Laurel Aitken

1969 proved a crucial year in the development of Jamaican music. Reggae had just superseded Rock Steady in becoming the island s national sound, with the new exciting style swiftly embraced by a fast developing British working class youth movement noted for their smart, functional clothing and cropped hair Skinheads. So it was in such an environment that leading independent Doctor Bird Records released Laurel Aitken s long awaited second album, Laurel Aitken Says Fire, a collection comprised of his most popular singles from the preceding months along with previously unreleased material. Unsurprisingly, the LP became an immediate best-seller, its success only hindered by the record company's sudden and unexpected demise soon after.