RECORDS
Independent Reggae label: Greensleeves Records was One of the most prominent Reggae labels in Britain. Founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick. Greensleeves started life in 1975 as a Reggae/Soul mail order business and shop. The shop was opened in 1975 in West Ealing. The downstairs sold general pop/rock with a dedicated Reggae/Soul department upstairs. The shop relocated to 44 Uxbridge Shepherds Bush in 1977 and then closed (in 1980) as it became increasingly sidelined by the development of Greensleeves the label. By 1980 had become more successful and profitable than the shop. The first release on the label was a 7" - Doctor Alimantado - Born For A Purpose/Reason For Living (Reggae Regulars Where Is Jah was GRE001 but apparently Born For A Purpose GRE002 was released first). The label became something of a legend for it's series of 12inch discomixes during the Dancehall era. The first Discomix on the label was The Wailing Souls - War (with Ranking Trevor)/Jah Give Us Life. In December 1978 they lauched the Cool Rockers label for Lovers Rock releases. It flourished throughout the '80s and '90s, with a mix of licensed material and records by local talent; it even entered the Singles Chart on several occasions, with Tippa Irie's 'Hello Darling' (1986), Beenie Man's 'Who Am I' (1998), and, most impressively, Shaggy's No.1 hit 'Oh Carolina' (1993). Numbering began at GRE-001, in 1977; it dropped the two noughts at GRE-5 and had reached GRE-196 by 1986. The label achieved mainstream distribution via EMI when it signed a pressing and distribution deal with Island, in March 1978 , but by the end of the decade Spartan had taken over - note the absence of any reference to EMI on the second label. Greensleeves is still going strong into the 2000s, as a music publisher as well as a record company. Distributed By EMI Records. Greensleeves Former address: 44 Uxbridge, Shepherd's Bush, London W12, Unit 7, Goldhawk Industrial Estate, 2a Brackenbury Road, London W6 0BA, Unit 14, Metro Centre, St. John's Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW6 GNJ.Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info.
| 77 | Reggae Regular | Where Is Jah | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 001 |
| 77 | Doc. Alimantado & The Rebels | Born For A Purpose | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 002 |
| 77 | Gideon Jah Rubbaal | Love Rasta | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 003 |
| 78 | Reggae Reggular | The Black Star Liner | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 004 |
| 78 | Doc. Alimantado & The Rebels | Still Alive | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 5 |
| 78 | Reid Dennis | Land Of The Rising Sun | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 6 |
| 78 | Roots | Mash Down | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 7 |
| 78 | Tetrack | Only Jah Jah Know | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 8 |
| 78 | Mundell Hugh | Let's All Unite | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 9 |
| 78 | Ranking Joe | Dub Sister Dub It | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 10 |
| 78 | Not Traced | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 11 | |
| 78 | Jah Thomas | Stop Yu Loafin | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 12 |
| 78 | Dr Alimantado | Best Dressed Chicken In Town | GREENSLEEVES | GRE | 13 |
| 79 | Capital Letters | Run Run Run | GREENSLEEVES | SKANK | 1 |
