Lloyd James, born in Kingston, Jamaica, better known as Prince Jammy and later King Jammy, began his career as a protege of dub legend King Tubby. For the first few years of his career, Jammy almost exclusively made Dub. In the 1980s, he became one of the most influential producers of dancehall music. His biggest hit was 1985’s “(Under Me) Sleng Teng” by Wayne Smith, with an entirely-digital rhythm hook. Many credit this song as being the first “Digital rhythm” in reggae, leading to the modern dancehall era.

Featured is a recorded interview with the King via the following BBC link:

JAMMY’S BBC INTERVIEW

August, 1983: Peter Tosh was the most popular reggae singer in the world (Bob Marley was dead). His credentials were myriad and impeccable. He was a founding member of the Wailers with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in 1964, in the Trenchtown slum of Kingston, Jamaica. He taught Bob Marley to play guitar. He left the Wailers in 1975 to pursue a successful solo career which was peaking with the Mama Africa Tour of 82-84, which played every continent of the world except Antarctica.

I met with Tosh the day after a magnificent performance at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles with his crack band Word, Sound and Power, featuring American guitarist Donald Kinsey (of the Chicago blues-funk band, The Kinsey Report), and a rock-solid rhythm section of Santa Davis (drums) and Fully Fullwood (bass).

As I approached Tosh’s Hollywood hotel room, incense billowed out from under the door. As the photographer and I entered the room, several members of Tosh’s entourage lolled about, Jamaican-style. Tosh was renowned for giving writers – especially white writers – a hard time.

Tosh stretched to his full 6′ 3″ height and shook his Medusa tangle of dreads, then composed himself into an alarmingly compact coil on the couch. I was seated across from Tosh, sensing that all of this was aimed at maximum intimidation. Tosh wore a preternaturally white t-shirt and sweats. He corralled his dreads under a Jamaican-style cap, put on his shades, lit five more sticks of incense and signaled his willingness to be addressed.

Why did you choose to record a reggae version of “Johnny B. Goode”?

“For commercial acceptance. My guitar player proposed it, we all arranged it. ‘Commercial’ is something for sale. I want my music to sell, mon. I want my music to reach the 500 millions.”

What is your place in music?

“At the highest. I live my music, seen? I am a man of profound righteousness. I am in the highest position of life, so my music is also of highest position. Yah mon!”

Are you religious?

“Religion is misturned philosophy. I am that I am. I do not tell lie. How many you know not tell lie, mon?”

Who is responsible for your music?

“Jah flows through me. We are responsible. I live music. It rises spontaneously from me. Compositions appear, mon. In the beginning there was the word. The word was Jah. The word is in I, Jah is in I. I make what is good, better, and what is better, best. I follow this in every aspect of life.”

Who can play reggae?

“Only the architect, mon. All else paint picture from picture. You must have the feeling. Only Jamaican created reggae. If any other could have, they would have. This dispensation of time, Jah favor Jamaica. Reggae must be lived, not played. It is a lifebeat everytime, mon.”

Is your reggae influenced by rock ‘n’ roll?

“Who influenced who, mon? Reggae influenced rock ‘n’ roll. Reggae is the king’s music, played by kings, inspired by the King of Kings. Reggae has always been, seen?”

Why did you leave the Wailers?

“I never left myself, mon. It was belittling my integrity. I taught Bob Marley. How can you compare the teacher with the taught? I and I and the devil are at war. The devil make Marley leader of the band. I had no desire follow the path of destruction.”

Are you saying that Bob Marley is a devil?

“Bob Marley is dead, mon.”

[During the conversation, Tosh carefully cleaned, pruned and rolled a spliff the size of a banana. He lit it, blew a volcanic stream of smoke at the ceiling and smiled.]

Why do you tour and record?

“To spread the word, to liberate my people and to make money, mon. I need plenty money to walk my Father’s Kingdom, mon. The blood cloth dollar will burn, but Africa’s gold and diamonds are forever. Jah mon.”

How is the tour going?

“Very good and most righteous indeed, mon. It always good every time. It is the only way to reach the people. The record company fuck up every time, mon. They don’t put my record in the record shop. They diplomatic assassinating me.”

You mentioned your record company [EMI].

“They sign to demote. I get no proper promotion. They all seek I. They know the potential of this music. They seek to exploit it.”

How do you like having a hit single? ["Johnny B. Goode"]

“What hit single? A black man sell 50,000 copies, he have hit. The white man sell 4 million, he have hit. The ministers of the shitstem seek to kill me spiritually, verbally and physically.”

Why?

“That I might be crucified like Christ and all true Christians. The shitstem is white and black, Christian and Jew. It’s a conspiracy, yah mon. It will be in my book, Red X. They know who they are.”

How old are you?

“How old is the sun? Sun not temporary, not chronological. There is the terra-celestial and the celestial. I am celestial, mon. I am here, there and everywhere. I live among men so I must adjust myself. When I go to other planet, I must adjust myself there, too, mon.

[I felt my consciousness drifting to another planet as well. A contact high in such an environment could only have been avoided by cessation of respiration. The incense and ganja had long since thickened the room into a Martian swirl. The smoke seemed to develop a life of its own, obscuring all of the physical Tosh save for his sunglasses. Tosh progressively resembled a rasta Cheshire cat.]

Do you prefer some of your songs over others?

“Are some flowers more beautiful than others? The garden is beautiful. Do I prefer brother over brother? Comparisons are part of this political world. Where there is one, there is no conflict. Where there is two or more, there is conflict. Two is the devil. Conflict begin with the devil. We count 0 to 1, then back to 0. It is a circle.”

Does it bother you that the majority of your American audience is white?

“Every time, mon! It is 99.9%! It is again a conspiracy to demote I. Don’t feel no way. My counteraction will be lightning and earthquake.”

What is your goal?

“To promote equal rights and justice for every man.”

What will happen when this goal is reached?

“The flowers will bloom and the pollution will go away. There will be fresh air and no pestilence. Man has created these things for experimental purposes to promote death and advance technology. But soon the earth will tilt on its axis and begin to dance to the reggae beat to the accompaniment of earthquake. And who can resist the dance of the earthquake, mon?”

Do you offer any advice?

“Buy more reggae records, mon. Stop smoking cigarettes and start smoking ganja. If you live the reggae beat, you will not perish from it.”

Tosh survived the reggae beat, but not the drugs and politics-driven violence of Jamaica. He was murdered in a hail of bullets at his home in Kingston in 1987. The murder is still under investigation.

Interview by: Eric Olson

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/peter-tosh-the-shitstem/

conducted close to his passing…

How did you get the title ‘Dread at the Controls?’ Was this from your time with JBC radio in JA?

MD: Yes that was the beginning of that era at the radio controls at JBC when Rasta run it for the people and now the universe.

The track ‘Barber Saloon’ is one of my all time favorite Mikey Dread tracks, what was the inspiration behind it?

MD: My friend who went to college with me had his first appointment when he graduated to get a job. I came home to see all his locks in a bag; I said what a rude little dread like that!! And I tried to tell the story in the song.

You disappeared from the reggae scene for sometime during the late 90’s. I understand that you became disillusioned with the music industry? Can you tell me a little about this? What made you return with ‘Rasta in Control’?

MD: I had produced The Clash on ‘Bank Robber’, appeared on the version titled “Rockers Galore UK Tour” where I DJ’d. I co-wrote and produced some tracks on ‘Sandinista’ and also performed on them, yet I don’t get my publishing or even see my name attributed to the tracks I co-wrote and performed with them (The Clash), as if someone deliberately removed my name illegally to give The Clash all the credit and all the money to be earned. This is true and not acceptable but I am black they are white so I guess this is where it goes and where my regrets start.

I then did a deal with UB40 after I helped them with ‘Red Red Wine’ and the B-sides I produced for the singles ‘Red Red Wine’ and ‘Cherry Oh Baby’ .They signed me and then released “Pave The Way” in about 1984. I have never seen or heard from them, nor their company regarding honoring the signed agreement, or even providing royalty statements to this date- 22 years later!! How can you trust people like this?

If they do this to Mikey Dread then this is what they can do to others. Bite the hands that feed them.

Then I move to US, I get my music out on local independent labels who never paid up royalties, so I told myself this business is filled with crooks so I better look at something academic as learning never stops and I may now be better able to learn some new technology and use my skills to pass that on to other youths.

I had to sue those companies here (US) and after graduation my wife decided to re-release some of them (albums) and put them on my site to see what happens. She suggested I make another album; I brought Pro Tools, learnt it and recorded at my house, then took the sessions to another big studio to get mixed and overdubbed. I took the final mixes to England and got it mastered there, then took the masters back here and began manufacturing it. I am happy I did that, the CD is still selling well and Jah has given me another chance to put up my own money and manufacture my music, while still selling it for less than other bigger companies on my website.

Recently I gave a company called ‘Auralux’ my ‘African Anthem’ CD to release with bonus tracks, and even though they only got the rights to Ireland and the UK they distribute it in many other countries without legal permission, which started a constant problem with me and them for pirating my CD in territories that they were not given any legal permission to distribute or sell my music in. Auralux is crooked and untrustworthy and I say so publicly, my fans should know not to support them.

An agreement that says “UK and Ireland distribution” does not say “Worldwide distribution” they can try this with fools but not with the educated.

The same CD is on my website for less than they are selling it for, as I had to make sure they don’t rip my fans off any longer. When I get to the UK I will consult with the right solicitors to make sure they pay for distributing my music in Japan, EU countries and everywhere that they knew I did not give them a license to distribute.

You have returned with a new and improved production company, Dread at the controls productions, what is the concept behind this?

MD: We now are into visuals like music videos and TV style presentation.

I have always been searching for ways to preserve reggae in a visual format. I did a reggae documentary for radio at the National Broadcasting School in London (Greek St) in the 80’s and eventually it was filmed for the UK people ‘Deep Roots Music’ which Howard Johnson befriended me for, it showed me that my ideas are long lasting, if I may say that for myself.

I am making sure I document reggae a certain way, so that the truth lives and that someone like me can tell the story from a native Jamaican point of view. So ‘Dread At The Controls Inc’ is moving into video technology, production, merchandising and performances, not forgetting productions with other people & music genres.

You have produced many top reggae artists, from Rod Taylor, Earl 16, Sugar Minott, etc. Have you discovered any new and exciting artists recently?

MD: I have not been looking really but I know there are many out there. Seeing I was robbed on mostly all my albums distributed by other companies (independent record companies), I did not want to put out other productions with artists I recorded, as I don’t want any problems with them or accusations that I robbed them. So I still have a lot of tracks recorded with the Roots Radics, never released until I can put them out myself on my label. I am not going to put my music out on any independent label as I have the money to run my own label, so I don’t really need them. First I was attracted by their distribution but my website goes globally so I feel better selling them on the web as I can document all sales and prove what I sold and what is still left in the warehouse.

Many of your dubs are as famous as your songs, any plans to release a dub version of the new album?

MD: I have it mixed and ready and it shall come out. Our plan is to make it available for digital downloads as well.

It’s your 30th anniversary in Reggae music this year. I hear a rumor that you’re planning to release a box set to celebrate? Can you tell me anymore about this?

MD: Yes it will be like a Timeline of DATC featuring Mikey Dread, all my artists and some Scientist and King Tubby’s mixes and dub-plates from that era.

We have so many tracks to choose from its hurting my brains right now. We also have a Sly and Robbie and Roots Radics Set from between the 80’s- 90’s. We have some crucial Dub albums to come out too but its all under construction as I would say. We are creating the artworks and getting this ting out soon.

Where can fans buy your back catalog from? Is it all available from your website?

MD: Yes my fans from the UK are already supporting me and I thank them for this.

This is where to buy them http://www.mikeydread.com/shopx1.html

Please note that there are other albums that I have not printed up again, available at itunes.com for digital download. So a bigger DATC catalog is available for digital download.

And finally, do you have any plans to return to the UK for some live dates this year?

MD: I will tour the UK with my band in May and will play Poland in the first week of June. All this will be posted on my website in a month’s time.

I look forward to come play Europe, the UK and Ireland again as you all have been my supporters and friends for decades.

Biography

MIKEY DREAD, known as The Dread at the Controls, is one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music. MIKEY DREAD, as well as being a reggae artist and producer with International recognition may best be known as the pioneer of reggae broadcasting worldwide beginning in his hometown of Port Antonio, Jamaica as selector/DJ for his sound systems, Safari and Sounds of Music, he graduated from Jamaica’s College of Arts, Science and Technology before taking his landmark job at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) radio and television network in 1976. It was here he developed his Dread at the Controls label and trademark.

His production expertise has helped launched many artists, from Earl 16, Edi Fitzroy, Rod Taylor, Sugar Minott, Junior Murvin and the Roots Radics Band to the Clash, Japanese rock band Anarchy , Izzy Stradlin (ex Guns N’ Roses) Six years ago, he produced songs on Izzy Stradlin and The Ju Ju Hounds, the first album from Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin and stretches through the late 70’s into the 80’s.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Mikeys résumé grew to enviable proportions. In addition to his work with The Clash, he recorded with UB40 and helped produce the well-received Deep Roots documentary on Jamaican music for Channel Four TV in the United Kingdom.

Most recently MIKEY has collaborated with Seal on a song titled “Lips like Sugar” for the soundtrack of the Adam Sandler/ Drew Barrymore movie “50 First Dates”

Mikey is currently touring and promoting his recent release “Rasta in Control” This 18 track set has once again proven that Mikey Dread is still in Control. Many have commented that this is probably Mikey’s best work ever and well worth the wait!

Interview by Lesli Singer
Originally published: August/September 1986

Tenor Saw is the name associated with songs like Pumkin Belly, Ring the Alarm and Roll Call; songs that caught the imagination of the people both in Jamaica and abroad. So far the young singer as won three awards for his work, although he has only been recording since February of ‘85.

Tenor Saw was born Clive Bright on February 12, 1966 at University Hospital in Kingston. He grew up in the Kingston 12 community and attended primary school in the city with the exception of one year spent attending Dunvale Primary in the country. He was raised in the church, Seventh Day Adventist, where he sang in the church choir.

During the last year, much curiosity has arisen over this young performer. In an interview the morning following his June 6th appearance at the Caribana, the youthman himself told us of his origins, his music, and his future plans.

What was it like growing up in Kingston 12?

It was like a ghetto kind of life, you know. You know ghetto? Where the poor people live. That’s where I grow up. But even though the people was poor, it was still kinda comfortable. I still enjoy because knowing that I grow up in the ghetto, many people was livin’ worse. We wasn’t still the worse. We just enjoy what kinda life we livin’.

Which other artists came from your area?

Several artists – Barrington Levy, Little John, Michael Prophet, Frankie Paul, Al Campbell . . . all those artists come from that area.

How did you get started musically?

I started by singing on sound system, right? Youth Promotion, Sugar Minott’s sound. I start singing on Youth Promotion and singing some songs in dance and that’s where the people really first know me from.

How did you meet Sugar?

I meet Sugar at his home on Robert Crescent in Kingston. Well, I know him from a long time but never as a person to talk to. Only when the music passed through my area I used to hear him and that’s it. Till when mi decide to start singing serious now. Wan’ check him out by his home.

So he gave you an audition?

Him give me a audition and it sound good so him start recording me by doing two songs first. The first two still don’t release as yet. One of them called African Children and one called Live and Love. I write them.

What was your first release?

Roll Call, from Powerhouse, George Phang. It release around February, 1985.

How did you come by your name?

Well, it was given to me by a little boy. You know of Big Youth? There was a song Big Youth did called Tenor Saw. You ever hear that song? I used to love dance that song. Whenever I hear it play, I just dance, dance, dance ’til other people just start calling me Tenor Saw. I just take the name about seven years now. More than that, about 8 or 9 years now ’cause I was really small. And mi just check the name and it really rub out to be a nice name.

Is there anyone else in your family who is musically inclined?

Yeah, my father is a singer but he didn’t get a chance to do no recording. So it’s just me really come get the time to start doing some recording. I’m planning to record a few songs with me and him together in the future. He’s livin’ in the countryside in Jamaica now. He’s look’ after a farm and tings like that.

Is that where your grandmother lives?

(Laughing) Yeah, that’s where my grandmother live. That’s how I come to create Pumkin Belly. Caw when I go there to spend time with my father, I spend some time with my grandmother. That’s where she live, in the countryside, Trelawny.

Explain to me what “How water walk go a pumkin belly” means.

Well, to tell you the truth, I can’t explain how it walk. That’s why I say in the song (singing), “It would be better if you ask my mommy.” I really don’t know. (laughter all around) Can’t really tell you still.

What inspires you to write a song?

It’s another singer. Barrington Levy. Is a singer who really, each time I hear a new song he did, I sing harder and write harder ’til I finally make myself write right in the business.

I see that a lot of your songs are very spiritual.

Yeah, I sing most of all culture song, you know. Sending a message ‘caw reggae music is message music. It singing about what’s going on, everyday life, reality. Like singing about something people should be doing. Life Praise Jahoviah and all them songs . . . I was brought up in the church anyhow, you know. So I really got that vibes from a small child growing up. When I was younger I used to sing in church.

Tell me about the awards you’ve won so far.

I win awards for Sunsplash ‘85, I win an award for Dancehall ‘85 – Best Artist of the Year. I win a next award in Chicago, Most Promising Artist, equal with Ini Kamoze.

How has winning these awards affected you? Does it make you want to work harder?

Yeah, sure. Not only make me wanna work harder, but I work harder because those awards that I receive really brighten up my days. Show me that there’s a lot of future ahead so mi haffe start with some other work now.

You’re a young man. You do you handle being exposed to all the pitfalls in this business, like the cocaine?

I’m far from those stuff. If it’s here, I’ll try to walk a million miles from the cocaine and all the rest of that. I don’t see where that make no sense. I don’t see where that really help no one. Because coke is drugs and people who start using cocaine, them just can’t stop. They become a addict, and not only a addict but it really break you down. It make you into a good for nothin’. You end up in life as a pauper. ‘Cause I’ve seen many artists who come and start using drugs and fade away so.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, I plan for the future to go a long way with music. I really want to take time out sometime this year and go to music school and learn much, much more about music and then start recording some. It’s like I’m gonna start all over again.

Have you had any formal training yet?

No. All that I know is from other artists like Sugar Minott. There’s a lot more to learn. Anyway, right now throughout the world you can’t stop learning. There’s always a lot of things for me to learn in music.

Do you play any instruments:

Yeah, I’m just starting to play box guitar.

Is there anything you want to say to your fans?

Well, the greatest message to all of my fans all over the world and all those wonderful listeners, and I’m sayin’ that each and every one should really see themselves more in this time and keep living in love and unity. ‘Cause unity is strength and keep praising the Almighty and I hope they will see me soon someday. Love to them all.

Dennis Alcapone (born Dennis Smith, Clarendon, Jamaica, 1947) was one of the first reggae deejays, who, along with U Roy, turned toasting over records into an art form. Voicing rhythms in a distinctive, half-sung style, he worked with a who’s who of Jamaica producers including Duke Reid,Coxsone Dodd, Keith Hudson and Bunny Lee, cutting an incredible number of records in the early 1970s. A resident of the United Kingdom since 1974, Dennis met up with Angus Taylor at Fatman Sound’s headquarters to discuss his entire career.

Let’s start at the beginning. Your started on El Paso Hi Fi. You formed that sound yourself.

Yes with a friend named Winston Cameron.

Why was it called El Paso?

There was a song that we used to love called El Paso by Marty Robbins. And there was a sound in the area named El Toro so we decided to name our sound El Paso. (sings) “DOWN IN THE WEST TEXAS TOWN OF EL PASO” – you know that song? It’s a wicked song by Marty Robbins. A country and western song called El Paso.

Country music was big back then?

All music. We didn’t partial. Just loved music full stop. But country and western was one of our big favourites.

Many people outside reggae are confused by the name deejay as it corresponds to what they would call “emcee”. But when you first performed you played records as well.

Right. We used to spin the disc – vocals and instrumentals on the sound system – and by playing the instrumentals, that’s how we developed our toasting deejaying skills. It was wonderful man! Really exciting. Whenever you played the vocal and the deejay take over we’d take the dance to another level – raise the temperature in the dance. A lot of excitement.

You and U Roy are often thought of as the first deejays. But there were quite a few others around. Who were your main influences?

Well before me and U Roy – long before me and U Roy – there were people like Sir Lord Comic, Count Machuki, King Stitt, King Sporty, Prince Ruff, there were a lot of deejays in the early stages. But we kind of changed the deejay thing you know? U Roy broke out first on the rocksteady rhythms, making a proper record. Making a record with lyrics from start to finish which is not what the previous deejays used to do. So that’s how we change it and that’s how everything becomes a business where the deejays were recognised. Before that deejays weren’t recognised too much. It was like you’d go to the dance and string up the sound, introduce the records and announce the next dance that’s coming. There wasn’t the recognition that we guys got when we changed it and started making our own records. We had our own identity – just like the singers.

You first recorded for Keith Hudson after he heard you perform. What was he like to work with?

Keith Hudson was a good guy man. Keith was a friend. He showed me a lot of things in the music industry. Keith was the first one who helped me to open a bank account. Showed me how to do it and bought my first stage gear. Keith was a good guy – unfortunately we lost him – but he was a major part of and a major player in my career. Keith Hudson is the one who started me on the road. Keith left Jamaica in the 70s like myself and he was here for a while and then he went to New York. I spent most of the time here – between here and Jamaica.

Did you stay in touch?

Not a lot but when he came over sometimes we’d bump into each other. Keith was trying to make a career for himself outside producing. He was doing a bit of singing himself. And at that time I was absent from the music business for a while because I got married and decided to have a family life. I wasn’t active at that time so I didn’t see a lot of people.

We’ll return to that period shortly, but after you recorded with Keith you went to Clement Coxsone Dodd.

Yes. I made probably about 10 songs for Keith and then I went to Studio 1 and started working for Coxsone. I did a lot of records for him. The first record I did for him was a record called Nanny Version – a version of Larry Marshall (or Larry & Alvin) Nanny Goat.

And it was around this time you changed to Alcapone.

That was the exact time because when I was working with Keith I was using my real name Dennis Smith. When I went to Coxsone I told him to call me Dennis Alcapone because that’s the name my friends and colleagues used to call me. It was my alias so I told him to use that name.

Why did they call you that name?

Well that named arrived from us going to the cinema one night to watch a movie with Rod Steiger – an Al Capone movie [Al Capone, 1959]. Coming home from the theatre we were joking and acting out the film when someone commented that I was going on like Al Capone. (laughs) The guys them started laughing and I remember I woke up the following day with the name Alcapone!

Do you see yourself as being like Al Capone in any way?

No no no! (laughs) I’m Alcapone of the music industry not Al Capone of the gangster world!

You were, however, one of the first deejays to take a gangster name.

Yes as far as I know.

There is a lot of media furore over gangsterism in music today. Has it always been so or are things different now?

Things have changed a lot. Because when we did music we did with a lot of love and respect. We entered the music for the love of it and we did music for the love of it. We didn’t do it for the gains that are presently in the business. You know there’s a lot of money floating around, and there is a saying, “where there’s money there’s muck”. There’s a lot of muck in the music at the moment. People doing derogatory lyrics, talking about gun lyrics and all kinds of discrimination. It’s a different era – and it’s not just in the music industry. It’s unfolding around you every day in all walks of life. Everything changed. You see kids killing kids. We didn’t experience that when I was growing up. I never saw a kid kill another kid when I was growing up. If it happened it happened very rarely. That was not something that happened like what’s happening around us now. The whole world has changed. You didn’t see people strapping bombs on themselves and blowing up themselves. Killing now is just becoming like the norm. When I was growing up, when someone died it was a big thing but now it’s like an everyday thing. So the whole world is revolving. It’s like a different time we’re living in. A perilous time. You leave out your home you’re not sure to come back because you don’t who you’re going to meet out on the street. Because people are just cold hearted.

Now, obviously, you used gun lyrics yourself. But they weren’t glorifying guns. Is that what you’re saying?

No they weren’t offending lyrics. Like when I did Guns Don’t Argue, if you listen to the lyrics, I said “I’m a defender, not an offender”. Because all times in life you’ll have people that are trying to test you. In every walk of life, even when you drive on the street there’s someone trying to cut you up and badmouthing you or whatever. The temptation is out there all around you. That was what it was all about, “I’m a defender, not an offender”. I wouldn’t go out and offend people.

Now your period with Coxsone was a very creative period. How much was Coxsone involved in the recordings?

He wasn’t. It was just me and Sylvan Morris the engineer, Larry Marshall, and sometimes Leroy Sibbles in the studio. We had a lot of artists around at the time but Coxsone would just come in in the evenings and listen to what we made. He was on the road doing his business but he wasn’t in the studio.

Would you say engineers are underrated in reggae history?

Well a lot of people are underrated in reggae history to be honest with you. Because the real players most of the time they don’t get mentioned. A lot of producers are “executive producers”. You have people that go in and do the stuff – do the practical work – you have some guys that don’t get no mention. They are the real producers. They are the ones that have the ideas! (laughs) They are the ones who tell the musicians what to play and tell the artists what to sing.

The ones that actually get the music out of the musicians rather than give the thumbs up or thumbs down at the end.

That’s it. And you have a lot of other people who take that credit. There’s a lot of that that goes on in Jamaica you know?

Who would you say have been underrated from that period of time?

E.T. – Errol Thompson. He was the one who was responsible for Joe Gibbs productions. You have Sylvan Morris at Studio 1. You have people like Niney The Observer – he does a lot of work in the background as well. You have some of the musicians like Lloyd Charmers and people like those. There’s a lot of people that haven’t been mentioned upfront. It’s like, I was watching a Motown documentary recently, and they were actually telling you about the real people that were making the music but didn’t get no mention at all in those days. You hear about the Diana Ross and The Smokey Robinsons of this world, the Jackson 5 and whoever was at Motown. But you didn’t hear about these people and these people were the arrangers and the musicians.

Who was this, The Funk Brothers [Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, 2002] ?

ou did a huge amount of work for different producers in the early 70s. Did it feel tiring?

Yes it was busy but at the same time it was enjoyable. And that is what keeps you going, enjoying the work that you’re doing. The only time it was too busy was… well what happened is… music is an inspirational thing and when you’re doing music you have to be inspired. You cannot keep on making hits every day. It’s impossible. The inspiration comes every now and again. Well because I was in such demand, every producer wanted to record me. At the weekend I would have six singles coming out with different producers. And like I said, the inspiration doesn’t come every day. So sometimes you’d have to just do something because it’s there to be done but you don’t feel it the way you should feel it. Because in that early stage, people did not recognise deejay music as it should be recognised. It was in its infancy stage so people used to just say, “it’s another version”. Like I would go in the studio and work for, say, Bunny Lee and I’d want to do over a song, and he’d say, “no – the song is alright man. It’s just version. Another version”. So the music didn’t get the respect it should have got at that time. People just wanted to hear your voice on the rhythm and didn’t take the time to make a proper construction. It was just, “next tune!” you know?

And do you think was wrong from a business point of view to be putting all those tunes out at once?

Yes it was. Because that couldn’t be right. One tune would counteract the other one. The other one didn’t get a chance to blossom because there was one breathing down your neck – you understand?(laughs)

Today there are probably more deejays than singers recording. What do you think about that? And was it something you contributed to?

To be honest with you I always liked the singing music. I liked my vocals. But like with anything else, when things are selling and people are buying, people want to try to flood the market – and it’s no different now with the deejay business. But if I was to have a say in the matter, I would like a balance. I wouldn’t like to see a one sided market. Because when we first started deejaying it was like the singers were put in the background. And some singers started deejaying themselves because it was only deejay music that was selling. But you have people out there now that are keeping the singing thing going like Beres Hammond, you had Sanchez before, and now you have Jimmy Riley’s son Tarrus. You have a few singers now – the Lucianos of this world. But we need some more singers because the deejays outnumber them.

Your style is almost singing.

Yes. Because I was the first singjay. A lot of people are taking that acclaim at the moment but I was the first. Because I remember we were talking and Bunny Lee was saying, “Dennis, you must sing a tune you know?” and Derrick Morgan said, “so what him a do? You no hear him a sing?” and Bunny said, “no, him a deejay man. Me mean SINGING!” (laughs) So he said, “Dennis, can you sing?” and Derrick said, “What you mean if the man can sing? You no hear him a sing? He just want polish it up!”

You’ve voiced so many rhythms. Which was your favourite of all time and why?

You Can’t Be Happy by the Clarendonians. Power Version. I used to love the original. It was a favourite track of mine. When I was in a dance and hearing tune I was moving my feet. I love it!

You left Jamaica for the UK in 1973 and moved in 1974 leaving a huge body of work behind. Why was that?

Well to be honest with you when I first came here in ‘73 I overstayed my time. I was here for six weeks the first time. I came back in 1974 on the Jamaican Showcase with Dennis Brown, Toots & The Maytals, a young Sly Dunbar. Sly was playing in a band called Skin, Flesh & Bones with Lloyd Parks on bass, and Ranchie [Mclean] andTarzan [Nelson]. Cynthia Richards was on the tour as well, and Al Brown, singing Here I Am Baby. When it started the tour was called Jamaican Showcase. This guy from the Greyhound was involved. Danny from the Greyhound and his lady Joanne – they were the ones that put the tour on.
There was this promoter in London called Admiral Ken. He asked for me and Dennis Brown from the tour and he put us together with Desmond Dekker for a show in the Empire Ballroom, which was a sold out show. Bob Marley came that night. Bob Marley, Familyman and Carlie the drummer (Familyman’s brother). At this time Bob Marley was promoting the album Catch A Fire and he was backstage and I called him onto the stage and introduced him to the crowd. I’ve got a picture at home of me and Bob, Empire Ballroom 1974. But because I was a star at the time, the cameraman didn’t take a frontal of Bob, he took the frontal of me. He went behind Bob and took the picture. I asked him after that, “didn’t you have a frontal of Bob?” and he said, “no!” because it wasn’t Bob’s show. Bob wasn’t big at the time. Can you believe that??

You did some recording work in the UK with Sidney Crooks. Is that right?

Yes. When I came here in ‘73 I met up with the Pioneers. I was staying in Paddington in a hotel called Edwards as I remember and he [Sidney] used to come and pick me up and take me to the Q club. The Q Club was the place where it’s at – you know? So we became friends and later he came back down to Jamaica to look for a new singer for the Pioneers because there was some problem between him and Jackie. And he selected this guy named Happy Porter to be in the Pioneers. But in that period of time Happy’s mother sent for him to go to the United States so that was off and he came back empty handed. So while he was there he had recorded some tracks with Happy Porter and this other guy and he just wanted me to do-over those rhythms and make an album. It was one of those things that wasn’t planned. It probably was planned by him, but not by me! I was just in the studio and he said, “do something on the riddims”. I didn’t have anything planned for the rhythms. I didn’t like that album. That was not an inspired album. It was just something on the spot. It wasn’t something that was actually talked about businesswise. He had his own intention and that intention wasn’t to actually reward me. He exploited that situation, let me put it like that.

Did he do well out of that album?

I have no idea because he came back up to England with that album. I did not receive a dime from that album. (leans into the mic) His name is Sidney Crooks.

So you weren’t happy artistically or financially with Belch It Off? But, for example, you were happy with the work you did with Coxsone even if the financial situation wasn’t right?

I wasn’t happy no way no how. Yes I was happy with the Coxsone work. I was happy with most of my work. But the Sidney work – no! I’m ok with my work at Coxsone but the financial side of things at that time in Jamaica was a no go.

From the mid 70s to the 80s you took time out for your personal life. What were you doing during this period?

I wasn’t doing anything musically. It was all about family. It wasn’t until I met up with Steve Barrow, [that I started again] because we lived in the same area. We were talking and he said that he wanted to do an interview. This was sometime in the late 80s. That was how I started back because he was saying I should go back in the business. By this time he was going for a job with Trojan to do some compilations. Then we went and did the Womad Festival [in 1989], me and him and Bob Brooks. Then we went to Paris and did two nights and then we left and went to Helsinki with Alton Ellis – and I haven’t looked back since! I started working again. I joined up with Mad Professor and did a European tour.

Did the time out give you a chance to think about what you wanted from music?

To be honest with you, at that time music was put on the back shelf. It was on the backburner because there was no financial reward. It was not until there was a “revive” period, when Steve started to compile for Trojan and the records started to go back out again and there was a resurge in the whole music. There was a big interest going around and people started enquiring about the artists and started to engage us. And that’s when the new thing started – when a lot of vintage artists started working again. That gives you more interest, more impetus to start working again. Now we used to do a lot of work in Europe and the response that you get out there – people started treating us like artists again. So it’s all good. You know I went down to Japan twice, I went to Brazil, I went to the US. I got a call yesterday from Bunny Brown from The Chosen Few saying they are planning a tour for next year and he wants to get me involved in a Studio 1 tour. It’s a health conscious tour because he was saying to me that there are a lot of people in Jamaica dying from diabetes and all those things so he wants to do this Health Awareness Tour. So this is being put together to start in March next year and a lot of it is going to be done in the USA. I think it’s going to kick off in Jamaica first and he’s looking to take it to Japan as well. That’s in the pipeline at the moment and it was only yesterday I got that phone call.

Let’s talk about some things you’ve been doing recently. Many of the rhythms you rode were from the rocksteady era. I saw you at the première of the film Rocksteady with Bunny Lee and Niney. What did you think of the film?

The film is alright – but it’s lacking. There could have been a lot of other people involved, other main players in that film. Like, one of the guys said after the film was finished and they were talking about it [at the Director’s Q&A] he was saying, “what happened to the producers? No producers has been mentioned!” Which is true you know? Somebody must have produced the rocksteady music! So what about that? And, to me, a rocksteady film, without Alton Ellis in it, has a big chunk missing. Because Alton was Mr Rocksteady and Alton was in Jamaica at the time. That stage show that you saw there, Alton was the best performer on that stage.

He was in that concert? I just assumed he was too ill. They didn’t show very much of the concert footage – that was my only criticism.

He was the best one! That concert, I got feedback from Jamaica that that concert was one of the best ones they saw Alton do. Because that was the period when he was sick, and people thought he wasn’t going to make it. Alton wanted to prove to people that he was alive and well. And I hear that he did a show and a half in Jamaica! But what really happened now is Stascha [Bader] the guy that produced it, he came here to England, and this guy named Ray Hurford, from Small Axe magazine, linked him up with me. It was the same day he was going back to Switzerland and he explained to me what he wanted to do and I said, “OK we can meet somewhere” and we met in Tottenham. He had his camera with him and he explained to me that he wanted to do a little filming, a little interview, because he is doing this rocksteady thing and he wants to take it back to the Swiss Government. He wanted to get a bit of proof because he wanted to get sponsorship for the project. So I said “OK” and I called Jimmy London and said to him to interview Jimmy as well but Jimmy was a bit drunk so he wasn’t making too much sense.
But I did a fairly good interview with him and he left – he nearly missed the plane as well! – and he went back to Switzerland. He called me and we were linking up on the phone, talking about the project, and he said he was going to take the film to the Swiss Government, and he wanted to bring over Lyn Taitt because Lyn was the main player. So I said to him, “well you know Stascha, you should talk to BB Seaton as well” because BB Seaton was one of the main players at Studio 1 and he was the one doing all the auditions there and things. So I gave him BB’s number and he phoned BB and they were talking. And they were doing the bulk of the talking because I had to do what I had to do so him and BB was more corresponding and putting ideas together.
So this goes on for a while and then I went to Japan with BB, Leroy Sibbles from the Heptones, Dawn Penn and Cornel Campbell and Winston Reedy. And that’s when I heard that Stascha had actually got the money from the Swiss Government and gone to Jamaica and started the project. Now we didn’t know, while we were talking to him, that the project had started. It was when we were in Japan that Dawn Penn was telling us that the project had started and he was filming. So we found that a bit strange and a bit devious to have done that. Because he made it to look like we were a part of it and that’s how we felt, that we a part of this project of his only to find out that we weren’t involved you know? Me myself and BB emailed him and told him how we felt about that whole thing. But after a while we thought, “well if that’s the way you want to do it OK”. Then he emailed me and told me that he’s got the premiere and I should come and I said “no problem we’ll come”. BB said he was going to come and then he thought about the whole thing and how he went about it and BB didn’t turn up.

But you still decided to show your support for the project…

Yes exactly. Well like I say, at the end of the day, he’s high-lighting something that no one else is doing, you understand? I mean, me myself, I’m not bothered if I’m not in it, but it was the principle of how the thing was done. But the only part that I would say is lacking is that Alton should have been in it some way, somehow. Even to get a clip of an interview from somewhere and splice that in or from a show or something. Because what really happened was, when he was here he wanted to interview Alton. But there was some money problem – because they wanted money – and his common law wife decided against the interview. So what happened is, Alton got a call from Babsy Grange in Jamaica. Babsy Grange is a minister…

And an executive producer of the film.

Yes. He got a call from her saying that she wanted him to come down to Jamaica to do a show. Well at this time Alton didn’t know that Stascha was involved, because if he did know he wouldn’t have gone (because he turned on Stascha already because he didn’t give him the money that he asked for). So, anyway, when Alton went to Jamaica there was a big problem when he realised Stascha was there to film the actual show. So he decided against them filming him. He told them, “don’t film”. That’s how he was left out of it. But he was on the bill. He was upset because he told me. He said he was tricked into coming to Jamaica. That’s how he said it, “if it wasn’t for Babsy Grange I wouldn’t have come there. I did not know that guy was there to do the film”. So that part of it is unfortunate because I wish Alton was involved. Then I would have appreciated that film more. What I’ve seen I can enjoy but that bit is lacking and some of the producers should have been involved.

Let’s talk about yourself and Alton. You performed on stage with him many times.

Yes man! Me and Alton – out of all artists – me and Alton worked the most. We worked all over Europe, we worked in California. We did Summer Jam in Germany, we did Potsdam, we worked with the festivals in France – we did a lot of work together. Because we’ve got the same agent, Roots Rockers promotion so we did a lot of shows together, me and him.

What was your favourite memory of working with him?

(laughs) We were always joking on the road. But the real favourite time when we were having fun was when we were coming back from California with me, him and Owen Grey. We were rhyming and we were talking about Downbeat, which is Coxsone, (that’s what we called him – Downbeat). So when Grey was saying, “the great Downbeat – we meet him on Orange Street”, and I would come in and say, “yes and he put the music in our feet and then he moved to Charles Street”, and Alton would say, “yes, and I can remember walking up Orange Street, when I first met the great Downbeat”. And we’d keep that thing going! (laughing) And it was fun with me, him and Owen rhyming about the great Downbeat. Alton was a very reserved person. He could be quiet some times. When we were on the road Alton hardly came downstairs to the breakfast table. If his agent was there or his lady, they would bring his breakfast up to his hotel room. He was like that. When a show was going on he wouldn’t come to the show until he was ready to work. But Alton was alright you know? Alton was my favourite Jamaican artist from when I was playing the sound system El Paso. He was my number one singer in Jamaica and I would always tell him that. I remember seeing Alton on stage before he made his first record at Majestic Theatre on Opportunity Hour.

Which year was that?

This was probably about ‘56 somewhere around then. ‘55-’56. I saw him on Vere Johns Opportunity Hour singing a Sam Cooke Song, Sentimental Reasons. But his sister was always the winner. Hortense Ellis. She was a big star at the time. Alton started out as a dancer. But Hortense – she’d win the competition every time. She used to sing a Patti Labelle and The Bluebelles song called Down The Aisle and another song by Connie Francis, Where The Boys Are. She used to mash those songs up man.
But [going back to] the last point [me and Alton worked together] it was me and him and his son, Christopher, because he was carrying Christopher around, grooming him. Christopher was with us in California when we picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award, all of us on that show, in the Henry Fonda Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard where the show was. It was me, Alton Ellis, Pat Kelly, Owen Grey, and Derrick Morgan. You can imagine that show – the place was on fire!

And you recently contributed to Nereus Joseph’s new album Real Rebels Can’t Die. How did that track come about?

Well Nereus and Kenny Edgehill, his producer, called me to accompany Nereus on that track and I think we came up with a very god track. Because there’s a lot of violence that’s surrounding us and when I listened to the track I wrote those lyrics trying to divert the youths from the bad path of life. “Take a left on success street. A right on progress avenue. And go down freedom street. That’s where all the good people meet”. In other words, if you deal in violence you’ll go down in slience. I got good reviews from that track as well, people calling me from California telling me that they love that track Radio DJs and so on.

Do you have a closing message for your fans?

My message is: Keep the faith and keep on loving the music. Look out for my next album – it’s a compilation called From Studio 1 To Treasure Isle. That will be coming out soon with some wicked Dennis Alcapone tracks. I’m also going to start work on a new album with Willie Lindo. All those things are in pipeline at the moment so they can look forward to that.

Interview from: UnitedReggae.com

Johnny Clarke is the prototype ‘dancehall’ singer of his day, setting the foundation for future generations to come with versioning, recutting and/or transforming old themes into something new and current. He pioneered this thirty years back but the works still stand as an everlasting monument, or should I say ‘testament’, for an era that seemed to be, in hindsight at least, almost too good to be true. He took Jamaica and the reggae scene worldwide by storm when it needed it the most; presenting a fresh, youthful and energetic style and a crisp voice lots of us would give their right arm for! The breakthrough came about in 1974 with the Earl Zero-penned ‘None Shall Escape The Judgement’ which, also, introduced a rhythmic pattern producer Bunny Lee would later run to death, known historically as ‘flying cymbals’; a style emphasized through drummer ‘Santa’ Davis’ Philly-inspired hi-hat playing. A funky, effective and driven style. Johnny personified the so called ‘rockers’ period, a transitional time in the music which gave us several classic works such as ‘Joshua’s Word’, ‘Be Upright Natty Dread’, ‘Move Out of Babylon’, ‘Enter Into His Gates With Praise’, ‘Roots Natty Congo’ and ‘Girl I Love You’, coupled with covers of standard songs like ‘Left With A Broken Heart’, ‘Tears On My Pillow’ and ‘Rock With Me Baby’ among others. The man was a veritable (hit) machine between the years 1974 to ‘79. Such a consistent body of work has seldom been seen in Jamaica since then even though, perhaps, he stayed a bit too long with Bunny Lee at the controls, where Lee literally flooded the market with Johnny Clarke records and eventually the winning concept just had to meet its end. Soon thereafter Clarke left the island. After that he hasn’t done bad in the business, he returned after a few years overseas, mainly in the UK, and cut a couple of solid albums, but has never been able to recapture his position as a strong creative force at the top section of the Jamaican charts since these days despite some exceptional recordings. Nowadays he seems to be focusing on live performances and is, indeed, appreciated all over Europe, Japan and the States. Thanks to Johnny, Nicky for the effort, Big Mikey, Donovan Phillips, and Steve Barrow.

Q: You were born in Whitfield Town, Kingston.

A: Yeah, Kingston, that’s Kingston 13.

Q: The drummer/singer Eric ‘Fish’ Clarke is your brother, but you never grew up together.

A: No. Well, no, I never grew up with him.

Q: Because of…?

A: No, it’s because – I mean it was a large family, y’know, we don’t grow together. It was like… no small family, I mean my mother and father, like my older brothers, they were, like, stay away in school, stay at a school. You know, was just a school, yeah, more in the boarding school.

Q: I think ‘Fish’ grew up in Alpha Boys School, right?

A: Yeah, yeah, it was a… boarding school. Yeah.

Q: What was music like in the family, apart from your brother, anyone else who was musically inclined?

A: My family? Well, my family is like…

Q: Your mother and father was able to play whatever or just sang in the local church?

A: Well, my mother was a Christian, a cantor and sang in church. My father now he never really go to church but he just sing around the corner every now and again, y’know, never deal with it on a professional level, just a level like most people who every now and again would be like hummin’ somet’ing. Yes, he never really – I don’t know of him, as I said, doing something international or official, musician or vocalist.

Q: So what was Whitfield Town like in those days, any prominent name from the music business residing there in your surroundings?

A: Yeah, you have some names… it’s not really from the golden days, but you have like other people who we consider up (inaudible) like myself who usually work with them more time, do some work in order to get – there was this famous band by the name of The Caribbeats.

Q: Right, Bobby Aitken’s band.

A: Yeah, Bobby Aitkens who usually lived like just around the corner, like he was you’d say a neighbour. He was the only recognised singer and entertainer in those days, y’know, it was like the only man.

Q: Did you do like an audition for him, I almost get the impression that you sang with his band at one point?

A: If I did an audition? No, well, I never do any audition or sing or anything, I usually go by, right. He had a band, it was the Caribbeats, and Bobby Aitkens led the Caribbeats and we usually is like, we play instruments like the keyboards. Every now and again I come along, go out to a small village in the country where they back different set of entertainers while I was the keyboard player in that band.

Q: Oh, so you played with them for a short while.

A: I played with them for a short while. Yes, I did, and then he just audition other players, y’know, from the entire community. I get knowledge that he got to stay in Miami after a while and living there (and now a devout Christian, more or less out of the music business).

Q: What was the link between you and Linval Thompson at the time? I know you both grew up together.

A: Well, we’re actually like brethren, not more really than a community brethren, like a ‘corner brethren’. The whole a we sit dung deh ‘pon the corner, y’know, jump in an’ singin’. That’s before music business deh, when man an’ man used to sing every now and again, when we used to feel the vibes. So we always there among the man them an’ him used to come amongst we them time.

Q: Was he serious about the music at that time or that came later, when he returned from New York?

A: At that time deh, Linval as you say left for New York and one time him come back an’ jus’ stay amongst we. As far as the music is concerned, he figure say he want to try. At the time we were kinda dominant on the scene an’ he get inspired by that. I recommend him start penetrate the music an’ soon he get the chance through Bunny Lee, things start ‘appen. But he was being ignored as ‘im pass through some producers.

Q: What about man like Tony Mack, where does he fit in here? The promoter.

A: Tony Mack? Tony Mack them time have some amateur contest, that’s where we rehearse before we become professional. He was very instrumental to push fe youth in the community, as far as the community was concerned he introduce a lot of talent, like talent shows.

Q: How did the first record for Clancy come about, Clancy Eccles (‘God Made The Sea And Sun’)?

A: With Clancy, he was a producer who was more easier to get to, or get through fe really… towards what I wanted to do as far as laying a track or two, one take. You know, I made a direct link and he found out about what I had, good lyrics and so on, and make arrangement for it to be recorded. You know, we considered the time was right for recording.

Q: What was the connection to Clancy at the time, you knew someone who knew Clancy, like? That was the link up, or through Tony Mack?

A: No, Clancy was just a producer there downtown. August Town, I remember I come there, him used to operate (from), ‘im worked ‘ard, effective. Him always rehearse the normal way, trying (to) do it with no stress. But for them music I never get no promotion.

: It didn’t work out there, so you moved on to Rupie Edwards.

A: Well, Rupie Edwards, we’re talkin’ 1973. After I did that song for Clancy Eccles, y’know, him no pay, so I jus’ pass through. I figured more or less I should go to another man, and after some searchin’ I found the Success record shop, that’s where I stop. That’s how Rupie Edwards come about. I do an audition, and he fall in love with two of my songs.

Q: ‘Julie’ and ‘Everyday Wondering’.

A: Yeah.

Q: Those two sold pretty good in England at that time, did you ever find out how well they did over there?

A: No, no, I know nutten about them songs. I never hear what them sell and so on, but that’s how them used to do it back in the days, just rip you off. He used to travel to England and all them things, came to England and I heard the songs came out there, but as far as how the songs were doing – nutten. I wasn’t informed. I created them, but him never put my name on the record, so I moved on and did ‘None Shall Escape The Judgement’.

Q: But that song wasn’t your own, Earl Zero wrote most of it.

A: That was as close to being my own as it could be, like 95, 96, 97 or 98 percent was my part of the song.

Q: What about Earl’s part of it?

A: Well, Earl Zero wrote the original song, it was brought to my attention by Earl Zero. It was officially done and officially made by I in terms of… most of the lyrics was already there, but I add my t’ing.

Q: You gave your own touch to it.

A: As far as the arrangement, and most of the lyrics also, I did my own t’ing there.

Q: What was your impression of Bunny Lee at the time?

A: At the time when I did audition for Bunny him have some of the top acts, name artists, and it was a… just top acts, his stable was very established. So the song for Bunny Lee, it came about as far as the everyday movements, everyday troddin’, everyday huntin’ for a producer.

Q: But before hitting with Bunny, didn’t you do some stuff with Niney (‘Warrior’) and Glen Brown too, maybe that came after, some time after this, or in-between?

A: No, not Niney. No, Glen Brown, yeah, I did some stuff for Glen Brown…

Q: ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’.

A: Yeah, yeah, you know, but those stuff wasn’t properly managed, so I still have to talk ’bout Bunny. I haffe continue, because Bunny Lee is more really, like, give me the highest motivation and strength and continuation.

Q: In what way?

A: Oh well, I mean he have me amongst him an’ bring me inna the family now, like a family t’ing, y’know. We meet the Soul Syndicate an’ Robbie (Shakespeare) an’ Santa (Davis) an’ we create an’ create, and we become a link, seen. That’s why we have them other hits deh coming behind ‘None Shall Escape the Judgement’, because we build up a strength and a unification with each other, a togetherness, both with artists and musicians. So when you ‘ave them strength, them vibes deh, it’s like all you going to get (is) more hits, more hits gonna come out, y’know. Yeah, through the unification and the togetherness of all musicians and artists.

Q: Sounds like it wasn’t much of a competition as such within Bunny’s stable then, more of a teamwork you mean?

A: Yeah, as I say… Yeh, teamwork, but no competition as far as – there wasn’t really a competition, ca’ nobody was competing. I mean there was other artists there but they were doing their t’ing as well. So, I mean if you gonna compete – you gonna be doing your t’ing, your t’ing have to be up to standard, ’cause these other artists are highly professional artists. He had these other artists among him, whom he usually call upon to fill a gap, or a space. So you’re there, if you don’t come straight to the positive, you can be jus’ there sitting for a long time on the outside watching, watchin’ these other artists doing their thing an’ you on the outside jus’ lookin’ in.

Q: You have a sort of ‘expression’ for that in Jamaica, a name you more or less earned after a while, the so-called ‘Studio Idler’, someone who spends a lot of time hangin’ around the studios.

A: Yea, well…

Q: Which means you have to sacrifice a lot to even come close to recording, running errands, whatever.

A: Yeah, well, y’know because it’s like – you’re there, I mean you could afford to say that, for them to say it. You allow it, because you know that I was there for a reason while you allow it, because memba; they don’t normally idle around a studio with the people doing that. Because with the musicians (chuckles) and producers does not allow strangers minglin’ around the session.

Q: Right.

A: So, if I was allowed to be there it must be special.

Q: Mmm, can’t waste no time.

A: Yeah. No, I’m jus’ there waiting for my turn. But there could be no ‘idler’ around the studio, they’ll never allow it. They’d never allow it, anybody there ‘idling’ is also the person involved. So the studios is no place for outsiders. Most people hearing the music, they just hear it and they’re surprised hearing it, because they were allowed to be inside a studio while the song was being laid down, or recorded. But I, as me say I was like always there, seeing the different artists record and seeing the different artists doing their thing. I was allowed to, so if they say I go a studio an’ a ‘Studio Idler’, I’m allowed to be a studio idler. They could’ve dispatched me or run – chased me away from around the facility, but they didn’t. They needed people to be there and observe and to get a vibe, for I must know and break the scene, or the seal.

Q: Did it take long for you between singin’ your first songs for Bunny, doing the audition, and finally get to record?

A: No, it didn’t take long. Because when I got to Bunny it took about – my second, the firs’ song I did was just like running away – actually the second song, or the first song was by the name of ‘My Desire’, and then came ‘None Shall Escape the Judgement’, and from then on… So maybe it was a reason for me to be there on the outside, just be there – be there, y’know, as they would say ‘hanging around’. And I was allowed to. When my time come, most of those people who was there, big names, highly representative as far as ‘cream of the crop’ is concerned or a high musical level or ‘in the camp’, as a top notch artist, was all down low. ‘Cos me (was) allowed to further stay an’ create a storm that they’re all just there lookin’ and watchin’, ‘cos they was there with a name but they wasn’t really puttin’ in the…

Q: Anything really creative, or innovative?

A: Yeah, or they wasn’t even piling on the funds, financially. They wasn’t makin’ the funds turn over, financially. I was on the outskirt, and when I get my time, I mean, dollars start turn.

Q: Brought in a lot more than they had had for a long time?

A: All right, because other songs were being released, but they were just being released on the ordinary basis. You know, there was no strong hits away from after songs like ‘Better Must Come’, Delroy Wilson, and song like ‘How Long’, Pat Kelly, and ‘Stick By Me’, John Holt, and those other songs. After a while they were just like there, making songs that wasn’t as big as those earlier ones before. So I mean, we was there experimentin’, searchin’ for a hit from those top notch. It didn’t find, ’cause after those numbers I told you about, the ‘Stick By Me’ and the ‘Better Must Come’ and all those big songs…

Q: There was a ‘dry-up’, so to speak, a big gap.

A: There was a – all right, a big gap, for real! And then came I as a new youth, and there came a new sound, a sound like a sound with new cymbals. The people come down with the ‘flying cymbals’, and then now…

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Excerpt- for full article, visit:  http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/jclarke/jclarke.htm

Interview by: Peter I

Q: What was the teamwork with Perry like there, in producing these tracks? How do you recall the recordings down at the Ark?

A: Yeah, I was maybe at the time – he had more respect for me I would say than maybe ninety percent of other artists. Because even in his transition, when he was using the famous ‘x’ as the missing letter, and crossing out using the ‘x’ to ‘x’ out everything. He had all portraits of pictures of every artist in the Black Ark studio. I mean, I found it significant that he ‘x-ed’ everyone out, and the only photograph which wasn’t ‘x-ed’ out was mine, so (chuckles)…

Q: You had a connection there.

A: Yeah, y’know he came and even told me that hey, everything wha’ ‘appen I must come down, I’m still… Yeah, different to everyone… Yeah, we had a vibes, had a vibes. And even when I went to New York, when I left New York Scratch wanted to come and stay and I’m going home for about a month, and I spent about three and a half month I think before coming back home. So he lived by my place in New York for that period of time. And we still hang out. Last year I was down by him when he come home to Jamaica, and we still go and have a talk an’ t’ing.

Q: Who played on those sessions, for ‘Security, ‘Too Fat’, ‘Crying Wolf’?

A: Most of the time I took in my musicians, Chinna (Smith), a guy called X Sweeney who used to play lead guitar for Zap Pow, Robbie Lyn…

Q: On keyboards, yes.

A: Yeah. Mikey Chung playing guitar. Bass, I used Robbie Shakespeare, ca’ Robbie was a member of…

Q: Sons of Negus.

A: The Sons of Negus when we were together. Winston Wright, keyboards. Horns was like I use Deadly Hedley with Zap Pow horn section most of the time, percussion might’ve been a Sticky or one of our guys from Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, or I would play. That’s about it, basically, for the Scratch Perry recordings. I think I used Tyrone Downie a lot also, y’know.

Q: You felt the need to take Perry’s raw four-track recording to transfer and remix at Harry J’s, that’s where some overdubbing took place on those songs?

A: I took it to Aquarius, to Aquarius and did other overdubbings, because Perry was limited. I mean, you could only do so much if you wanted to do anything over them. So at the time I wanted to fill my music in another area around certain things, and at Perry you find that the drum and the bass would’ve been tied in to one track, so if you wanted to make any separations otherwise around it’s a bit difficult. Or two other tracks tied in with maybe horns and something else tied together, voice separate. So if you wanted to put… yeah? I mean, the sound – Perry’s a genius, the masses at the time used to call him the Upsetter, very creative and, yeah, a scientist in a sense. But a four-track recording was – while it worked very well for certain type a t’ing, but some things that I felt I needed more than Perry’s tracks. For overdubbing, I overdub a Binghi drum bass, funde, repeater, when you would’ve already laid a track without it. If you wanna do it is going to make you combin’ on certain things, so just separate it by putting it on another track, and they mix it in. So this is why I overdub drums, guitar, Binghi drums on a couple of the tracks. I might’ve done some little background harmonies on some of them. But that’s mainly it. On one or two of them, Tyrone Downie might’ve played a little more to fill in here and there.

Q: Who did the final mix on them?

A: At Aquarius? Steven Stanley worked with me on that.

Q: Another single that saw release from the Perry sessions on Shepherd was ‘Crying Wolf’.

A: Yeah, we did that at Lee Perry too. That was overdubbed at Aquarius too, drums – the Binghi drums, the background harmonies – which was Congos and myself, was overdubbed at Aquarius.

Q: Is this a track you’ve lost as well along the road?

A: That’s quite likely I think that might’ve disappeared too, with ‘Security’ and a number of other… yeah. I can’t find maybe about nine or eleven of me two-inch tapes, some of them was destroyed beca’ we throw them out. But five of them might’ve been stolen. About four in L.A. … yeah. I left a couple of tracks at Inner Circle’s in Florida, about two two-inch tapes. Those also got mixed up, I can’t find them. So that is about eleven tapes, maybe another two to three in England and… yeah. So I lost a lot of music, I lost a lot, trust me, I lost at least two LP’s worth of music, two or three LP worth of music.

Q: Tapes scattered all over.

A: All over. I don’t know if maybe down in the future somebody… Because some of those things on LP, I really didn’t dump them, I never leaving them. I thought they were no longer in a good… But I didn’t throw them away, I left them at somebody’s place. I can’t find that person. I don’t know if they might got rid of them or if maybe a year or some from now I could possibly find them and they might still have it, it should be great. I hope that it is so. And those in Miami, I left them somewhere, the person died. Well, two I know for sure, possibly two more which Inner Circle might have that, and they say they couldn’t find it when they transferred some of them. So, who knows? I mean, maybe they might still have it somewhere down the road, somebody might come up with hidden treasures.

Q: True (chuckles). You have to employ a detective to track them down.

A: Yes (chuckles).

Q: I would like to know how you developed that vocal style, which is in parts similar to Willi Williams, the man behind ‘Armagideon Time’. You both sound more like an American west coast rock singer, more so than a native Jamaican, or having an obvious soul/R&B influence, but I find rock music being closer to you both. How did that evolve over the years?

A: Yeah, I suppose I build up my own style from whenever, I never copied anybody or anything like that.

Q: No, no. But you certainly had your influences.

A: But I never tried to sound like any local artist per se. Foreign artists, never tried to copy anyone of them either. But I mean, there’s songs from all different genres of the music which you liked, and which songs you liked you sing. I mean, like I said in ‘People’s Army’, when I was a young boy growing up, I used to like Edith Piaf.

Q: French, classic artist.

A: Yeah, which is a French singer. Maurice Chevalier (was very popular on Jamaican radio) which was an asshole in certain areas of life, but a wonderful artist and performer. Even his sound (coughs) had a couple of songs which as a young man we liked. But my parents used to listen to blues, jazz, opera, classics. You know, Mario Lanza was one and what have you… Perry Como and the Bing Crosbys in American style, the Nat ‘King’ Coles, the Louis Armstrongs, the emerging sixties coming up with the rock’n'roll type of… the Fats Dominos, the Lloyd Prices, the Sam Cookes, the Jackie Wilsons. You know, a whole host of different artists, Ella (Fitzgerald), Sarah Vaughn, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae. Ah! I mean, trust me, we heard it. What has always been played through the airwaves over in the fifties and sixties coming up, which had a good melody, good rhythm. I enjoyed any music, any form of music. I couldn’t say I was one-dimensional in that I wouldn’t have liked this music, but any music. The Cuban, merengue, the cha-cha, the South American feel, the Afro, the high-life, y’know.

Q: I think in some way it shows in your music, the diversity, a wide range of influences, even if the foundation is roots.

A: All right. Yeah, this is what… I really can’t put a finger and say ‘this is it’. Because, have a little bit of this and a little bit of that, I mean… I’m grown into the Rastafarian – the roots music. But then I go into a trunk, and this trunk from the root assimilate all the different music three-sixty degrees that you take into you, and then you go into a musical trunk and when you grow up in that t’ing you start spreading branches. And your branches a gonna spread three-sixty degrees right around, like the roots at the bottom. So what is gonna come out from that fusion of, yeah, everything that you have – has fed you, fed you musically over the years, that you drink. You know, it’s gonna come out and blossom from the branches of your tree, if you have ears. Now some people might only assimilate and put it into like a railroad – one track, and they a run with that whether they do a blues feel, a jazz feel, a reggae roots feel – whatever. Or whatever, rock’n'roll, funk – whatever, some people just go into that, on that two-track and continue. I’m not like that, I tend to go on a two-track for a particular feel, then what I’m motivated by or influenced by. And then another day it might be a different – a morning which have a sunlight morning and a different feel, so you express it differently. It might be a grey or a wet, cloudy morning so you express it differently. It might be a happy, happy mood or it might be a reflective mood, or a somber mood in a different sense or a harsh reality which just came out and stopped you in your head and shocked your system, so you come out in a different vibes or feel. But music is just music and a part of the history my brother, and I’m not gonna say that I’m one, a this or I’m that, because music a flying through the heaven and you pick up a different feel and it comes in with a totally different, y’know, melody. Sometimes it come in a different sense, a different feel. But I can only depend on what I feel, anywhere that I see it and understand is that its never one dimension, right. I open up myself to all form of music. But I make sure that whatever I do, I put it as positive I can in being honest so that I don’t undermine, mislead any entity, any child, any person, that my music is for positive upliftment in whatever area it is, whether I’m speaking of love or destruction of mankind. So we use music as basically to enlighten, to untangle, y’know, uplift, enhance, and be reflective. Food – thought-food for a person or a people who listens to music.

Q: Some people refer to you as some sort of ‘intellectual singer’. Whatever you feel about such designations, if you could put your lyrical inspiration into some kind of perspective, where that stems from so to speak, which basically shaped your generation of songwriters into what you are, what you became?

A: Yeah, music is a way or vehicle, one has access to put on it lyrics or words. Words are very, very, very important – because you can mislead by words, you can present false by words, and you can at the same time stimulate ideas by the very word. So if you’re using a vehicle for a mass of people throughout the world who might possibly get the opportunity to see what you’re saying, well, I feel an obligation to make it as straight and as upful and true as I can, so that I don’t mislead, misdirect, caused by use of word to entice or set somebody on a wrong track, wrong track and mislead them in any way, right. I think music owes – or the individual who use that vehicle to express yourself – should use the words positively, whether it’s a simple thing of saying ‘I love you’ – the truth, or saying ‘hey, careful a that walk over there’. If you do that, that might come back, y’know. If you spit in the sky it’s gonna fall back, if you put out negative things then negative things will come back. If you put out positive things which served and enlightened to help a set of people who, trust me, this world – as it is, if it would be correct then there wouldn’t be any need for words of truth and right and certain things. But when you have artists who, y’know, this is a part of Prophecy now; when it was said that a third of the Angelic Choir, right, led by the most – the Archangel, fled and took with him a third. So if a third of the Archangel Choir is in the earth using music to misuse and abuse the psyche of mankind, I’m not one of those. Because I think I’m the Master Computer on the Databank of Life, the Father has an instant replay button which the Master Computer upholds each entity’s life from then until now. So if I’m gonna put on vinyl – or CD – something derogative, undermining, not upful, not in oneness, not in harmony with the creative sources, then I think I misuse, abuse, and would be one of the false in the Angelic Choir, I don’t see myself in that. To misuse words and music is so powerful, that if one use it properly, trust me, it will elevate and take care of a lot of the problems that mankind is going through, y’know what I mean. Yeah, if I had to answer for what I have said on vinyl, I think I can face whoever, the Creator, whatever force in life, and say ‘Yeah, I said those things’, right. I don’t wanna mislead as I say my brother, if you use music wrongly to just mislead one entity in creation, I think that’s a great, great, great, great crime. So for me music is inspirational and should be used as such.

Q: As a guide for the masses more than use it for a selfish purpose or to just express vanity, wants?

A: For selfish reasons or for just money or whatever. I mean, what is that, if you understan’? I mean, it don’t have to be abrasive to society, or to people. Music can be simple without putting anything that is gonna mislead, y’know what I mean? So, that is my… Yeah, that is me for music, that’s what I think music is. It’s a tool to express to the world upfulness, right.

Q: If you look back on the era you came from, the seventies, you felt it was a collective feel or spirit in conjunction with what you said now?

A: Yeah, it was an inspiration that taught I and I and I within the scene at that time, and even the artists around – I mean most of the artists around, were using it as a positive feel of expression that could enlighten and strengthen certain people in stress or whatever situation they were in in life – morally, spiritually, physically. But when you use it regressive and then in decadense now, it don’t do anything – it don’t direct, it don’t lead. It just leave people out there in a coal-sack, y’know what I mean, a circuit that is going around, going after their peers, like a dog trying to catch his leash – no direction.

Q: I know you and several others had deeper aspirations or hopes with being involved in the ‘Rockers’ movie back in ‘77 – than what became of it in the end, tell me how you got involved in that project?

A: I was in the studio two years before recording the same song.

Q: ‘Graduation In Zion’ (aka ‘It Won’t Be Too Long’)?

A: Yeah. I was doing that, and Ted Bafaloukos had come out and met Jack Ruby, and Jack took him to the studio and when he came in that’s what he saw, he saw me singin’ that song. I was actually laying the voice then. So, two years afterwards that was just a repetition of what he came in and saw, and he said wow, he would love to use that song in the movie, but it was to be released. So I didn’t, I kept it back and didn’t release it. I didn’t know it was gonna be two years. And then I re-record it again live for them in the same studio that he came and saw me working.

Q: Which was Harry J’s. You had some co-production thing going with Jack in ‘76, what was it?

A: Myself and Jack was working together, Jack Ruby was one of the first… He was the first producer who heard me and said ‘Hey man, wow, wow, wow! Let us gwaan, ready we ready, wow! And let’s go!’, right. And I liked Jack because me and Jack had a good rapport at the time, and so I started doing some recordings. I did about four recordings at Harry J. So again, I think Jack should… did I have those…? No, I think maybe it was my tape, my music still, beca’ we were doing a co-production, it wasn’t a total production where he was producing. So I don’t know, I should go down in two or three weeks and check and see if his sons have any of them tapes, because that would be two tapes on thinkin’ back now that Jack should have.

Q: So ‘Graduation In Zion’ was the only one he made available with a proper mix of these songs, the rest was unfinished, unreleased in any format?

A: No, actually none was released from it, I think he played them on his sound system.

Q: Dub-plates.

A: Yeah, dub-plates for sound system. But the only track which was released is the one from the movie.

Q: How come that was the only one that saw release?

A: I dunno, well, that was just put out because the movie wanted it. So we did that, I produced that. Actually in the time when they recorded me in the studio was on my studio time at Harry J. So, just never the get-around, because after that I was busy. I lived in New York for a little bit, I lived in L.A. for a little bit. And when Jack died I was actually in England.

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Interview excerpt, source:  http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/kiddusi/kiddusi2.htm

Interview by:  Peter I

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