Widestream Films and Iambic Dream Films, in association with BBC Music, present ‘STUDIO 17: THE LOST REGGAE TAPES’. The feature-length documentary premiered on BBC 4 and was selected for a number of film festivals prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. It had its U.S. debut starting on February 1, 2021 for Reggae Month on Qwest TV, Quincy Jones’ video-on-demand service for lovers of great music.

Studio 17 was located above the record store ‘Randy’s’ in the heart of downtown Kingston, first established in the late 1950s. Both were generically referred to as ‘Randy’s’ - Randy, being the nickname of founder Vincent Chin. With its central location, Randy’s Studio 17 became the nerve centre of Jamaica’s music revolution that followed the country's independence from Great Britain on August 6, 1962.

Shot in Jamaica, London, New York and Hamburg, the film follows Clive Chin, Vincent Chin’s son, as he retells his extraordinary story from his childhood memories of the studio, as a magical musical playground, through his work as a pioneering music producer and the impact of the political turmoil that later engulfed Jamaica and ultimately forced ‘Randy’s’ closure.

Clive’s emotional roller-coaster of a journey is underscored by an evocative soundtrack of music, featuring original Studio 17 recordings by Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Carl Malcolm, Jimmy London, The Skatalites, Lord Creator and many more.

When the Chin’s fled Jamaica for New York in the late 1970s, the master tapes were left abandoned in a store room above Studio 17. The film follows Clive as he battles to retrieve, remaster and ultimately reclaim ownership of the tapes.

Tragically, Clive’s son Joel Chin was murdered on a visit to Jamaica. Joel had been head of A&R for VP Records, having worked with dancehall stars like Sean Paul & Beenie Man. Since then, Clive, in honour of his son, has devoted his life to releasing the once lost reggae tapes to the world.

The evening will also feature a short post show Q&A session with Mark James (producer/director) and Reshma B (producer and reggae journalist).

Producer & Director - Mark James

Producer - Reshma B

Film Editor - Paul Burgess

Executive Producer - Waël Kabbani