29th
September 1945 to 17th
May 2026
I
feel it was a privilege to have known Steve for over thirty five
years and, throughout that time, his friendship and kindness was
always a great support to me.
On
a professional level I sincerely hope that tributes are now being
written attesting to his importance in raising the profile and
credibility of Jamaican music worldwide. The significance of his
Blood & Fire label to the furtherance and understanding of a much
misunderstood and overlooked genre is incalculable and can never be
overestimated. It was the first label to re-issue classic reggae from
the roots presented in a format that gave the same attention to
detail that jazz, blues, soul & rock re-issues had been given
with faultless artwork, detailed comprehensive liner notes and
crystal clear mastering. The music always deserved this treatment but
had very rarely received it up until this point. Blood & Fire,
guided by Steve’s deep love and understanding of reggae, set the
standards to aspire to for the many re—issue labels that flourished
in its wake.
His
co-authored (with the erudite Peter Dalton) ‘Reggae The Rough
Guide’ still remains the definitive guide to Jamaican music nearly
two decades after it was first published in 1997. It is still the
best primer for the newcomer, packed full of information with
innumerable recommendations, but also invaluable to seasoned
adherents to focus on artists and releases they might otherwise have
overlooked.
Steve
was as serious about his family, politics and football as he was
about music and all always imbued with a great sense of humour…
And,
on a personal level, Steve gave me the honour of writing the liner
notes for two Blood & Fire releases, Yabby You & The
Prophets’ ‘Jesus Dread 1972 to 1977’ and Big Youth’s ‘Natty
Universal Dread 1973 to 1979’ box sets when he could very easily
have done the notes himself… and probably made a better job of it!
His trust in me was an important stepping stone towards the path I
have followed for the past twenty five years. He went on to ask me to
assist him and Stuart Baker writing entries for the Soul Jazz ‘Reggae
45 Sound System The Label Art Of Reggae Singles’ book... an
endeavour I had first dreamed of forty years previously but never
thought would see the light of day. He followed this up with agreeing
to work for Germany’s renowned Bear Family… but only on the
condition that I worked with him… and we spent a very enjoyable
long weekend in Hamburg and Bremen with their team working on the
details. I could go on… but, in short, Steve was a friend in deed
when I was a friend in need and I will never forget his generosity
and trust in me.
I
think the story that best sums up what Steve was all about came when
he was contemplating a move from his East London home to North
Somerset. He contacted a removal firm who asked “is it domestic?
and Steve replied in the affirmative. However, when the contractor
arrived to look over the job he walked through the front door, took
one look at his incredible record, CD and book collection and
exclaimed “this isn’t domestic… it’s f***ing industrial!”.
Steve Barrow never did anything by halves.
My
sincere condolences go out to his wife, Sue, and to all his family
and friends. Steve’s memory as a family man and friend will live
forever in many of our hearts… and so too will his knowledge and
love of reggae that he selflessly poured into a plethora of books and
records for music lovers the whole world over.
Noel Hawks - June 2026
Steve Barrow (29 September 1945–27 May 2026)
Steve Barker
