Barnabas Collins tops the reggae charts

Barnabas Collins was an unlikely folk hero in Jamaica during the '70s and '80s. Reggae artist Lone Ranger recorded three versions of his song "Barnabas Collins," which was later covered in wildly different ways by guys like Yellowman and Dillinger. You could put together a decent mix tape of nothing but reggae songs about Dark Shadows, if you were so inclined.

Lone Ranger hit the tops of the reggae charts in 1979 with "Barnabas Collins," which was the first of the Dark Shadows reggae songs (and my favorite.) Below is a 1979 newspaper clipping from a Jamaican newspaper about the song's position on the charts. You can listen to an extended mix of Barnabas Collins in the video above, and I've included Amazon links to handful of other Dark Shadows-inspired music in the carousel at the bottom of this post.

Reggae Top 1 Hits: 'Barnabas Collins' hits the top
The Gleaner, May 31, 1979

For the first time in what seems like years there are two new entries on the Reggae Top Ten. As a result the chart for the week ending May 26 is the most interesting in weeks. There is also a new No. 1 shot in
the form of Barnabas Collins Coming in at No. 6 is last weeks shot to watch Junior Mervins 'Cool out Son,' it goes without saying that this one could hit the top soon as it comes in at almost half way up the chart.

The other new entry is '111 Never Hurt You by the veteran Delroy Wilson this is one of the betknew a woman like you could be so . . . nice." A touching scene from "Ruby" which goes this week-end to the Creative Arts Centre. Daniel (John Jones) meets Ruby (Joy Lindsay) for the first time in Fr. Richard HoLung's exciting musical which has been playing to packed audiences at the Little theatre. Curtain time at CAC tomorrow and Saturday 8.00 p.m. and on Sunday 4.30 p.m.