Inner Circle | Artist

Inner Circle is a Jamaican reggae band formed 1968 in Kingston, by Jacob "Killer" Miller (lead vocals), Ian Lewis (bass), Roger Lewis (guitar), Steven "Cat" Coore (guitar), Michael "Ibo" Cooper (keyboards) and Richard Daley (multi-instrumentalist). Bernard "Touter" Harvey joined in 1973 on keyboards. The band first backed The Chosen Few in the early 1970s before joining with successful solo artist Jacob Miller. Their first breakthrough was a hit single version of The Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which led to them eventually being signed to US label Capitol Records. Stylistically, Inner Circle were more soul & disco influenced than other roots reggae bands of the time. Their sound was characterised by Miller's superb vocals, prominent use of guitars and a driving rhythm section, which saw them cross-over into the disco/dance market. Miller's tragic death in a car crash on 23 March 1980 led the band to split up, with the Lewis Brothers and Touter Harvey moving to Miami, where they opened a studio in a warehouse, later opening their own Circle House recording studio, and the band has been based in Miami since then. They recorded seven studio albums while Miller was alive, and over a dozen after his passing. Standouts include Blame it on the Sun (1975), Reggae Thing (1976), Ready for the World (1977), Killer Dub (1978), and Bad Boys (1993). The 1990 compilation Reggae Greats is highly recommended as it contains much of their superior earlier work. Their 1993 album Bad Boys was their most commercially successful release, charting in the USA and several countries in Europe, with the single of the same name being used in the 1995 film "Bad Boys" starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and its sequels.

Artist Website: badboysofreggae.com

Featured Albums: Inner Circle

Related Artists: Jacob Miller, The Chosen Few, Third World