Much like UB40, American reggae band Big Mountain brought a very commercialized version of Jamaican music to the mainstream when their cover of Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way" reached the number two position worldwide for the year 1994. To the band's credit, though, their three major label albums contain reggae roots music combined with only a few cover songs. The lineup has changed several times, five Jamaicans including rhythm guitarist Tony Chin and drummer Santa Davis - both of whom played with the Peter Tosh band and the Soul Syndicate, and Paul Kastick, whom has played time to time with Shaggy and other top artists.



Big Mountain was originally formed in San Diego as the Rainbow Warriors. After several years of dizzying lineups and two name changes - first to Shiloh and finally to Big Mountain - the group centralized around vocalist/guitarist Quino, with rhythm guitarist Jerome Cruz, drummers Gregory Blakney and Lance Rhodes, keyboard player Manfred Reinke, and bassist Lynn Copeland. That lineup released Wake Up on the Quality label in 1992 and charted "Touch My Light" early the following year. The single reached number 20 in America, but only one year later Big Mountain began to experiment with several different guitarists. After several changes, the Jamaican guitar legend Tony Chin became available and joined Quino and Copeland with new additions of the Jamaica super drummer Santa Davis, James McWhinney (percussion), and keyboard players Billy Stoll and (the Ziggy Marley keyboardist) Michael Hyde. While as a un-signed band in 1993, Big Mountain recorded a cover of "Baby, I Love Your Way" for the Ben Stiller upcoming movie Reality Bites. Included on the soundtrack the group was able to reached number six in the U.S. and became a worldwide hit.

Despite Big Mountain's success with "Baby I Love Your Way" on the commercial pop charts, most of the reggae community remained faithful to the band; the group headlined two consecutive Reggae Sunsplash festivals in Jamaica during massive world tours that crisscrossed Europe, North and South America, Asia and Indonesia. Third album Resistance was released in 1995, followed two years later by Free Up.

The band's accomplishment led by Bruce Caplin whom managed them from inceptions throughout the peek of their carrier, was able to establish Big Mountain worldwide from 1994-1997 as the worlds number one Reggae band, with even appearances at Jamaica's 1994 and 1995 Reggae Sunsplash festivals. The band has recorded with a number of Jamaica's top sessionmen, including Sly And Robbie and Handel Tucker. In 1995, the single "Get Together" became a major hit in South America and skyrocketed Big Mountain to the top of the Brazilian radio charts once again. In 1997 "Free Up" featured singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow on co-writing credits. In July 1997 Bruce Caplin retired his position as the bands manager Your browser may not support display of this image.and the band has been un able to maintain the success that they had during the Caplin years.

Quino who is the lead singer has ventured into two solo project, one call Quino and the other Quinazo and three independent Big Mountain album releases. Throughout all of these albums Quino embraced Hawaii, Jamaican and Latino culture. It is very common that when in Hawaii, Big Mountain concerts are sold out.

While Quino, who is the only original member still on board, and his younger brother James McWhinney, are the most high profile members of the current ensemble, legendary Jamaican session musicians including drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis and guitarist Tony Chin were featured in the group's mid-90s lineups, and Bruce Caplin, are commonly heard speaking about the great vocals and talent of Quino and James.

Although the Giant releases (the aforementioned "Unity," 1995's "Resistance," and 1997's "Free Up") garnered mixed success in the U.S., Big Mountain became quite popular in Japan and still remains, in Quino's estimation, the number two reggae act in Japan behind Maxi Priest. (This is excluding one Bob Marley, of course.)

Frustrated by mandates from record executives to put out pop oriented songs, the group left Warner, and, with the financial backing of a Japanese record label, formed its own Rebel Ink label. The 1999 CD "Things to Come" was the label's first release.

While Big Mountain's second Rebel Ink release, "Cool Breeze" (2001), was a solid yet polished effort aimed squarely at the Japanese market, Big Mountain's third release on the label, "New Day" (street date 1/28/03), shows the group returning to a more rootsy mode, exploring themes varying from the plight of the indigenous peoples of the Americas to globalization to love.