Q: Before we go further, what's the inspiration for that song again? It's sung in Swahili anyhow. A: Yeah, what really happened was that I wrote the song with my experience of the years with my grandmother and grandfather, and people in the community. So I was singing the song, telling people what was really going on in the community. And they didn't know how to identify the song whether to call it reggae or whatsoever, so while Chris Blackwell was in the studio an' Morris was mixin', Morris said to Chris, "This song have an international appeal, man. Why you don't you name it 'world beat reggae'?" (chuckles). Yeah. And 'Kude A Bamba' is the song that started out, that people start to talk about 'world beat'. Beca' it have an African sentiment about it and it have a Jamaican reggae feel about it. And so people from West Africa, or in Africa, could relate to the song as well as people in the Caribbean and in Jamaica, an' t'ing like that. Beca' I really could record that song in - let me see, 2002, and that song was number one in Tanzania for about six weeks (laughs)! Q: Revived. A: Yeah! In Tanzania and in Zimbabwe. Q: And you went over there to perform. A: Yeah, I went to Zimbabwe, I went to Tanzania and Zansibar. And people in Kenya really like it, and in Malawi, and in Ghana and Nigeria also. So I build a nice audience there. Because in 1980 I went to Nigeria with Jimmy Cliff. Yeah, we do four shows in Lagos there.

Q: Did you go and visit The Shrine, Fela's club? A: Yeah, I went. I know Fela Kuti good. Q: Yeah? A: Yeah (laughs)! I know Fela Kuti from 1978. Because even when I was living in France, Fela Kuti used to be in France too. Q: That was in the eighties sometime. A: Yeah, that was in the eighties. Fela Kuti used to be with the same company, same management company that I used to be with, in France. Because there was a record company in France called AZ, and Eddy Grant, I and Fela Kuti was the only, like, reggae and African music singers that was with that label, at that time. Yeah. Q: So the original 'Kude A Bamba' took off surprisingly quick. A: Yeah, it took off pretty quick, and, yeah, it sell like five hundred thousand copy worldwide. Q: That should be satisfactory enough (chuckles)? A: Yeah. Q: So what became with the deal with Island, this song was the only one Blackwell took? A: OK, I did an album named 'Rain & Fire', and I did three album for Island. Q: But that 'Rain & Fire' album only came out on Harry J's imprint. A: Yes, but Island never released 'Rain & Fire' in the United Kingdom. He release it in Africa, he released it in United States here, a lickle part of it. And what happened, after I finished those three albums, Harry J and Island break up.

Ras Midas.

Q: Do you know the reason for that? A: You know, I don't know. I hear a lot of rumour, but I couldn't tell you the real truth about it. Because I memba when 'Kude A Bamba' became a hit, and I was - Harry J give me some royalties, and then at that time I didn't understand plenty t'ings about the music business, yunno. And when I realised what was going on then I went back to Jamaica and I confronted Harry J about it, and seh, well, then "You know, I've been owed a lot of royalties", an' t'ings like that, so forth. So he told me that Island have all the money. So I went back to England and I confront Chris about it, Chris told me that Harry take a lot of advance money, and moreover Harry take lots of money like in equipment, for his studio. That was what Chris was telling me. And it's just a long story, I just couldn't understand what was going on. Then I confront Harry again an' he was telling me that, y'know, 'two bull cannot stay in one pen'. And it seem like I grow up now an' he say he spend a lot of money on me and I aks him seh, "Well, then show me a bill to prove that you spend this lot of money". Because I said, "As far as I understand, you were only producing for Island and when I spoke with Chris he told me that you tek a lot of advance money and you have to give up music for the advance money and you tek a lot of equipment for your studio", an' t'ing like that. So, you know, I just couldn't deal with Harry J anymore. Q: How did you find working at Harry J's studio? A: At that time Harry J have the best studio in Jamaica, which is saying he have the top studio at that time in the Caribbean. It was a nice atmosphere for me, because I have a lot of freedom there. You know, to give him some good words then, it is not everything about Harry is really bad. You know? He treat me good in some way. The only thing that Harry will do when I wrote a song, he will put that it's Harry J or is 'Harry Johnson & Nembhard', y'know (laughs)! And then, what happened, he have this publishing company called Caribe, Cariblue. And what he does (chuckles)... he takes all the songs them and publish them in Cariblue, and then claims that the song belongs to both of us, when it wasn't like that. But I mean, he used to pay me some royalties, not all of it, but he used to pay me like sales royalty. So, y'know, he treat me good, he treat me like - he cheat me half and half, fifty percent good, fifty percent not good. But the not good part is just because I didn't understand the business, and when you're young in the business, producers will take advantage, like claiming your music. Q: Of course. Common practice in those days, probably these days as well. It's 'business', always will be. A: Yeah, but at that time I have a lot of freedom, I get the best background vocals to work for me, I get the best musicians to work for me, and at that time I get the top engineer too (chuckles). Q: But he held on to that 'Rain & Fire' for a good while. 'Kude A Bamba' (by one 'Ras Midass', according to the label!) was released in 1976 and the album popped up some two years later, in 1978. What was the other singles from that LP? A: Yeah, he released 'Trouble Town'. Q: Tell me about the lyrical inspiration for that song? That's one of the best you've done so far. A: Well, 'Trouble Town' was the violence that was taking place in Europe (chuckles). Yeah, it was 'Trouble Town' inspiration coming from when the neo-Nazi group was fightin' an' the racism against immigrants an' t'ings like that, that was the inspiration weh I came up with 'Trouble Town'. And then what Harry did after that, Harry used that same song with I Roy! Q: Yes, I've seen that. A: (Chuckles) You know...? Q: How did you feel about that? A: Well, at the time I didn't feel bad about it, because as I said I was ignorant to how the business really goes. And, y'know, I believe Harry let I Roy do some toasting on 'Kude A Bamba', 'Trouble Town' and 'Good Old Days'.

I Roy.

Q: And you felt he did a good job on those tracks? A: No I don't, it didn't fit with what I was saying, because in a musical form what he was saying and... well, what he was saying on 'Kude A Bamba' was good, but what he was saying on 'Rain & Fire' and 'Good Old Days', to me it didn't fit right with what I was dealing with. Because it was too radical and raw on 'Trouble Town'. Because he have lyrics in the song 'to burn up Vatican City' and 'New York City what a pity going to lick yu 'til you're gritty', an' all those lyrics... Q: That's I Roy, y'know (laughs)! A: (Laughs) And I didn't agree with it that way because of - sometime when you're writing a song you have to walk a thin line, you have to use diplomacy, and you might want to sing somet'ing 'bout the Vatican but you don't have to use the word 'Vatican', and you don't have to use word 'bout the Pope. Beca', y'know, the western world is a heavy religious system, and you know I'm not a Christian and I'm not into religion, so I don't want to really puttin' down other people and what they have, y'know. I mean... Q: Avoid the obvious offence? A: Yeah. Because I'm smart enough to write a lyrics that can speak about a subject, but not saying that the hook is bad, yunno (laughs)! So I didn't agree, I didn't like it. But I liked what he did with 'Kude A Bamba' though, yeah. And all those music - I don't get any royalties from those music, I didn't get no pay. When I Roy did it and put it on one of his album too, and Virgin put it out on an album deh called 'Fire Sticks', somet'ing like that. Q: Could be 'Fire In My Wire'. A: I believe the album's called 'Fire Stick' (actually the I Roy takes to these tracks can be found on CD on the reissued Harry J-produced 'Heart Of A Lion' LP from 1978, where his cut to 'Kude A Bamba' is titled 'Fire Stick' and 'Trouble Town' becomes 'Peace In The City').

Q: Did you approach Virgin about it, or you just let it stay there? A: Yeah, I just let it stay there. Q: Just took it for promotion. A: Yeah. But still I know that I have the rights, that if they put out that album again - I'm waiting 'til they re-release that album, then again I could take some step. Because I understand how to do it now, and the way to do it is the right an' proper way. Is just like what Island did, Island sold out to Universal, to Def Jam, right? Def Jam was bought by Universal Records, and then about six years ago I realised that Universal Records have my music published, and then I approached them and in a nice an' decent way, and if I should sue them it's gonna cost a lot of money. And in the United States here you have to get good lawyers to deal with them. So I know that I'm not in the financial situation to employ the right lawyer to do things. Beca', y'know, in Europe you can meet a lawyer if they know that they going to get some good results from it, probably they will work with you on a percentage basis. And United States don't work that way, United States is just trade money. Is not like in France where - in France or in England the system is different beca' it's democratic socialism, y'know what I mean (chuckles). In America it's scientific capitalism - is trade, and if you don't have money to pay certain big law-firm then you cannot regroup certain t'ings. So from the last three years I've dealt with Universal Records, and what has happened for the past two years they've start to send me some statements, but I still don't collect no money from them yet, ca' I kinda biding my time. And because I should have royalty from that song, from 1982 until the year 2000, an' I supposed to have royalty come down. And when I confront Universal Record and aksed them about it, they start to tell me that they sent the royalties to Kingston, Jamaica, and I wrote letter an' said to them, 'Well, who collect that money because I don't live in Jamaica?', and I was tellin' them how much years I haven't been living in Jamaica, y'know (laughs)! So I was tellin' them seh, 'Hey, I don't t'ink you really send no royalty there'. And I aksed them, 'Who is the person that collec' it?' Them tellin' me is supposed to be 'Neville Lorenzo Nembhard'. And I say, 'Hey, Neville Lorenzo Nembhard don't live in Jamaica from he was thirteen years old, he don't live in Jamaica, he's not a citizen'. I said I'm a citizen, I'm a commonwealth citizen between Jamaica and England, but I don't live there in Jamaica directly being a citizen there, beca' from I was thirteen I don't permanently live there. So I would like to know who collect those royalties, and so forth. And they can't come up with nutten. So I'm jus' biding my time and plannin' and take it easy. Because I know that anytime that I have enough funds to employ the right lawyer that could help me, then I will tackle Universal Record about it. Yeah. Q: How much did Harry participate in the production process of your album for him? A: Is ongle two time - let me tell you how Harry work with me, OK? I have a close relationship with Sylvan Morris, the engineer. The ongle time Harry J ever been there is when we're laying any riddim and when we're doing any mixing. And probably he will be just there for two or three songs, yunno, and any song he like, he'd direct Morris how he want him to mix, an' things like that. But when it come to direct producing, it was between me and Sylvan Morris. You know, because he just have the studio there and...

Ras Midas

Q: You got free hands to do how you...? A: Yes, and through I was also studio artist there, beca' at the time him have plenty other acts there too. But is one thing I can say - he really likes me so I get more opportunity in that studio more than plenty other artists, because I was original. And he give me a lot of space to be creative an' things like that. So most of those music is just I and Morris work on it an' producing. But when it comes out he take all the credit (chuckles). Q: I see. A: Yeah, as I understand that's how capitalism works, y'know. Yeah (chuckles). Q: Tough. A: Yeah! But he do it in a very diplomatic form. He's not as bad as Coxson an' Duke Reid an' Prince Tony, and all those people. As I said, he will give you some money, he will let you stay alive. And then I wrote songs for other artists, and when the music come out Harry take all the credit, y'know (chuckles). I did a song for Sheila Hylton... Q: Who wrote 'The Bed's Too Big Without You'? A: Yes! 'The Bed's Too Big Without You' (laughs)! Q: Was that really you (laughs)?! A: Yeah, that is my song. But when that song came out I didn't get no credit!

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

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