Night Nurse, the 1982 album by the late singer Gregory Isaacs, has been certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry for sales exceeding 60,000 copies.
The announcement by June Isaacs, Gregory Isaacs widow, founder and director of The Gregory Isaacs Foundation.
“This certification for Gregory’s album shows that people continue to listen to and enjoy his music. His music was relevant then and now, and a new generation of fans is appreciating it,” Isaacs stated.
She went on to say, “I was overjoyed when I found out about the album.” I informed his family and foundation members of the good news.”
Night Nurse was recorded at Kingston’s renowned Tuff Gong Studios. Stranger in Town, Cool Down the Place, Material Man, and Sad to Know (You’re Leaving) are among the songs included in the collection.
Errol “Flabba” Holt, who also played bass guitar on the album, produced “Night Nurse”. Errol Brown is credited as the engineer, while Lincoln “Style” Scott on drums, Wycliffe “Steelie” Johnson on keyboards, Dwight Pinkney (lead guitar), and Eric “Bingy Bunny” Lamont on rhythm guitar also contributed.
Night Nurse, released by Island Records, peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums chart. The title track, which received extensive radio and club play in the United Kingdom, did not chart. Six years later, in 1988, Isaacs charted Rumours at 97 on the United Kingdom Top 100 Singles chart.
In September 1997, a cover of Night Nurse by Sly and Robbie featuring British group Simply Red peaked at 13 on the UK chart, 44 in New Zealand, and 84 in Germany. The song’s success helped Sly and Robbie’s Friends album (Elektra Records) win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1999.
According to Isaacs, her late husband invested a lot of time and effort into the Night Nurse album.
“He put in a lot of effort on the album. It was his first album for Island Records, and it was the one he had the most fun making. He also toured extensively, primarily in Europe, to promote the album after it was released,” Isaacs explained.
“I met Gregory during my final year at Shortwood Teachers’ College, and we married in 1983,” she explained.
Gregory Isaacs, who was once signed to Virgin Records subsidiary Front Line Records and was known for hit songs such as Love Is Overdue, Mr Brown, and All I Have Is Love, died on October 25, 2010 from lung cancer. He was 59 years old.
In recognition of his contribution to Jamaican music, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) in 2016.
