Greg Henderson


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US producer, songwriter, trumpet player, and owner of Rain Forest Records (2) & Rain Records (2)

Majored in music at Queens College, NY and received an academic scholarship to study and teach at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.

During college he supported himself by playing latin music in the Frank Nieves Orchestra performing alongside salsa legends and learning the New York club scene. In the early-70s work was in abundance and Greg started his own R&B and funk band called Obsidian. They played all over New York City and in the summer of 1974 opportunity knocked. Greg was hired by the Jackson 5 to play trumpet with them in a string of dates including Madison Square Garden.

Darryl Gibbs (of Crown Heights Affair and Strikers) was putting together the best players he knew to form a new band called Made In USA. He hired Greg to join the horn section and help arrange parts. The brief was to form a band that could duplicate their recordings live that was testament to their musicianship. They constantly played gigs keeping a busy schedule and honing a polished NY sound firmly rooted in the high-school funk and soul bands that spawned across the four-boroughs some years earlier. In 1977, Made In USA released their one and only album for De-Lite Records. Despite a hit single on the east coast, the LP didn’t gain traction commercially and the band soon disbanded.

Greg had worked the NY circuit for the better part of a decade and his goal to lead a band and record his own compositions came together in early 1978 when he formed a 10-piece band called Master Force. Motivated by his leadership, the musicians adhered to a strict rehearsal regime practising after hours in a warehouse mail room fine tuning Greg’s original works.

Produced by Greg Henderson and self-released on his own Rain Forest Records imprint, Master Force’s 1979 single ‘Hey Girl’ c/w ‘Don’t Fight The Feeling’ has become a staple classic across generations and a standout choice on any playlist. Whilst independent distribution and exposure was limited, Henderson’s output on his Rain Records imprint became revered amongst DJ’s in the UK from the start.

‘Dreamin’ was Henderson’s second solo-release after producing ‘Dancing To The Beat’ for Park Way Records. Recorded in 1982 in a community recording studio in Brooklyn, it featured a vocal trio on lead called Lorali led by Isabelle Coles of Kleeer and Herbert Aikens from Made In USA on drums.

Like Master Force, the project was self-funded and released on his Rain imprint before making a deal with Sam Records receiving greater exposure in clubland NY. The 12” mix was licensed for release on London-based Greyhound Records.

Greg continued to record and produce for Rain Records releasing ‘Never Too Late’ and ‘Good Love’ featuring his late-friend Romero Jefferson aka Rome Jefferies. Both releases remain highly-sought after and like ‘Dreamin’ have remained crowd favourites with soul and dance fans old and new.

APPEARANCES +


Louie Vega
Expansions In The NYC
2022, 4x Vinyl, ,
House/Deep House
Various
The Sam Records Anthology
2015, 3x CD, ,
Soul/Funk/Disco
Various
Soul Steppin' - 80s Soulful Steppers
2009, CD, Comp, Harmless, ,
Soul/Funk/Disco
Various
Classic Rare Groove Mastercuts Volume 1
1993
Tutt Band
Tutt Band
1988
Various
Street Sounds Edition 1
1982, Vinyl, ,
Soul/Disco
Various
Nighttime Lovers Volume 35
2024, CD, Comp, PTG Records, ,
Funk/Soul/Disco/Boogie
Various
SAM (The Sound Of New York City 1975-1983)
2024, 3x CD, ,
Disco/Funk/Soul
Ben Liebrand
Grand 12-Inches 20
2023, 6xCD, Comp, Sony Music, ,
Disco/Funk/Italo-Disco
DJ Andy Smith
Reach Up (Disco Wonderland) (Volume 2)
2020, CD, CD, ,
Disco/Boogie
Various
End Of The Year Tape 2019
2019, Cass, Ltd, Mixtape, Num, C60, Varia Instruments Recordings, ,
Funk/Soul/Boogie/Fusion/House
Louie Vega
NYC Disco
2018, ,
House/Garage House/Disco/Boogie
SAINT PEPSI
FADER Mix
2014, File, MP3, Mixed, V3, The Fader, ,
Disco/House/Synth-pop
Various
100 Hits 80s Weekender
2013
Muro
Synthetic Boogie
2012, CD, Mixed, Promo, 11154
Various
Funk Millenium Vol 2
2012, 10xCD, Comp, Legend Music Productions, ,
Disco/Boogie/Funk
Various
Groove On Down 3
2010
Various
Backbeats Sampler
2009, CD, Promo, Smplr, Harmless
Dee Nasty, DJ Bronco
En Mode Funk
2009, ,
Disco
Various
Funky Cité 30
2007, CDr, Comp, P/Mixed, Throwback Music
Joey Negro
Disco Spectrum 2
2000, 2x CD, ,
Disco
Various
Gold De La Dance Volume 1
1991, 2xCD, Comp, Airplay Records, ,
Funk/Disco
Various
The Modern Soul Story 3
1988, 2xLP, Comp, Soul Supply (3), ,
Soul/Disco
DJ Seth Dean
React
CDr, Mixed, Not On Label (DJ Seth Dean)
Luciën Vrolijk
DMC Funky Monsterjam (That Never Was!)
2023, File, WAV, Album, Comp, Mixed, Unofficial, Not On Label (Luciën Vrolijk Self-released)
Rome Jefferies
Good Love
2013
Various
Rare Funk & Disco 38
CD, Comp, Unofficial, The Collector Series (2)
Various
Rare Funk & Disco 20
CD, Comp, Unofficial, The Collector Series (2)