Q: Right. What did you record with Pratt again? A: Yeah, a song named 'Jah Jah Dreader Than Dread'. Q: Yeah, you did that one for yourself later on? A: Ohh, a whe yu know so!? Right, and we done it after (laughs)! You know, man (laughter)! Yeah. How you know that, man (chuckles)? Nuff people don't know that! Yes, I did that for Phil Pratt first and then I redone it back for myself again. Yes! For real. Yeah. Q: Why do it again? You wasn't satisfied with Pratt's recording, or you just liked it and wanted to get a fresh update to it? A: I love that song. Loved that song, yes.

Q: Wanted to update it. A: Yes, yes, yes! I loved my song, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Q: I think he still press it. A: Yes, I press it back. Yes. Q: I mean Pratt has done a reissue of that tune. A: Yes, I think he must do that. Right. He must do that, yes. Q: And you did 'Kung Fu Man' at this time, for Perry. A: That's for Lee Perry, yes. Q: That was the only recording you did for Perry? A: No. I think I do about maybe two songs. Q: How did you like the atmosphere at the Black Ark? A: Well, it was great, man. It was a big vibes.

Linval Thompson

Q: Unusual if you were used to the 'regular' studios at least. A: Unusual style, everything, yunno. Yeah man, yeah man. Unusual. We never know how big it was, until now really. Q: That time it was just another studio, like? A: Yes, yes. At that time, yeah. Yeah, ca' at that time you had King Tubby's was the big studio really. King Tubby's was a small studio wha' you could a... if your money is not big, or whe you a young artist with not enough money, so you know King Tubby's is the only one you could go and get the studio very cheap. But we no put the rent like on Lee Perry's studio, we just haffe sing for him, for his own song. But after when I do my own t'ing, I have to go to like Tubby's, ca' it cheap. It never cost me no big money. Q: Suitable for your financial position, starting out small. A: Yes, right. So that's why we always at King Tubby's, trying to do some recording.

Q: So these tunes for Pratt, Stamma and Perry were more or less just giving you a local name, nothing as far as hits? Which tune was the one that you got the break with? A: In Jamaica? Well, the tune that took off was 'Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks', yunno. Q: Right, the one for Bunny Lee. A: Yes, that's the tune that really make everybody know that they have a Linval Thompson, a new artist, all over England and all over America. Q: So what brought you to Bunny Lee? It was Johnny who took you there, or what was the circumstances? He was always interested in something new, untested so to speak? A: Yes, he had a lot of hits, but the only thing is he take long to voice me. Q: He had you waiting for long, huh? A: Yeah man, take long. I've been at the studio more than twice before I could voice. Q: How come? He wasn't fully convinced? A: Well, maybe I'm new so maybe when you're new you take a chance. So you know Johnny Clarke was going strong, he had Cornell Campbell, y'know, so you know that maybe he wouldn't want to take a chance. I can wait, so that's the way I see it. When my time come it was great. Q: You became the studio idler, always hanging out there? A: Yes, Johnny Clarke was my friend, so you know I'm glad to be there with him, waiting, y'know.

Linval Thompson

Linval Thompson

Q: And Johnny was always pushing for you to get that chance for Bunny Lee? A: Yes, yes. He was cool, yeah man, ca'... no problem. Yeah man. Everything was... he was trying, pushing, yeah. All a that too, yeah. Q: I heard the musicians at that time dubbed you 'Priest' for some reason, remember that? A: 'Priest'? Yeah. Q: Where did they get that from? A: Well that come from not in the music, but before I start an' t'ing, yunno. Q: I come to think of the blaxplo movie, 'Superfly', the lead character (chuckles). A: Well, no. It wasn't this, it wasn't because of that. I don't think so. Q: How did you find yourself among the Bunny Lee stable of artists? A: Yeah man, with Bunny Lee, him interested for me to do an album, y'know. When him come to New York he say I must come down back and mek we finish an album. So I did come down and I finish the album, and he release it in England, and it was going good. Q: Who took the distribution for that album in England, was that Shelly? A: I think it was Shelly, yunno. Third World Records, I think it was them, yeah. I think Trojan did put out the 45 too. I think so too, also. Q: So this album took you to a higher region so to speak? A: Well, I think Blood & Fire do a reissue of it right now, couple two years ago or three years ago.

Q: You refer to the 'Ride On Dreadlocks' compilation? A: Right! It was the same 'Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks', it add some more tracks on it. Q: Right, some 12" versions on it to extend the album. A: Yes, some of my 12"-inch too, my personal songs he also add to it, like 'Jah Guiding Star'. Yes. Q: Soon after that Bunny Lee album you entered self-production on a bigger scale, how did it work for you in the beginning? A: I did make some songs, but I never get it released. Yeah. After I sing a song named 'Train To Zion', that's where I start my own t'ing. Q: How did it come about? A: Well, some guy approached me, some young guys to do some recording. So I sing the first song for them named 'Train To Zion'. It was a hit, a very big hit after the Bunny Lee songs. Q: And that was Socialist Roots. A: Socialist Roots, right. Yeah. And then I get a couple of riddim from them, and I put an album together, but I never did get it released. Q: Oh, so you had like a full LP at that time? A: Yes, yes, yes. With some tracks, make up some tracks, but I never get it released. And then I think I... Q: Did you have a title for the album? A: No. No, it never have a title, no. Q: You still have the tracks stored, parked somewhere? A: Yeah! Yeah man. Q: That should come out. A: Not really. Q: No (chuckles)? A: Not really, ca' you know more time you have to pick the tracks them now, ca' everything change, yunno. It have to be a tough track. To me some of my tracks them no really tough, so you know...

Q: So it's a fact that your second album never came out. Never heard about that. A: Right, the tracks deh never really come out on my behalf. You know, some of the tracks dem is on an album whe is coming out now on Makasound too. Q: You mean 'Rocking Vibration'? A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. A couple of them tracks is on that. Q: On your own now, how did you wanna approach the production of the music, what do you look for, specifically? What did you hear different when working for others, what did you wanna achieve on your own that you felt restricted to when doing stuff for others? You participate a lot or you leave it to the musicians to conduct the process when recording, or you mainly take part when it's getting mixed and so on? A: OK. Well, the first thing I do, when I go I have an intention what I want, what I'm looking for. So I have to listen and hear what they're coming up with, and I say no, I want this style, or I want this to go this way. And when I hear it, I say yes, I like that. You understand? If I don't hear it, I'm not gonna feel happy. So that's it, y'know what I mean? I just don't make it play what I don't feel comfortable with, no. Ca' even before I go I have an idea a'ready, what I'm looking for. And if you singin' a song for me, I kinda know what I want before you even start to sing. So if you do something different, I say no, try it this way, or try it this style, y'know what I mean? I always do that, because like I have a vibes what I think. Maybe I don't know everyt'ing, but I have an idea. Q: And this approach is not following the same model for everyone you work with, to identify with 'your' sound - how is it shaped, how would you describe it? A: Well, I think every artist have a style, and every artist should have a style, see. So right now, if I'm using three artists, I'm looking for three different styles. And the way how they sing, I listen the way to how they sing first, and I know what I want, from the way how they sing. And the type of lyrics, and how they put their lyrics before I say yes, I want that, that's OK. They just don't sing just like that, and I say yes/no. It's what I feel.

Q: You simply project your own... A: Yes. Yeah man, what I feel. Because you see, I do like a search, a research, what the public really need, and what the public really want, and what I think is right. Q: How do you do that, to keep yourself updated, it's mainly about going to dances, or at least used to be? A: Well yes, listen the radio, listen the dance, and talk to more people, y'know what I mean, like overseas people. What selling, what not selling. Do a research. Like I come to France now, I'm glad to come, ca' right now I just don't come and do one t'ing, I come to listen what's on the market. What different people need, what they like and what they don't like. You know, I do a research on that. I think from there. Seen. Like I come now, I see that England is really not a big market again, it kinda come back to France. That's what I see right away. So I see something is wrong right there, the business is changing. I see this right away, for ourselves. I see France have more younger youths trying to get into the reggae business, and they love the reggae more than England right now. Just like Jamaica is in the dancehall, not in the roots. So is many lickle t'ing you can see, y'know. But if you stay in one place you really can't see it. And that's what I look for. Q: You have to spread out. A: Right, right. That's why I wouldn't mind to come over in your country and see what's happening for myself.

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