JOHN HOLT
“Police In Helicopter’ is John Holt’s impassioned response to the Jamaican Defense Force Eradication Unit’s burning of the weed fields. It took the former Paragon back to the top of the reggae charts in 1983 and has since gone onto become one of his signature tunes becoming a hit all over again in 2006 when he re-cut it in combination with Sizzla.
Recorded for Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes in 1982, the ‘Police in Helicopter’ album saw John Holt embrace the Roots Radics / Volcano sound that was now ruling Jamaica and put his unmistakable voice right back into the heart of the dancehalls, with ‘Fat She Fat’ also proving to be a sizeable hit. One look at the classic album cover will show you that it wasn’t just the sound that was changing for John Holt – the photo of him proudly displaying his locks also announced to the reggae world a new cultural identity.
John Holt’s long line of hits both solo and with the Paragons has made him one of reggae’s most successful and respected artists and in 2004 he was honoured by the Jamaican government with the Order OF Distinction for his contribution to Jamaican culture.