Max Romeo
| Max Romeo | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maxwell Livingston Smith |
| Also known as | Adulfus Dulfile, Maxie Smith, The Son of Selassie |
| Born | 22 November 1944 |
| Origin | St. James, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae, roots reggae |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | Charmax |
| Associated acts | The Upsetters |
Max Romeo (born Maxwell Livingston Smith, 22 November 1944) is a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording artist who has achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. Romeo had several hits with the vocal group the Emotions. His song "Wet Dream" (1968) included overtly sexual lyrics and launched a new style of reggae.
Born in St. D'Acre, St. James, Jamaica, Romeo left home at the age of 14 and worked on a sugar plantation outside Clarendon, before winning a local talent competition when he was 18. This prompted a move to the capital, Kingston, in order to embark on a musical career.
In 1965, Romeo joined up with Kenneth Knight and Lloyd Shakespeare in The Emotions, whilst also working in sales for the Caltone label. The group were unsuccessful in auditions for other producers, but Lack offered them an audition after overhearing Smith singing to himself while working. In 1966, the group had their first hit, with the Lack-produced "(Buy You) A Rainbow". The Emotions went on to release several hit singles. and by 1968, the singer, by that point known as Max Romeo began his solo career in 1968, but did not have any great successes on the charts. Romeo returned to The Emotions, now recording for Phil Pratt, and founded a new band, The Upsetters.
1968 saw the breakthrough in Romeo's career, when he wrote "Wet Dream", a song that became a massive hit in Jamaica. The track was banned by the BBC Radio in the UK due to its overly sexual lyrics, although the singer claimed that it was about a leaking roof. Nevertheless, "Wet Dream" became a Top 10 hit in the UK, where it spent six months in the chart. Further records that came out in 1969 were "Belly Woman", "Wine Her Goosie" and "Mini-Skirt Vision", as well as Max Romeo's debut LP, A Dream. Romeo was banned from performing at several venues during a tour of the UK.
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