Also visiting the island recently was Miami-based reggae singer/producer Audley Rollen.

Rollen now heads his own label, Hot Stuff, in Florida, where he had one of the biggest selling reggae singles for the past few months in "M.G.P."

He was home to sign a distribution deal with Sonic Sounds, which will handle his single, 'M.G.P.'/Things In Life. He wrote the former, but the latter was originally done by Dennis Brown.

For those who may not recall, Rollen was a vocalist with the Hippie Boys, the band that also produced bassist Robbie Shakespeare as well as Bob Marley's bassist and drummer, brothers Aston "Family Man" Barrett and the late Carlton "Carlie" Barrett, and worked on their famous 1970 rhythm, Dr. No Go.

Rollen also worked with the Youth Professionals band, which also included drummer "Benbow" Query, Bernard "Touter" Harvey and trombonist Vin Gordon.

He actually auditioned for the Techniques once, but it didn't work out. His original group, The Leaders, recorded a useful single, Get On Board, for JJ Records in 1967, before they broke up. He formed another group, the Professionals in late 1967, then joined the Emotions, the group with which he has had his greatest success, recording songs like You Can't Stop Me on the Dr. No Go rhythm.

The Emotions finished third in the Festival Song competition in 1969, after which they recorded a number of songs with Lloyd "The Matador" Daley, including Hallelujah, Poor Man Story Long and Worry Worry.

After Rollen went solo, he recorded several local hits including his originals Repatriation Is A Must and All That Glitters and his cover of What's Your Name.

Rollen left Jamaica in 1976, to join his parents in Philadelphia in the United States and has made the city his home since:

"When I first went there I tried to introduce reggae to (Kenny) Gamble and (Leon) Huff, but it was the height of the disco era and they weren't interested," he said. So, he put together his own band, Rock Stone, and started touring the U.S., extensively. He created his own label in 1984 and released an album Role Model. He moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1988 and released his biggest continental hit, Shy Girl, as well as another album, Honey.

Rollen said that he is looking forward to performing on the Heineken Startime series in the near future.

Stamma Haughton, head of Marston Recording Corporation and new manager of the Skatalites band, will be here later this week for the release of their new 15-track album.

Haughton says that the band, which is currently on a world tour, should be appearing on the Heineken Startime series on July 29. They are also expected to appear at Paul Hurlock's Day-O Plantation Restaurant in MoBay in early August. Performances in Ocho Rios and Negril are also likely. The current line-up includes Skatalites' stalwarts Lloyd Knibbs, Lloyd Brevett, Doreen Shaffer and Lester Sterling, as well as veteran saxophonist Cedric Brooks.