Ansel Collins

Though keyboardist Ansel Collins never made a huge name for himself as a solo artist, he played on countless recordings for some of reggae's most well-known artists during the '70s and '80s. Born in Jamaica in 1949, Collins began his musical career in the '60s as a singer but soon switched to first drums and then keyboards quickly after. He first rose to prominence in 1971 with "Double Barrel," a song his brother Dave and he recorded for the Trojan label. The song scaled the British singles chart, and the duo's follow-up, "Monkey Spanner," did nearly as well, entering the Top Ten. Following these hits, Collins wrote the song "Stalag 17" for producer Winston Riley at the Techniques label. The song became a top seller in Jamaica in 1973 and was later covered extensively by dancehall artists.



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