Q: For JB you had the 'Working Man' album, the mighty 'Jah Love' was on it for example. A: Yeah, well, a me produce the whole of them t'ing deh, a my t'ing dem. Q: It was in conjunction with Sly & Robbie again? A: Yes, Sly & Robbie, Ansel Collins, Tarzan (Nelson) play 'pon some, Ossie (Hibbert) play 'pon some, all a the best. When me a use musician in any way, a the best musician me use, me no use cheap musician. One - seh me use Roots Radics fe play a t'ing deh, an album deh, 'The Other Side Of Love', which Greensleeves put out. Q: I did read a review somewhere when that album came out, you know what the writer called you? A: No? Q: 'Reggae's Perry Como'. A: OK, but that's good, that's good. Q: (Chuckles) A: Ca' me like Perry Como. Perry Como is one of my favorite singers too.

Q: OK, but that LP was more on a Lovers Rock tip. A: Yeah, is Lovers Rock but it was tough still. You have some good tune 'pon it, it have some reality tune 'pon it too, a tune name 'We're Living In the Land of the Living (And the Living Is Fine)', 'we ain't got no money but we've got love'. Yeah, is a reality. Q: But Greensleeves haven't even put it out again, I wonder why. A: No, me a go put it out meself. I need a clean copy an' me a go run it through a computer an' clean the scratches offa it an' t'ing. Q: Yeah, that's good to hear. Please do. A: Keep it in the same way an' release it back. Q: Good, good. How did you find it to produce on your own, it was something you did from early on, didn't you? By the way, before I forget, there was one guy called 'Al Campbell' who operated a label called Addis Ababa in the mid seventies, is that you? He produced people like Earl Zero, Jimmy Dean, etc. A: OK. No, no, no. Q: A different Al Campbell then. A: Yeah. Is a nex' man a copy me name, ca' through me sing couple tune an' nobody never hear from me, every man claim to the name 'Al Campbell'. Yeah, an' yu have a nex' one name Al & The Vibrators, nex' singers that again, a nex' Al Campbell that again too. The whole a dem use me name. An' then UB40 now come with the same t'ing, but is 'Ali Campbell' an' a come near, seh 'Nah man, don't come near'.

Q: (Chuckles) Capitalise, eh? A: Yeah, them waan come ride offa me. Let me show you how some a dem people stay. Them sing over back every man tune, right, an' my tune is the baddest Lovers Rock tune ever, 'Gee Baby' a the baddest Lovers Rock tune that ever, no man no sing it over back (chuckles). Yeh, dem no sing over 'Blood & Fire', a only one tune out deh. Me a watch dem still, a fight dem a give me a fight, yunno. But me deh ya a fight dem same way. Q: Back to the producing, who did you start to work with when entering the production field? A: Well, me start out with... I think me produce one U Brown, Trinity, me produce Junior Pumpkin, Pat Kelly, an' Lacksley Castell - me a the firs' one a produce Lacksley Castell, an' a yout' name Saddle Dread. Yeah, do a tune name 'Please Officer'. An' record Tamlins, Mighty Diamonds, Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond, all a the bad artists dem, Michael Prophet, Junior Reid, Don Carlos, me record everybody. Those me work with. Q: You did some records for the Washington-based Live & Learn label too in the mid eighties. A: Yeah, a me produce the whole a dem tune, all a dem. Q: What happened to Delroy Wright, owner for that label? A: Well, them man deh a Washington, yunno. Them have some money so dem could do some LP. Q: People just come and go anyway. A: Yeh, an' true me left so that's why dem cyaan come further, ca' it wasn't both a dem, it was me. Q: Ah, I see. A: Me is the man that set everyt'ing straight. Q: But I noticed he put together two of your albums on a 2-for-1 CD, 'Fence Too Tall' and 'Forward Natty' and had it as 'Natty Too Tall'. A: Yeah, an' no give me no money. Keep the money to himself.

Q: Typical. A: Yeah, the whole a dem, that's how them stay. Ungrateful. Q: But you cut some nice dancehall style albums just before the digital revolution came on the scene in the mid eighties, like 'Freedom Street' and 'Bad Boy'. A: Yeah. Q: Although those two haven't been available for a long time now, something should be done about that. A: I know, I need a copy of them to put them out, same as them is. Q: Definitely. Where do you find inspiration to write songs in this time? I mean, you've done so much work, not only for yourself but also written songs for others over the years. And the output of singles is astonishing, there's so much of it. How do you find the inspiration to... A: It's a inborn t'ing, man. From me go inna the studio me can jus' do all two-three tune right then and there. When me come to work... A seh them say me is a marital man, a work the whole day, an' the amount of work that we get done them never know seh a we have it inna we could a do it. Q: What do you write about these days? You have a notebook constantly at hand? A: Yeah man, even this morning me get up and write some cultural tune, me write everytime. Culture, love, all type a tune, everyt'ing going to what a gwaan now. Everyt'ing, you have to write what's going on around you, inna your life an' people lives, an' jus' imagine yourself that you're in a man's shadow.

Q: Are the best days for reggae music over now? A: No man, the best days is yet to come, man. The music come right back round now, you see it. Buju Banton come with a new tune deh, seh come like the dancehall t'ing switch back to the original t'ing right now. Q: I mean, the dancehall style is not even a reggae beat anymore, it has branched out to its own beat, bashment, which is good in a sense. It's an evolutionary process, but reggae itself has taken a setback. A: No, but it come back now, yunno. Q: Sounds more like a Pocomania type of beat. A: Yeah, some joke business. It come back now, Buju Banton change it now. It comes right back to the original rub a dub dance now. Me talk to all Super Cat yesterday, an' him say, "See it, Al? The music come right back inna we fort so we 'ave fe utilize it now". People say them tired of them Pocomania 'bom bom bom bom', a no music that. Is an unfinished t'ing that, no melody, jus' 'bom bom bom'. Me wonder if the buying public is deaf or wha'? Q: (Chuckles) Right, who knows. A: (Laughs) Yeah man, fe real, man. It come back ya now with a whole heap a t'ing... When you listen to my new album, a radioman call me an' tell me seh, "Al, bwoy me haffe say this to you. Your new album, '24/7', is one of the bes' album I ever hear from so long", an' him seh him go 'pon the radio station an' tell everybody fe go get a copy because this album, your mother can buy it, your father, your kids, sister, anybody, a baby can go buy it an' listen to it, is a song fe everybody on it. A the firs' album whe the radioman play every track right through till the album finish. Q: (Chuckles) A: Yeah man, fe real. So, we need more t'ings like this, the other artists must come together an' jus' do some good music whe the public can...

Al Campbell

Q: Relate to. A: Relate to. Them lickle 'bom bom' an' 'Gal how yu fat' an' all dem sup'm, we no waan deal with them t'ing deh. Q: You have seen so many changes and shifts in trends over the years, why do you think that that kind of music is so popular among the younger crowd nowadays? A: Hear this now, the yout' them buy whe them hear, yunno. Ca' if you see a radioman go 'pon the radio an' play that every day, eventually even you get used to it an' start sing it. Yes, so the radioman dem need to come together an' have a meeting an' jus' say, "You know wha'? We get some of the derogatory music out of the business an' play some good music an' everybody will listen to them acts". Even myself, sometime me hear some tune an' me never like it from first, but when me hear them every day constantly me end up a hook dem. Them gone with a nex' side with their music ya. Ca' when the baby a baby-young an' yu a teach them fe talk, him a go repeat back the words them whe yu teach them. A so the music business go. Ca' if it's a music I think you should a listen to, yunno, you have to make sure it have to be pure an' clean. Q: Children live what they learn. A: Yeah. So, radioman dem have to start play good music. Sometime I wonder if some a the radioman dem a tone-deaf, dem nuh know a tune never last when them a play that. First time you used to have some radio panel whe sit down and pick your song dem, nowadays any rubbish can play, ca' if you have money you give it to him an' the bwoy play this, him a go play it. Q: There's the constant problem with payola down there. A: Yeah, that me a tell you.

Q: There's been a steady stream of singles from you even in the nineties, like the work for General Lee's Hi Power, Fat Eyes you cut 'Hard Times' for, a pretty nice tune. Wasn't that a remake? A: No, no. Only thing is it was a remix, ca' me sing it for Live & Learn firs'. Q: Good Fat Eyes cut anyhow. A: Yeah, Fat Eyes, tough. Ca' the nex' one with the LP, it never come off. Yeh, so it jus' 'pon a 45. Q: Then there was the Xterminator album, Fatis got you to sing over some of his strong, strong rhythms. A: Yeh, Fatis' album, but that was - Fatis put out half of the album, half of the album that, yunno. Him save back half of the tune dem. Q: So there could be like a second album there? A: No, a one album me do for Fatis an' him save back half, me nuh know wha' him a plan.

Q: When did you set up your own Reggae Road imprint, what's been out on it so far? A: Yeah, my t'ing. Me set it up...? Q: Mid nineties? I recall a 45 from that period, hadn't seen it before that. A: No man, even before that. Q: So what have you... A: Yeh, 'bout the nineties, the nineties. Q: I'm aware of a few compilations on it, only. Like the '22 Karat Gold'. A: Yeh, the 'Karat Gold', an' one or two. Q: 'Roots & Culture' was another. A: 'Roots & Culture', 'Tribute To Coxsone', 'Higher Heights'. Then there was... wha' it name again...? (Chuckles) A couple a dem... Q: 'Deeper Roots'. A: 'Deeper Roots', yeah.

Q: Regarding distribution and so forth, do you think it's satisfying the way things are going for you, do you reach out with the product? A: Well, Jet Star a distribute for me still, but Jet Star dem na go all out with me, you understan' me? Them jus' have my t'ing as my t'ing, still I have to do it myself ca' when you go in a record shop an' you look 'pon the shelf you see no Al Campbell 'pon the shelf, ca' my tune deh is a tune whe people waan go buy. Q: When you look back on all the stuff you have in your catalog, what do you think could be put out again from it? I mean, people want the original albums with the original artwork and so on, and no overdubs and strange remixing. But there's the 'Showcase' and 'Working Man' and 'Rainy Days' or 'Late Night Blues' albums, lots of good stuff to choose from. Do you think you could put them out again? A: Yeah man, me waan put them out again too, because as soon as me find some man whe 'ave a clean copy of the album an' me can show back the jacket dem an' t'ing, ca' public need to know dem t'ings, them music deh. Ca' that music a good music. Q: Yes, that music has stood the test of time very well, and I mean, some people regard your 'Rainy Days' and 'Late Night Blues' albums as classics, so they should always be available in some form. A: Yeah. Q: Who could've guessed at the time, but that music has proven to be timeless. A: For real. Q: What's coming up for you, the future? A: Well, I dunno 'bout the future, the future reveals itself. Ca' nobody know what the future can reach, you only can hope (laughs)! Q: True. A: So we have a lot of hopes for the future then, to put it so.

So there we have it again, yet another artist who's status is not where it should be. Al Campbell deserves more. Maybe it's just a question of time before the masses will recognise what true musical talent is made of, and Al embodies that. A singer's singer, and musicians' musician. He knows and has learned the craft of songwriting from inside out, from top to bottom. And, of course, there's that voice. It's a delicate but warm instrument he possesses and has attracted our attention for more than thirty years now. Regarding what's missing from his back catalog, it's a lot. There is a wealth of uncollected songs out there, songs we only have on formats such as the seven and twelve-inch single. He should dig deeper into this and release it on CD. But still, you can't complain too much about this because Al has taken care of his past recordings in a pretty decent way. Just check a CD like 'Roots & Culture', a massive set of some of the best cultural music ever recorded in Jamaica. He also did a nice CD set of his softer material in '22 Karat Gold'. But there are albums like the 'Rainy Days', 'Showcase' and 'Late Night Blues' to name only three, all strong strong LP's. Will they ever come out again in its original form, with added bonus tracks such as discomixes and songs from the same period which never came on an album. Maybe it's a dream, but I will keep on dreaming. Not to mention his Pratt period, an album cover like 'No More Running' has to be seen to be believed! What an outfit! And the music contained therein is, again, of a very high quality. His output during the 1980's had some serious moments, but much of it is currently unavailable. Al's set for Xterminator was another stormer, but overlooked. Do yourself a favour if you haven't checked out his past work, pick up his compilations for a start, why not begin with 'Roots & Culture'. You will be in for a treat. 7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots. Booking Website : Roots Rockers Promotions.

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Article: Peter I (Please do not reproduce without permission)