Trojan Records
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Trojan Records is a British record label specialising in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label operates under the Sanctuary Records Group.
Trojan Records, founded in 1968, was one of many labels in the United Kingdom that fed the ska, rocksteady and reggae craze sweeping the country. Founder Lee Gopthal had collaborated with Chris Blackwell of Island Records on mail order sales, which prompted Gopthal to start a record store called Musicland (which became part of the Muzik City Record Shops chain). Trojan's name comes from the Leyland trucks that were used by Duke Reid in Jamaica, which had Duke Reid - The Trojan King of Sounds painted on the sides. Reid's sound system became known as the Trojan Sound, which became synonymous with the new and hip music.
By 1970, Trojan artists that were making headway into the pop music charts included: Lee Perry's Upsetters, Bob & Marcia, The Cimarons, Desmond Dekker, Bruce Ruffin, Nicky Thomas and Dave & Ansel Collins. (Note: a common misconception is that Dave & Ansel Collins were brothers, although Dave Barker was a stand-alone artist and not related to Ansel Collins.)
Trojan's main function was not to develop new artists, but to serve as a sister label for Island Records. Monetary success came from releasing Jamaican music supplied by producers such as Duke Reid, Byron Lee and Leslie Kong into a series of popular, budget-priced compilations such as, Tighten Up, Club Reggae and Reggae Chartbusters.
