Q: One of those big hits you had at the end of the seventies was 'Money Worries', who's idea was it to have that Ernest Wilson song with a fresh and updated rockers sound?

A: I think Ranglin bring it up, yunno? Bring it up one morning with the 'money worries' t'ing. I told him that I'd write a song for it. 'Ca if you notice that song I rewrite it still. My words were different from the res'. 'Ca in that period there was ' bout three - three persons did that song, yunno? Us, an' Enos McLeod and Joe Gibbs use to put out a version. So, it was like a battle in that time with 'Money Worries' (laughs)! Ours came out on top, yeah.

Q: Did that boost the group any further in any direction with that song being included to the 'Rockers' (film soundtrack)?

A: It have a lot of effect man, 'cause most of the time when you talk to the people now it's them seh 'Rockers!', 'yeah man - Rockers!' (laughs)! But the whole sad t'ing about that was that I wasn't in Jamaica to get a piece of the action (laughs)! I didn't take part. Actually I heard about it after it (was) in progress. It's not something I did hear about in advance. There was something dutty ' bout that whole t'ing, yunno? And I think it's through Mr Ranglin, you know wha' I mean (chuckles)! 'Ca, like, he was hidin' that stuff from me.

Q: I'm pretty sure you or Ernest Wilson didn't get your share for the sales of the soundtrack on Island?

A: Nah. Well, I'm lookin' about mine now beca' mine is the same on word but it's different altogether from Ernest. 'Ca the whole t'ing uses the melody 'Money Worries' and the melody is different from Ernest's 'Money Worries'. So start look about it now and I have a publisher in California that's lookin' about it for me.

Q: Some time earlier than this, you got a hit with 'Africa We Want To Go'. Why wasn't this single put on any album?

A: I don't know? Well, I never know that 'Africa We Want To Go' hit until I think Derrick Harriott or any of these guys came to England and come back and tell me that 'Africa We Want To Go' is a hit, a seller. You know, I think he (Ranglin) was hidin' those stuff from us. The new stuff ('Their Greatest Hits'), they actually put it on the CD now. He used to dodge a lot of stuff from us due to he want to keep us in the dark.

Q: Did you have any clue about what Ranglin released overseas, such as the UK?

A: No. A lot of stuff... it's jus' when guys used to come to England and bring back information like Linval Thompson (labelmate on Burning Sounds at the time - P), 'ca Linval was a good friend. Those guys used to keep in touch, same Junjo Lawes an' likkle more. He used to keep informed what's going on. But GG on a whole used to dodge stuff from us.

Q: But you personally didn't have any link to Mr Rana and Burning Sounds at the time?

A: Yeah, I personally met him after, when I went to England I met him. Was in '76 on the 'Madness' tour. Around the second album... that's the time when I know everything what's going on, with the 'Boat To Zion' and stuff. I know how much it sign for an' he was looking stuff from me directly. There was an album I did - I planned to give him the 'One Way' album. Mr Ranglin heard about it that Mr Rana had signed... and he come to offer me what Rana was giving me, so I seh 'alright'. For once he offer me the same I jus' say 'okay'. That was the first time he offered me so much money, towards an album. So I jus' laugh and seh 'alright', y'know wha' I mean (laughs)! And Mr Rana, I don't know if he was upset about it too 'cause when everything was going down he take pictures and everyt'ing, an' all was in place. And I don't know who, if it was GG he heard from? So he send his contact - 'ca him have a contact in England there, he send them to us and said we should give it to him. I said well then Mr Rana give me x amount of dollars... x amount of pounds, so if you give me that it's okay.

Q: And Ranglin had a branch in England too for his GGs releases, overseas. Yeah, I've seen ads somewhere.

A: Yeah, he did. I don't know the guy's name, I jus' know him as 'Little' (laughs). I don't know if it's right but his last name was Thomas. I know his petname was 'Little'.

Q: In between these Burning Sounds albums - 'Madness' in '76 and then 'Boat To Zion' in '78, there was the 'Keep The Fire Burning' lp for Count Shellys Third World label in the UK, how did that come about? Also, was there any lp in the early seventies preceding all those albums?

A: In the early seventies...? The only album was an album named 'Flight 404'. But it wasn't just Maytones, but they introduce us on the album. We did have a certain amount of songs on the lp. Not a full... there was some instrumentals on it an' stuff like that. But we were featured on the album still, on the cover. Was a very awful picture too (laughs)!

Q: But 'Keep The Fire Burning', that was your own production?

A: Yeah, was my own production. There was a guy from Jamaica - his name is 'Duke Reid'. We used to call him 'Duke Reid', OK? He introduce us to Shelly...

Q: I think he's called 'Duke Reid Jr', real name Charles Reid. Passed away...

A: Yes, yes, that's right. The whole thing go through him anyway. We get a little change on that still but anyway I no get no royalty from him. 'Ca, like, he get an advance an' I supposed to get royalties after. Which those t'ing were like joke... Some nice songs on that album, yunno? About two years ago some guy show me that album. Trying to remember songs. I know 'Dance With Me' is on it, 'Show Us The Way'... But that was a nice album. That was Radics on it. That was in the early days but it was those guys, yeah.

Q: Then there's the great 'Boat To Zion' album, definitely more steeped in roots & culture than 'Madness'. Had Mr Rana any say in what kind of album he wanted or he gave you free hands to deliver whatever you wanted to do?

A: No, was free hands. He never hear the album before until (we deliver it).

Q: I personally kind of prefer that album to 'Madness' somehow.

A: Yeah, I find 'Boat To Zion' a very tight album. Tight. I know Solgie do most of the mixing, at Channel One. I know Solgie have a touch in that, yeah man. 'Ca that album never build a one time, yunno? It's like within pieces. Like few songs today, different engineers. Never a straight off. It was intention to build an album, but it never build in one or two sessions. Purposedly take time to do it, yunno? I have a few favourite on that, 'Do Good', 'Take Your Time'. 'Take Your Time', that is a song I really like (laughs). That song, U Roy used to play that on his sound (Stur-Gav sound system), man. Oh boy, it wake up the dance - 'Take Your Time'. 'Serious World' is a nex' good song. You have a song on it named 'Speak The Truth', remember that one (chuckles)? The uptempo deh... Actually that song there I use Tamlins to help me do some harmony. They help us to do some back-up on it, harmonies.

Q: The album sold well?

A: To the statement I got it did pretty well. Not like 'Madness' though but it was close.

Q: The record label had you as the 'Mighty' Maytones from now on? Copying the Diamonds... it wasn't your idea, was it?

A: Yeah (laughs)! No man, no. I think they were trying to jus' get a little more power in the name, y'know? 'Mighty' and the Diamonds were going on at the same time, so... It do pretty well for a while in Jamaica there too. 'Ca we were using the 'Mighty' on the 'Madness' too, yunno? The single had we as 'Mighty' Maytones too.

Q: And you promoted 'Boat To Zion' with a tour overseas?

A: No, we never really do any tour with that. Actually 'Boat To Zion' was only released in foreign country. Yeh, it never release in Jamaica. I heard it released in Africa too. So most of those songs were just played on dub plates an' t'ing like that. Like in the dance, yeah. Most of those Stereograph used to play.

Q: What about this meeting with Al Campbell at Idlers Corner (Chancery Lane, Kingston)? Back to 'Money Worries' again, what's the story?

A: Yeah (laughs)! That's the same t'ing we was talking about 'ca it was a few of us do the 'Money Worries' at the time. And Enos (McLeod) I think was doing it for Joe Gibbs. So, I don't remember how the discussion start but it was about the 'Money Worries' t'ing. So Al him was telling me seh 'ooh, Maytones rule' (chuckles)! Him tell it like the Maytones 'Money Worries' a the best. But Al was my friend. Al was a good friend of mine, day to day friend. Al Campbell was a brethren that.

Q: After this came the 'One Way' album? Still it was in association with GGs. You never felt that it was time to break away from him, even though it was a bit more money upfront now?

A: Yeah, that was my personal album. No, I break... That was like a breaking point but at the same time he heard about the album, 'ca I did the album at Channel One. I know some of the musician go back and tell him about it. He approach me and ask me about it, yunno? So I do some business with him, with the album. We did have a ten year contract with him with that album. Like him give me some deposit upfront. And we did ten years... him would be the person who handle that album. So all those supposed to be mine. Most of my song, GGs never really around studio when we're doing it. Just me and the musicians. Although he get so much credit, but... (chuckles)!

Q: The follow up to that record was 'Only Your Picture' the same year, 1980 I think it was?

A: Yeah, that was my album too, my personal. Gladstone was still there. The label was 'De Race' or something like that? It was a guy... I met this producer. He was handlin' Joe Gibbs stuff at that time. He was releasing all Joe Gibbs stuff in Canada, Toronto. I met him and he like the album and we do some business with him. And he take it to England. I forget the company that release it in England. And the album did pretty good too. I just heard a tape with it the other day. I'm planning on getting it on to CD. It never been on CD.

Q: Please do. Strange mastering on that album though, at least my copy. Are you aware of the later release from the UK of that album, which came out on Vista Sounds in '84?

A: Yes, I heard about it. I don't get no funds offa that. I just run into the album the other day. I jus' bring it down to the studio the other day and was trying to get around to it. But I play a part of it and it sound so crispy, y'know? Yeah, it sound good so I don't know what that guy get that t'ing from and maybe it's offa record he tried to master it or something?

Q: Yeah, it's possible. A second generation tape or whatever...

A: Yeah (chuckles)!

Q: Then you moved to Canada around this time?

A: Yeah, I moved to Canada. Got married an' t'ing like that.

Q: Even though you got that 'Money Worries' song onto the Island soundtrack to 'Rockers', Maytones somehow missed the opportunity to get a major label deal when Virgin and Island got down to JA in search for potential sellers. There could be other circumstances why that never happened? Are you aware if the majors approached Ranglin? I would hardly believe you were looked upon as a spent force, since the hits kept coming...

A: At one point Ranglin mentioned something about that, but there was something fishy about that whole thing. I think Ranglin never want those people to meet us. So we were in the dark all the time about this t'ing. I hear all kinda rumours. I hear that (them want) mostly Rastafarian looks an' all kinda likkle stupid t'ing I hear about it! But I think the bottom line about it is Ranglin...'Ca I did 'ear something going down with Ranglin, like he keep company away from us, or something like that. Island end up releasing 'Money Worries' on a 12" too, yunno? Yeah, I saw it in England there. They have it on twelve-inch.

Q: Did you ever get paid for that release, on Island?

A: No, I don't see that statement up to now (chuckles). I tried to get one of that record and in some way it slip up. But I saw it, on Island Records. A twelve-inch.

Q: Then you settled in Montreal. The first recording there, was that the 'Tune In & Rock' album?

A: Yes, 'Tune In & Rock' in '81- 82. With Luddy Pioneer, yeah. He was there at the time, living there at that time. I met him. But Luddy is a guy who used to like our group all the while. He just liked me now (chuckles). 'Ca at that time it was Maytones, Pioneers, an' we mek a t'ing. And so we done this album with him. He did have some tracks, some riddim tracks. And I voice and I did have some of mine and then we put the album together.

Q: It's several albums there that I'm pretty sure you didn't benefit from, when Ranglin for instance had a 'Best Of The Maytones' on Burning Sounds, there was the early 'Greatest Hits' package on GGs in the seventies, and so on?

A: Nah, 'cause when I moved to Canada it's like all my royalty and everything... connection jus' cut off.

Q: There's another album titled 'Hard Time' on Tabansi?

A: I don't know about it (chuckles)? I jus' know about the single, 'Hard Time'.

Q: But you know about the 'Showcase' on Funky Hut?

A: OK, yeah, I know about that. That's a... I do business with him on that one. Funky Hut was like a distributor in Canada. Yes, I met the guy - he's OK, y'know? He was interested to put out something, so I put that together and give him 'Showcase', with the versions and stuff like that.