Dr. Alimantado

The ‘Ital Surgeon’ Winston Thompson came to the record-buying public’s attention with his DJ work for Lee Perry in Jamaica during the early 70s, but it was only when he started producing records for himself that he found his niche. His ‘The Best Dressed Chicken In Town’ (a version to ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’), released on Capo Records, leaned heavily on the production techniques of Lee Perry, but was an unmatched assault on the senses - later to be described as two and a half minutes of dub lyricism. His manic approach and choice of top rhythms assured his cult status in the UK where his records on the Ital Sounds and Vital Food labels were eagerly awaited and purchased by a cult following. He was nearly killed when a downtown Kingston bus knocked him over in 1977, and his subsequent comeback single for Channel One, ‘Born For A Purpose’, and the DJ version, ‘Life All Over’, brought him to the fore at the same time that the punk market discovered reggae. He moved to England not long afterwards, to capitalize on his new-found fame and has remained there, on and off, ever since. He still releases records on his ISDA label, none of which have matched the quality of his early recordings. He is now resident in Holland.