, moving in sync to the rhythm of our hearts.
Rock the rhythm
Let's keep the vibe alive and pulsating, in perfect harmony and sync.
Nice and slow
We don't need to rush, we can take our time and enjoy the moment fully.
Until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
We can keep grooving, singing and dancing, until we need to part ways.
Put your arms around my waist
Hold me close, and let me feel your warmth and affection.
And you held me tight
Your embrace gave me a sense of security, intimacy and closeness.
In my ear you whisper
Your words of love and encouragement made me feel special and appreciated.
We could rock it till the morning light
We could dance, sing and love all night long, until the sun rises and a new day begins.
In your arms forever I could stay
I feel complete and content in your loving embrace, and I wish we could stay like that forever.
We are lovers rockin' to the reggae beat
Our love is deep, strong and mutual, and we share a passion for music, rhythm and dance.
Rock it, rock it, rock, baby, nice and slow
Let's keep the music playing, with tenderness and sensuality, enjoying the moment to the fullest.
Rock it, rock it, rock, till it's time to go
We don't need to end the fun, the music, the love and the joy, until we have to say goodbye.
Rock it till it's time to go
We will keep the beat going, until we can't dance or sing anymore, because life is too short to miss a single moment of joy and happiness.
Rock the rhythm
Let's keep moving, grooving and living, with passion, courage and optimism.
We could rock it till the break of day
We could keep enjoying each other's company, with music, love and fun, until the sun comes up and life starts anew.
On until it's time to go, yeah, yeah
We could keep the party going, with laughter, hugs and kisses, until we have to say goodbye.
Contributed by Maya W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Josephine Allard
This Tune brings back so many Memories of my Raving Days, back in the Days with my Friends even if though I may not Rave as I used too. Janet your Tunes still keep me Rocking, ALWAYS will.
Debbie Simpson
Absolutely love all the old skool choooons taking me back to my younger days, whenever I feel low I just play my lover's rock & my mood & spirit lift's no end ๐โค๏ธ๐๐๐โค๏ธ๐
Josephine Spencer
Just love this song I could listen to it over and over it makes me happy โค๐๐๐๐๐
geeeze2403
Wicked wicked tune! Reminds me of when I was a yoot growing up in Harlesden. Janet Kay tunes used to get rinsed out almost every weekend as someone somewhere would be having a blues! Legendary singer, hugely underrated. Big up all the Harlesden crew, Stonebridge posse and the NW 10 massive. One love
Debbie Simpson
Me too absolutely love this music it's ALWAYS been my first love of reggae music & artists & still is till this day, oh those blues parties back in the day ๐๐๐
Demetrius Ronald
@Chris Travis Happy to help xD
Chris Travis
@Demetrius Ronald It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D
Thanks so much you saved my ass!
Chris Travis
@Demetrius Ronald I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
Demetrius Ronald
@Chris Travis Instablaster :)
Susan Mccann
Love โค๏ธ this song bring happy memories back for. Me. With husband. Who passed away last year. At 54. โค๏ธ๐๐ป.