Q: Suppose you liked the English classes in school, writing, expressing yourself?

A: Yeah! I did (laughs)! Yes, and I use to work ideas when I used to do like time-keeping, work for my dad. I'm always with the pen (laughs)! Always. Even now I find myself in that. You know, it's like a habit. Always have to have some pen and a paper writin' some shit (laughs)! You know what I mean!

Q: In that early flow of songs you did, was there a lot of those that you kept and didn't use until some time into the seventies? Was the quantity - and quality - that big?

A: Yeah, there was a few. It's like it was a daily thing. I always like to write a song. You know, like, I get one word maybe just walking. Just a word come to me like "bad man dare" and I'll just scratch it down. And then I'll go home and take my time an' say "what took it by that?", you know what I mean? That's the way I use to write my songs. The way I use to have... I used to have a lot of song. A lotta song - recording, recording! I have to have stuff ready, y'know?

Q: Suppose you didn't use a reel-to-reel recorder in those early days for composing?

A: No, I never had one. I never have that 'til maybe late, maybe in the seventies I bought one. Yeah, but in the early days I never have nuttin' (laughs)! Tried to memorise it.

Q: What type of environment did you like to write in? Wrote late at night, went up to the hills or out in the bush?

A: I used to do a lot in the bush. Used to go in the bushes. Yeah, I used to write a lot in the bush and late at night. I was like an observer. Anything I see with a topic I just write it down an' I take it from there. But I do a lotta writing in the bushes an' by the riverside. 'Ca we used to have a river - a main river - an' I used to go like by the riverside with my guitar, like Gabba Hill with rocks an' stuff like that, and I used to go up there a lot an' jus' meditate and write. Get a lot of inspiration up there, man. When you hear that stream flowing an' you know... your thoughts fly! For real, man. I remember those days.

Q: What was it about Sibbles and the Heptones sound that appealed so much to you in the early days?

A: Well, tell you the truth - I think that's the only opportunity I did have to go amongst a recording artist. So I take advantage of the situation because this guy now George that was in the group (Itals) he knows Heptones - he go around Heptones. At that time he was the only guy I know that knows a recording artist that I could be around. Not to say that Heptones wasn't a group I really loved. You know, it was a group I really love. But that was the only opportunity I have to go amongst someone who is in the business. So I never delayed - I jumped to the opportunity, yunno?

Q: George - who was that again?

A: He's a... they used to have a group named the Itals. They never get too popular, beca' there was two Itals.

Q: One of them came big in the seventies with 'In A Dis Ya Time' though?

A: Yes, that was the one who make it but the one I was talking about was earlier. They used to do like festival an' stuff like that. Was a good group but they never...

Q: Recorded?

A: They recorded but they never really break to the public really, y'know? I think they did one song for Coxsone too. They was the firs' Itals.

Q: Q: When it was time for you to leave for Kingston and look to find a place in the business, how old were you at that time?

A: When I went to Kingston is around 16 or inna those age-group. I was pretty young - 16 going to 17 - 18. I don't think I was around eighteen yet, I was around sixteen. When I go to Kingston it was around 16 or earlier because the firs' song - or the second song - 'Billy Goat', I know I was around 18 that time beca' I remember the song was about being 16 or 18, so I was about 15 or 16. In those age-group.

Q: In May Pen, were you ever a part of any musical constellation before forming the Maytones with Gladstone?

A: No, I never, no... I never sing with no one else really.

Q: So when did you discover that you could get a group together with Gladstone and make a serious approach about it, getting the songs recorded and so on? Like a next step from just being a hobby?

A: Yeah, at firs' it was, that's true (laughs).We used to fool around on the streetside with a lot of guys and we used to have a little place there where we perform like something an' you have a lotta guys coming in like Glen (Washington) and those guys. For some reason I didn't know really why, but for some reason I was playing with Gladstone, you know what I mean? I find that the two voice kinda blend. That's how we take it from there. At firs' when we jus' said "yeah, well, let's form a group", he was singin' lead, y'know?

Q: Yeah?

A: Yeah (chuckles)! Yeh, that's the way we were trying to make the group. For him singing lead. But, you know, I guess he couldn't handle that, so I start to sing lead. He don't write song or nutten like that, y'know?

Q: From the early stage, was the group ever a trio or even a quartet over a short period?

A: No, at once we tried to bring a guy into the group there but it never last more than a few weeks. It never make a difference, so we jus' say no. And there was rumours that Ranglin was in, but Ranglin wasn't a part of our group. I sang one song with Ranglin and that's it.

Q: So then you decided to move down to Kingston and check the music scene?

A: Well, those guys Itals they invite me so I say I'm gonna jump to the opportunity, so I jus' took off an' went to Kingston. And I stayed there for a little while. Just observed what's going on and what it's all about. Until I go back to May Pen and say "yes, I'm ready for this now". Someone introduced me - a guy named Trevor introduce me to Ranglin, we went for an interview (audition) and right away he said yes.

Q: How did you find life in Trench Town at first? Coming from a peaceful neighborhood in the countryside and entering the Kingston ghetto must have been somewhat a strange experience?

A: Yeah (laughs)! Yes, it was an experience. I remember we had to cook our own food an' stuff like that. It was really an experience.

Q: Where did you settle down then? Did you know somebody from your hometown living there?

A: Fourth Avenue. Yeh, I met someone after (I went). I met a girl after and then I moved from Trench Town to Vineyard Town. I met this girl and we were movin' good an' introduced me to her place and then I settle more there in Vineyard Town. So from Vineyard Town I was going like back and forth to Fourth Avenue, Trench Town to May Pen, you know what I mean? I never really make certain weeks or months past that I don't make a run down, like May Pen and so on.

Q: You never had any daytime thing to support yourself there, to get a little income?

A: No, not really. 'Ca we used to go up to country for food an' stuff like that fe cook, an' t'ing. Dumplin an' breadfruit and... y'know what I mean (laughs)! We haffe load up and load up to go a serve fe a month an'... grapefruit a run out again - a gone again, and stuff like that.

Q: How can you now recall Vineyard Town?

A: It was rough you know, man. It was rough. Like an experience, man. 'Ca it was a lot a politics an' gunshot an' the whole works, yunno? No big difference to today deh. Nah, same t'ing been going on. I did have strong faith still so I...

Q: You never got involved in that ghetto badness like other youths your age?

A: No, no. That's something - it wasn't a part of me. 'Ca the family I grew up with there's no form of those things. Yes, so at no time I was tempted to go into that. My goal was jus' music, to really get seh "yes, I'm a singer". And there was nuttin else. Not to say that the bribe was hangin' around, yunno (laughs)! I grow up with good people. It's hard for me to change.

The Maytones.

Q: How did you find the Heptones posse at that first encounter? You became close as far as I understood, speaking about friendship, musically and all that?

A: Yeah, I did get very close with all them. Even now when Leroy (Sibbles) and I meet it's... him still seh "wha 'appen youth"?, you know wha' I mean (laughs)! The last time I met him maybe two years ago it's the same t'ing, him always jus' call me "youth" (laughs). But I used to get along with Barry and Earl - I was closer with Barry and Earl. You know, beca' Leroy was a man whe jus' move. Sometime them hear I during rehearsal an' them just come in an'... But that was my joy how them grab the big talent start, you know wha' I mean (laughs)? Yeah, beca' if a pin drop yuh hear it! You know, jus' focus.

Q: Where were they based then - the Heptones? Same area as you?

A: Yeah, they were living at Fourth Avenue, in Trench Town. Yeah man, used to go there. The guys that I know, they get a room so I stay with them. But it was in the same yard, it was a big yard, yunno? Like a Tenament Yard.

Q: What was the crowd gathering like around the Heptones in that yard, working on songs and joining in?

A: A lotta entertainer used to pass by but I never really know some a them, by name or nuttin. But there was a lot 'cause when it's rehearsal night man a lot of people come around, and stuff like that. I think Joe Higgs used to come around, you know. But there was a few, but I didn't really know them by name or something.

Q: Who was this Trevor Lloyd that introduced you to Ranglin?

A: That was a guy I met in May Pen. He was a guy from Kingston, he come to May Pen to work. And then he hear about us and we do even two songs with him too. We do some harmony for him too. 'Ca he was the one who get in touch with Ranglin, to do a song for himself. And we do the harmony and stuff for him. At the same time he introduce we too so we have an audition with Ranglin. And he liked our sound so we go along with it - for we take the opportunity, ya know wha' I mean (laughs)?

Q: First I thought you met Ranglin in Kingston, but have since understood that he had a shop in May Pen - a record shop. That's where you met. How did you find him, his character and so on?

A: No, the first he had when we met was a repair shop - like, technician shop. He fix radios and stuff like that. I would say that I did find him cool at that time. 'Ca you could see that it's not a guy with money or nuttin. He was jus' a tryin' guy. I have some respect for him in that sense. Beca' I remember the first session no one tell him but he was just feeling, to find the money to do the session. So in that sense he 'ave an ambition towards us yah so. I respec' him fe that. At the same time him give me my firs' chance.

Q: Did Gladstone follow you and settle down in Trench Town for a while?

A: He used to stay. Sometimes he stay for a week and sometime he'll go in the morning and come back. You know, beca' Kingston is not that far from May Pen. Is really an hour drive.