Arthur "Duke" Reid <small>CD</small> (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and record label owner.
He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Trojan, possibly named after the British-made trucks used to transport the equipment. In the 1960s, Reid founded the record label Treasure Isle (named after his liquor store), which produced ska and rocksteady music. He was still active in the early 1970s, working with toaster U-Roy. He died in early 1975 after having suffered from a severe illness for the last year.
Biography
Reid was born in Portland, Jamaica. After serving ten years as a Jamaican police officer, Reid left the force to help his wife Lucille run the family business, The Treasure Isle Grocery and Liquor Store at 33 Bond Street in Kingston.
He made his way into the music industry first as a sound system (outdoor mobile discothèque) owner, promoter and disc jockey in 1953. Soon he was also sponsor and presenter of a radio show, Treasure Isle Time. A jazz and blues man at heart, Reid chose "My Mother's Eyes" by Tab Smith as his theme tune.
Duke Reid made an impact with his presence at toasting battles, trying to out play other DJs. He was dressed in a long ermine cloak and a gilt crown on his head, with a pair of Colt 45s in cowboy holsters, a cartridge belt strapped across his chest and a loaded shotgun over his shoulder. It was not uncommon for things to get out of hand and it was said that Duke Reid would bring the crowd under control by firing his shotgun in the air.
Reid initially disliked ska for being too simple and having too much focus on drums rather than on guitar. However, he eventually got behind ska and produced numerous hits. He had a long string of hits with performers like Stranger Cole, the Techniques, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, Alton Ellis and the Flames, the Paragons, the Jamaicans, and the Melodians. According to singer Brent Dowe of The Melodians, "When they were playing records, they were playing against each other... If you were singing for one, you couldn't go and sing for the other, or if you did you couldn't go back to the first one for a long time."
Partial discography
- Various Artists – Soul To Soul DJ's Choice – 1973 – Trojan Records (1995)
- Various Artists – Gems From Treasure Isle – 1966-1968 – Trojan Records (1982)
- Various Artists – Ba Ba Boom Duke Reid – 1967-1972 – Trojan Records (1994)
- Various Artists – Duke Reid's Treasure Chest – Heartbeat Records (1992)
- Various Artists – Treasure Isle Dub Vol 01
- Various Artists – Version Affair Vol 01 – Lagoon (1992)
- Various Artists – Version Affair Vol 02 – Lagoon (1993)
- Various Artists – Sir Coxsone & Duke Reid in Concert at Forresters Hall – Studio One
- Various Artists – The Treasure Isle Story (4-CD box set) – Trojan Records (2017)