Mikey Dread (Real name Michael George Campbell) was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica on June 4th 1954. Mikey Dread was a producer, broadcaster, and an artist. He created an innovative Reggae style. In the late 70's Dread got a job being an engineer for the JBC (Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation). Mikey would eventually get his own radio show that would be titled Dread At the Controls. His show focused on nothing but Reggae music at a time when people weren't really playing that type of music in Jamaica. The show would become the most popular show on the JBC, but eventually Dread would quit (in protest) due to the conservative management of the JBC.
Around this time Dread was already well known in Jamaica as singer/producer (working with the likes of The Mighty Two and Lee Scratch Perry) and he started to record his own material too; He is also known for his work with King Tubby and Carl Patterson. Dread would release several albums starting in 1979 starting with Dread at the Controls, followed by African Anthem, Evolutionary Rockers, and Beyond World War III (1981). The Clash would gain interest in Mikey Dread and he would produced the song "Bankrobber" for the band. The song was initially a Ska song, but Dread producing the song would make it more of a dub track. Dread would also tour with The Clash. He also did his own even more dub version of the song "Bankrobber", it was titled "Rockers Galore...UK Tour".
Dread would also help produce and even play on Sandinista! with The Clash in 1980. Initially the band started recording in Jamaica, but would move the sessions to New York. He would also tour again with The Clash gaining a new audience. Dread would continue recording and producing acts after this. He would work again in the radio business and the TV business and go back to school, but he would still perform. Dread has performed live with the likes of The Clash, Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, and Junior Marvin to name a few.
In 2004, Dread did the soundtrack for the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates. In 2004 he would also work with The Blizzard of 78 to make a Clash Sandinista! tribute album; It was titled The Sandinista! Project. On March 15th, 2008 Mikey Dread passed away. Mikey Dread was a unique Reggae artist who started out in radio and went on to influence the UK music scene and others. He was a unique artist with a unique style.
Play List:
1. Neil Young - Revolution Blues
2. Black Keys - Remember When
3. Lime Spiders - Out of Control
4. Fun Things - Savage
5. Radio Birdman - Hanging On
6. The Furies - What Do You Want Me To Be
7. Scissors - Mystery Movie
8. Actionauts - Party Dog
9. Modernettes - Suicide Club
10. Smugglers - Bad Guys
11. Neon Boys - That's All I Know
12. The Specials - Little Bitch
13. The Beat - Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margret
14. The Madness - One Step Beyond
15. Mikey Dread - World War III
16. Beastie Boys - Gratitude
17. Urban Surf Kings - Phantom Riders of the Backlot
18. Clinic - The Witch
19. The Jam - David Watts
20. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
21. Bob Dylan - One Too Many Mornings (Live Royal Albert Hall 1966)
22. Raconteurs - Five on the Five
23. Raconteurs - Carolina Drama
Dready Videos:
Natural Roots
Bankrobber (Live with the Clash)
Choose Me
Money in My Pocket
Rasta in Control
Bankrobber (Live 2004)
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