Gay Feet (record label)

Lore & Background

Gay Feet was one of the record labels operated by Sonia Pottinger, who became the first female Jamaican record producer after her husband Lindon Pottinger sold his recording equipment in 1964 and the couple separated. She opened her Tip Top Records Shop in 1965 and began recording musicians in 1966. The first single she issued was 'Every Night' by Joe White & Chuck, released on the Tip Top label in 1966. Throughout the rock steady and early reggae eras, Gay Feet released hits by artists including The Ethiopians ('The Whip'), Delano Stewart, The Melodians ('Swing And Dine'), Ken Boothe, and Alton Ellis. These recordings were also released on her other labels: Tip Top, Rainbow, and High Note.

Reader's Guide

Gay Feet represents a key part of Sonia Pottinger's contribution to Jamaican music history. As the first female Jamaican record producer, Pottinger used Gay Feet and her other labels to document the rock steady and early reggae sounds of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The label's catalog includes foundational tracks by artists who shaped the development of reggae. Pottinger's work on Gay Feet and her other imprints helped establish a body of work that remains influential. She retired from the music business in 1985, but her labels, including Gay Feet, preserved a significant era of Jamaican popular music.

Did You Know?

• Gay Feet was one of several labels operated by Sonia Pottinger, along with Tip Top, Rainbow, and High Note.
• The first single issued by Sonia Pottinger, 'Every Night' by Joe White & Chuck, was released on the Tip Top label in 1966, not on Gay Feet.
• Gay Feet released hits by The Ethiopians, The Melodians, Ken Boothe, and Alton Ellis.
• Sonia Pottinger was the first female Jamaican record producer.