The legacy continues

And independence rang loud through the streets, hills and valleys of a small Caribbean island known to the world as JAMAICA.  It was this same year that a former jukebox technician turned record store owner named Vincent G. Chin would move his local record shop from a small storefront on the outskirts of town into the heart of the city.  With a new location at 17 North Parade the timing couldn’t have been better, and this is where his story begins…

Randy’s Record Mart (a former ice cream parlor), quickly proved to be hit with locals and found itself at the center of Jamaica’s growing music and social scene.  As native tunes spread throughout the island, Randy’s became the place to find the homegrown sounds of Mento, SKA, and the future universal phenomenon known as Reggae music.

In 1965, the Vincent G. Chin decided to expand their successful storefront.  Included in their plans was the construction of a recording studio in the upstairs parlor above the store.  With a limited selection of recording studios for the heap of local artists, in 1968 Randy’s Studio 17 was born.  The studio quickly became the recording facility of choice for the majority of Reggae’s prominent artists and producers including: Bob Marley & The Wailers (parts of “Catch A Fire” were recorded at Randy’s), Dennis Brown, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Bunny Lee and Niney The Observer. As well, foreign artists looking for the authentic reggae sound such as Quincy Jones and Joe Cocker all worked extensively at Randy’s.  The rest is music history.

Today famed producer Clive Chin, son of Vincent G. Chin continues in his fathers legacy as CEO of Randy's Music Group by paying homage to the historic location of Randy’s Record Mart, the premier recording studio and record shop in Kingston, and the Mecca for Reggae music between the late 60s and 70’s.