Ezz Reco, born Ezzard Reid, gained recognition in the UK music scene prior to Millie Small's breakthrough with “My Boy Lollipop.” Alongside Boysie Grant, a vocalist, and a woman named Beverly, Reco, along with the band The Launchers, made their mark with a rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s “King of Kings.” Cliff originally recorded this notable song in 1963, and Ezz Reco released his version in 1964. The B-side of his single featured “Bluebeat Dance,” an attempt to tap into the emerging blue beat trend. In the same year, he also recorded tracks such as “The Bluest Beat,” “Please Come Back,” and “Little Girl” for Columbia Records. Later, in 1968, he released “Return of the Bullet” and “ZZ Beat” on Blue Cat Records.
As Ezz Reco & The Launchers, the group toured with notable artist Roy Orbison and included Jamaican saxophonist Johnny Hope in their lineup. Ezz Reco was primarily a drummer, while Boysie Grant and Beverly Mills provided vocals. A playbill from their tour described the sound of Blue Beat as a "lazy, medium-tempo sound, with a slight blues inflection" characterized by front-line instruments delivering riffs behind the vocal lines, evoking the steady rhythm of a locomotive. Boysie Grant explained the origins of Blue Beat, highlighting its roots in Jamaican dance culture: "Back home in Jamaica we were dancing the Twist long before Chubby Checker was leaping about. By the time it became popular all over the world it was stale for us and we started looking around for something else." He described a traditional gathering called pokamania, a revival dance where participants would shuffle and shout along to the preacher’s sermon, which ultimately influenced the evolution of Blue Beat music.
The history of Blue Beat is rich and complex, with various interpretations of its origins. It has notable connections to both folk music and American rhythm and blues, lending credibility to its development.
On March 17, 1964, Boysie Grant shared insights on Blue Beat's rising popularity in the Daily Gleaner, marking one of the first articles about ska music, despite its prior existence. The article discussed how ska was viewed as “downtown music” until Byron Lee and the Dragonaires helped to bridge the class divide. Titled “The Ska Hits London—but they call it blue beat,” the piece features a photograph of Boysie Grant and Ezz Reco, which unfortunately is not preserved well enough for reproduction. The accompanying caption notes, “Here are the two men in the hit parade, Boysie Grant with the small moustache and brown hat and Ezz Reco with the big moustache and black hat. Boysie does the lion’s roar at the beginning of ‘King of Kings.’ Ezz has lots of gaps and bits of gold in his smile. He used to be a boxer, is a very cheerful man and laughs the whole time. Boysie is delighted that his native Jamaica is producing something other than rum. ‘Ezz and I,’ he says, ‘Ezz and I are the greatest and the prettiest and the most authentic.’ They will soon be joined in the hit parade by a girl called Millie. She sings ‘My Boy Lollipop.’”
There is ongoing curiosity about the identity of Beverly, the female vocalist in this group. Some speculate that she might be Beverly Mills, who Kenroy Fyffe mentioned sang with him in the Spanishtonians on tracks like “Rudie Get Plenty,” although details about her career remain scarce.
Additionally, an interesting article from the Daily Gleaner dated August 16, 1971, titled “Boysie Grant is Alive!” highlights early death hoaxes. The piece recounts how Boysie Grant, rumored to have died in 1958, made a public appearance at the Gleaner offices, declaring he was "large as life and very much alive and kicking." The article offers a glimpse into Boysie's past, recalling his performances in the 1950s and his contributions to the music scene, as well as his move to the United States in 1955 before eventually touring Europe. It notes that Boysie was among the first to promote Jamaican music in England, specifically the Blue Beat, which is an adaptation of ska. He continued to perform in nightclubs, focusing on ballads, blues, and soul. In response to the death rumors, Boysie expressed surprise at their origins, humorously noting that many of his friends needed convincing of his continued existence. He was accompanied by his wife, the former Mary Lundy, a Jamaican nurse residing in England, as they planned an extended stay on the island.
