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
Need You Now
Lloyd Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you don't know me by now
You'll never, never, never know me
All the things that we've been through
You should understand me
Like I understand you
Now baby I know the difference
I ain't gonna do nothin'
To upset our happy home
Oh, don't get so excited
When I comee home a little late at night
Cause we only act like children
When we argue, fuss and fight
[Chorus]
We all got our own funny moods
I've got mine
Woman, you got yours too
Just trust in me
Like I trust in you
As long as we've been together
That should be so easy to do
Just get yourself together
Or we might as well say good-bye
What good is a love affair
When we can't see eye-to-eye
[Chorus]
Lloyd Brown's "Don't Bother Me" is a soulful, timeless classic that touches on the theme of trust in relationships. The chorus of the song is a powerful statement about the importance of understanding and familiarity in any relationship. The lyrics "if you don't know me by now, you'll never, never, never know me" suggest that if someone hasn't taken the time to know you, then they never will. Brown goes on to explain that all the things that he and his partner have been through should have instilled enough understanding for them to work together without issue.
The first verse of the song shows Brown's commitment to doing the right thing and not doing anything to upset the happiness that he shares with his partner. Even if he comes home a little late at night, it shouldn't be a cause of concern unless they are arguing. The chorus comes in again, emphasizing the importance of understanding in their relationship.
The second verse talks about how we all have our moments of moodiness, but that it is essential to trust each other. Brown emphasizes that they should be able to trust each other easily given how long they've been together. The final statement of the song is a warning that they might as well say goodbye if they can't see eye to eye. The message is clear, and it is a powerful reminder that a relationship cannot function without trust and mutual understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
If you don't know me by now
If you haven't taken the time to really get to know me
You'll never, never, never know me
You'll never truly understand me at all
All the things that we've been through
All the experiences we've shared together
You should understand me
You should have empathy and insight into my perspective
Like I understand you
The way that I have empathy and insight into your perspective
Now baby I know the difference
I understand the contrast between right and wrong
Between right and wrong
The boundaries between good and bad behavior
I ain't gonna do nothin'
I am not going to engage in any activity
To upset our happy home
That could potentially disrupt our positive living situation
Oh, don't get so excited
Please don't overreact emotionally
When I come home a little late at night
If I happen to arrive after the expected time
Cause we only act like children
Because we regress to immature behavior
When we argue, fuss and fight
During disagreements when we bicker and argue
We all got our own funny moods
Everyone has their own peculiar emotional states
I've got mine
And I have mine too
Woman, you got yours too
And you possess yours as well
Just trust in me
You can have faith in my honorable intentions
Like I trust in you
And my belief in your integrity
As long as we've been together
Considering how long we've been connected
That should be so easy to do
This should be a simple behavior to master
Just get yourself together
Compose yourself and come to your senses
Or we might as well say good-bye
Otherwise, we may as well end our relationship
What good is a love affair
What is the point of a romantic relationship
When we can't see eye-to-eye
If we cannot agree or find common ground
[Chorus]
Referring to the repeated lines above
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH GAMBLE, LEON HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alfabraxton
who else is here in 2024? Much love from Kenya
@robertsimba5081
He gave his best song in this riddim....love it from Kenya 🇰🇪!
@orlainesimpson5639
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤more love ❤️ Lloyd Brown
@frederickmatey2807
I love this song so much bless you for that
@christopherwallace4196
I played to my woman this song, and she dropped down into tears and embraced me so warmly...Is all about love
@straightoutofstrat8722
Nice, nice, nice, nice.
@TripleHelpRipples
let me also try if it will work🤣🤣
@patm11236
It's truly a beautiful song
@charlesnoah6013
This song make me recall my late dad those days
@michaelogello2628
Doesn't get better than this... Reggae is just the music to listen to.