The elegant Alton Ellis began his singing career, like so many other Jamaican artists, at Clement Dodd's legendary Studio One. First recording for Dodd in 1959, Ellis became a frontline star on the island during the ocksteady era, specializing in romantic allads, often covers of American hits which he skillfully translated into new Jamaican standards, all laid out over those sturdy Studio One rhythms. This set features several of Ellis' Studio One hits, including the title track, "I'm Still in Love with You," and the impressive "Can't Get Used to Losing You." Also included here are eight sides by Hortense Ellis, Ellis' sister, as well as a duet, "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," featuring both siblings. The Hortense tracks are a particular delight since she recorded sparingly, and while eight more tracks of Alton may have made this a more marketable collection, the sides by his sister don't seriously change the tone and feel of the rest of the anthology. Collectors of ocksteady and early oots reggae records will be pleased that the Hortense Ellis sides are now easily available on CD.
From a report by the BBC: Reggae star Alton Ellis, known as "the Godfather of rocksteady", has died at the age of 70. The Jamaican-born singer, who moved to Britain in the 1970s, achieved fame with a number of hits, including "I'm Still in Love" and "I'm Just a Guy." He was a leading pioneer of the more laid-back "rocksteady" sound, which came out of Jamaica in the 1960s. Ellis was still pe...
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 "I'm Still in Love with You")
