Article : Prince Hammer.

Q: Moving up to the late eighties now, you did an album for Roy Cousins (founder of The Royals) in 1989, 'Respect I Man'.

A: Yeah.

Q: Because Roy lives in the northwest of England, that's how you met up, or you knew each other from Jamaica days?

A: I know Roy Cousins from Jamaica. You know, we've been good friends from Jamaica anyhow, and Roy don't live too far from here, he live in...

Q: Liverpool, right?

A: Yeah, he live in Liverpool, so it's not too far from Manchester. He come and see me all the while, he phoned me up to last week, we've been talkin' over the phone, he calls me every so often, every few weeks he calls me. We make sure everything is alright. Anyhow, he asked me was to write some songs, write some lyrics, and build an album. And he had these guys in Liverpool that he's been friends with who's got a band and he wanted was to, like, really record them. Because they must get an act to back up to get established just as much, and he asked me if I would write some songs and then if we could build them songs, use these guys to build the riddims. Because he had a record shop in Liverpool, which is one of the biggest established record shops over in Liverpool, he own property, yunno, and he was doing fine. And I've gone Lark Lane, there's a studio in Lark Lane, which I've gone and done the album. And I was doing well with the album too, and I was proud doing it for him. And the same week I was finishing the album, the same day Sly & Robbie came to the studio, and Maxi Priest, and that's when Maxi Priest them start doing his own album an' everyt'ing like that. So we had a good day, y'know, all of us guys, trying to bring back some of the old days an' update weself with each other, so we had a good time.

Q: Tell me about the various projects you're working with, or have been working on, the Step Forward Project and Project X, what's the purpose and direction with those two? I believe you do some community work with youths on one of them?

A: Yeah, I've done a project called 'Movements of Youths', and the same time when I've done Movements of Youths, Sugar Minott was doing a thing called 'Youthman Promotion'.

Q: Right, Youth Promotion.

A: And Movements of Youths is a projec' whe, what I did, I booked King Tubby's studio, and anybody and anyone at all who has got an idea or skill, for making songs or for singin' songs, whether they're chatting it or singin' it, they would've just come to the studio and I would just put the riddims on and you would jus' listen to a riddim, and if you can't afford to handle a riddim or, y'know, I like what I hear, then I would've record you there and then. So that was giving a lot of chance to other people who had never had a chance was to record before. And that's where the song come from too, the Lickle John, Lickle John had his only number one called 'Janet Sinclair'. That song had been written by me and produced by me, but the riddim itself was given to me by Junjo Lawes, right, and I've put him on the riddim there and he sing that song, and I get the song - the song's been released in England, because I've given them the song. Because I had the song for so long, and when Toyan them was coming to England I gave him the song, and I think he gave it to Greensleeve them who put it out, and it went straight in the chart - number one. And that's the only number one song Little John's ever had. So when he came over to England, and he was touring and I was at the show, he says this now: "I've got to big up one person inna this place, yunno, the man Prince Hammer, 'cause if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here today, he's the one that write this song and produce this song, 'Janet Sinclair', nuff respec'". You know (chuckles)? And I was very proud standin' up in the crowd knowing the fact that he would've said somet'ing like that. And I've also recorded Ranking Toyan's song, 'Jah Is He Gone'(sings the chorus). 'Jah Is He Gone' I've done with him, I've done about seven or eight songs with Toyan, which I've still got songs with him now that I've not even put out. I've recorded Super Black, I've record a lot of people within that period of time, jus' giving everybody, as I said, a chance was to establish themselves. That was one project.


	Prince Hammer.

Q: So what about Step Forward or the Project X?

A: Project X? Project X is the me being in Strengeris Prison, right, I've been sent to prison for smokin', for weed.

Q: That was pretty widely reported in the press, wasn't it?

A: Yes, every newspaper was there, every single newspaper you could ever think about, from all over, it was TV stations, radio stations, the prison was full of media people on the release date. And Project X was an idea in the prison, it was like a music class, and guys was like learnin' to play instruments in there. And the guys them says, well, what them would do is to try and put a project together to get a song released from the prison. And I was in the class anyhow, 'cause I was in art class, I was doing art work at the time. But as an established artis' from Jamaica they wanted me was to be a part of the project itself, so they asked me if I would come and join the class. And I put my ideas and skills towards it too, and one guy there called Tony Bailey, he was the one who really write the song itself, the song to release now. It was a lickle young boy who got shot and killed in Moss Side called Benji, Benji Stanley. And we write the song, because we were trying to talk to people being good, stop the killing type a t'ing, what's happening outside. Because it was really getting bad in the community that we lived in and a young boy had been killed and the song had been written for that kind of a reason, trying to stop what was happening. And all the money that was made from that money went to Victim Support. But on the project too I've written a song called 'Towards', it's a big ballad song, a song with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. And I sing that song with a girl - I can't remember her name now, and I remember - 'cause I was looking through the papers the other day, anyhow, I sing this song with this girl, we brought her in from outside, and we have written both section for her and for myself. Them bring a lot of people, public people, from outside, and they empty the physical gym, where we gone and lift weight, and everything was set up in there. And it was one of the biggest nights, when I start singin' that song 'Towards - Meet As One', the whole place was crying. You know (chuckles)? The old people, all the old peoples them, the wardress, the woman warden them, the whole a them was like drying their eyes an' all these type a t'ing. Because I sing the song so powerful, because the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, they came and I had written this song, I had shown them all and they went away, and they write - they had written it in their format, on paper, so on the night they could've done it they way it would be done. And it was one of the biggest songs I've ever sung. And I've just found, is a couple of days ago I've been searchin' me house, about two days ago, and I've digged up and I find that paper with all the lyrics on it again, and I said to myself, you know somet'ing, I'm gonna make this song and put it on a record. A lot of people been askin' why I never really release that song on a record. Because that's been playing in England on the jazz radio and it get a lot of publicity playin' on the jazz stations over here. And I've seen all of us guys who used to be in that group, we all leave the prison in time, each person leave by their time up, and we all went our separate ways. So the group never been put together and established itself in a the right way. But for what we did and what we give to the prison and making it history as the first song ever been recorded in a English prison, and release from a English prison, that was somet'ing big for us. The people who came and support what we were doing, was appreciative of everything that we did.

Q: So what about Step Forward?

A: Well, Step Forward Project is me again trying my best to help other people, and it did go over well but not as well as I expec' it was to go. Because t'ings and times change and my life's been an up and it's been a down, I've got kids, I try to help the family, I try to be a family man, because I've always been like that, growing up with my grandparents. We grow to learn and respec' and show respec' to your family, so the Step Forward Project's never been lift off in the way I wanted was to lift off. Because I didn't get the chance and the opportunity was to put everything in focus the right way. But you never know, t'ings might develop a lot better now, because I'm gettin' - I'm having a lot more time for meself now, my kids grown up now and everything, so more time for meself. So things can only get better now, and it will get better.

Prince Hammer.

Q: I know you won the lottery a few years ago and set up the Caribbean Flava label, went down to Jamaica and produced a bunch of singles, like your own 'Africa' for instance.

A: (Chuckles) Yeah, well, I won money from the National Lottery, yes I did. And it wasn't the full lottery I won, but I was so bad-lucky because I had all seven numbers in a line, six in a line in the C line, and the D line I had number four started the D line. If I had number four in the C line instead of the 36 - number 36, I would've won the full jackpot. So it must be billions to one for one man to have the whole seven numbers straight in a line, you understan', which is six number plus the bonus part. So I did miss out on like just a centimeter like that I missed out on the full jackpot itself.

Q: But you did produce a few people down in Jamaica on that label, Caribbean Flava, I think it was, for some of the money.

A: Well, I'm trying to set up a recording studio, trying to build a studio in England. 'Cause I've bought myself a lot of equipment, I've got three studio boards so far, I've got two 24-track, one is a analog-board and one is a 16 - 24, and I've got a sixteen track too as much. What I'm looking for now is premises, I've got me lawyer at the moment corresponding with other lawyers trying to get the premises I've been looking at last week to develop my studio. I went and look at two different premises last week to try and develop the studio. I bought myself a whole band set-out, drums, four guitars, saxophone - you name it. I'm gonna recruit people and I'm gonna develop my own band. Because a lot of these guys now, they've got skills but they lack instruments. So I will choose people, I've met a lot of good people I wanna work. I will teach them what I've known, yunno, and then as well as rehearsal. Because the album I've just put out, the'Back For More', it's totally different from what I've done before.

Prince Hammer.

Q: Right, this was done at the Cultural Fusion studio with a guy called Barrington Stuart?

A: Yes. I've done it at the Cultural Fusion studio, yeah?

Q: I haven't heard it yet but the approach seems to be non-reggae.

A: It's more soul, type of a R&B t'ing. I've never been a steady artist who've always stayed one way, like stayed in one direction. I've always changed the style. Because one of the reason why I've done this album is just to show people that I can do a lot of different things, I've got a range of styles and attitude about me that I can really give to my audience. It's so totally different from what they know. I've just been on the Carnival radio station last week singin' live. There's been a lot of things happenin'.

Q: A couple of years back you made on the Caribbean Flava imprint, through Jet Star, a reissue of the Rod Taylor album plus your own 'Bible' LP, both on CD for the first time, the Taylor album with the dubs I believe. But somehow these disappeared without any promotion and tend to be a bit difficult to find now.

A: Yeah. One of the reason, you see, with Jet Star, right, Jet Star is a OK company, but Jet Star don't publish peoples songs unless you've gone out and done it yourself. It's called marketing.

Q: Of course.

A: When I signed over those songs to Jet Star, I've only signed over them for a period of time for him to really work with them. But what he did, he never really publish it the way I expec' him to publish it, about the marketing part of it. So the songs never been pushed the way they should. That's why I'm gonna re-release them now.

Q: Good. Original artwork, sleeves and all, and a polished, restored sound, cleaned up as it should.

A: Yes, I'm gonna re-release them back and everything and really put them in a the area where they supposed to be going. I've been asked about them still, so I'm trying my best to really... What I need to do, I need to be in my office first, this property. Once I get it there, refurbish this place, then all of these songs from the early days until now will be back on vinyl and CD's.

Q: To have 'Ten Thousand Lions' back on glorius vinyl again wouldn't be out of place.

A: Yes. A lot of that will be happening as soon as I get this business place put together properly. I will print back everything, both 7" and 12"-inch, I will have the albums on vinyl and CD's as much too.

Q: Right, so how did the French CD anthology come about, the 'Rastafari Bible' on Patate?

A: Yeah, well, he know me through my friend Roy Cousins, I know Patate through them. Is a very very good guy, very very good guy. Very decent person, very respective and I really admire him. Is a guy I can really turn to and say 'what's up?', yunno. He's always happy for me to be there, we have a good relationship until this day. But I've not given him any more stuff. Because what I did, I just went to Paris and did a tour with Heartical sound and I've done a tour promoting the album, in Paris, and end up on a show with Michael Prophet, Earl Sixteen and them guys, y'know, me being a support act with them on their programme when my programme was finished. So I had a very good time in Paris with them, and I'm thinkin' now to go back to Paris very soon again now too anyhow.

Q: So what's ahead for you now, you mentioned a various artists set for Christmas?

A: Yes. Now at the moment, what I'm doing is to try and put out this abum now called 'Reggae News', I want to get it out for Christmas time. It's an album with some Rass 'pon it called the Traditional Family, Gregory Isaacs, Zebra, Cassanova, General. There's a few people on it like Al Campbell, all these people is there on the album. But I have turned around now, I've changed me mind, about artwork and everything. What I'm gonna do, I'm gonna dedicate the album to all the people that been passed away from the early days until now. All the artists that been dropped out, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, you name it, right back until now, all the artists that died, Prince Far I, everything, all of them. I've designed the album front like a newspaper, a tribute to those that contribute to the music, the Jamaican artists who contribute to reggae music. I have made a pre-release. It's not released, but I've released it free for promotional use only, I've been giving it to radio stations. This album will give them the chance to remember people who used to be their favorite artists.

Q: How about guesting on Blood & Fire sound system, they're based in Manchester as well? I mean there's several veteran deejays who has done that and that has certainly helped them to get back in the public's eye, like Ranking Joe, U Brown, Trinity, Dillinger. Should be perfect to get your name out there again, back on track.

A: Yeah, I've seen him (Dom) every night, yunno, he plays here in a club called The Arch. But I've never ever given Blood & Fire anything to release. Blood & Fire business is just about ten minutes from my house anyhow.

Q: I was more thinkin' of you guesting on their sound, they travel all over Europe so that should boost your name out there even further, and revive your deejay career back because you've been more of a singer over the past twenty years from what I understand.

A: Yeah, he asked me about that a few months back because he was working with Ranking Joe and all of those people, and so on, which I knew about. But I've never really gone deep to him about it, because he's been to me house and everything and we sit down and we have good talks and everything like that. But we've never really come to the agreement to say alright, let's do a tour or some work together in that kinda aspec', yunno. But maybe it's an idea anyhow still, because he's done it with most of these other older artists from them times anyhow.

Q: Should be considered anyway.

A: Yeah. I've start a new album, a new deejay album myself, which I haven't given a title yet. But I've done two tracks from the album already which is really getting radio play and everything. The reason why I'm doing this album is because from the late eighties I've done a deejay album, and that's how I start out, being a deejay. So I said to meself, OK, then I'll get back to my roots and I get back to my original style, giving these people a taste again and say, listen, this is what I am.

Prince Hammer.

Prince Hammer is one of those names from the classic era that never got the proper exposure and recognition he should've received, despite getting on the Virgin label in 1978 and a few local hits. That 'Bible' album has remained a solid effort over the years and has 'grown' for many since, even though it wasn't one of the Front Line label's strongest deejay sellers at the time of release. But things change and sometimes for the better. The sound on the reissued Jet Star CD leaves a lot to be desired though, I truly hope Hammer will get right down to it and do the restoring job properly. The French CD, 'Rastafari Bible' is a lot more successful in that regard, a proper job soundwise, and much of the music is faultless. It has aged very well. For me Hammer is one of the most consistent producer names out of the turbulent Jamaican seventies era, perhaps even more consistent and exciting than he ever was as a singer or deejay. Take the 'If Jah Should Come Now' album by Rod Taylor for instance, a classic roots album. The Hammer truly had his finger on the pulse of things as that LP quickly established him as a name to be reckoned with in the producer's seat, and several albums followed more or less in the same colorful vein. Something should be done about the CD sound again, it is again much of a rush job to get the record out. The problem is that those productions haven't been available for many years. Someone out there should cull those various tracks on Hammer's Belva and Baby Mother labels and put them together for a various artists set. Will it ever happen? If it does, 'Jah Will Lead Us Home' by the late Jennifer Lara would crown that set majestically, it is one of the Hammer's most glorious productions. Another wish is to see the 'Lord of Lords' and 'Addis Ababa' tracks on the street again. To my knowledge they've never been re-released so far. 'Back For More' was the first album Hammer made since the Roy Cousins collaboration 'Respect I Man', but is something completely different from what he had done before, as mentioned it is done in the modern R'n'B vein. Not bad at all, surprisingly consistent, but not something I want to comment too much on in this space. For starters, I really hope Hammer begins his reissue program with 'Ten Thousand Lions'. With that one he can hardly go wrong anywhere.

7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots.

	Page: \| 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6
	[ Previous ] [ Next ]

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