Q: Were you a member of any group, like in the late sixties or around that period, before you recorded solo?

A: (Laughs) Actually, my first try was with a group called Silvertones, with Lloyd, Shirley and Roy. Then, the first song they did was 'True Confession' - you remember that song, right? But I didn't record with them, because they would - I met them...

Q: Their line-up was Keith Coley, Delroy Denton and Horace Grant at the time.

A: That's right, Shirley - yeah, we call him 'Shirley' (Gilmour 'Horace' Grant). Actually, what happened was that the night before that they went to record that for Duke Reid at the studio, I realised that they didn't want me to come. So, I never showed up, y'know. But I rehearsed with them for a while and was a part of the group but I never record with them. Well, after I saw that I decide, well, I was gonna do what I have to do by myself, and that was how it worked out. A lot of times I saw how groups acted, because at the rehearsal someone would show up and others wouldn't show up, what do we show up to; one was late and one was in a hurry, and all a that. So, I wanted to be punctual and depended on me, so I just did it by myself, y'know, and that's how it came out.

Q: Right, a simple solution to the complications a group had to face.

A: Right, right, I could depend on me. I knew exactly what 'me' was gonna do, y'know (laughs).

Q: What was the first attempt at recording now, if we move into the early seventies?

A: I used to hang out at Idlers Rest.

Q: Chancery Lane? Like everyone else.

A: North Parade, yes. Between Randy's and Joe Gibbs, right there in front of the park at Parade. And I - before that actually, before that I came into Kingston in 1960, and I was supposed to be going to school. But for the love of the music, I wouldn't go to school. I would be found by Prince Buster's at daytime. Mom thought I was in school, but I was like at Prince Buster in the daytime, or by Coxson in the daytime. So I started to know a lot of these guys but I wasn't doing any recording then. Delroy (Wilson) was the guy I became very close (to), and I became close to Bunny Lee. At that time the Wailers was about to be forming, because Devon Nicey - which was the Schoolgirls at the time, was recording for Prince Buster when they did that song 'Love Another Love', I don't know if you know about it?

Q: No, I haven't heard it.

A: That song, it was a big hit at the time (sings the chorus) 'Love another love, sent from heaven above, you were made for me...', and then they had the Schoolboys which was Colin and Reju, Colin and Rejubi - the Rejubi now, and they were the School Boys and they did a song called 'Little Dilly'. So I was up and coming with them but, I don't know, they wasn't makin' it so I decided was go back to school, so I went back. So I pick up education for a while, for about a couple of years. Then I went into the army, and I went to do corrections. And while I was in corrections I started to try again, and that was when my big break came, with Sonia Pottinger when I did 'One Night of Sin'.

Q: But before this, didn't you record with Ossie Hibbert?

A: Yeah, that was what I was about to tell you. I did a song for Ossie Hibbert called 'Ishan Man', and I think I did one also for Bunny Lee called 'I'll Fight My Way'. I did a couple of little things but never really broke, y'know, until I did that big one for Sonia Pottinger. And then it all started to happen.

Q: This must be, what, around '72?

A: '72, yeah.

Q: How is Sonia Pottinger different, productionwise, from other producers at this time, as you see it?

A: Well, she was more like a mother, she was like a family. When you worked with her, you was a part of her family. She was a very caring person. You could go to her house, you could eat, you could go into her refridgerator and get something. You know, you were a part of her family. 'Cos at the time Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, myself, Joe White - well, I don't know if she treated everybody the same, but that's the relationship I had, y'know. And I think it was the same with Marcia and Judy. We would go to her house and if we had any problems she was there for us.

Q: Supportive.

A: Yeah, yeah. She was a very nice lady.

Q: Seems like most of the artists that worked for her has a lot of respect for her even up to this day.

A: Yes, she's a darling, she's a sweet. I love her, I love her very much, y'know. And she could call me anytime and had me doing anything for her, 'cos I respect her, y'know. She gave me love in the business. It wasn't like other people that I worked for who just wanted to use me for the talent that I have. She was a mother.

Q: Why did her husband, Lindon, leave the business in the sixties? At least withdrew from production.

A: Well, actually I don't think he quit it. I think what happened is that - she's a very strong lady and she knows exactly what she wants, and I think her husband felt a little bit of competition. He felt a little bit of competition, and he didn't want her to be a part of the business. When she did - she told me a story about when she did 'Every Night', and when he found out that she had produced the song, she said there was a certain impression on his face and she thought that he would've been happy that she did it. But that wasn't how it came out. Yeah, so she just get her independence and did what she wanted to do.

Q: So he was more in the background from now on, or they had a divorce soon thereafter?

A: Yeah, they had a divorce but he went into one of the islands and was doing the business down there, because I think I gave a man to give him license to a couple of songs. But this was the same songs now that made me so big in Brazil, at this time. I am one of the biggest reggae artists in Brazil, I don't know if you know that?

Q: Yes, I've heard something about it.

A: Yeah, when I perform in Brazil my audience is like 25 to 30 000 people coming on to see me. And it's amazing. But also, this had an input on Sonia Pottinger too, because she was one of the persons who were sending salesmen through the Caribbean south and Central America back in the seventies trying to sell reggae music to these people down there. And with those my music went down there too. So the shows, the young folks that comes out to see me now at my concerts, they grew up to us, and they used to grew up on my music too. 'GG' Ranglin had a lot to do with it too, because he had a salesman going down there. And Mr Pottinger was down there and he did a lot of distribution down there too.

Q: I wasn't aware of the market they were heading at back then, in Central America - GG's, High Note, etc, a bit ahead of their time perhaps.

A: Right, right. But when I landed at the airport in I think it was Sao Luís and I saw all these people, I never thought that all these people came to see me, and it was like 3000 people at the airport. I never thought, y'know, that was me. And I had a personal assistant with me - his name is Iwa Jones, and he said "Jackie, all these people has come to meet you". And since that time they have not announced anytime artists coming into Brazil - they approach artists, like, because the people come to the airport and they step on the fence to crash it, break down the place and everything, y'know, trying to get a peak. So they always sneak me in when I'm going into Brazil. I'm going in and just have people to pick me up at the airport, they don't know that I'm coming in, y'know, they don't do that anymore.

Q: Yeah. We're getting back to Brazil later. So what was the link-up with Ossie Hibbert, was Ossie already working with Joe Gibbs at that time?

A: No, it's that - Joe Gibbs and I was like brethren at the time, we were planning to do something. And I had a song called 'House Rent' and I had another one called 'Mini Skirt', and up to this day Joe Gibbs still think that this guy that did 'Oh What A Mini' - I had a song like that. I used to sing my songs, I don't know if people steal my songs anyway, anybody takin' an idea out of my songs, makin' songs and all a that.

Q: 'Oh What A Mini', that's a Willie Francis song, the Little Willie label. He gave Cocoa Tea his start in the business back then, I think.

A: Yeah! Right. And then Joe Gibbs was very upset, because he was lookin' for me to do mine, and he couldn't find me. But Joe Gibbs and I was like buddies, y'know. We're still buddies. He respect me, I respect him. I'd do anything for him. Right now, he has an album there with me that if he doesn't release it I'm gonna ask him for it, y'know.

Q: When was that recorded?

A: Two years ago. That was a follow-up album for this one that is out now. This one that is released in the United States is 'I Still Love You', but released in Brazil as 'Look 'Pon You', but it's the same album. I just didn't like the way the colours and the artwork was done, it was not done professionally. The picture that they put on the album cover, I was learned and I had understood and I looked at it and I found out that on the album cover of 'Look 'Pon You' is the face of a dog...

Q: (Laughs)

A: And it's upside down! They turned the dog, they took the picture of the dog, and turned the face upside down, and it says 'Look 'Pon You'. So I didn't appreciate whoever did the artwork or whoever came up with that concept. I know it wasn't Joe Gibbs, because it isn't Joe Gibbs' thing to do. And I was very upset about that. So I changed the name after speaking with Joe Gibbs and getting the rights for the album from Sidney Crooks - Luddy, for the release in the United States. I just changed the name and they did a perfect job on the cover, and that's how it comes out as 'I Still Love You', which is the title track. And the third track on the album is now in the New York and Florida reggae charts as number eight.

Q: Who did you work with for that Joe Gibbs project?

A: That's Hubie Banton, Lloyd Parks, Lloyd Parks' daughter, Mighty Two. But Hubie plays most of the instruments on the album.

Q: So this was produced at Joe Gibbs' new studio? I heard he set up a new studio.

A: Well, it's the old studio and he did a little refurbishing.

Q: So it's the same premises.

A: Yeah, yeah.

Q: And Joe Gibbs and Luddy Crooks (of the Pioneers) work closely these days?

A: I think so. Luddy (laughs)... I don't think they're too hot right now. I wouldn't want to say anything more on that, but I don't think they're too hot right now. They have differences, y'know, but they could be workin' together.