Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes

A treasure trove of rescued tapes revives the golden age of reggae and reveals the fascinating story behind one of Jamaica’s most legendary recording studios, Randy’s Studio 17. Randy’s was a small, family record store in downtown Kingston that expanded when ‘Studio 17’ was added: studio and store became a hub for the music revolution that followed Jamaican independence in 1962. In its prime, artists who recorded there included Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, and many more. But during Jamaica’s political turmoil of the late 1970s, the Chin family fled to the USA and the studio was abandoned. 40 years later, a collection of original studio tapes has been salvaged, revealing many unheard, stunning recordings from the ‘golden age’ of reggae.