Good Old Dancehall - Beres Hammond

Beres Hammond merited an outstanding place in Jamaica’s music industry despite the island being overpopulated with good song makers. It wasn’t luck but his persistent vocalizing, superb songwriting skills, and wonderful production that made him where he is now.

Beresford Hammond was born in 1955 in the island’s garden parish of St. Mary. He was a constant hit maker for more than two decades on his native island. He began traveling from the rural one-street town of Annotto Bay to Jamaica’s busy capital city of Kingston at the age of eleven to observe singers who normally goes to the downtown record shops.

Hammond joined the Jamaican fusion band Zap Pow in 1975 as lead singer. He stayed with the group for four years, at the same time, released his solo records. Soul Reggae (Aquarius Records, 1976), his debut solo album, sold well throughout Jamaica.

In the early 80s, Hammond decided to create his own record production, Harmony House. Jamaica’s music industry was chaotic then and there have been frustrations in releasing hit records without proper monetary compensation. This led him to form his label.

Since the release of his first single with Harmony House, “Groovy Little Thing,” was released in 1985, Since then Hammond continuously made hit records on the reggae charts worldwide.

He entered the pop charts in England with his 1987 hit “What One Dance Can Do,” which was recorded for producer Willie Lindo. It stimulated more records including Hammond’s own “She Loves Me Now.” Both tunes steadily founded Hammond’s name on the dancehall reggae track.

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