Althea & Donna | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Virgin, Lightning, Front Line |
| Past members | Althea Forrest Donna Reid |
Althea & Donna were a Jamaican reggae vocal duo, consisting of Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid. They are best known for their 1977 single "Uptown Top Ranking", which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978.[1]
Career
The Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid – then 17 and 18 years old respectively – caused a chart surprise when their reggae song "Uptown Top Ranking" became a no. 1 hit in the UK in February 1978.[2][3] They released the album of the same name in 1978, backed by The Revolutionaries, on the Virgin Records subsidiary Front Line, The album was produced by Karl Pitterson.[4] The duo recorded several more singles, but did not meet with any more tangible success thereafter.[5] In 2001, Caroline Records reissued the full-length Uptown Top Ranking.[6]
Discography
Singles
- "Uptown Top Ranking" (1977) Lightning/Joe Gibbs/Warners, (1978) Virgin (UK No. 1)[3]
- "Puppy Dog Song" (1978) Front Line
- "Going to Negril" (1978) Front Line
- "Top Rankin" (1995) Ice Town Music
Albums
- Uptown Top Ranking (1978) Virgin/Front Line[4]
See also
- List of one-hit wonders on the UK Singles Chart
- List of reggae musicians
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- Caribbean music in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 188. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ "Althia & Donna". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 21. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b Jo-Ann Greene. "Uptown Top Ranking - Althea & Donna : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 10-11
- ^ Prato, Greg "Artist Biography by Greg Prato", Allmusic, Retrieved 30 July 2014