Barry Biggs

Barry Biggs (born 1947, although some accounts list 1953;[1] St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known in the UK for his cover of the Blue Magic song, "Sideshow", which got to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977.[2]

Barry Biggs
Born1947 (age 73–74)
St. Andrew, Jamaica
GenresReggae
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1960s–present

Career

Biggs worked as a recording engineer and cameraman with the Jamaican Broadcasting Company, and also spent time as a member of the band the Astronauts, before becoming the lead singer for Byron Lee's Dragonaires.[1][3]

It was at Lee's Dynamic Sounds studio (where he also worked as a producer and engineer) that Biggs recorded his first Jamaican hit, a cover of The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple".[1][3] He broke through to international success in 1976 with "Work All Day", which had been recorded seven years earlier.[1][3] Biggs had six hit singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1976 and 1981, the most successful of these, "Sideshow", reaching number 3 in January 1977.[4] He recorded two songs with Bunny Lee; "Sincerely" and "You're Welcome" which did well in the reggae charts.[3] He topped the reggae chart in the UK with "Wide Awake in a Dream" and "A Promise is a Comfort to a Fool".[3]

Many of Biggs' recordings were reggae cover versions of popular soul hits, including songs such as Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour"; "Sideshow" and "Three Ring Circus" by Blue Magic; and others originally by The Chi-Lites, The Moonglows ("Sincerely"), and The Temptations ("Just My Imagination").[5] His version of "Love Come Down", originally recorded by Evelyn "Champagne" King, was a top 5 hit in 1983 in The Netherlands. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Biggs avoided the political and Rasta themes then popular in Jamaica.[1]

Biggs continued to perform occasionally in the 2000s, notably at a 2008 service of thanksgiving for his former bandleader, Byron Lee.[6]

Discography

Albums
  • Mr. Biggs – (1976) – Dynamic Sounds (also issued in 1977 as Side Show)
  • Sincerely – (1977) – Dynamic Sounds
  • Wide Awake in a Dream – (1980) – Starlight
  • A Promise Is A Comfort to a Fool – (1982)
  • Barry Biggs & The Inner Circle – (1983) – Trojan
  • Coming Down With Love (1983) – Ariola
  • So in Love – (1989) – Starlight
  • Wide Awake – (1990) – Mango
  • Night Like This – (1994) – WEA
  • Love Come Down – (2000) – Wesgram Records

Compilations
  • Sideshow: The Best of Barry Biggs – (1995) – Jamaican Gold
  • Vintage Series: Barry Biggs – (2001) – VP
  • Just My Imagination – (2002) – Disky Records
  • Sideshow: The Very Best of Barry Biggs – (2002) – Music Club
  • Sideshow (The best of) – (2004) – Trojan
  • Reggae Max – (2007) – Jet Star

Chart singles
  • "Work All Day" (1976) UK No. 38
  • "Sideshow" (1976) UK No. 3
  • "You're My Life" (1977) UK No. 36
  • "Three Ring Circus" (1977) UK No. 22
  • "What's Your Sign Girl" (1979) UK No. 55
  • "Wide Awake in a Dream" (1981) UK No. 44[2]
  • Hats (1981)

References
  1. Leggett, Steve "Barry Biggs Biography", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 57. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 26.
  4. Barry Biggs, Official Charts
  5. "Coversproject.com". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  6. Walters, Basil (2008) "Glowing farewell to Byron Lee", Jamaica Observer, 23 November 2008
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