Charley Ace

b. Valdene Dixon, Jamaica, West Indies. Dixon began his recording career with producer Joe Gibbs in the late 60s. Very little material resulted from these sessions, however, with only ‘Seeing Is Believing’ appearing on the producer’s own Amalgamated label in the UK and Jamaica. Dixon gained a higher profile when he recorded as Charlie Ace with Lee Perry. Under this name, Dixon released a number of ribald chants, including duets with the exotic Fay. Notable combination hits included ‘Mr Whitaker’, ‘Punany’ and, in response to Judge Dread’s pop hit, ‘the official reggae version’ of ‘Big Seven’. In addition to recording with Perry, Ace also appeared on other productions, including ‘Book Of Books’ for Phil Pratt and ‘Creation Version’ for Sonia Pottinger, while with producer Alvin ‘GG’ Ranglin he released ‘Hot Number’ and ‘Lover’s Affair Version’. He was not considered to be in the same league as the likes of U-Roy or Big Youth, although he featured on the classic Upsetters release of ‘Cow Thief Skank’ in combination with Lee Perry. The release was greeted with suitable enthusiasm, topping the reggae charts, although other releases from these sessions failed to match the single’s success. Other releases include ‘Do Something’ and ‘The Creeper’, while in combination with the Inswings he recorded ‘Hot Butter Dub’. Following his career as a DJ, Dixon decided to take the hits to the people by converting a Morris 1000 van into the mobile ‘Swing A Ling’ record shop, driving around Kingston with the latest releases. His venture is frequently featured in Jamaican Tourist magazines and appeared on the Channel 4 television documentary Deep Roots Music.