Steely & Clevie

About Steely & Clevie

Every so many years, Jamaica produces a rhythm section that dominates reggae. The Skatalites' Lloyd Brevett and LLoyd Knibbs ruled the 1960s; in the 1970s it was Carlton and Aston ‘Familyman’ Barrett; while the early 1980s belonged to Sly And Robbie. But by 1986 reggae required a team fully conversant with computerized music, enter Wycliffe ‘Steely’ Johnson and Cleveland ‘Clevie’ Browne. The duo first met during sessions for Hugh Mundell’s Africa Must Be Free By 1983 at Lee Perry’s Black Ark studio. They soon became the house band at King Jammy’s studio and were cutting up to 10 singles a week at the studio's peak in 1987, laying down tracks for Cocoa Tea, Dennis Brown, Soul II Soul, and Maxi Priest, among man others.

ORIGIN
Kingston, Jamaica
FORMED
1973
GENRE
Reggae

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