DEEP DOWN WITH
DENNIS BROWN
COOL RUNNINGS AND THE
CROWN PRINCE OF REGGAE
A SHORT STORY BY PENNY REEL pp 112 Price: £16.99

Available for sale from:
Helter Skelter, 4 Denmark Street, London WC2 811;
New Beacon Books, 76 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EN;
or online @ www.reggaereggaereggae.com <http://www.reggaereggaereggae.com>
Distributed by Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London, E9 5LN. Telephone:
(0208) 986 4845

PRESS RELEASE

The sudden death aged just 42 of Jamaican singer Dennis Brown on July 1,
1999 sent a shockwave through the world of reggae and robbed the music of
its most popular ever grassroots performer.

Feted as a child star in the 1960s and billed as the Boy Wonder, Dennis
Brown went on to fulfil his earlier promise with a recording career that
spanned 30 years and dominated the reggae dancehalls for the next three
decades. During this time, the singer released more records and scored a
greater number of hits than any other artist working in the reggae field.

Deep Down With Dennis Brown - Cool Runnings And The Crown Prince Of Reggae
traces the busy years of his early rise to prominence in the 1970s, when the
singer developed his distinct style and also made the majority of his best
and most famous recordings. Told as a short story in the author's highly
personal style and set against the backdrop of the London underground reggae
scene during these turbulent times, this profile of its star act provides a
fascinating insider's insight into an otherwise hidden world. In this
respect, here is a unique piece of written work, not only in the medium of
reggae music, but as a wholly original approach to the debate of popular
music and its wider cultural concerns.

In addition to the text, full colour illustrations of photographs, album
sleeves, record labels, concert posters and other ephemera from the era are
reproduced throughout the book, adding a striking visual accompaniment to
the story as it unfolds and the half that has never been told is revealed.

A Drake Bros Publication