Q: Before we move into anything else, I should ask how you came to sight up Rastafari? This has been or is pretty central in your repertoire, obviously.

A: Well, that was born within, yunno. Is only develop within the I, that was born within. Yeah, because from when I was a young boy my grandparents taught me about Africa, a lot. And they teach me how we come to exist in the west. I know as far as my African name, yunno, I know that we are from Ghana, and I know that my African name is Quao. So my grandparents was very much, I wouldn't say 'cultural', but those days they could not expose themselves. Ca' my grandfather he was a Christian, he was a churchman, and he didn't teach me about church. He would more tell me about Africa and how we come to exist in the west.

Q: They were followers of Garvey?

A: No, not what I know of. I know that they were church people, they went to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. But they were different kind of a Christian people, beca' they don't teach me about the church. My grandfather would say 'The further from church is nearer to God'. He say that church cannot save me. So a clean hand and a pure in heart, y'know. So all they was teachin' me of the church, he always teach me more of Africa.

Q: Not too common in those days, I guess. Unusual?

A: Very, very. But that's what used to happen, beca' I usually go to the farm with him a lot of time and he would say things to me, he would tell me a lot of things about Africa. My grandmother she told me she come from the Congo, Ghana, and our name is Quao. The first person, the boy that came to the west, his name was Quao. And even a little while ago, when I was talking to the promoter, he knew some people as 'Quao'. And whenever time I say that, y'know, is like people know it.

Q: Good to hear the link has been maintained well over the years, it's a strong link.

A: Yes man, every time, every time. Cannot fade away (chuckles).

Q: You have always stood for a special sound within the music, I would like to know more specifically about your influences. I hear a very mento- or folk-oriented sound, Jamaican traditional sounds or something around that, and combined with old-time Rhythm & Blues.

A: As I say, I come from the church, and we take the Rhythm & Blues and the calypso and make it into ska/rock steady. You know, is only a matter of slowin' up some of the instruments, and speedin' up some, you understan'?

Q: Yes. But there's that particular Ethiopians sound that, to my ears, relies heavily on the mento feel, plus the old form of R&B. I think this is something that is unique about your sound, you would agree with that?

A: Listen my brother, in those days you had to create a sound, you had to have your own sound. You have to make songs and make a dance after to make the song selling. You have to make a dance out of the song, you understan'?

Q: So that was necessary, to create a dance to market it?

A: It was necessary, that's the only way your song is gonna get a lot of play. You have to make a dance of it. When it's playing the people dem dance how you dance, yunno. Yeah man, you have to make a dance to the song in the early days, that's the only way you gonna have dem sell. You gotta do somet'ing different. The change of the days is creativity, y'know, it's completely different from now, because they are creating a sound, you have to create the dance to make that sound sell. And I ever love to create new style, new patterns, even until this day.

Q: Then you moved on from Coxson to a lot of other producers, from Matador to Prince Buster.

A: Well, Matador was just a little pass-through, and also Prince Buster was a little pass-through. Derrick Harriott was a little pass-through, I did about two or three songs for each of those producer. I think I do about two for Matador. But my main producer was really Sir JJ.

Q: Right, but that was a bit later, wasn't it, or you met him in the mid sixties?

A: '68.

Q: When did you go into the Treasure Isle studio, recording for Duke Reid?

A: That Duke Reid recording, I did one for Duke. I think that was from '69, 'Pirate'. I can't remember if it was from '69.

Q: I thought that was for Sonia Pottinger, but it seems I got that mixed-up. I guess she reissued that track.

A: No man, that's for Duke. I want you to know, I didn't do any songs for Sonia Pottinger, y'know. No man, Sonia Pottinger is a thief. The songs that Sonia Pottinger have - 'The Whip', 'Cool It Amigo', 'Stealing', 'Mama', 'Train To Glory' - all those songs, they are my production, they are my money. I did 'Train To Skaville', so 'Train To Skaville' is my money, yunno. And the money that I got from 'Train To Skaville', I did 'The Whip', 'Stay Loose Mama', 'Cool It Amigo', 'Train To Glory', and I had to leave Jamaica for a tour in England. That was the first tour with I when Desmond Dekker was also there too.

Q: And that was in sixty-...?

A: '68. '67/68, right. And when I was leaving Jamaica, I left my tapes, give to Sonia Pottinger to do my distribution. And I could ask her to this day, I haven't received them back, y'know. I am now in the process of where lawyers is concerned, to regain all my tapes from her. Because it is not for Sonia Pottinger. It is my material, she stole them.

Q: You certainly have been victim of a lot of piracy over the years, like many others.

A: Well, that 'Pirate' was made off Lloyd Matador. Yeah, he was the one that I made that off.

Q: Yes, but speaking about bootlegging, there's a lot of that sort of Ethiopians stuff out there, I've seen several French CD's for example with Sir JJ material.

A: Yeah man, Sonia Pottinger is one like that. She's doing a lot of that.

Q: Well, you aren't the only one, but you've come across a lot of piracy with your material, that's for sure.

A: Yes man, I come across... up to the other day I come across some. One of my producer that I give a lot of respect to, I thought he was one of my best friend, that was Studio One - Sir Coxson. And just in the end of last year, I found out that all the songs that I did for Sir JJ - because Sir JJ died, and y'know where Sir JJ is concerned I technically own those recordings. Coxson go around, and Coxson tried to own and register all JJ's stuff and register all the stuff that I did for myself, as a co-writer (chuckles). And a fraud-contract that I signed, that I signed a contract with him from 1966.

Q: OK, a fake thing.

A: Yes. So, it's one of my biggest problems. So right now Sparta in Florida and Big World in England, they are at it. But I guess it's going slow now, because it won't be gaining much. So it's kinda off it now, y'know.

Q: When the ever-changing sound in reggae switch to a new trend or form, you have always stood firm. You have your own niche in the music, even back then you had it maintained, very consistently over the years.

A: Of course, man. You know, if I had tried to change, I don't think I would be here now. Because I've got to be myself and I'm here to produce roots music, how can I change from that? You see what I mean? I cannot change from that, and it's that forever. All I can do is try to create a little more style and a little more pattern, but the basics got to be there. That is the reason why I do not leave acoustic music, y'know. My foundation got to be acoustic, I don't need a machine drum. I love my string bass, I love my bass - natural bass, I love the guitar. I can't use computer to play those instruments.

Q: But still you've done a few in that style, using new technology, for people like Coxson.

A: Yeah. That is drum machine, but there's a drummer on the new album that is out now, 'Mystic Man' - you got that one?

Q: No, not yet.

A: OK. Well, before 'Mystic Man', there wasn't no drum machine. You know, is just lately now I see Downbeat using drum machine. I did some in America when I was living in New York with him, yunno, but that wasn't much. A lotta those song, I didn't hear them.

Q: The first tour overseas, in England in '68, how did that come about? This was through Bruce White?

A: No, it was through Doctor Bird Records, what's his name again...? Graeme Goodall. Graeme Goodall, he is the one who hook me up to Commercial (Entertainment Agency) now, which is Bruce White and Tony Cousins (as told in the book 'Solid Foundation' by Dave Katz). And I did, like, I think it's two years straight, two to three years with them.

Q: There was several tours in England at that time then?

A: Yes, yes. And they were all long tours - three months. Yeah man, at that time 'Train To Skaville' was going, 'Free Man', 'Owe Me No Pay Me'. Yeah, all those song was sellin' a lot in England in those days. People used to tell me that when 'Owe Me No Pay Me' and 'Free Man' sell in England, I should come in my own aeroplane (chuckles). And I could see it in the venues dem when I work, y'know.

Q: You and Stephen went over, but you didn't have your own band brought over from Jamaica? You had an English band to back you up?

A: Yes, it was an English band, that was The Rudies. The next year I used The Healers (?). The Rudies was the best band in England in those time. When I left the Rudies, I took the Rudies along when I finished with them, I went back to Jamaica. It was then the Rudies become the number one band in England. And the next year when we came up, y'know, they got swell-headed and me aks to change them to the Healers. And when I left again the Healers become the number one band (laughs)!

Q: I think the Rudies became the Cimarons... uh no, sorry, they became Greyhound later on, a pop-reggae group, 'Black & White' and those type of songs.

A: OK.

Q: Did you take time out to record anything while in England?

A: Yes, one song. One slow song.

Q: Which one was that?

A: 'Sharing You'.