Love Has No Boundaries

Performer: Beres Hammond
Artist: Buju Banton; Natural Black
Engineer: Colin York; Coolie; Dwight "Fudgie" Dias; Bonzs; Andi Carr; Anthony Selassie; Robert Murphy
Producer: Hugh Beresford Hammond; Donovan Germain; Richard "Bello" Bell; Kazuhiki "Kaz" Asonuma; Ivor "Willie" Lindo; Orville "Rory" Baker; Michael Fletcher; Robbie Shakespeare; Sly Dunbar
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Beres Hammond; John "Buddy" Williams (vocals, violin, background vocals); Hugh Beresford Hammond, Melissa Simpson, Nicola Tucker, Dorette Wisdom, Marcia Griffiths (vocals, background vocals); Damian Codlin, Heather Cummings, A.J. Brown (vocals); Style Scott (guitar, drums); Dalton Browne, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Robert Angus, Ivor "Willie" Lindo, Michael Fletcher, Winston Bo Pee Bowen, Ivor "Willie" Lindo, Mitchum Chin, Cat Coore (guitar); John Williams (violin); Junior Chin, Errol Hird, Ronald "Nambo" Robinson, Glen Browne (horns); Joshua Manning, Franklyn Waul, James "Jimmy" Peart, Leroy Heywood (keyboards); Errol "Flabba" Holt (drums, percussion, background vocals); Dave Fluxy Heywood, Sly Dunbar, Kirk Bennett (drums, percussion); Lincoln Style Scott (drums); Dave "Fluxy" Heywood, Robert Angus (percussion); Moses Beckford (vocals, background vocals); Dean Fraser (horns); Lloyd Denton (keyboards, drums); Robert Lyn (keyboards); Melbourne Miller (drums); Natural Black, Big Youth, Buju Banton. Audio Mixers: Orville "Rory" Baker; Lynford "Fatta" Marshall; Solgie Hamilton; Steven Stanley; Barry O'Hare. Recording information: One Pop Recording; Penthouse Recording Studio; Silekshan Recording Studio; Star Trail. Editor: Paul Shields. Photographer: Anders Jones. Beres Hammond has had a remarkably long and consistent career in Jamaican music. Starting as the singer in the island's premier horn band, Zap Pow, Hammond began mixing elements of R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall into his patented lovers rock, and thanks to his easy and soulful vocal phrasing, not to mention his steady songwriting, he has crafted an approach that lifts him well above the constant shifting of Jamaican musical styles. Love Has No Boundaries doesn't break new ground as much as refine what Hammond has been doing for years, and the album's unbridled optimism is contagious and refreshing. Smooth as whipped butter and sounding at times like a happy and grounded version of Marvin Gaye, Hammond brings a calm wisdom to these songs of the heart, and his unassuming persona makes him the perfect duet partner. Buju Banton guests on "Thanks Fi Me Pride & Joy," one of the clear highlights here, and although mixing Hammond's urbane delivery with Banton's gruff yowl would seem a bit like mixing milk with gasoline, it works wonderfully. Another standout track here is "Good Old Dancehall Vibes," which features the legendary Big Youth, and it is quite simply a midtempo gem. Other key cuts include the opening "Interlude," "Feel Love," and "If I Should Wait," all of which illustrate Hammond's urban soul reggae style perfectly. Hammond isn't flashy or provocative, but his steady and bright optimism is every bit as compelling as any angry dancehall rapper. Solid writing and solid singing make this a welcome addition to the Beres Hammond canon. ~ Steve Leggett

One of the finest Lovers Rock artists to follow in the wake of the original late-'70s/early-'80s boom, Beres Hammond found popularity as a reggae artist by continuing to sing in a more traditional soul-driven vocal style, as opposed to the commercially viable dancehall patois that dominated contemporary reggae. After struggling to make a name for himself in the 1980s, Hammond hit it big in the '90s--especially in the U.K.--with a series of hits that saw him pairing with dancehall stars such as Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks, and Shaggy.

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