RUDDY
THOMAS & AZEE
Rudolph
“Ruddy” Thomas is a very
talented and special music maker.
He is a singer, song writer, recording
artist, producer and studio engineer.
In 1970, the name
Ruddy Thomas was becoming know from
such songs as
“Feeling Sou1” then "Let's
Make A Baby," which he sung and
produced. Both made impressive stands
on local and British charts.
The mid-seventies
saw a steady flow of classic reggae
favourites from Ruddy Thomas which
all charted in the top ten internationally:
“Loving Pauper,” “Everyday
Is Just A Holiday," “Mama
Say,” and the cover of the Jacksons’
“Shake Your Body Down”
which bubbled on Billboard's Top 100
in 1977.
Finally, as the
1980'· rolled in, Ruddy Thomas
established himself as an international
artist to be reckoned with.
This was especially
true in Britain because his polished
and soulful style of reggae was popular
there. “Just One Moment Away”
was the first of such proof. In 1981
it was number one on the British reggae
chart (the first #1 for the Hawkeye
label). “Key To The World”,
released in 1983, was another number
one which became his biggest seller,
garnishing over 50,000 units. The
song remained at the top position
from September '83 to February '84
and won Britain’s Top Reggae
Artist of 1983.
His duet with Susan
Cadogan won him another award, Top
Reggae Song, for ·"You
Know How To Make it Feel Good”.
That year, on tour to showcase his
award- winning talents, he toured
England with such success that his
show at the famed Dominian Theatre
sold out two nights in a row.
After a lay-off
from performing in order to concentrate
on his mixing and producing, his creativity
could only be deferred for just so
long. He soon began focusing again
on his singing. He assembled a medley
of 1950's favourites in rockers style,
which he refers to as “The Songs”:
“Daddy' Home”, “Earth
Angels” "Creation of Love”,
“This Is My Story”, and
"Goodnight My Love”. As
expected, the medley was an international
top ten success in early 1986.
After the death
of the Legend Bob Marley he penned
a tribute to his late friend and compiled
it on an album “Ruddy Thomas
sings Bob Marley. This is a “must
have” for all reggae lovers.
Ruddy was not only
successful as a solo artist but was
exceptional with some of Jamaica’s
leading song birds with whom he recorded
the following winners:
J.C. Lodge - Time for Love
Marcia Akins - The Closer I get to
you
Pam Hall - You Can’t Hide
Cynthia Schloss - Don’t Want
to Loose you, How Can I Let You Get
away, There is a Fire
Susan Cadogan - (Album) Ruddy Thomas
and Susan Cadogan.
A fantastic “must have”
Album fill with Love Songs.
Ruddy’s versatility
is brought out in the fact the he
spend seven (7) years with the Jazz
Legend Sonny Bradshaw as lead singer
for the Sonny Bradshaw Seven. He then
spent eleven (11) years, again as
lead singer, with Lloyd Parks and
We the People Band, one of Jamaica’s
premier Reggae bands.
In order to complete the musical circle
Ruddy Thomas divides his time into
writing, recording, performing, producing
and mixing songs in the Studio.
In 1985 Ruddy Thomas
mixed the 1985 international calypso
hit, “Tiny Winy” by Byron
Lee for Dynamic Studios.
His crisp engineering on Bores Gardiner's
“I Want To Wake Up With you”,
also produced a #1 on the U.S. reggae
chart, England's Pop chart, and the
Pop charts of several European countries.
He was also instrumental in the production
of the late Peter Tosh's Nuclear War
album on which he engineered and sang
harmony.
The performers whose
works benefited from his engineering
and vocal skills, reads like a page
out of a reggae "Who's Who’s”:
Bob Marley, Sly & Robbie, Jimmy
Cliff, Ken Boothe, Peter Tosh, Dennis
Brown, Jacob Miller, Rita Marley,
Boris Gardiner, Third world, Judy
Mowatt, The Heptones and Yellowman
(whom Ruddy Thomas is credited in
having discovered and given a start).
As new stars rose
to the fore, Ruddy Thomas was there
with his skills to help shape the
music of such artists of the '80s
as J.C. Lodge, Lovindeer, Carlene
Davis, Sister Carol, Pam Hall, and
a whole slew of novel deejays that
came and went. Yet, Ruddy Thomas still
stood standing, a constant creative
force in the field
To his credit and
continuous growth, seven (7) out of
ovary 10 hit songs released on the
reggae market today are almost sure
to be connected to Ruddy Thomas either
as engineer, producer or backup vocalist.
Their entry in the
Jamaica Popular Song 2006 “You
are Loved” is themed around
the point of being loved and that
love is within you. Ruddy Thomas brings
this out with his masterful, yet smooth
style, and his collaboration with
young DJ Azee, bridges the gap between
young and old, past and present and
give the song full meaning.
 In
1987, Norman ‘Azee’ Owen
recorded his first song “All
Black People Have We Dignity”
on the Magnum Force label. And again,
in1991 he teamed with the same label
on “Mandela Free”.
In his quest to
move ahead and to be more recognized
A-zee decided that he had to be among
the masters. In 1995 he joined up
with renowned guitarist Dwight Pinkney
and Jamaican music legend Boris Gardner.
They have been guiding his progress
to date.
In that same year
he recorded “Peace and love”
with Dwight Pinkney and “Education
a Key” for Boris Gardner.
“Education
a the Key” is being used by
the ministry of education for their
promotional campaigns.
A-Zee latest single,
before “You are Loved”,
is “Paper Doll” in collaboration
with Dr. Al Mangatal for his album
“Roman’s for the Young
and Hearted”.
“You
are Loved” marks another step
up the ladder for this young DJ, his
sharp and distinct voice (sounds)
complements the smooth sounds of Ruddy
Thomas.
Click here to listen to song
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