Happy Birthday ~ Triston Palmer

Triston Palmer, aka Triston or Tristan Palma /Palmer was born on September 24, 1962. He grew up in the Waltham Park area of Kingston and decided from an early age that he wanted to be a singer. He began by singing to the accompaniment of Soul Syndicate guitarist Tony Chin. His first recording was “Love Is A Message” for producer Bunny Lee when he was eight years old, which was followed by “A-Class Girl” for the Black Solidarity label, which was co-run by Palmer and Ossie Thomas. He came to the attention of producer/deejay Jah Thomas, who began a substantial association with Palmer with the track “Entertainment” when Palmer was aged around 14. He made a breakthrough with his performance in 1979 at the General Penitentiary Memorial Concert for Claudie Massop, which also featured Bob Marley. Palmer became a popular artist in the “singjay” style in the early 1980s. “Entertainment” was a Jamaican hit and he enjoyed further successes with “Water Bubbling”, “Spliff Tail”, “Raving”, and “Run Around Woman”. Palmer also worked with Linval Thompson, who produced his Joker Lover and Settle Down Girl albums, and later George Phang, Tony Robinson, Sugar Minott, Bunny Gemini, and Castro Brown. At one point in the early 1980s, Palmer had nine songs in Jamaica’s Top 40.

In the mid-1980s, Palmer became involved in the famine-relief charity project Music is Life, along with Freddie McGregor, Mutabaruka, Gregory Isaacs, Third World, Edi Fitzroy, and Steel Pulse, contributing to the charity single “Land of Africa”.

His popularity continued through the 1980s, and in the 1990s he recorded the Three Against War song and album with Dennis Brown and Beenie Man.

Palmer has worked as a producer himself, working with artists such as Phillip Frazer, Josie Wales, and Robert Ffrench, and has provided backing vocals for singers such as Sugar Minott, Tony Tuff, and Freddie McGregor. He also built his Star Creation studio.

RELEASES

1981

• Presenting

1982

• Fancyness
• Joker Lover
• Joker Smoker
• ShowCase
• Touch Me, Take Me
• Nice Time (Triston Palmer & Toyan)

1983

• Settle Down Girl

1984

• The Big Showdown (Phillip Frazer & Triston Palma)
• Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor (Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor)

1985

• Reggae 85 (Al Campbell Meets Triston Palmer)

198X

• I And I And Inity (Triston Palmer & Phillip Frazer)

COMPILATIONS

• Entertainment [198X]
• Spliff Tail [198X]
• The Best Of [198X]
• Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer [Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer – 1982-84]
• Triston Palmer Meets Jah Thomas In Discostyle [Triston Palmer Meets Jah Thomas – 198X]

PRODUCTIONS 

• Early B – Ghost Busters [1985]
• Jennifer Lara – Weekend Loving [1985]
• Josie Wales – Ruling [1986]
• Phillip Frazer & Triston Palma – The Big Showdown [1984]
• Robert Ffrench – The Favourite [1985]
• Triston Palmer – Fancyness [1982]
• Triston Palmer – The Best Of [198X]

APPEARS ON

• Can’t Stop Us Now
• Dancehall
• Dancehall Explosion
• Greensleeves 12” Rulers
• Haul & Pull Up Selecta
• Hidden Treasures
• Hidden Treasures Vol 2
• I And I And Inity
• Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread
• Jah Thomas Greensleeves 12 Rulers
• Let’s Go To The Blues
• Midnight Rock Classics Vol 1
• Midnight Rock Presents Reggae Veterans Vol 1
• Nice Time
• One-A-Way Style
• Roots Dancehall Party
• Roots Reggae Party Vol 1
• Shank I Sheck
• The Big Showdown
• The Biggest Dancehall Anthems
• Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor
• Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer
• Triston Palmer Meets Jah Thomas In Disco style
• Trojan 12″ Box Set
• Trojan Dancehall Box Set
• Trojan Dancehall Roots Box Set
• Trojan Roots and Culture Box Set
• Vintage Various Artists 70s-80s

AS A MUSICIAN

• Al Campbell Meets Triston Palmer – Reggae 85 [1985]
• Triston Palma – Presenting [1981]
• Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor – Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor [1984]
• Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer – Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer [1982-84]
• Triston Palmer – Entertainment [198X]
• Triston Palmer – Joker Lover [1982]
• Triston Palmer – Joker Smoker [1982]
• Triston Palmer – Show Case [1982]
• Triston Palmer – Touch Me, Take Me [1982]
• Triston Palmer & Phillip Frazer – I And I And Inity [198X]
• Triston Palmer & Toyan – Nice Time [1982]

BACKING VOCALS

• Freddie McGregor – Come On Over [1983]
• Freddie McGregor – Rhythm So Nice [1983]
• Sugar Minott – Ghetto-ology [1979]
• Tony Tuff – Presenting Mr. Tuff [1981]

ARRANGER

• Josie Wales – Ruling [1986]