{{Short description|Jamaican reggae singer and percussionist (born 1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Use British English|date=March 2012}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Carl Malcolm | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|07|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica | death_date = | instrument = Vocals, drums | genre = Ska, rocksteady, reggae | occupation = | years_active = 1965–present | label = | associated_acts = The Volcanoes<br />Big Relations | website = }}

'''Carl Malcolm''' (born 18 July 1952) is a Jamaican reggae and conscious roots singer and percussionist.

==Biography== Malcolm initially learned the keyboard, picking up skills on the instrument at his local Methodist church.<ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}, p. 179</ref> He attended St. Elizabeth Technical High School before moving to Kingston, where he worked for a shoe company and was a reservist in the Jamaica Defence Force.<ref name="Larkin" /> In 1965 he joined his first group, The Volcanoes, alongside Al Brown, the pair staying together until 1969.<ref name="Larkin" /> Malcolm then gave up music while he continued his studies, but returned when he joined the group Big Relations, led by Sister Mary Ignatius Davies of Alpha Boys' School protege, the trumpet & flugelhorn player, Jo Jo Bennett.<ref name="Larkin" /> Malcolm recorded briefly as a solo artist, recording the social consciousness-aware liberation tune, ''Father Free Us,'' with Cedric Brooks versioning ''Satta'' on the 'b' side, for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, before spending time in the United States.<ref name="Larkin" />

On his return to Jamaica he was employed by Rupie Edwards as the branch manager of the ''Success Records'' shop at Half Way Tree. He also began recording again, including the 1973 Clive Chin production ''No Jestering'' (also versioned by Augustus Pablo, Big Youth and Pablove Black ), and the follow-up on Randy Chin's ''Impact!'' record label, ''Miss Wire Waist'', which topped the UK reggae chart when it was issued there in 1975, backed by Lloyd Parks' Skin, Flesh and Bones band, who later became The Revolutionaries. ''Miss Wire Waist'' was versioned much later in the 1990s as a digital lovers rock discomix by Scotty (reggae vocalist) and Mafia & Fluxy, produced by Tapper Zukie's brother, "Blackbeard" Sinclair and The Ring Craft Posse.<ref name="Larkin" />

Malcolm had his greatest success in September 1975 with ''Fattie Bum-Bum''. This was picked up for release by independent label UK Records after Dave Cash started to play it on his Capital Radio programme, and it quickly got to number 2 on the station's 'Hitline' listeners' chart. It eventually reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/carl%20malcolm/|title=Carl Malcolm|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=28 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | page= 344 | isbn= 1-904994-10-5}}</ref> It remained in the chart for eight weeks.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> The track was written by Malcolm and produced by Clive Chin, son of Randy Chin. It had been copied in a cover version by UK group The Diversions (a band featuring New wave music chanteuse Lene Lovich) on Gull, which also charted (reaching #34), diverting some sales away from Malcolm's version.<ref name="Larkin" /> It was also covered in 1976 by Finnish band, Musakatit.<ref>Who Sampled - [https://www.whosampled.com/cover/147191/Musakatit-Lihava-on-L%C3%A4mmin-Carl-Malcolm-Fattie-Bum-Bum/ Musakatit > Lihava on Lämmin > Musakatit cover of Carl Malcolm's 'Fattie Bum-Bum']</ref><ref>Swiss Charts - [http://www.swisscharts.com/song/Musakatit/Lihava-on-laemmin-2523063 Musakatit – Lihava on lämmin]</ref> Although this was Malcolm's only mainstream chart success, his vocal and dub discomix records made a significant impact on the reggae charts in 1977 with his releases ''Repatriation'' and ''Take a Tip From Me'', both recorded with Ranking Trevor for King Sounds' ''Grove Music'' conscious roots reggae record label, securing his reputation with the Lloyd Coxsone and Jah Shaka sound system followers of the time.<ref name="Larkin" />

Carl Malcolm is also a percussionist and drummer, whose Rockers, One drop rhythm and Steppers styles can be heard on The Melodians' ''Swing & Dine'';,<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r127177|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com – album credits 1]</ref> Pat Kelly's ''Butterflies'';<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r292381|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com – album credits 2]</ref> and on Glen Brown's album, ''The Way to Mt. Zion''.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r223998|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com – album credits 3]</ref>

==See also== *Fatty Boom Boom

==References== {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Malcolm, Carl}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:People from Saint Elizabeth Parish Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican male songwriters