SOUND SYSTEM ROCKERS
KINGSTON TOWN 1969 - 1975
The Sound System has become part of todays musical /
cultural heritage,playing the peoples favourite hits or just as importantly,
breaking some new tunes.But perhaps less known are the roots of the Sound
System, which began Wey Back When...in Kingston, Jamaica.
Around the late 1940's The Sound System began to overtake the Big Bands
that usually played at the dances, in Kingston.The American Rhythm &
Blues records that were so popular at the time would find there way to
Jamaica via the merchant sailors and migrant workers returning from stints
working in America.For economical reasons alone it would pay to have a
DJ on hand to play these hits rather than a full sometimes up to 10 piece
band that could easily eat and drink the promoter out of house and curried
goat!!!.
The early Sound Systems were basic affairs built around a single record
deck, a valve amp and a speaker.But by the 1950's they had grown to purpose
built speakers the size of wardrobes that could be heard many blocks away.The
larger these systems the better. Record producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee would
remember from the time ''Sound System was like our radio station..not
many people on the island would own a wireless,so it was the way for the
people to here there music''.These 'House of Joys' as they were affectionately
known were run by the likes of Tom the Great Sebastian who would have
people like the legendary Duke Vin [who would go on to be the first system
operator in England when he emigrated there years later ] spinning his
tunes.But by the mid 1950's a new name would come on the scene that would
change and add something special to the dance,Clement Seymour Dodd [A.K.A.
Coxsone ]. Coxone Dodd began playing tunes outside his parents Liquor
store situated on Beeston street, in Kingston.He noticed on subsequent
record buying trips he made to the U.S.A., that the American Deejays would
talk and introduce the songs. Liking this effect he got his deejay Count
Machuki [ b.Winston Cooper,1939 Kingston, Jamaica ] to drop lines over
the introductions of the tunes, making him the first DJ in Jamaica ...
and starting a new musical trend.
Coxsone's Sound System called 'Sir Coxsone Downbeat ' began to grow from
playing small venues like the Red Rooster on Tower street to larger affairs
like Forresters Hall, that could accommodate many hundreds at a time.Demand
was big and Coxone would be running up to four separate Systems on the
same night spread around Kingston.Aided by some of his other DJ's like
the great King Stitt [b. Winston, Sparkes ].
The big three sound system operators of the time were Coxone,Arthur 'Duke'
Reid, an expoliceman, who ran his mighty ' Trojan Sound '.Usually with
a rod of iron and two guns, which he wore at all times.And thirdly Vincent
'King' Edwards. Who ran the most powerful simply known as the 'Giant '.
Supremacy was fought over on many levels, as Bunny Lee would say ''You
was as good as the tunes you played '' and there highly prized identity,
would be kept secret. Even going to the lengths of scratching out the
names of the artists and songs, preventing others from purchasing the
same popular tunes.But also some unfriendly methods could be used. These
were violent times and with much money at stake [ entrance to the dance,
drinks etc.. ] turning over the opponents Sound System by any means necessary,
rousing the opponents crowds, fights and guns going off, was not an unusual
occurrence.With this in mind Vincent Edwards would move into the less
violent world ??? of politics.Joining the 'Peoples National Party' [ PNP
].
His place was soon to be filled in late 1959 by an up and coming young
boxer by the name of Prince Buster [ b. Cecil Bustamante Campbell,1938,Kingston,
Jamaica ] who started following Coxsone's system, and worked collecting
entrance money to the dances for him.In those days people tended to be
affiliated with one never two sound systems.Already having gained the
respect from the Kingston fraternity he began his 'Voice of the People'
sound system, soon to be followed by his record shop and label run out
of 36 Charles street.
The import of American R&B tunes was by this time beginning to dry
up.Due mainly to the American taste moving onto the new popular Rock &
Roll sound.But this was not proving a similar case with the Jamaican audience.So
out of necessity the sound system operators, began to cut there own tunes.Which
were in there own way reworkings of the R & B sound done in a Jamaican
style.This would evolve through Jamaican musical history as Ska, Rocksteady
and slowing down in tempo to what would be known as Reggae....
As this musical transition began to take place the two big producers Coxsone,with
his ' Studio 1' label and Duke Reid on his 'Treasure Isle' imprint ,would
rule the scene for many years.Before being challenged by new up and coming
producers.The aforementioned Bunny ' Striker ' Lee [ called Striker due
to the many hits he would produce during the 1970's ] and Lee Perry would
begin they're careers as pluggers and record scouts for Coxsone and Duke
Reid respectively.
Around this time Bunny Lee began working closely with one Osbourne 'Tubby
' Ruddock [ b.1941, Kingston ].He met King Tubby as he would be known,
while Tubby was working as a disc - cutter for Duke Reid.Bunny had taken
Tubby to one of the dances run by another system operator called Ruddie's
from Spanish Town, to show how the people loved the music.Tubby was soon
to begin his own sound system 'King Tubby's Home Town HI - Fi ', which
with his superior knowledge of electronics would soon be rocking Kingston
with such high quality speakers, the sounds could be heard all around
town.
Bunny Lee was soon bringing all his productions to Tubby's home studio
at 18 Drummlie Avenue, to let Tubby sprinkle some of his magic over them.As
Bunny would remember ''Yes I would run off me tunes on two track tape.
Vocal on one track, music on the other, and let Tubby do his thing ''.In
these times,''We used the sound systems to break a new track''.Then ''Cut
a dub plate first and if it popular, release it then on vinyl''.Bunny
continues to say ''Tubby would never sell out a tune, just for the Sound
System''.Which meant unlike some other sound system operators Tubby would
cut special versions just to play on his system and not release / sell
them on.
Many of these tunes that we have picked for this selection were songs
that rocked Kingston from 1969 - 1979.Like the great Roots classic 'Satta
Masa Gana' by the Abyssinians, voiced here by Mr Rocksteady himself Ken
Booth.This was always a crowd pleaser, Bunny would say ''No dance complete
without Ken Booth voicing out...''.Other great singers from the early
days like Alton Ellis doing 'Play it Cool',Pat Kelly's 'Everybody Needs
Love' a massive Jamaican hit at the time,were always firm favourites.Another
very popular singer from the early days was Jackie Edwards represented
here doing one of his big hits 'In the Mood'. John Holt a versatile singer
who could cover most styles is here doing a version of 'Riding for a Fall'.Which
he cut before Delroy Wilson made it a hit a few years later.Not to disappoint
we have Delroy Wilson's 'Once upon a time', also to be found on this set.
Some of King Tubby's favourite cuts at the time, like Linval Thompson's
'Whip them King' dedicated to Tubby himself.Johnny Clarke's classic 'Ride
on Girl', Dennis Brown's very early version of 'Stick by Me', Leroy 'The
Don' Smart's 'Shame & Pride' were all played out at Tubby's sets.Cornell
Campbell one of Bunny Lee's most popular singers is represented here with
'Can't get me Out', alongside Mr soulful himself Gregory Issac's 'The
Village'.
Like Bunny Lee says ''The dance was for all people''.This selection of
Lovers,Ballads and Roots classic's made the Sound Systems of Kingston,
Jamaica, the place to be.Without those ground breaking times, where would
our musical heads be today. So sit back and enjoy the ride... SOUND SYSTEM
ROCKERS ..one and all...
1. SATTA MASSA GANA ( B.Manning / C.Colin ) * KEN BOOTH
2. GUIDING STAR ( L.Sibles / Heptones ) HORACE ANDY
3. SHAME & PRIDE ( L.Smart ) LEROY SMART
4. STICK BY ME ( Shep & Highlights )* DENNIS BROWN
5. CAN'T GET ME OUT ( C.Campbell ) CORNELL CAMPBELL
6. RIDING FOR A FALL (Walter / Townsend ) * JOHN HOLT
7.ONCE UPON A TIME ( M.Gay / M.Wells )* DELROY WILSON
8.THE VILLAGE ( G.Issac 's ) GREGORY ISSAC'S
9.RIDE ON GIRL ( G.Clarke ) JOHNNY CLARKE
10.MIGHTY KING ( F.McGregor ) FREDDY McGREGOR
11.WHIP THEM KING ( L.Thompson ) LYNVAL THOMPSON
12. LEAD US JAH JAH ( B.Brown ) BARRY BROWN
13.EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE ( G.Knight & the Pips ) * PAT KELLY
14. PLAY IT COOL ( A.Ellis ) ALTON ELLIS
15.MULE TRAIN ( C.P. Millar ) COUNT PRINCE MILLAR
16. NATTY BONGO ( O.Grey ) OWEN GREY
Recorded at ; Harry J's, Randy's
Studio 17 & Channel 1,Kinston Jamaica.
Produced by ; Bunny Lee.
Design by ; Voodoo London.
Photography ; Jah Floyd Archive.
All Titles Published ; Greenwich Farm Music
Except * Copyright Control.
Manufactured under Licence from ; E. Lee.
Made in England.
Compiled
in Kingston,Jamaica,2003
Bunny Lee interviewed Kingston,2003
Many Thanks to Bunny Lee,for his help
and advice on track selections.
Musicians include ;
Carlton 'Santa' Davis, Sly Dunbar ,Carlton Barrett; Drums.
Robbie Shakespeare,Aston 'Family Man ' Barrett ; Bass
Earl 'Chinna' Smith ; Lead Guitar
Tony Chin ; Rhythm Guitar
Winston Wright ; Organ
Bobby Ellis ; Trumpet
Vin Gordon ; Trombone
Tommy McCook ; Tenor Saxophone
Lennox Brown ; Alto Saxophone