Penny Reel

Penny Reel

Deep Down With Dennis Brown by Penny Reel

100 pp. Drake Bros

Penny Reel is one of the UK's reggae foundation writers. His work in the seventies and eighties was and still is a tremendous inspiration. His interviews and articles in publications like Echoes, NME, Sounds and Small Axe gave the readers real insight into a music that was and still is misunderstood. This book on the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Brown was part of a bigger project that would be and hopefully will be an history of reggae music in this country. That book will be magnificent if this incredible work is anything to go by. Full of colour - this massive book A4 in size is a must for anyone with a true love of reggae music and who wants to know why Dennis Brown is one of the music's greatest stars.

Penny Reel - A Tribute to the I

Penny Reel was a master musical scribe. He loved all kinds of music starting with Elvis. But Reggae music was his main love. Like so many others - he heard something in it - that brought him comfort and joy for nearly all his life.

And like so many others - he always wanted to know more - what inspired these great artists - to write such great songs. And the musicians and producers who put them together and released them.

Many of these people became friends - he would come across them all the time - in his area - Hackney - East London. Just doing everyday things.

An early adventure with Penny - started in the R&B shop in Stamford Hill - we then proceeded to walk the entire length of ........ A very long road - going in and out of record shops, betting shops, grocer shops.

And every shop we went into - Penny was greeted with great fondness - including a great selection of reggae artists/producers.

It was this kind of closeness to the music - that brought him so much knowledge. And it was this knowledge that was eventually shared with us first in Pressure Drop the world's first 'Reggaezine' which Penny co-published with Nick Kimberley.

A little later Penny popped in Black Echoes with a truly essential weekly page called 'Observer Station' - a round up of news & reviews.

It was in Echoes that some of his first interviews were published - and not long after - he linked up with the NME - where major interviews with people like Culture, Misty In Roots and if I recall Delroy Wilson, although it may have been John Holt!

Not long after that - Penny would also be a major contributor to my publication Small Axe - Gregory Isaacs, Papa Swi of the Ital Club in Scotland, Casanova Ruddy and Trevor Hartley were some of his works.

In the Nineties - Penny published a book on Dennis Brown. 'Deep Down' it was a big coffee table book - full of colour photos - that was his tribute to Dennis Brown - an artist whose music he loved so much.

And this is my little tribute to Penny Reel. He will be missed badly by all his friends and family - my sincere condolances to them all.

Ray Hurford - August 18th 2018