Record celebrating West Bromwich Albion’s ‘Three Degrees’ re-released

A record by soul and reggae artist Ray King that celebrates the so-called ‘Three Degrees’ who played for West Bromwich Albion in the 1970s has been re-released.

The calypso classic called ‘West Bromwich Albion’ was first released in 1979 through Grandstand Records, an offshoot of Big Bear Records, the label still run today by Midlands’ music impresario Jim Simpson, the original manager of Black Sabbath and a lifelong Baggies supporter.

The song is all about Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson, a trio fondly remembered by WBA fans who did so much to break down barriers for black footballers.

The record has now been re-released by Jenny’s Feather Factory, a label owned by Midlands’ journalist, broadcaster and music fanatic Adrian Goldberg, under licence from Big Bear Records.

Planned for months, the re-release has become more poignant following the recent death of Ray King – whose real name was Vibert Cornwall. He was a big name on the local soul and reggae circuit at the time, later influencing the emergent Two-tone scene in his hometown of Coventry.

Simpson said: “Ray was a terrific performer. He always turned up on time. He always performed well. He was always a pleasure to be with.”

When first released, the record did not reach the charts, with Simpson recalling: “It was very difficult to get shops to stock it, except for very, very local shops. I sold most copies outside the ground myself, pre-match.”

He added: “It was so exciting those days supporting the Albion, and it wasn’t just the just the ‘Three Degrees’. The rest of the team were pretty darn good as well!”

Other luminaries from the Midlands music scene can also be heard on the record, including drummer Bob Lamb, who later produced albums by UB40 and Duran Duran.

Goldberg said: “This is a brilliant piece of calypso music that’s still sometimes played down the Baggies, and I was so keen to get it out there again for a new generation of music fans and Baggies’ supporters.”

The ‘Three Degrees’ were nicknamed by Ron Atkinson, who managed WBA from 1978 to 1981. He signed Batson from Cambridge United, his former club, to play alongside Cunningham and Regis, and WBA became the first team in the First Division to simultaneously field three black players on a regular basis.

They helped WBA to third place in the league in the 1978-79 season and fourth place in 1980-81, a season that saw them achieve a famous 5-3 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Atkinson was appointed manager of Manchester United the following season

Regis, who died aged 59 in 2018, was born in French Guiana before moving to England with his family as a five-year-old. He went on to play for Aston Villa, Coventry and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Cunningham, who died aged 33 in 1989, was born in London, and was the son of a former Jamaican race-horse jockey. He also played for Real Madrid, Leicester and Leyton Orient.

Batson was born in Grenada in 1953. Now aged 73, he went on to work for the Professional Footballers' Association, and then the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.

‘West Bromwich Albion’ is available for £10 as a limited edition, collectors' CD via Jenny’s Feather Factory, with the original B side ‘Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh’, a song that name checks more Baggies’ greats, including Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown, Derek Statham, Ally Robertson and Len Cantello.

Pictured: Ray King with Baggies' fans in 1979