Biography

Kingman Is Back!

"One of reggae's greatest singers has resurfaced..." - The Beat

With a toot of the horn, Bob Marley pulled his BMW off the rutted Jamaican road and hopped out to warmly greet a Rasta sitting on the grass. Onlookers gaped as the singer who made reggae a global sensation sat down on the dusty roadside to talk and share a laugh. Who was this man who could readily command an audience from the island's favorite son? It was Marley's old Trenchtown friend Claudius "Kingman" Linton, the roots reggae founder known around Kingston for his soulful voice and knack for a killer melody.

Claudius is considered one of the originators of the roots reggae style of singing popularized by Culture, Burning Spear and Toots & the Maytals. As young teens, Claudius, Bob, Peter Tosh and other future reggae stars had all learned to sing together from the "father of reggae," Joe Higgs. As reggae began its worldwide heyday, Claudius and singing partner Cecil Hemmings, known as the Hoffner Brothers, reached the finals of the 1972 Festival Song Competition with their song “Kingman Is Back.” From there, Linton went on to put out a dozen classic roots reggae anthems, including the Jamaican No. 1 hit single “Crying Time.”

But after his 1984 record "Reduce The Arms Race," produced by the legendary Jack Ruby, Claudius disappeared from the scene. Original copies of his singles trade hands for hundreds of dollars today and fans have been demanding a CD of his never-reissued vintage tracks since Claudius returned to recording in 2007 with his new band Kingman & Jonah.

Fans got their wish with the release of “Roots Master: The Vintage Roots Reggae Singles, Vol. One” on Sun King Records. The critically acclaimed CD compiles 16 of Claudius’ solo tracks, including new mixes from meticulously restored original analog tapes, plus rare songs and dubs from vintage vinyl. The album debuted at No. 12 on Dutch reggae station CFM. And in Spring of 2008, Claudius returned to the top of the charts when his ‘70s energy crisis anthem “Put Your Shoulder to Jah Wheel,” hit No. 1 on the Australian Indie Radio reggae chart.

“Here is a selection of long-lost gems, with superby backing from the likes of Jackie Mittoo, Chinna Smith and the Soul Syndicate. Top ranking and rating for anyone seeking something truly great and previously unheard from reggae’s peak era,” says The Beat magazine. “Absolutely one of the best new releases of classic material to show up in years… This set is a collector’s dream.”

“His molasses soul voice was his business card; so although his lyrics conveyed social protest, this vintage singles collection spotlights the pleasant, feel-good soul of his gratifying voice,” says The Big Takeover magazine. “Roots Master is ganga for reggae lovers—the ‘roots’ of Burning Spear and Culture to come.”

Having walked with the giants from the invention of roots reggae in Jamaica's Trenchtown ghetto through reggae's worldwide popularity, Claudius Linton is a living history of reggae. But Claudius’ story isn’t just a history lesson. Prolific still, his new musical collaboration with US indie rocker/producer Ian “Jonah” Jones has led to a CD of brand-new conscious tunes recorded at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studios with an all-star band of veteran reggae players like Ansel Collins, Horsemouth Wallace, Dwight Pinkney, Dean Fraser and more.

The new album, “Sign Time” by Kingman & Jonah, has been met with glowing reviews and Top Ten chart positions on radio stations around the world. “If there’s any rust on Linton’s game, it isn’t apparent on ‘Sign Time,’” says Reggae Reviews.com. The new Kingman & Jonah CD sounds “surprisingly spry,” says The Big Takeover. “Twenty-two years has done zero damage to Linton's mellifluous vocal chords, full of butter and syrup still.”

As United Reggae.com put it: "Promotional materials draw comparisons between Claudius Linton and such masters as Bob Marley, Burning Spear and Culture. Pretty weighty parallels, but Linton lives up to them... Welcome back, Kingman. All hail.”

Check out the video teaser, audio samples and more on www.sunkingrecords.com.