George Phang
Producer. Dancehall, reggae
- Active
- 1980s
- Sunrise
- March 29, 1956, St. Andrew, Jamaica
- Also known as
- Powerhouse, Power House
George Phang was the producer behind the Powerhouse label, whose run of mid-1980s dancehall hits rested on a supply of Sly and Robbie riddims built for him in 1984, reputedly in return for a favor involving his political connections. Like Henry "Junjo" Lawes, he had been drawn into the gang conflicts of West Kingston before he turned to records, and he in turn encouraged Fatis Burrell to do the same.
The Taxi riddims carried a string of classic dancehall 45s on Powerhouse: Barrington Levy's "Money Move," over Phang's cut of "One Step Beyond"; Sugar Minott's "Buy Off the Bar" and "Rydim"; Michael Palmer's "Lick Shot"; Little John's revival of the Silvertones' "True Confession"; Frankie Paul's "Alesha" and "Tidal Wave"; and Triston Palma's "Folly Rankin." Half Pint's "Greetings," over a furious Sly and Robbie version of Vin Gordon's "Heavenless," was one of the significant hits after "Sleng Teng" that did not use a fully computerized riddim, and with Junior Delgado's "Ragamuffin Year" it brought back "raggamuffin" as a name for the ghetto youth; shortened to "ragga," it became the name of the music.
He recorded the top deejays too: Charlie Chaplin's "Que Dem" and "Diet Rock," the most popular tunes of Chaplin's career, Josey Wales's "Undercover Lover," Ranking Toyan's "Hot Bubblegum," Yellowman's "Walking Jewellery Store" and General Echo's "Drunken Master." He gave the young Tenor Saw his first session, issued the live album George Phang and Friends Live at Skateland, and had Dennis Brown and Freddie McGregor on the label.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Connections
- Dennis Brown (artist)
- Sugar Minott (artist)
- Freddie McGregor (artist)
- Little John (artist)
- Tenor Saw (artist)
- The Tamlins (artist)
- Barrington Levy (artist)
- Frankie Paul (artist)
- Josey Wales (artist)
- Half Pint (artist)
- Charlie Chaplin (artist)
- Yellowman (artist)
- Michael Palmer (artist)
- Ranking Toyan (artist)
- General Echo (artist)
- Fatis Burrell (mentee)
- Sly Dunbar (session work)
- Robbie Shakespeare (session work)
Notes
- Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd ed. (London: Rough Guides, 2004), 278-80.
- David Katz, "Philip 'Fatis' Burrell Obituary," The Guardian, December 6, 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/dec/06/philip-fatis-burrell.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 252, 280.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 296.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 254, 258, 280.
- Barrow and Dalton, Rough Guide to Reggae, 257, 280; on Tenor Saw, see his entry.
