Sonia Pottinger
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Sonia Pottinger (June 1931 – 3 November 2010) was a Jamaican reggae record producer.
The most important Jamaican woman involved in music business, Mrs Pottinger's produced artists from the mid 1960s until the mid 1980s.
Married to music producer Lyndon Pottinger, she opened her Tip Top Records Shop in the mid 1960s and started to record musicians in 1966. The first single she issued (recorded at Federal Recording Studios) was a Baba Brooks tune which became a Jamaican hit. Other artists recorded during this period include Roland Alphonso. Throughout the rocksteady and early reggae eras, she became very prolific with hits by The Ethiopians ("The Whip"), Delano Stewart, The Melodians ("Swing And Dine"), Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis and Toots & The Maytals. In the 1970s, she produced albums by Bob Andy, Marcia Griffiths, Culture, U Roy and Big Youth. Her most well known production is Culture's Harder Than The Rest album, released in 1978.
She was Duke Reid's long time friend when she bought his Treasure Isle label in 1974, shortly before his death. Until she retired from business in 1985, she reissued many Treasure Isle tunes.
She ran many labels; mostly Gayfeet and High Note (also the names of her Trojan UK sub-labels), as well as Gloria.
Partial discography
- Various Artists - Dancing Down Orange Street (High Note, 1969)
- Various Artists - Musical Feast (Heartbeat Records, 1991)
- Various Artists - The Reggae Train (More Great Hits From The High Note Label) (Heartbeat, 1996)
- Various Artists - Put on Your Best Dress: Sonia Pottinger's Rock Steady 1967-1968
- Various Artists - Queen Patsy & Stranger Cole (Fabulous Songs of Miss Sonia Pottinger Vol.1) (Rock A Shacka, 2007)
- Culture - Harder Than The Rest (High Note, 1978)
- Culture - Culture In Dub (High Note / Heartbeat, 1978)
- Culture - Cumbolo (High Note, 1979)
- Culture - International Herb (High Note, 1979)
- Culture - Trod On (High Note / Heartbeat, 1993)
- Culture - Production Something (High Note / Heartbeat, 1998)
- Various Artists - Old Hits of the Past (High Note)
- Joe White & Chuck Josephs - Every Night (Gay Feet)
- Joe White & Chuck Josephs - My Love For You (Gay Feet)
- The Hippy Boys - Dr No Go (High Note)
- Various Artists - Time To Remember (High Note)
- Phyllis Dillon - One Life To Live (Treasure Isle)
- Bob Andy - Lots Of Love And I (High Note)
- Sonia Spence - In The Dark (High Note & Sky Note)
- Claudell Clarke - How Great Is Our God (Glory)
- Otis Wright - Sacred Songs (High Note, 1969)
- Otis Wright - Soul Stirring Gospel (Glory)
- Otis Wright - Man Of Galilee (Glory)
- Various Artists - Chorus Time (Glory)
- Various Artists - Hottest Hits Vol.1 (Treasure Isle). Compiled and produced by Sonia Pottinger
- Various Artists - Hottest Hits Vol.2 (Treasure Isle). Compiled and produced by Mrs Sonia Pottinger
- Various Artists - Treasure Dub Vol.1. Mixed by Errol Brown. Produced by Sonia Pottinger
- Various Artists - Treasure Dub Vol.2. Mixed by Errol Brown. Produced by Sonia Pottinger
- Justin Hinds & the Dominoes - From Jamaica with Reggae. Produced by Sonia Pottinger
