Horace Andy with James Harper

FROM Kingston to Camden, the voice of Horace Andy has thrilled reggae fans for over five decades.

The legendary singer’s latest single, out tomorrow (Friday), has been produced by Camden Town-based label and sound system Reggae Roast.

Founder James Harper, who went to Acland Burghley school, had the pleasure of making the tune with a musician he has long worshipped.

Mr Harper, who had met the singer once before when he had booked him to play at a music festival, said: “It was amazing working with Horace. His manager told me to go and pick him up to bring him to the studio, so I drove over there to collect him.”

He had some time to compose himself before he opened the passenger door for one of his favourite singers.

He said: “I waited about half an hour outside his house. I thought he wasn’t going to come out at one point.

He jumped in and it was surreal driving around north London with Horace Andy in my passenger seat.”

Andy, 72, has had a lifelong career at the top of the genre. As well as selling hundreds of thousands of records as a solo artist, his collaborations with Bristolian trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack brought him new fans.

The single, Let’s Live in Love, the first from an album called More Fire!, is out in June.

And the singer brought all his professionalism to the recording session.

Mr Harper said: “He was super nice to work with, really friendly and genuinely nice, which is always a relief when you meet your idols.

“We recorded it in my friend’s studio and he didn’t take long to nail it. His voice is still sounding amazing at 72. And the message in the song is just what the world needs to hear right now.”