Our Story

Est. 1964

In 1964, Bruce White formed the artist management company and booking agency "Commercial Entertainments."

Based in London, Commercial Entertainments booked pop acts such as "Status Quo" and "Average White Band" as well as the era's most popular Jamaican artists including "The Maytals", "Millie Small", "Delroy Williams", "The Melodians", "Bob (Andy) and Marcia (Griffiths)", and "Byron Lee and The Dragonaires."

Commercial Entertainments also organised the initial UK shows for several Jamaican acts including "The Upsetters" and producer Lee "Scratch" Perry's house band (who later become "The Wailers".

By October 1969, "The Upsetters'" rollicking instrumental "Return of Django" reached No. 5 on the UK charts.

"No. 5 ON THE UK CHARTS"

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"THE RECORD THAT ACQUAINTED THE ORDINARY BRITISH RECORD BUYER WITH THE REGGAE SOUND"

In March of the same year, another Commercial Entertainments act, "Desmond Dekker and the Aces" topped the UK chart with "Israelites."

One of Reggae's earliest crossover successes, "Israelites" reached the pinnacle position on numerous charts throughout Europe and peaked at No. 9 on the "Billboard Hot 100".

An interview included in Michael de Koningh and Marc Griffiths' "Tighten Up: The Story of British Reggae", White cited "Israelites" as "the record that acquainted the ordinary British record buyer with the reggae sound."