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In 1975, U-Roy teamed up once again with Bunny Lee, cutting a number of songs with the producer.
In 1983, the Vista Sounds label released remixes of these cuts as
DJ Masterpieces, which also boasts
tracks by other DJs, U-Roy amongst them, recorded for the producer. Now the reigning hero of the
Jamaican DJ scene, U-Roy would come to international attention via a totally unexpected source.
The American soul-lite duo Hall & Oates surprisingly enough recorded a cover of the DJ's hit
'Soldering' on their eponymous album. This prompted the Virgin label to sign him and, paired with
producer Prince Tony Robinson, U-Roy recorded his debut album
Dread In a Babylon, backed by the
Skin, Flesh & Bones Band. The following year's
Natty Rebel, again with Robinson at the
helm, found the DJ now backed by the rootsy rhythms of Lloyd Parks and Sly Dunbar, and accompanied
by a pair of singers.
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U-Roy was now reaching the peak of his power. His toasts were utterly relaxed and conversational, yet
always in perfect synchronicity with the rhythms. The DJ had now gained a significant following in
the U.K., as well, and in August 1976, visited Britain for the first time. He performed at the London
Lyceum, backed by the always excellent Revolutionaries, and the
1978 Live EP was drawn from this phenomenal
show. Back in Jamaica, U-Roy began recording his new album,
Rasta Ambassador, filling the
studio with musicians and singers, 15 strong in all. The Gladiators
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provided particularly sonorous backing vocals, while the band, led by the rhythm team of Sly & Robbie,
created a deep roots sound appropriate to the album's title and accentuated by Robinson's deeply dubby
production.
Somehow, U-Roy found time in his busy schedule to launch his own sound system, Stur-Gav, that year.
He also continued to run his own labels, Del-Ma and Mego-Ann, which the DJ had set up a few years
back. 1978 brought a new album,
Jah Son of Africa, arguably U- Roy's
best. Again, a deeply rootsy outing; with a superb supporting cast (this time the Gladiators were
joined by Ken Boothe), the album showcased the DJ at his cultural height. It was to be his final album
for Virgin. In 1991, the label released the
Natty Rebel (Extra Version) album,
which pulled tracks from both Natty Rebel and Jah Son of Africa, and also included the Live EP.
A limited edition three-CD box set Three From the Frontline appeared this same year, and bundled
together Version of Wisdom, Rasta Ambassador, and Natty Rebel (Extra Version).
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