Q: What about the Twelve Tribe Band, they had the Orthodox label too, whoever it was, Hugh Boothe or someone like that. Were you ever a part of that band? A: Like I say now, I play guitar also. Eventually I start to play in the band named Generation Gap band, which was also a band who regard Twelve Tribe members, a band which was established 'pon the road a'ready. But all of the band members dem hook up on Twelve Tribes members dem. I also used to play guitar with dem and sing with dem. Q: The Generation Gap had horn players like Lloyd Kerr and Mike Carroll. A: Yeah. Mikey Carroll. Mikey was a good bredren, for long years I no see the man. Well, Dalton Browne was the major man who really give all the concept to we. Dalton is the man who teach Freddie, and Dalton's bredda is the same bredren who play drums with Steely, who become Steely & Cleavie. Yeah, Dalton was the main man who really got interested in me playing guitar with Generation Gap, at the same time I used to practice the bass guitar an' t'ing. Q: Who taught you bass, was that Bagga? A: Well, Bagga just kinda inspire me, y'know. He woulda tell me seh well, "Yeah that sound good" and, y'know, rey rey. But he no really sit down with I man like him teach me. But that just come from inside of me, jus' play the guitar. So after a while Twelve Tribe bass-player had to go and marry, go to England, and them ask me if I would sit in on bass same way now. So I couldn't really refuse that invitation either, so I started to playin' the bass in Twelve Tribe Band, y'know, which never really leaving out my singin' career. 'Cause I man at that point so much people strain me 'pon the singin' and I never want to be a part of the singin', that time I wouldn't be singin' more upfront, I practice the playing. But I sacrifice fe a portion of years really jus' playin' a instrument and hardly doing any singin', really. So I used to play the bass in Twelve Tribe Band, backing up many singers, y'know. Back up Judy Mowatt, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, all the major names dem, I play bass for them a'ready. Stuff like that, Brigadier Jerry, and most other artists, many other artists. Q: I think the Orthodox label was run by Hugh Boothe, Jahlove Muzik, these guys. Did you record as part of the band for them? A: No, the Orthodox label, I never really get the chance fe record for the Orthodox label, but I did an album for Brigadier which is 'Jamaica, Jamaica', y'know. I play all a them bass deh, on Brigadier album named 'Jamaica, Jamaica', is the album name. Q: Right, I think you told me about a bunch of other groups and artists within the organisation, I forgot who some of them was, but Fred Locks was a major name. Another one was Dan Hutson. A: Dan Hutson, yeah. Gilly Gilbert...

Sangie Davis

Q: Albert Malawi, another vocalist. A: Albert Malawi, he was both a singer and a drummer. He is the same Ilawi who play with Jah Love, select with Jah Love - Ilawi y'know. Q: Right, the long running sound system. A: Yeah. Cherry Rock (which is Anthony 'Rocky' Ellis who cut 'I'm the Ruler' for Studio One), who used to sing. Q: Carl Fletcher, Ewan Naphtali? A: Eh? Ewan Naphtali, a whole bunch of singers, man. I'm telling you, Spliffy Dan, Gilly Gilbert, so many singers, man. Q: And Sangie Davis as well. A: Sangie Davis. Yeah, him used to play guitar in Twelve Tribe Band too. Q: There was some groups too, but the names has escaped me (The Light of Love was another female duo associated with the Twelve Tribes)... you mentioned them the last time we spoke. A: Still Cool. Still Cool was another major group, them man deh was like really firm an' t'ing and always carry them outfit and all a that, and singin'. Was one of the Twelve Tribe major groups, y'know.

Q: Back to Studio One now, did you get the chance to back up other people down there? A: Yeah, I sing some harmonies for people still. I sing harmony for quite a few, I sing harmony on Freddie McGregor song 'Bobby Babylon' and I sing for the sister deh all now, what's she name again...? Q: Jennifer Lara (now deceased)? A: Jennifer Lara and another sister too, one of them elder female singers, she was a beautiful voice. I did some harmony for quite a few artists. Q: Perhaps Winston Francis, his 'Going To Zion' was cut around that time I think. A: Winston Francis, 'Going To Zion'? Q: Yeah. Remember that song? A: No, it's possible, man, 'cause I used to do a lot of harmony also. Q: I forgot about another Twelve Tribes singer, you had the man called I Kong. A: I Kong? I know I Kong, yeah, but I never really do any work with I Kong. I guess we sing 'pon a few shows an' t'ings like that. Q: Then you went over to Canada sometime in the eighties from what I understand, you recorded or was that a tour with Generation Gap? A: Yeah, well, I record over there but it wasn't like my recording, I did some recording for Brigadier and Ilawi over there in Toronto. We don't do any singin' neither, just keep something going and play some bass for people and Ilawi play some drums, and we record some things. Q: It never came out? A: Actually no, not that I know of, y'know. I went to England and also did an album, my second. My first album never release as yet.

Gussie P (Photo: Teacher)

Q: The Gussie P album? A: For Gussie P, yeah. Q: What was leading up to that trip, you performed at a dance in Southern England, a Twelve Tribes arrangement? A: Yeah, I went over there on a Twelve Tribe occasion. Q: This is like twelve years ago now. A: Yeah, somewhere there. This bredda have a sound system and wanted me fe sing like special for him, y'know. So he take me to this studio and right away this guy Gussie P, him just know of me already. I don't know this guy from nowhere would know of me and so him start sing the songs and I said "Wait, this man know my music dem". Was a nice vibes towards I man and everyt'ing, he proposed doing an album with me an' t'ing, and I agree. So we get started in the studio after a while and actually finish an album, fourteen songs we made. Q: You did that over a period of, what, three weeks? A: (Laughs) Yeah, I'm telling you... Q: Quick stuff. A: Was a fast move an' t'ing fe real (chuckles). Yeah, because the time was coming for me to leave England, y'know. And just have to sacrifice and I give thanks to this sistren named Sonia Zebulun who was really instrumental in taking me around, driving me back and forth from the studio and make sure me eat some and all that. So that's Sonia Zebulun, Jah bless her for all a them things she do for I, yunno. Yeah, and so that was like that, we accomplish the work, finish it up. And Gussie him never really give me the rightful due what me is due, y'know. Until now Gussie no deal with I man, the royalties offa me album right now Gussie sell t'ings all over the place, Gussie no seek for I and I man or nutten or communicate with I or nutten, y'know. Gussie is just a next lickle pirate, I couldn't believe that when I run into him, yunno. Just a next pirate the lickle man. Q: Have you approached them about this? A: Basically Gussie no waan deal with me, Gussie no waan... stop to talk to me, you see. 'Cause, from the album done I coulda see the vibes change, from I man done voice up the songs them fe him, you coulda see here him have no more love or show I man again any from that, y'know. So the most important t'ing for him must have been me record the songs them. So, for me that's just a next pirate deh.

Judah Eskender Tafari (Photo: Tim Barrow)

Judah Eskender Tafari (Photo: Tim Barrow)

Q: It's not a bad album overall, the 'Rastafari Tell You', but you feel - in general - there is something lacking in the mix. It lacks that 'sting' there. A: Yeah, it coulda mix better or somet'ing. Q: Not only because it's mainly computerized, but it could be less... you know. A: Yeah. Q: The mixing could have done a lot to give it a warmer sound. I dunno, that's just what I hear. A: Yeah man. Him should have someone ride to the station an' dem t'ings deh and jus' a look 'pon certain t'ing so t'ings a go work, yunno. You haffe know wha' you a deal with, you na deal with 'uhh uhh Jah children dem', you haffe know wha' you a do. These t'ings use to help us in the beginning, yunno. Q: I remember reading somewhere in an interview with Freddie McGregor about ten to twelve years back, that since his Big Ship studio was set up, he wanted to produce the debut album for you for instance. A: Yeah, but that never actually materialized, he never really contact me 'pon the t'ing there. Freddie never really get to me officially 'pon that, really. That is just all proposes, proposing t'ings. Never make I man insterested, 'cause I was there if he wanted to do an album with me, I was always there. I guess that's just one of many of his meditations, what him meditate upon. I figure an artist like that woulda really have I man beside him all the way, due to we all come up from Studio One and been through ups and downs an' everyt'ing with Coxson. I guess every man is for themselves, y'know. Q: But you're still up for it if he suggest a project like that? A: Of course I would've done it, man. Like I say, I've already worked for most people an' t'ings. But like I say he jus' never really seek I out still to accomplish that.

Q: What about Jah Mel, or Jahmel, your close bredren - what have you done with or for him? A: Yeah, we used to live like truly brothers, yunno. Me and Jah Mel, I used to be at Jah Mel house all the time an' t'ings inna Jamaica, inna Pembroke Hall, yunno. Yeah, I still have nuff love for that youth deh, but it's been years now I no really have no contact with him or nutten. So I don't know how the situation is with Jah Mel right now, I still count Jah Mel as one of my bredren. Q: You did some work on his first album, right? A: Yeah, I did some harmony, some background vocal on his first album too, yes. People always say me and him sounded alike, man, and stuff like that. Yeah, him sound like me an' t'ing (chuckles). Q: Things are happening for him right now because I saw he just finished a tour in England, promoting the first (self-titled) album for Penthouse, Donovan Germain's label in Jamaica. A: Oh yeah? I don't know 'bout that, I didn't know about that. And that sound good, y'know, more power to him, all the best to him.

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