Beres Hammond: The Master of Lovers Rock

written by Kareem LaTouche

Beres Hammond is a soulful reggae crooner, who has serenaded the listening public with his lovers rock music. Most persons will know him for his massive hits in the 90s like Putting up a resistance, which featured the late reggae royalty, Daddy U-Roy or Double Trouble, however his career started in the 70s.

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Hailing from the parish of St. Mary, Hammond was born in Annotto Bay, Jamaica, on August 28, 1955. His love for music began at an early age and in 1975, a twenty-year-old Hammond joined the band, Zap Pow, which was a socially conscious group. Kareemsquest.com noticed that the group’s content tackled a lot of the injustices taking place on the island and produced the hit single in 1978, The System. (Click here for our Beres Hammond Top 7 Songs)

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While being a part of the group, Hammond pursued his solo career, releasing his debut album, Soul Reggae, in 1976. This is a favourite of kareemsquest.com as it included soulful ballads One Step Ahead and Got to get away. The album also saw a difference in his sound, as he shifted from social commentary to lovers rock. With the musical savant Harold Butler on the piano, Hammond laced his tracks with some smooth vocals that were comparative to Sam Cooke.

Hammond was mostly quiet throughout the 80’s as he watched his compatriots Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs and Freddy McGregor rise to prominence on the charts.

Ruling the Charts

In the 1990s, he would have his meteoric moment, as his career began to take off. For us at Kareemsquest.com, it was as though Hammond was in his musical lab crafting his subject matter and delivery. This time around he found a blend between the rhythms of reggae and lover’s rock, with songs such as Pull it Up that featured Buju Banton and She loves me now. He also began to expand his subject matter to include more social commentary, with his mega hit Putting up a resistance. (Click here for our Beres Hammond Top 7 Songs)

From that point on, there was no looking back, as Hammond has continued to be a successful recording artiste and live performer in the 21st century. He has released a number of albums that kareemsquest.com recommends you listen to, including Music is life (2001) and A Moment in Time (2008).

Hammond is one of the most popular and respected reggae artists in the world. He is known for his smooth, soulful voice and his romantic lyrics. He has been praised by critics and fans alike for his ability to connect with his audience and his timeless music.