# Donovan Germain

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Jamaican record producer

**Donovan Germain** [OD](/source/Order_of_Distinction_(Jamaica)) (born 7 March 1952 in [Jamaica](/source/Jamaica)) is a [reggae](/source/Reggae) [producer](/source/Record_producer), one of the most successful of the digital era.

## Biography

Germain's entry into the music industry was via his record shop in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) in the 1970s.[1] He began production in 1972, visiting Jamaica for recording sessions, working in both [roots reggae](/source/Roots_reggae) and [lovers rock](/source/Lovers_rock). As a producer he had hits on the reggae charts with the likes of [Cultural Roots](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cultural_Roots&action=edit&redlink=1)' "Mr. Boss Man" in 1980, and broke through into the UK Singles Chart in the early and mid-1980s with [Sugar Minott](/source/Sugar_Minott)'s "Good Thing Going" and [Audrey Hall](/source/Audrey_Hall)'s "One Dance Won't Do".[1][2] He ran the Revolutionary Sounds label which started in the early 1980s and ran from New York, and also ran the Rub-a-Dub, Reggae, and Germain labels.[3][4] One of Germain label's most well-known records on the sound system circuit in UK, especially on [Jah Shaka](/source/Jah_Shaka) sound, was Sam Bramwell's *It ago Dread inna [Babylon](/source/Babylon)*, which Bramwell-- previously a vocalist with [The Chantells](/source/The_Chantells) -- recorded with [The Revolutionaries](/source/The_Revolutionaries).

He returned to [Kingston](/source/Kingston%2C_Jamaica) in 1987 and opened his *Penthouse Studio* on Slipe Pen Road (originally located on the top floor — hence the name — now located on Ballater Avenue and including a pressing facility), which soon became highly in-demand, and became one of the island's top studios, with Germain becoming recognized as one of the very top reggae producers, taking over as Jamaica's leading producer from [King Jammy](/source/King_Jammy).[1][2][5] In the early days of the studio he worked with such renowned artists as [Freddie McGregor](/source/Freddie_McGregor), [Delroy Wilson](/source/Delroy_Wilson), [Marcia Griffiths](/source/Marcia_Griffiths), and [Tenor Saw](/source/Tenor_Saw), and went on to enjoy great success with [Buju Banton](/source/Buju_Banton) (who with Germain had more Jamaican number one singles than any other artist), [Mad Cobra](/source/Mad_Cobra), [Cutty Ranks](/source/Cutty_Ranks), [Morgan Heritage](/source/Morgan_Heritage), [Wayne Wonder](/source/Wayne_Wonder), and [Beres Hammond](/source/Beres_Hammond).[3][4][5] In 2012, Germain received Jamaica's Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Award for Producer of the Year (reggae).[6]

In October 2014, the [Institute of Jamaica](/source/Institute_of_Jamaica) awarded Germain a silver [Musgrave Medal](/source/Musgrave_Medal) for his contribution to music.[7][8] In August 2015, it was announced that he would be awarded the [Order of Distinction](/source/Order_of_Distinction_(Jamaica)) by the Jamaican government.[9]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Larkin_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Larkin_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Larkin_1-2) Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7535-0242-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7535-0242-9)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Barrow_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Barrow_2-1) Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae", Rough Guides, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84353-329-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84353-329-4)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Thompson_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Thompson_3-1) Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87930-655-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87930-655-6)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-obs_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-obs_4-1) "[Reggae Producers - The Big 5](http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080301T030000-0500_133101_OBS_RECORD_PRODUCERS___THE_BIG___.asp) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080313235933/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080301t030000-0500_133101_obs_record_producers___the_big___.asp) March 13, 2008, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)", [Jamaica Observer](/source/Jamaica_Observer), 2 March 2008

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Henry_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Henry_5-1) Henry, Davina (2013) "[Penthouse Celebrates 25 Years](http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131013/ent/ent2.html)", *[Jamaica Gleaner](/source/Jamaica_Gleaner)*, 13 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013

1. **[^](#cite_ref-White_6-0)** White, Nadine (2013) "[Donovan Germain blasts current state of dancehall music](http://vision-newspaper.co.uk/donovan-germain-blasts-current-state-of-dancehall-music/)", *Vision newspaper*, 24 June 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Campbell1410_7-0)** Campbell, Howard (2014) "[Winkler, Germain and Gussie get medals](http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Winkler--Germain-and-Gussie-get-medals_17715611)", *[Jamaica Observer](/source/Jamaica_Observer)*, 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Johnson, Richard (2014) "[Musgrave Winners Lauded](http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Musgrave-winners-lauded_17789930)", *[Jamaica Observer](/source/Jamaica_Observer)*, 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Campbell, Howard (2015) "[Ronnie Burke heads field of distinction](http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Ronnie-Burke-heads-field-of-distinction_19222589)", *[Jamaica Observer](/source/Jamaica_Observer)*, 7 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015

## External links

- [\[1\]](http://www.penthousereggae.com)

Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Donovan Germain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan_Germain) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan_Germain?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.