RANDY’S STUDIO 17
Upstairs from Randy’s Records in downtown Kingston, Studio 17 became a busy 1970s crossroads for singers, producers and engineers. The room’s afterlife runs straight into VP Records.
Vincent “Randy” Chin and Patricia Chin built their music business from jukebox records and the Randy’s Records shop at 17 North Parade. Above the store, Studio 17 became one of Kingston’s busiest recording rooms, used by artists and producers who did not necessarily belong to one label or house style. That openness made Randy’s a crossroads. Errol Thompson engineered there before becoming half of Joe Gibbs’ “Mighty Two,” and Clive Chin produced important sessions around the Randy’s orbit. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs and many others passed through. When the Chin family relocated to New York, the distribution side of the business evolved into VP Records, while the Studio 17 name remained attached to a crucial Kingston chapter.