Q: In the space after Glen had left, you hooked up with some other people, like one called Sir Clough - R.G. Clough. He had a label with this name as well, you did a tune for him titled 'God Love'. You recall that one? A: OK! No, watch here, I think that song done before Glen Brown. Yeah man, long long time. But I waan tell you that it was more than one song I done for him, but nobody end up nowhere neither. I cannot even find a 45 of that in Jamaica now, ca' it never do well here. And then the youth that I did do it for, that is one of Clough's son. So he did end up in America doing pieces there, I don't know what him do with the tape nor nutten at all. So all these songs jus' die out. Those song now, 'God Love', well I don't do over back that one. But I think there was one on it by the name of 'Books of the Old Testament', that I just done for Joe Gibbs I think. Q: That one was cut for a producer called Stafford Douglas. A: Yeah. Q: The Art & Craft label. A: Stafford? Q: Right, Stafford Douglas. I believe he is the one who ran the Now Generation label and store in Birmingham after Art & Craft went down. A: He died. Q: He did? A: He die. Q: When was this? A: Stafford? Yeah man, him die, man. Like him come out here an' give some man some pound, and the pound them a bogus. So I hear them mus' seh chop him up an' hold him up or sup'm about deh.

Q: You recall when this happened? A: Couple years back, man, 'cause is long time that, yunno. You see, Stafford now, I had done a song for Stafford by the name of 'Tra La La La La', it says (sings): 'Tra la la la la, I looove you baby'. You ever hear that one? Q: The one titled 'I Love You'. No. A: Yeah. But for Paul Clough now was the 'Book of the Old Testament'. Q: What was the link to Stafford at the time? A: I waan told you that I was in South, yunno, and then I think I meet him somewhere out by Maxfield (Avenue), I don't quite remember if it was in a studio I meet him. But he told me that he love my voice an' in England he hear songs with me like 'Burn Babylon' an' t'ing, so I go. Even bought me some t'ings that he bring them from England, y'know wha' I mean, try to do me a lickle money an' t'ing, but his card him draw same way. So, from him take those work I don't see him again 'til I hear him die. I don't know how true it is, ca' I don't search him still. Q: How did you feel about the emergence of the dancehall style in the eighties, that style took a lot of the cultural singers off the scene for a long while. You liked the Radics stuff, all the deejays taking over? A: Yeah, yeah. It was irie, it was irie. But after not seeing that - because you know you had those songs playing you would get into dancehall to go sing or do stage show. Nutten like that! So, to me, I never checkin' whatsoever like what 'appen in the music world. Because Jamaica, if no one hear you on the radio or not, that mean you come out with nutten. But what they do is just that work you there an' take away the work to a different country, release it there an' tell 'nutten no gwaan, yunno'. Just because why, you cannot fly! You see, and you got to take their word for it. You see, you has no lawyer, nobody to talk to, I mean nobody! You got to just tek it up in your own thing or somebody see that you need help an' try help in his own way. Yeah.

Glen Brown.

Q: How did you react when Glen released the first album on Greensleeves, 'Lamb's Bread'? A: Yeah, well... Q: You knew at the time that he would put it out in England, through Greensleeves? A: No, you know who told me about it? Q: Who? A: You know Nighthawk, the company that name Nighthawk? Q: Yes, yes. A: I think they, that's the time they told me about it, and then its way down after I know about Greensleeve. Q: This LP was issued in 1988, ten years after the tracks was laid. By the way, come to think of it, I believe Nighthawk had one of your songs for Glen on an album too, almost forgot... A: Yeah, I think so, yunno. Q: A various artists set titled 'Knotty Vision'. Different people on it, like Little Roy, Burning Spear, Jackie Brown, and so on. This was licensed through Glen Brown for that album, your track on it. A: OK, OK. Yeah, I think... I waan tell you me brethren, there's a lot I know nutten about a whole heap a t'ings, you hear sah. Trust me, nutten. That's why its like the kinda vibes that they deal with it drive... fearing me to even talk to them again, trust me.

Q: You had some talk about an album back then before he moved to New York? A: Well, you see, to his ways he really couldn't show up that fullness, he would like it but the way how I react brethren, I man mash up six of me ribs, my hand drop off an' t'ing, an' you don't consider seh well, then seh bwoy, the man even woulda need a doctor fe a somet'ing. He send me $ 80 US when those time is only $ 1500 dollars a hour - or more - fe book studio time, right. So even me book two hours an' cyaan run the two, the money no burn up sah! Me no have nutten fe eat, me cyaan even walk 'pon crutch-stick me deh, me jus' haffe set the dollars an' buy lickle food an' eat brethren, an' from that him send-send some people an' talk me, like all now me no get no answer from him from him sell out me works. Q: So there was no compensation involved in the Greensleeves album you mean? A: No sah! I mean, all me get is from as I tell you that the brethren from London (Steve Barrow), that him sell out, sell it out to some white brethren. I think the brethren come here an' give me a £ 1000 pound, when him go back in England. 'Cause I meet the brethren up by Mixing Lab. Q: OK, Mixing Lab studio. A: Yeah, he told me that Glen Brown sold him some works an' t'ing like that. He even did plan to come back here an' to do some recording in Jamaica with me, but you know I don't hear from him still. I don't call him back an' so forth from that. Q: That's the Blood & Fire label. Well, I suppose Steve Barrow is a busy man, always up to something. A: Yeah, yeah, yeah - Steve Barrow! Yeah man. Q: That album came out once again five years ago, on a CD in combination with Welton Irie for Blood & Fire, 'Lamb's Bread International'. A: Yeah, yeah. Yeah man, that's all two of us together. I think Welton get £ 1000 pound too. That's it.

Welton Irie.

Q: Welton is on the Jamaican airwaves nowadays I heard, a radio discjockey now, right? I forget which station though. A: Yeah, yeah! He was drivin' a taxi on the road here now down in Jamaica, but I don't know - he was among a lickle sound in Rae Town going on. I think - I don't remember if it was Classique or one a dem. Q: Your first tour was supposed to come off when Glen put out the first album, were you aware of such plans? A: No sah! Q: There was talk about it, I guess when the album failed to sell properly it didn't come off as planned, what was intended, to promote it at the time. A: It didn't came through. I has a brethren in New York by the name of Ira, he has a studio in Mount Vernon, and is he let me know what's going on even in New York with my works them. 'Cause before the dread sent for me, is he who tek out me passport, and decide whe to send for... When he send the things them, he didn't send the work permit which is the pity son, so I didn't get to go. So from that really I don't get to call him back or hear anyt'ing from him, 'cause he say he will be coming for the end of the year with the rest of the papers them to mek me an' him go to Mount Vernon.

Q: The last recordings you did now was for Joe Gibbs last year, so you're saying nothing has been released apart from the revoiced 'Jah Golden Pen'? A: No, that's what really caused me fe jus' mek up me mind an' leave them one side, because time is getting out. And from I start this lickle (inaudible) with the dollar all now, he keep promise me he give me some plyboard an' a few piece a steel an' tell me sixty odd thousand. So he reduce it from my money, he told me that he will give me a money so that I can start slab the house - all now him put on the biggest, prettiest restaurant right now. Yeah. I mean, it's like to me is a man that only take on himself you hear sah, not to me not even him own kids them. Beca' if them do themself, them jus' stand up. The best lickle man was in his league, he die, yunno. Q: Errol Thompson, the engineer? A: Yes man! Brethren, let me tell you somet'ing, is not that he get somet'ing big, yunno, but at least you don't - Mr. T is not there an' you hungry or you want maybe a four or five thousand dollar fe do somet'ing, an' you cyaan get it, Mr. Gibbs dem won't give you a five hundred dollar - much less. And him want you wake up an' sing every day like you a mad man. So, true me know he have some lickle pipes in him, I don't even bother mek him no wiser, because I don't lose work an' he keep promise me an' right now we no deh ya for him. If him hear, somebody tell him, you see. 'Cause with me, I'm a man jus' like this, if I've done somet'ing for you an' I know I man can achieve, man - let me achieve, man. Because the problem is this: I won't mek my voice mek me a feel nutten, y'know. You a go thump me down or me a gone beat you or me go 'ave a plan fe do it. Easy, I come there, he see a walk an' walk go back, you understan'? Yeah. Ca' through I find that the vibes is not there with me an' you, it don't reach far. So, if I done two hundred song or three hundred for you, I just leave you to it with time an' everyt'ing like that. Yeah man. Q: How did this European tour come about that you are about to start right now in June this year? A: Believe you me brethren, is this Rastaman, Asher, he said I met him some years ago, that time when him talkin' there it must be even more harder sufferin' time, and I never remember him. And then him seek out me, try to find out me, try to seek about me an' t'ing like that, and believe you me when I come in from the studio an' see some documents, I say bwoy, trust me, it kinda tremble this beca' I never travel or never reach here, so it kinda worried me and I seh bwoy, wonder wha' me go leave me family them an' t'ings. But after I tek it serious, there's a daughter also there that she help me get around the papers them and documents an' so forth - God bless it, man. I ride on the iron-bird, trust me. So now I'm just here trying to show me face to the people, mek a certain lickle impact, that mean in time to come I will go back again. Q: I truly hope so. A: Yeah man.

Q: Will you try to reach the UK to record, or that's not planned for this trip? A: Well, I don't know, y'know. I don't know how that will go about. If somebody interested, well, I think I will. With me, I'm more now trying that if anyt'ing, if I get back home, if I can try to produce a few lickle songs, I don't know if it reach a album or what I can put out, somet'ing for meself. Q: Sounds good. A: Yes. Q: That is what you have ahead of you now. A: Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir. Because with all what done still, yunno, those type of people is like I wouldn't put me heart an' lean on them an' seh when I'm all them going remember that, you see. So if I don't straighten out my lickle ends from now, when them old them has just got me like... y'know wha' I mean? Ca' there's other, a whole heap a artist that sing fe dem there an' when them dead them put a lickle money towards them an' bury them all them t'ings. Them family na get nutten brethren, you see. So you cyaan put no trust in that. God don't give us the voice to sell it but if a one don't have no fear about life, it don't give the vibes that music is life, and I know that music is life and love. Q: What kinda vibes do you get from hearing the music nowadays, the modern Jamaican music? A: Well, I tell you the truth, y'know, to tell you the truth - its a younger set of people now in dancehall an' all those place. Now, in Jamaica the type of music, the dance whe I more try doing - if I should go to dance in Jamaica again, you see more like how Stereograph come back, or you see Jah Love is around. Because the average Jamaican now, their type a song, me no dance it - you get me? Me don't dance it, because some a dem try to get the music directly out of hand, some of dem mek reggae look like its not. 'Cause dem inna dance, under gal an' rey, rey, rey. And back out your gun an' me no 'bout them way deh. Beca' me too remember when dance used to keep right back 'til daylight, an' Josey Wales, Brigadier (Jerry), Charlie Chaplin an' a lotta man jus' deh-deh. But now in these days Jamaican dance a cheaper, man. You know how many years I stay out of the dance? Well, Jamrock was playing sometime week before last, right 'til daylight, and I was there. It was beautiful, through the community trying to come back together, an' it was nice. But is only since I in for it now I really realise that dance so nice an' the people them so nice brethren, trust me. ' Cause you don't hear a man bruk a bottle, you don't see a bottle inna the dance, trust me. And everybody jus' nice. Yeah. You know the first time I enter a stage show with me an' Glen Brown inna Palace in downtown Kingston? The first time I enter a stage show? The fool a the community is pure rotten head, dem go to dance fe mash up people (laughs)! So me cyaan sing! And when me hold one of the bandsman, then dem lick down with it, that time you did have this George Nooks - he was a deejay those time.

Prince Mohammed.

Q: As 'Prince Mohammed', yes. A: Yeah! That time he done 'Dread A No Forty Leg Inna Him Head', is for Joe Gibbs same way too. Yeah man. I see him leggo that an' start sing now, I don't think him go back a Joe Gibbs, although him have music there whe no release too. Q: So in other words there was never any performance in the seventies - no stage shows? A: No sah, no. Q: What is the acceptance for the vintage music now, would you call it a resurgence of long time singers in Jamaica now? A: Yeah. Well, it look like, because... Q: You have Heineken Startime doing a good job to create a forum for vintage music down there, for example. A: Yes, yes! And the great Alton (Ellis) an' Ken Boothe we see there, I think that's much more even some of their greatest times now coming through, y'know. 'Cause even Toots (Hibbert) is one of my greatest Jamaican artists, and me love how the system turn around. Even myself now, is that type a t'ing. I am seeing wherepart the people need good music to listen, the people want see different styles on stage and different... y'know wha' I mean? So, that's what we all has to do. They trying to fill up them this an' them that 'bout it, but nutten beat the good of music. And the best music, because people want ever waan to hear the best, no care what riddim deh behind it. But if dem listen it an' it dirty them na go dance it. Q: I suppose they have to clean up their act sooner or later. A: Yes Iya, yes I - serious! So it haffe go, just like that. Q: So how was your first real stage show the other day, you did something in Geneva there? A: Oh my, oh my, man! The people react very good, and then I see that I never know but as I told you like in Jamaica, you is a singer but you is no one. Because the type of song whe you sing, dem na dance it. You see, these set of people who used to dance those song gone, those (young) set of people tek over now. So, gradually you woulda say seh well, then seh bwoy, you no singer deh no more. You stay a bush an' hum some song, yes, an' rey, rey, rey. But you na go really feel fe come out fe go do no song, because when you come out here now an' see the reaction of the music, it go help you fe go sing some better now that the people can say 'yes, is Sylford number one this, yunno'. Be sure of that, y'know wha' I mean. Yeah man.

More than ten years ago you wouldn't believe what is actually happening out there now for certain artists, it would be more than unlikely to see someone like Sylford Walker on tour in Europe for the first time. Which has happened now though, he had just done his first show ever in 2005 when this interview was conducted. And he's been back to Europe since in the company of the great Prince Alla. The Joe Gibbs project, 'Nuttin Na Gwaan', was a welcome return of this old-timer to the business. If only the issue of 'Jah Golden Pen' could've been the original and not an inferior later cut, but hopefully we'll see the original version released sometime soon by the European Gibbs stable. 'Book of the Old Testament' came out on what looks like a pirated Art & Craft 12", some twenty-five years after the original had sold out. Another good shot by Mr Walker it is. And, of course, lets not forget the combined 'Lamb's Bread' album with Welton Irie's 'Ghetto Man Corner' on the Blood & Fire 'Lamb's Bread International' CD. A decent deejay set in combination with one of the better roots albums of the later 1970's, it would be hard to fail with such a release and they surely didn't. It is a must, although, personally, I would've preferred the albums in separation and placed after each other instead of the track-by-track combination. More power to the man Sylford Walker, may you get your reward in this time, it is long overdue. 7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots.

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