Pama Records
British label that became a key reggae outlet.
Pama Records was a British label that operated in the 1960s and 1970s. It started out releasing soul music before becoming a key UK outlet for reggae. The Palmer Brothers—Harry, Jeff, and Carl—founded the label, and from 1967 it put out rocksteady singles. Most of its material came from Jamaican producers like Clancy Eccles, Alton Ellis, Bunny Lee, and Lee "Scratch" Perry, though it also worked with UK-based artists such as Junior English and Delroy Washington. Derrick Morgan was one of Pama's biggest names, scoring a UK chart hit with "Moon Hop." The label's most successful single was Max Romeo's "Wet Dream," which reached number 10 on the UK singles chart and sold over 250,000 copies, despite little radio play due to its suggestive lyrics.
Pama had a clear rivalry with Trojan Records, the other major UK reggae label. Trojan released the *Tighten Up* compilation series, while Pama answered with its own *Straighten Up* series. The competition was sparked earlier when Bunny Lee licensed Derrick Morgan's "Seven Letters" to both labels. Pama launched several subsidiary labels, often tied to specific producers: Pama Supreme, Supreme, Crab, Bullet, Gas, Nu Beat/New Beat (Laurel Aitken), Success (Rupie Edwards), Camel, Escort, Unity (Bunny Lee), and Punch (Lee "Scratch" Perry). Besides reggae, the label also put out a few non-reggae albums, including *Butlins Red Coat Review* and an album marking the investiture of the Prince of Wales.
The Crowns, a New York group made up of Trevor Brown, Bunny Williams, and Bobby Harris, released an album called *Made of Gold* on Pama in 1968. Their single "Jerking the Dog" was named Pama Record of the Week in the 24 August 1968 issue of *Melody Maker*. Another Crowns single, "She Ain't Gonna Do Right" b/w "I Need Your Lovin," got a brief, mediocre review in the 4 January 1969 issue of *Record Mirror*, where the reviewer called it "bouncy, bluesy and okay." In 1969, they recorded a version of the Chambers Brothers' "Call Me." Lloyd Chalmers recorded "Desiderata" for Pama Supreme in 1972, backed with an instrumental version.
The Pama label lasted until the mid-1970s. By then, Carl Palmer was the main force behind it, focusing on building a UK distribution network for reggae. The company later reemerged as Jet Star, one of the largest reggae distributors.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1967
- Genre
- Reggae, rocksteady, ska, soul, bluebeat
- Parent
- Phoenix Music International
- Founder
- Harry Palmer, Carl Palmer, Jeff Palmer
- Country
- United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Pama Records was established by the Palmer Brothers – Harry, Jeff, and Carl – initially as a soul label, but later concentrating on Jamaican music, releasing rocksteady singles from 1967. Much of the label's output was licensed from Jamaican producers such as Clancy Eccles, Alton Ellis, Bunny Lee, and Lee 'Scratch' Perry, although they also released music by local talents such as Junior English and Delroy Washington. Derrick Morgan became one of Pama's biggest stars, having a UK chart hit with 'Moon Hop'. Pama's biggest hit came with Max Romeo's 'Wet Dream', which reached number 10 in the UK singles chart (despite lack of airplay, in part due to its risqué lyric), and sold over 250,000 copies.
The rivalry between Pama and their main UK reggae competitor, Trojan Records, was clear, with Trojan's Tighten Up series of compilations and Pama's similarly titled Straighten Up series going head to head. The rivalry had been fuelled by Bunny Lee's earlier licensing of Derrick Morgan's 'Seven Letters' to both Pama and Trojan. Pama introduced a number of subsidiary labels, often associated with individual producers, including Pama Supreme, Supreme, Crab, Bullet, Gas, Nu Beat/New Beat (Laurel Aitken), Success (Rupie Edwards), Camel, Escort, Unity (Bunny Lee), and Punch (Lee 'Scratch' Perry). In addition to the many reggae releases, the label also released a few non-reggae albums, including Butlins Red Coat Review, and an album commemorating the investiture of the Prince of Wales.
Reader's Guide
Pama Records played a significant role in bringing reggae to a UK audience during the 1960s and 1970s, becoming one of the major outlets for the genre in Britain. Its rivalry with Trojan Records defined the UK reggae scene, with competing compilation series like Pama's Straighten Up and Trojan's Tighten Up. The label's biggest commercial success was Max Romeo's 'Wet Dream', which reached number 10 on the UK singles chart despite a ban from radio airplay due to its suggestive lyrics, selling over 250,000 copies. Pama also served as a platform for Jamaican producers and UK-based reggae artists, and its subsidiary labels helped organize releases by specific producers. The label lasted until the mid-1970s, after which Carl Palmer concentrated on establishing a UK distribution network for reggae, later resurfacing as Jet Star, one of the largest distributors of reggae music. Pama Records is now owned by Phoenix Music International, which continues to distribute the label's catalog digitally.
Did You Know?
- The rivalry between Pama and Trojan Records was fueled by Bunny Lee licensing Derrick Morgan's 'Seven Letters' to both labels.
- Pama introduced subsidiary labels including Pama Supreme, Crab, Bullet, Gas, and Punch (associated with Lee 'Scratch' Perry).
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