Luciano’s Where There Is Life turns 30
Where There Is Life, the album that made Luciano a bona fide roots star, recently turned 30.
Produced by Philip “Fatis” Burrell, it was released in late 1995 by Island Jamaica Records.
George “Dusty” Miller, drummer for the Firehouse Crew, which played on the album, in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer, described the set as “12 chapters of greatness”.
Recorded at Anchor Studios in Kingston, Where There Is Life contains anthems such as Lord Give Me Strength and It’s Me Again Jah which topped reggae charts in Jamaica and throughout its Diaspora.
There’s No Love In The World, Good God, Heaven Help Us All, and In This Together (with Louie Culture and Terror Fabulous) were also popular tracks.
“Luci [Luciano] was hungry an’ writing like crazy. Most of those songs are from his gospel days, an’ him jus’ rewrite dem,” Miller told the Observer. “Lord Give Me Strength is that prayer in di morning, giving thanks to di Almighty for waking us up.”
Born in Manchester, Luciano was part of a roots-reggae revival that took place during the early 1990s. That movement was led by Garnet Silk and Tony Rebel, whose Rasta-inspired songs were a change from the controversial content of dancehall acts like Ninjaman and Shabba Ranks.
Luciano had a big hit in 1994 with One Way Ticket, which set the tone for Where There Is Life.
Burrell’s Xterminator label was hot at the time, with Sizzla, Mikey General, Sanchez, Beres Hammond, and Nadine Sutherland cutting hit songs for the label. Where There is Life was one of the albums that announced Island Jamaica, a subsidiary of Island Records, owned by Chris Blackwell.
Blessed by Beenie Man and Chill by Spanner Banner were other albums by Jamaican artistes released by Island Jamaica in 1995. Sly and Robbie and saxophonist Dean Fraser played on the latter, as well as Where There is Life, but it was the Firehouse Crew who did the heavy lifting.
The band — which also includes bassist Donald Dennis, keyboardist Paul “Wrongmove” Crosdale, and guitarist Mitchum “Khan” Chin — formed in Kingston during the mid-1980s as protégés of legendary studio engineer Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock.
Where There Is Life captures them at their peak.
“We used to work seven days a week, jus’ going to di studios. From Tuff Gong to Dynamic to Mixing Lab and Blue Mountain. We had a dream, an’ working with Fatis helped us realise dat dream,” said Miller.
Luciano followed up with Messenger in 1996, which was also produced by Burrell. Another strong album was Sweep Over My Soul, released in 1999.
Burrell died in 2011 at age 57.
The Firehouse Crew, who have worked with artistes in Jamaica, North America, Europe and Africa, celebrates their 40th anniversary in 2026.
Luciano (Photo: Karl Mclarty)
