Island Records Archives - Rock and Roll Globe

Roll Over Vaughn Williams: Henry the Human Fly at 50

April 12, 2022April 12, 2022 Lee Zimmerman 0 Comments 1972, Henry The Human Fly, Island Records, Richard Thompson

Consider the solo debut of Richard Thompson a vital part of his template

Open Wide The Hymns You Hide: Pink Moon Turns 50

February 25, 2022February 25, 2022 Kara Tucker 0 Comments 1972, 50th anniversary, Bryter Layter, FIve Leaves Left, Island Records, Nick Drake, Pink Moon, Volkswagen

A half-century later, Nick Drake’s third LP continues to reveal new layers of a British folk icon gone too soon

adblock Holiday Irish Pub Rock Punk

Why Even Jon Bon Jovi Can’t Kill “Fairytale Of New York”

December 17, 2020December 17, 2020 Jim Sullivan 0 Comments 1987, Fairytale of New York, Island Records, Kirsty MacColl, Shane MacGowan, The Pogues

Taking back a holiday classic for Shane MacGowan, turns 63 on December 25th

Britpop Power Pop Punk

Supergrass’ Debut at 25: Should We Still Coco?

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 Jason Thurston 0 Comments 1995, Alright, Clueless, Danny Goffey, Eddie Cochran, Gaz Coombes, Island Records, Mick Quinn, Supergrass, The Libertines, The Von Bondies

Gaz and the boys are still alright after all these years

Dance Dub/Reggae New Wave

Five Lessons from Bass Culture and Warm Leatherette

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020 Jeremy Shatan 0 Comments 1980, Bass Culture, Chris Blackwell, Chrissie Hynde, Grace Jones, Island Records, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Smokey Robinson, The Pretenders, Warm Leatherette

As these two Island Records essentials turn 40, let us remind you why they both remain career pinnacles for Linton Kwesi Johnson and Grace Jones

Alternative Rock New Wave Pop Post-Punk

LISTEN: A St. Patrick’s Day Salute To Gavin Friday

March 17, 2020March 18, 2020 Ron Hart 0 Comments Bomb The Bass, Bono, Dik Evans, Edge, Erik Sanko, Gavin Friday, Ireland, Island Records, Maurice Seezer, Sinead O'Connor, Virgin Prunes. U2

The Rock & Roll Globe pays homage to an unsung icon of Irish rock

Dub/Reggae Electronic Hip Hop Soul

I Am She Who Stinks of Men: Tricky’s Maxinquaye at 25

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 Dan Weiss 0 Comments 1995, Adrian Thaws, Island Records, Martina Topley-Bird, Maxinquaye, Public Enemy, Tricky

Plenty of works can lay claim to the title of the Horniest Album of All-Time, but only rarified company like Prince or PJ Harvey can straddle both that shortlist and the one for Greatest Albums Ever Made

Blues Post-Punk

Hell Ain’t Half Full: PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love Turns 25

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 Dan Weiss 0 Comments 1995, Down By The Water, Island Records, John Parish, Meet Ze Monsta, PJ Harvey, Polly Jean Harvey, Steve Albini, To Bring You My Love

The third Island LP from Polly Jean and her machine remains her singular blues punk masterpiece

Dub/Reggae Reggae Roots Ska Soul

Bob Marley Beyond Legend: Deep Cuts from a Lifetime Listener

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 Jeremy Shatan 2 Comments Bob Marley, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Bunny Wailer, Chris Blackwell, Coxsone Dodd, Island Records, Judy Mowatt, Lee Scratch Perry, Peter Tosh, Rita Marley, Studio One, the I-Threes

In continuance of our celebration of Bob’s 75th birthday, writer Jeremy Shatan picks his faves across all three eras of his tragically truncated career

New Wave Progressive Rock

We Can’t Rewind, We’ve Gone Too Far: The Buggles’ The Age of Plastic at 40

January 17, 2020January 18, 2020 Bill Kopp 0 Comments 1980, Geoff Downes, Island Records, MTV, The Age of Plastic, The Buggles, Trevor Horn, Video Killed The Radio Star

The album that featured the song that launched MTV as we once knew it was actually prog in disguise

Dance Glam New Wave Pop

Nothing Succeeds Like Excess: Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome at 35

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 Thomas Inskeep 0 Comments ABC, Buggles, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Island Records, Lexicon Of Love, Relax, Trevor Horn, Two Tribes, Welcome To The Pleasuredome, Yes

Frankie said relax, but did we really listen? This is what over the top of over the top sounds like

adblock Dub/Reggae Punk

The First Cut Is The Deepest: The Slits’ Classic Debut Turns 40

September 18, 2019October 18, 2021 Bobby Moore 0 Comments 1979, 40th Anniversary, adblock, Ari Up, Cut, Dennis Bovell, Island Records, Palmolive, Punky Reggae Party, Reggae, Teresa Pollitt, The Clash, The Police, The Ruts, The Slits, Typical Girls, Viv Albertine

They were a band willing and able to transcend their peers’ three-chord pop songs and political sloganeering to create something that really did chip away at the rock ‘n’ roll myth