JayTN Music

You will be familiar with the name Dave Collins, the other half of Dave & Ansell Collins, who shot to the top of the British Charts with "Double Barrell" in the 70's.

Dave Collins also known as Dave Barker has been contributing to the reggae industry for more than fifty years. Dave is a gifted flexible artist singing reggae, soul, funk, ska, jazz, fusion and toasting. He is also a talented song writer. 

He has worked and recorded with some of the legends in reggae back in Kingston, Jamaica as a teenager. It wasn't until "Double Barrel" that things really took off for Dave. After the split with Ansell, Dave has taken his sound from continent to continent in a number of different styles. Not before Dave and Ansell topped the European market again with "Monkey Spanner," which made the top 20 in the UK. 

Remembering a little of the old days. The scene in Kingston just after independence. Talent was in abundance. People like Dave Collins, U Roy, King Stitch, Big Youth, I Roy, Slim Smith, Dennis Alcapone, worked with artists who were later to become famous Bob Marley and the original Wailers, producers Scratch Perry, Downbeat and Jack Ruby.

Dave is unique, he has made history and is one of the few remaining original rappers. Dave has always been right up there with the legends shaping the way for reggae music, taking it to the world through Jamaica's two major labels of the day: Duke Reid's  Treasure Isle and Coxone Downbeat Dodd's  Studio One. From the early days Dave proved his liking for duets. Check his 1969 classic  with Bunny Wailer  the unforgettable "What a confusion." Or the Temptations "Just my imagination" with the brilliant Lloyd Charmers back in 1971. Dave clashed with the eccentric DJ toaster Dr Alimantado, and the smooth toasting Dennis Alcapone.  Then there was Glen and Dave before he joined Boris Gardener's Rhythm Aces. He even sang background harmonies with the Heptones for Sir John Holt. 

In England Dave continued with excellent duets with Busty Brown of the Chosen Few. He had a good response to "Holding on to love" and "Good loving" on the EMI label, after years with Trojan Records. Then there was "Love tonite" with Jacqui Jones, which came out on GTI Records. It kicked up quite a storm among the music press. 

For a while Dave sang with soul-jazz group Incognito and jazz-funk giants Cargo, led by keyboard wizard Mike Carr. This was a marvellous period for Dave. The group ran their own Cargo Gold Production Label, toured extensively and achieved a number of hits on the various local charts, and had the critics saying all the right things about them. 

It wasn't long before Dave returned once again to the British and American nationals with Cargo's "Do it." The record was a massive seller throughout Europe. Dave Barker hasn't been in the British Charts for over 10 years. He misses it and is rearing to go. 

Dave Barker joins JAYTN Music through his long-time friendship in the business with Frenchie King. His vocals on the new single "I Started a Joke" originally sung and written by the Bee Gees shows that Dave hasn't lost his touch. A highly talented singer and song writer with a few surprises up his sleeves.