Q: Let's see if you can recall this one, an early track. It doesn't sound like you at all somehow, but this is how you start until you find your voice and developing the style we know you from. A: (Laughs) Yeah, I know. Yeah man, a lot of songs don't sound like me, because I sing with a inspiration, sometimes I don't even sing like myself, I just sing. A cause of the fusion of... Q: Listen to this one (playing 'Don't Need Your Loving' off Heartbeat's 'Ska Bonanza' CD). A: Oh yes, I know this one, 'I Don't Need Your Loving Anymore'. Sure, for Coxson Downbeat. That's me and Don Drummonds dem and the whole crew, the Skatalites. You see, what's interesting with ska and those guys... Q: Is that really you (chuckles)? A: Yea, you see, that's where the ska was coming from. Yes man, yes man. That is where the ska was coming from in those days. Yeah.

Cornell Campbell

Q: The early stage.

A: Early, early, early before the ska really develop. But you see, the musicians dem learn from those type of recordings, until they come with the faster beat. I remember that song.

Q: It sounds like the music is at a breaking point there, not really sure where to go yet.

A: Yeah, you have the name of the record?

Q: 'Don't Want Your Loving' was taken from a compilation CD titled 'Ska Bonanza'.

A: Yeah man. That's Coxson in the early, early, early days.

Q: But your sister was around at Studio One as well?

A: Well, my sister now she... I took her to Sir Coxsone Downbeat, she insisted that I must write a song for her. I didn't want her to get involved in the singin' business, because I was thinking her more like some sort of working - because she could sew, and y'know she could work, doing dressmaker and stuff like that. But she insisted and I took her to Sir Coxsone Downbeat and she did several songs for Sir Coxsone Downbeat, and she get involved with Rita Marley, and they formed the group named The Soulettes.

Q: What was your sister's name again? A: Cecille Campbell. Q: Cecille, right. A: Yeah, and they formed the group The Soulettes with Rita Marley and another friend of them. Q: I think this guy 'Vision' was in that group as well, also known as 'Dream', Constantine Walker. A: OK, yeah. I don't remember all the songs dem too, since this was a long time ago. Q: But she didn't last long in the business? A: After they sing several songs and do quite a few appearances, stage appearances and television, she had migrated to America, and she's living in Queens. Yeah, as some nurse or somet'ing like that. I think she went to school there and everything. Q: If we move up a little in time, I actually spoke to Ras Karbi... A: Yeah, Ras Karbi?

Cornell Campbell (Photo: David Corio) www.davidcorio.com

Cornell Campbell (Photo: David Corio) www.davidcorio.com

Q: Ras Karbi, yes. And he told me about forming the first line-up of the Now Generation band, which was more of a club act in those days, didn't record. A: Yes, it's true. What happened was... Q: Apparently it was you and Chenley Duffus who shared lead vocal duties in the band. A: Yes, that's right. True, true, true. Q: This is before the brothers Geoffrey and Mikey Chung joined the band, right? A: Yes, that's true. Q: What kind of stuff did you play at that time? How come you joined this band, you knew Karbi from before? A: No, what happened was, I was learning to play guitar in those days, right, I was tuning the guitar, I was self-taught by guitar-books and learned the chords them and stuff. And Ras Karbi heard me play at my home, like him passing me yard yet, and him heard me play, so him seh: "Bwoy, you can play, yunno. What I'd like is me and you form a band, a group an' t'ing". But I wasn't really interested, because I wasn't really a professional guitar player at that time. But him forced me and say: "Yeah man, you can play, man". And after a while I went to them and we formed the group Now Generation, with the Chiney guy named Chung. And Ras Karbi was playing bass, I played guitar and... you know? And we start doing a lot of appearances, appear at nightclubs. The band they get big now, the Now Generation. It is a big band in Jamaica.

Q:After that you left to form a couple of...

A: Groups, yeah. Like the Belle Stars.

Q:Right, who was in that group?

A: A friend named Lloyd Shaw, but him was inspired by the Blues Busters. Him used to adore the Blues Busters dem very much. So he wanted me and him, both of us to do like a duo group in those days, so I agree with him and we did... we start to work with King Edwards. And when that group defunct, I think I formed a group named - with Jimmy Riley again and I think it was Dave Barker, I formed a group named The Links. And from there now The Sensations, for Treasure Isle. Yeah. And then I met Bunny Lee after, about 1972 me and Bunny Lee team up and I went back as a solo artist.

Q:So what about the Eternals, you had a lot of success with this group?

A: Oh yes! Fabulous group. Yeah, that group now, since when I break up with the Sensations, I did want to have a hot group that would sound better than the Sensations, right. So I form a group named The Eternals with a guy named Errol Wisdom and the other guy Ken Fay. And I rehearsed them, and I write three songs, one named 'Stars', 'Queen Of The Minstrel', and 'Just Gone Find Loving'. And we took them to Downbeat, Studio One, where I play the rhythm guitar, yunno, and arrange and direct them. And it was successfully, all those songs were great hits.

Q:One you didn't mention is 'Let's Start Again', that's one of my personal favourites.

A: Yes, yes - for Harry Mudie.

Q:Right.

A: That's great, yeah. That 'Start Again', we did all that too. And several other hits, y'know. It's coming from a long, long way with hits an' sting.

Cornell Campbell

Q: The title for it escapes me at this moment, but there's another great tune for Mudie that was a lot slower... A: We did 'Stop In The Name Of Love', let's see now... 'Christmas Joy', something like 'Now The Days Are Gone', I did like two Christmas songs. But I'm trying to remember some of the songs them that I did for him, but I did several songs for him. I don't remember them right now at this particular moment. Q: But the tradition of forming vocal groups in Jamaica has been slowly fading out over the past twenty years or more, how do you see it? That tradition reflected pretty much what black American music looked like, and when harmony groups no longer is going well in the States, that meant that Jamaicans no longer wanted the harmony sound from vocal groups, is that something you would agree with, or you see it differently? A: No, what happen... it not only that. Beca' when you have a good voice and you have a good back-up group, you feel sure of what you're bringin', yunno. But what happen is that sometimes you have disagreements, each individual might pull in different directions. Sometimes you want the business to go in the right way and one guy... Another problem with groups, yunno, that's why I become a solo artist, beca' everybody have different conception. You might want to do this and them want to do that, you might want to rehearse and a next man want want fe play football, him no feel to rehearse - you understan' me?

Q: Yes. A: And them not dedicated, and a next time again everybody all right again, and you are thinkin' about your career and you cyaan mek nobody pull you back. Beca' if you form a group and everybody have the same mind, you just want to go out there and do some good work - all is fine. But when you have different conceptions - some people slow, some people fast - it don't work, you understand me? Q: Right. Things you experience over and over, that's just group dealings for you I guess. A: Over and over again, everybody have different... some man love girls and because - y'know wha' I mean? And every night them gone with a different girl and through dem t'ings deh you cyaan get them come rehearsal. And now the group get backward beca' nobody inna that tradition. Q: I think the tune for Mudie I was thinking about was 'Push Me In The Corner' by the Eternals, that's another great song by this group. A: OK, yes, yes. Great, by the Eternals, yeah.

Cornell Campbell

Q: You had 'Reach Out My Darling' for Mudie as well. A: I don't remember, but we did some songs. The name, only if them play it I might remember them. Q: (Chuckles) I guess you're right. 'Secrets Of Tomorrow' was another one. A: (Chuckles) Q: But apart from the internal conflicts of a group, it seems as if it was just a part of the times. But you wish it could be more than just a trend, harmony groups. It's something timeless about it. A: Yes, beca' everybody in those days... You see, like if you have a guitar you're playing or you singin' a song, two other guys do get fascinated and might just come an' jus' sing a harmony, and back you up also. And if them sound good, you just use them. But I think all those change now. Q: For the good or for the bad? The music shall not stay the same in order to get further, in other words things like losing the harmony tradition isn't for... A: No, no, no. It's good to have a group. I mean, it all depends on what you're really offering to the world, to your knowledge, what you want to put out to people. But you see, the breaking of a group, if you know that the group is unstable, it don't make no sense to start somet'ing that you're not going finish.

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