Full Time

Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the acquisition of Nighthawk Records and Blackheart Music Publishing. Omnivore’s reissue of the Nighthawk catalog begins with the 1992 album by the Gladiators which featured material from their 1980’s recording sessions. The Gladiators were founded by Albert Griffiths in 1968 after he experienced a positive reaction to early solo singles. Success came quickly for the new roots reggae band with “Hello Carol” which topped the charts in Jamaica. Working at Studio One in the early ’70s, the Gladiators produced a string of hits; “Roots Natty,” “Bongo Red,” and “Jah Jah Go Before Us.” Naturally the major labels came calling and the band was signed to Virgin Records where they cut albums for the rest of the decade. They started by revisiting their history on the classic, Trenchtown Mix Up, their Virgin debut, on which the Gladiators recorded new versions of their early hits. Roots reggae underwent a decline in popularity during the ’80s, but it was a busy decade for the Gladiators who were at the height of their powers. They recorded eleven albums during the decade, including three for the U.S. label, Nighthawk Records. Those albums, Symbol Of Reality (1982), Serious Thing (1984), and their collaboration with Leonard Dillon (the Ethiopian) Dread Prophecy (1986), will all be reissued by Omnivore. The reissue program begins with Full Time, which was originally issued in 1992, and comprised of material from the productive sessions the band did for Nighthawk in the previous decade. From the liner notes: “The Gladiators’ Nighthawk sessions were all recorded and mixed at Harry J Studio by the legendary engineer Sylvan Morris who first worked with the Gladiators in the early 1970s at Studio One where they developed a deep respect for each other and a unity of purpose in their mutual work. At Harry J Studio, the riddims were tight and Sylvan was feeling the vibes, so all the resulting albums are blessed with hot dub versions by the master.” Full Time is more from these great sessions. Now newly mastered from the original tapes by Grammy®-winner Michael Graves. The 14 track release features new liner notes from original co-producer Leroy Jodie Pierson. “Full Time“ means “making it” and is a vital piece of the Gladiators history and essential to any reggae fans’ collection.