R.I.P. Louisa Marks, the first British Lovers Rock artist. She was a teenager when her song ‘Caught You in a Lie’ became a hit single in 1975.
Lovers Rock is a romantic, R&B influenced form of reggae, developed out of the U.K. reggae scene. It was a combination of the smooth sounds of Chicago and Philly soul with reggae bass-lines and rhythms.
Lovers Rock had particular appeal amongst women and produced many female stars including Louisa Marks, Carroll Thompson and Janet Kay who had one of the biggest hits of the genre ‘Silly Games,’ which reached No.2 in the U.K. Charts in 1979.
The sound became popular in the late 70’s and early 80’s, especially as late night selections at any Jamaican dance or family house party, where the adults would be slow whining into the wee hours, and the kids alone in the kitchen to sample the special punch.
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