Born and raised in London to Jamaican parents, he began his career in 1979 by dee-jaying in “blues-dances” before progressing on fully fledged sound-systems in the early eighties with London-based sound-systems Marcus, Exodus and East Man.
After taking a sabbatical in Jamaica, he then joined vocal harmony group Sweet Distortion, who were voted Best Reggae Newcomers by the readers of Black Echoes in 1984, just prior to their guest appearance on the BRAFA (British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal) single, Let's Make Africa Green Again. Led by Lloyd’s namesake and early source of musical inspiration, Dennis Brown, this record helped raised funds for Ethiopian famine victims, and remains a milestone of UK reggae history. By 1987 Sweet Distortion had successfully auditioned for the part of the Jackson Five in the acclaimed British musical, Black Heroes In The Hall Of Fame, but split up soon afterwards, leaving Lloyd free to pursue a solo career.
His earliest singles included Music Medley, Ring Up My Number and The Love In Me, all of them released on Robert Ribs’ Unity label circa 1987. In the meantime, he’d started performing more demanding roles with Black Heroes In The Hall Of Fame – most notably those of Otis Redding, Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie and Nelson Mandela. Sharing The Night (produced by Junior Frost), then provided him with his first No. 1 hit, and was voted Reggae Single Of The Year in 1990. You Can't Hurry Love, For The Love Of You and Love U Down (his second No. 1 hit, and another Reggae Single Of The Year) soon followed, together with a version of Otis Redding’s These Arms Of Mine.
Despite his success with other people’s songs, Lloyd was increasingly writing his own material by this time, as demonstrated on It's A Love Thing, which marked the start of his long-standing partnership with dee-jay Tippa Irie. Their follow-up smash hit, Stress, caused controversy since it put into song what many men were thinking about their female partners, but both singles duly topped the UK reggae charts, then won the duo a well deserved contract with Arista, who released their follow-up single, Baby Mother (another vibrant slice of social commentary), in 1995. An album recorded for Arista during this period was subsequently released as Combination on Discotex at the end of 2001 – Lloyd & Tippa’s association with Arista having ended as unexpectedly as it had begun.
Undaunted by such disappointments and eager to reclaim his popularity among grassroots reggae fans, Lloyd began recording with leading UK lovers’ rock producers Groove And & Quarter, who issued his debut album, Straight No Chaser, in 1996. Among the many highlights was A Mother's Prayer, which he recorded with a veritable Who’s Who of UK soul and reggae talent and dedicated to the memory of his mother, who’d recently died of cancer. Two other tracks, Jah Works and Increase The Peace, offered early evidence of the roots and culture content he was to showcase on his next set, Rhyme & Reason, which he recorded for Saxon. Prior to its release in 1998, the singles Need A Revolution and Power Of Jah had marked a turning point in both his life and career. His new head of dreadlocks illustrated this change of direction, and he began writing lyrics with far more spiritual content than before, even whilst continuing to make sublime lovers rock hits such as Night Shift, Blackbird and Real Love. He named Buju's 'Til Shiloh LP as a formative influence during this stage of his career, and after announcing that the emergence of the new cultural artists had taken reggae to a different plane, said he wanted to sing songs that will uplift people. His Saxon album thus had transformation at its artistic core, and with its emphasis on self-penned material, proved a masterly showcase of his talents.
Once Saxon producer Lloyd “Muscle Head” Francis had decided to concentrate on his sound-system, rather than production, the durable Mr. Brown embarked on a run of hits for Jet Star that still shows no sign of abating three years later. Their most significant triumph to date has been a massively successful cover of Craig David’s Fill Me In, as included on Vol. 2 of Jet Star’s Pop Hits In A Reggae series. With Fill Me In getting regular airplay in Jamaica – where Lloyd enjoys widespread support – Jet Star then helped further his dominance with several other notable single releases, including Hook It Up, Put It Down and Memories, which like Humanity Part 2 (recorded for Mikey Koos’ ARM label), is another joyous celebration of old school reggae vibes, and so steeped in nostalgia, it could bring tears to the eyes.
In-between voicing for Jet Star and making preparations for his starring role in yet another musical, The Best Years Of Our Lives (starring alongside the great Pam Hall), Lloyd then began work on an independent project with former international hit maker Bitty McLean, who’d served his apprenticeship with UB40. Aided and abetted by Bitty’s production and engineering skills, and with his own creative ideas going into overdrive, Lloyd completed the nucleus of his album Deep at Bitty’s Platinum Suite studios in Birmingham before adding a choice selection of Jet Star material into the mix. It was the kind of album only true craftsmen could produce. Its dazzling range of lyrical perceptions being matched to some of the most enthralling, contemporary reggae and crossover rhythms heard all year. I Know (inspired by Bob Marley’s Kinky Reggae) subsequently became one of 2001’s biggest reggae hits, even as Deep was being acclaimed as a masterpiece and his best album thus far.
By the time the follow-up, Against The Grain, was released two years later his tally of hit singles had swelled to include You Must Know, co-starring Don Campbell; Bless Me and the unstoppable Main Squeeze, which rocketed into the Reggae Top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic. Like its predecessor, Against The Grain was another world-class collection, showcasing tracks like the popular Mr. Brown, Food For Thought (a version of Aswad’s Warrior Charge); he and Omar’s stunning cover of Stevie Wonder’s Feeding Off The Love Of The Land and the magical Love Within The Music, co-starring a galaxy of UK talent. Against The Grain was nominated for Best Album at the 11th Annual Reggae Soca Awards in Florida; an event that saw Lloyd being crowned Best Newcomer for the second time in his career. His next set was Dreams To Remember, produced by Lloyd Campbell and released on VP Records in 2004. This album, recorded in Miami, yielded four hit singles in the shape of Bless Me, Since You’ve Been Gone, Heartaches and Bongo Nyah, which soon gave Lloyd his second Reggae Top 5 hit in New York. Songs like that, voiced over Lloyd Campbell’s more traditional style reggae rhythms, fuelled growing demand for his sublime vocal and writing talents in America. Its success prompted the release of an album shared with Peter Hunnigale as part of Jet Star’s celebrated Toe 2 Toe series that same year. Here was an album that made artistic, as well as commercial sense, since both singers epitomise the best of UK reggae music.
Three of Lloyd’s more recent hits were included, namely Full Hundred, No Watch Dat and the compelling Black Bags, together with other tracks that inspired comparisons with reggae legend Beres Hammond.
Red-hot form like this saw him embark on a string of European tour dates with Sanchez throughout the summer of 2004, as he continued on his journey towards some long-overdue international recognition.
His follow-up album for VP Really Together featuring Fiona was cited by Lloyd as a “true labour of love” as Fiona was an artist he really admired and wanted to work with-which proved its point in the finished product, also with the panel of the Grammys who have shortlisted the album for nomination for Best Reggae Album 2005.
Now armed with album number 10 called Said And Done in the bag (entirely self-produced) and his own studio RiddimWorks will truly demonstrate his skills as a producer in his own right with all he has absorbed over the last two decades.
John Masouri
Fill Me In
Lloyd Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
all right (can you fill me in?) come on
(watcha want watcha want me to do baby?)
can you fill me in?
(let's talk about it - check it out)
i was checking this girl next door when her parents went out
she'd phone say hey boy come on right around
so i knock at the door you were standing with a bottle of red wine
dressed in long black satin lace to the floor
so i went in then we sat down start kissing, caressing
told me 'bout jacuzzi sounded interesting so we jumped right in
all calls diverted to answer phone
please leave a message after the tone
i mean me and her parent were kinda cool
but they were the fine line between me and you
we were just doing things young people in love do
parents trying to find out what we were up to saying
why were you creeping round late last night?
why could i see two shadows moving in your bedroom light?
now you're dressed in black when i left you were dressed in white
can you fill me in?
calls diverted to answer phone
red wine bottle half the contents gone
midnight return jacuzzi turned on
can you fill me in?
(it's another one, it's another one)
whenever the cost was clear and she'd me to come out
i'd say hey girl come right around
so she knocked at the door i was
standing with the keys in my hand to the 4
jumped in my ride checking that nobody saw
the club we went in got bounce bounce to the rhythm
saw it was early morning though we'd better be leaving
so i gave you my jacket for you to hold
told you to wear 'cos you felt cold
i mean me and her di
The lyrics of Lloyd Brown's song Fill Me In tell the story of a young man who is trying to keep a romantic relationship with a girl next door away from her parents. He tells of how he would sneak over to her house while her parents were out and they would spend time together, sometimes in a jacuzzi. However, their secret relationship is eventually discovered by her parents, and he is left confused and asking for information to be filled in. The song revolves around the theme of young people trying to navigate the complexities of love and relationships, and the consequences that often come with them.
The lyrics use vivid storytelling techniques to bring the listener into the world of the song. The use of specific details, such as the bottle of red wine and the long black satin lace dress worn by the girl, help to create a clear visual image of the scene. The repetition of the lines "can you fill me in?" and "calls diverted to answer phone" contribute to an air of mystery and intrigue, as well as showing the difficulties of communication that often arise in clandestine relationships.
Overall, the lyrics of Fill Me In offer a relatable story of young love and the obstacles faced in keeping a relationship a secret. Through its use of descriptive language and repetitive lines, the song creates a catchy and memorable tune that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
i've got something to say
I have some information that I want to share.
all right (can you fill me in?) come on
Sure, I'll tell you what's going on, what do you want to know?
(watcha want watcha want me to do baby?)
What do you need me to do for you?
can you fill me in?
Can you give me more details about what happened?
(let's talk about it - check it out)
Let's discuss this and see what's really going on.
i was checking this girl next door when her parents went out
I was keeping an eye on the girl who lives next door, while her parents were out.
she'd phone say hey boy come on right around
She would call me and invite me over.
so i knock at the door you were standing with a bottle of red wine ready to pour dressed in long black satin lace to the floor
When I arrived, you were dressed in a long black satin dress and had a bottle of red wine ready to serve.
so i went in then we sat down start kissing, caressing told me 'bout jacuzzi sounded interesting so we jumped right in
We went inside and started kissing and touching, and then she told me about their jacuzzi, so we immediately got into it.
all calls diverted to answer phone please leave a message after the tone
All incoming calls were being directed to voicemail, so we wouldn't be interrupted.
i mean me and her parent were kinda cool but they were the fine line between me and you
I had a decent relationship with her parents, but they were a barrier between us being together.
we were just doing things young people in love do parents trying to find out what we were up to saying why were you creeping round late last night?
We were just behaving like young lovers, but her parents were suspicious and questioning why I was sneaking around late at night.
why could i see two shadows moving in your bedroom light? now you're dressed in black when i left you were dressed in white can you fill me in?
I saw two shadows moving in the bedroom with the light on, and now you're dressed in black when you were wearing white when I left. Can you explain what happened while I was gone?
calls diverted to answer phone red wine bottle half the contents gone midnight return jacuzzi turned on can you fill me in?
All calls were still being redirected to voicemail, the red wine bottle was half-empty, and when I came back at midnight, the jacuzzi was turned on. What's going on here?
(it's another one, it's another one)
This is just another confusing situation.
whenever the cost was clear and she'd me to come out i'd say hey girl come right around so she knocked at the door
Whenever the coast was clear and she wanted me to come over, she would call me and then come to my door.
i was standing with the keys in my hand to the 4 jumped in my ride checking that nobody saw
I was standing with my car keys, and we quickly got into my car, making sure nobody witnessed us.
the club we went in got bounce bounce to the rhythm saw it was early morning though we'd better be leaving
We went to a club with lively music, but we realized it was getting late, and we needed to leave.
so i gave you my jacket for you to hold told you to wear 'cos you felt cold
I gave you my jacket to keep you warm since you were feeling cold.
i mean me and her di
I had a casual relationship with her.
Writer(s): Mark Hill
Contributed by Bella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@glorialouiise
Omg 🙌🏾💖 he has a magical voice.
@lawrencenjawe9875
Great voice...!!
@rootsma5746
Nice remake