Tackhead was a mainstay of On-U Sound in the 80s & 90s. The core members are Doug Wimbish (bass), Keith LeBlanc (percussion), Skip McDonald (guitar), & producer (sometimes credited as "mixologist") Adrian Sherwood. In the late 1970s, Wimbish, LeBlanc, & McDonald were members of the house band for the Sugarhill Records record label. Soon after British producer Sherwood met LeBlanc during a visit to New York in the mid-80s, the trio of Wimbish, LeBlanc, & McDonald relocated to London. They began working on tracks for Sherwood's On-U Sound record label.
Beside appearing as Tackhead, the band took over band duties for Mark Stewart & the Maffia for three LPs between 1985 & 1990. They toured with the On-U Sound System with MC Gary Clail as Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System, releasing the 1987 LP, Tackhead Tape Time. LeBlanc released two solo LPs featuring all Tackhead members. Since then, the trio has been the backing band for various Sherwood-led On-U Sound productions artists such as Gary Clail's solo efforts, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, New Age Steppers, Strange Parcels, Barmy Army, & the blues-oriented Little Axe.
On the first Tackhead LP proper (see link above), 1989's Friendly as a Hand Grenade, vocalist Bernard Fowler joined the line-up. Many of Tackheads older instrumental tracks re-appeared with lyrics.
The follow-up album was 1990's Strange Things...
Nobody to Somebody
Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
Classic Rock
Dangerous Sex
Strange Things
Super Stupid
See the Fire Burning
For This I Sing
Take a Stroll
Change
Positive Suggestion
Revisiting,
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