Although he has Jamaican roots through his mother, singer Dave Revels never recorded a reggae song in his long career that included a 10-year run with legendary American group, The Drifters.
He finally took the plunge in December with "A Good Jamaican Woman", a song he co-produced by his longtime friend, Ed Robinson.
"I was blessed to grow up around many uncles and aunts in Jamaica. I learned a lot from both. The women in the family were so beautiful, inside and outside, intelligent and regal. They were like queens," Revels recalled. "They were also very respected by the men in our family. I wanted to honor their memory and to relate to the world how special a man you would be to have a Jamaican woman by your side."
Revels added that he applied a tried-and-proven method when composing "A Good Jamaican Woman".
"I write from a personal point of view and the emotions I feel dictate the genre I choose to tell my story," he explained.
Born in London, Revels' father was an American. The singer spent much of his youth in Kingston, the Jamaica capital, where he warmed to the burgeoning music scene of the 1960's.
The indiscriminate music tastes of Jamaicans served Revels well when he became an artist.
"I have been blessed to work with incredibly talented artists in several genres, from calypso's Sparrow, Explained, Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson and Arrow, to rock music legends such as Jorma Kaukonen from Jefferson Airplane, and even old-time Jamaican artists (such as) The Blues Busters' Phillip and Lloydie," he shared.
Performing with the legendary Drifters is the highlight of Revels' career. He joined the group in the 1990's after meeting them through a friend.
"They auditioned me, taught me choreography and asked if I owned a tuxedo. I did, and they said, 'okay, we have a show tonight and you will be on it. The next is my 10-year history with the group touring the world," he said.
Written By Howard Campbell