Remembering the 'Cool Ruler'

Deejay Suga Roy and singer Conrad Crystal pay homage to a lovers' rock icon with Universal Tribute to Gregory Isaacs, an 18-track album released recently in Jamaica, Europe and North America.

Suga Roy (real name Leroy Moore) said he and Crystal first came up with the idea to record a full album of Isaacs songs six years ago after getting positive response to their combination, Love Is Overdue, a cover of one of the 'Cool Ruler's' early hits.

"Gregory come to mi an' sey him love how the song soun' an' it encourage wi fi do a whole album," Suga Roy said.

Isaacs died in London last October from cancer at age 60.

Suga Roy and Crystal (best known for the 1980s song, True Love Will Never Die) worked mainly with the House of Rhythm band from Austria on Universal Tribute. They backed the duo on 14 of the songs including All I Have Is Love, Front Door, Number One, Mr Brown, Religion, Soon Forward and Tune In.

Luciano and Fantan Mojah also worked on the project. They appear on Universal and Rumours, respectively.

Universal Tribute is a joint effort between London's Stingray Records and Fireball Records, which is owned by Suga Roy. The album will be distributed in Austria by House of Rhythm Records and in California by Ernie B Records.