Q: Wasn't it something before that, you went to this guy named Teddy Powell? Then the 'Born A Fighter' single came out in the UK, on the Cactus label in 1975 - that was your comeback in the music business?

A: Yes! You're right (laughs)! I didn't even remember that! Yes, yes... Well, I was down by the beach at that time, at the beach... after leaving the Bobo camp, and I come down by the beach an' start doing fishening again and saw this man come down to the beach. You had a brethren now at the beach, a fisherman by the name of 'Piper'. So Piper tell me that "you know, this man is a great guitar player, yunno - Teddy Powell". So him would come down the beach and he would play his guitar an'... Yeah man, and Piper tell him seh "this likkle yout' him name Alla him make tune yunno an' 'im mek songs", and him come an' seh I mus' sing dem an' him play the guitar and him seh "alright!". And we recorded some songs, we record some songs...

Q: 'Born A Fighter'?

A: 'Born A Fighter', and about three more.

Q: But the rest didn't come out?

A: Yes, I don't know what's happening, yunno? So, he use Inner Circle. It was Inner Circle band that he use, backing. Yeah, beca' even Jacob Miller was there at the time an' listening to us as some yout', y'know. Inner Circle band he used, 'Born A Fighter'. Then Tappa Zukie now, after that I saw Tappa Zukie an' he came...

Q: I think there was something previous to that actually, wasn't it? There was a single on the Dawn label, which Lloyd Robinson had a song for at the time as well, and it was titled 'Oh Lord Deliver Us', credited to Prince Alla & The Nazarines?

A: Ah, that was really after. Yeah, that one is after. Beca' I did that for a brother name Lloyd Jackson. Yes because...

Q: "Village Records"?

A: Yes! Because he was living down at Greenwich Farm too. Beca' that group, you know... Lloyd Jackson, he had a group deh called The Groovers (Groovers did at least one side for Ken Lacks Caltone label in the mid sixties, Alla also wrote 'Strings of My Heart' which Lloyd Jackson recorded for Freedom Sounds at this time, '75 - P). 'Isn't It Good To Hear the Sound of Music', and those songs. So he used to... the whole of us used to be there an' singing, y'know. So after he say that he like me to do a song deh for him, but that was after. You know, beca' I did that up at Channel One. Yeah, an' Skully and them man deh, play repeater an' dem t'ings deh, that was at Channel One I did that. But even for Tappa Zukie I did some before that, because I did that for Tappa Zukie just after I leave out a the camp. I did some for... I did 'Bozrock' for Tappa Zukie.

Q: Which came out on Yabby You's Prophets imprint?

A: Ah! You know it! Beca' he gave Yabby You it to distribute.

Q: So he obviously didn't have the finances to put it out on his own label at the time, Zukie?

A: Alright! And he gave Yabby You to distribute it, and Yabby You distributed it and when we go to get our royalties, he got his royalty and I got my own an' he used that money, and he went to England with it! Tappa Zukie... an' then he came back and he asked me to do a lp.

Q: By the way, since I haven't heard it, this 'Oh Lord Deliver Us', is that the same Alton Ellis tune? Original?

A: No, no. Yeh, original, original... I did for Freedom Sound, y'know? Bertram Brown, Freedom Sounds. That's another brethren again in Greenwich Farm, he have the music...

Q: There was something for the chinese Winston Lowe too, right?

A: Pwhh... come like you know more than me, my brother (laughs)! (Alla coughing heavily)...

Q: Mmm (laughs)?

A: Them time it was The Leaders, y'know. It was with The Leaders, and I sang those tune. I sang two tune for 'Tramp', Winston Lowe, that chinaman and he had a label by the name of 'Tramp', Tramp label, yes. And Melodians did some songs for him too that day. So we and Melodians did it at Treasure Isle. We work at Treasure Isle, we did some songs for him. And Lloyd Charmers play some forthright arrangements, 'cause he was a very good keyboard player.

Q: Back to the mid seventies again, there was some other one-off tune, like 'Red Hot', for the Warrior imprint?

A: Alright, I did that - yes - from a long time too. I did that for a brother named Glen Lee.

Q: Who was that?

A: That was another producer, y'know. He used to produce some songs an' t'ings.

Q: Well, he is one of those "unknowns"?

A: Yes, but you know he came to me that day with that riddim, an' him say "listen to this riddim" and just make a song offa it. At the studio, you know, we did it. But the riddim now was a foreign tune riddim - 'Cupid (Draw Back Your Bow And Let The Arrow Go)', y'know? Yes.

Q: Do you know who backed it, or was the riddim there on tape already that he had for a while?

A: No, he had the riddim. Beca' someone... he told me that someone sung that tune, 'Cupid Draw Back Your Bow'. So, I just come to the studio an' see if I can make somet'ing on the riddim. When we go to the studio we jus'... make up somet'ing (laughs)!

Q: How did you link up with Bertram Brown?

A: Bertram Brown now, well... he was living in Greenwich Town again, yes... from long time.

Q: You were there from the start, when he formed that label?

A: Well, I tell you the truth, y'know... is not because I jus' want fe say that, but because Bertram Brown used to hear me an' Milton Henry and 'Soft', Roy Palmer, singin' all the while, yunno. But when I came back from Bobo camp now I didn't really want to really do no recording. Because when we up deh a Bobo camp we never use to do recording, we just sing with the drums. And every day him aks me an' seh "do, do, do?", and me say "alright!" an' start the songs for him. I did the firs' song for him I think was 'Black Star Liner'. I sung 'One Bright And Glorious Morning'. And after that I did 'Every Day the Bucket Go A Well', and then coming up now I did '(I Man Saw A) Stone', 'Lot's Wife' an' dem songs deh.

Q: It's a big difference between the Freedom Sounds stable and those other contemporary labels like Channel One and Joe Gibbs, the whole concept or vision behind it, to bring forth a reaction to this recutting of old sixties tracks in updated fashion from Channel One for instance, to come with new rhythms and original songs. This was basically the vision of Freedom Sounds?

A: Yes, it's true. It's a vision. Yes, my brother... and you know why? It's because we were the one that used to carry Soul Syndicate in the studio them time deh. They was just... used to play down Greenwich Farm beca' they form the group down in Greenwich Farm same place on an avenue by the name of Ninth Street, yunno. But we hear them an' seh "but we can record with them". You know, beca' we know Chinna from he used to use a sardine tin and nail a piece of board on it and use fishing line from down the beach... you know? And it's a "theng, theng"! Him and a yout' name Earl Zero, yeah... an' them used to "ting, ting". And Santa (Davis) now he used to join I think the Life Boys t'ing an' used to play the drum in it, yu know? I think I remember the Cadet, or the Life Boys, one a dem likkle organisation deh. So he used to play the drum and he use to love the drum (chuckles)... so we say "you're the drummer". They jus' form up that group on Ninth Street. But we (were) the one that really mek them start going to studio firs' ... Til' after they really start making a name for themselves, beca' them mek all the riddim you call 'Java' (a hit for Augustus Pablo and producer Clive Chin in 1971 - P). From they made that riddim then from them seh... kinda get "yeah!". And then start record with Burning Spear and them man deh that now. Yeees! So they just (coughs)... yeah man.

Q: So the very first recording for Bertram, was that 'Black Star Liner' you said?

A: No, the first one I did was 'One Bright And Glorious Morning'.

Q: Did it ever come out? Never heard about that song?

A: Aaah... yeah, it came out likkle, but... Beca' them deh him small an'....

Q: So just a small amount then?

A: Yes, y'know! But it really give me encouragement fe really come again so we did a next one after that. We did 'Bucket Bottom'. Well, that did even better now, beca' him really release it in England. You know, and so and so... yeah.

Q: But the Freedom Sounds releases was never that big in Jamaica, was it? It became mainly an export company, almost like that, wasn't it? You never got much local airplay?

A: No! Beca'... that's why we, you see, it's jus' for foreign that. But it's just because we love the music, why we did stay there for so long. And I was afraid to really record fe Treasure Isle. Duke Reid, or Studio One. I was afraid as a yout' because you see Treasure Isle? Duke Reid he was a man - a very cross man. He had all his gun. He was a retired policeman an' dem t'ing deh. And if you go in him studio an' dem t'ing deh, and if you go for... if you want any money, if you talk about any money, you see wha' him said "ya cyaan, yu no see't!?". Bah! And him box 'im down an' dem t'ing deh! Coxsone was a rough man too, so I didn't like... That's why I mostly use to do songs for man like Freedom Sound, Tappa Zukie, Joe Gibbs, said Glen Lee and Tramp an' dem man. That's why me really... you know?

Q: The smaller deal?

A: Yes! Yes, beca' the man dem them time deh did bad - bad man, y'know.

Q: Coxsone and Duke Reid?

A: Yes! Especially Duke Reid too! Yes, and dem times deh I use to hear arguments, I don't know if it's really true? I hear that Coxsone mostly damage the likkle singer there, and thumpin' his eye an'...

Q: One story is when Joe Higgs went to Coxsone for some money he was due, and Coxsone knocked him out...

A: Yes. So, I didn't like (laughs)... didn't like them man deh at all! Yeah, and you know ca' we a rasta, we didn't really want to get mix up in violence an'... yeah.