BANANA
A Reggae label; a
subsidiary of Bamboo (q.v.). Banana was set up by Joe 'Junior'
Lincoln, who had formerly been a promotions man with Coxsone and Studio One; as
was its parent label, it was devoted to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd
productions. It lasted from 1970-72, and issued approximately seventy
singles using a BAN-300 numerical series. The same label design was
used throughout, but it came in two different colour schemes: white to begin
with, then fawn (sometimes yellowish) from BA-326 onwards. BA-321 can
be found in both colours. The only Bamboo single I have had a chance
to inspect in the vinyl - the Carey Johnson record shown above - was pressed by
Pye. Bamboo didn't receive many mentions in the mainstream trade
press, but a note in 'Record Retailer' for the 19th of February 1972 revealed
that it was being distributed by CBS at the time, along with its stablemates
Ackee, Bamboo and Sphere (q.v. all). For another Junior Lincoln label
of the '70s see Vulcan.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.