Q: Creatively speaking, if we're talking recording the music, the recording process from those days, what do you feel you learned from working with those people in the early days? Would you say they had an impact on your work, creatively, the producers? A: OK, they weren't involved. They just hire the musicians, they listen your song and they liked it. And they hired the musician and record you, they had nutten to do with it 'cause they're not musicians, you understand. They just spend their money, and after they get your song they take it away and release it abroad, and because you don't travel you know nutten about it. And when they come to Jamaica and you see them, they don't even want to speak to you. That's been going on for years and years and years. Until I came to France, when I came to France and see what's happening, it was like I was shocked! The reception I get from the people is like over the years the people been listening to my song, and they never see me. Q: Unlike most of the 'major league' of groups, the Viceroys never seemed to get off the ground to do a tour, if we go back some twenty to twenty-five years in time. What is the cause of this, you never hooked up with a proper management at the time? A: Well, the producers. Because they do not want to give you money. Alright, I tell you: a guy come to these part of the world, and them hear you going on with a t'ing, yunno. They hear that you have plenty music out there and nice and t'ing, they come home and seh - they come and look for you and seh: "Man, gi' the I a lickle money an' come record an album". And after they get that, they leave. You don't see them for a long time an' dem kinda t'ing, y'know what I mean. And when them come back to Jamaica, they would even stop to talk to you. Q: 'Hiding in the bush', like (chuckles). A: Yes. There is one now named Linval Thompson, him record two albums for me, one name 'We Must Unite' and 'Brethren & Sistren', and from the day him move out with those record, they release it in France, they released in England. I look at a magazine one day, somebody show me a magazine, and I see my two LP advertised in the magazine. So I say 'wait', and I write the company in England and them say is long time them would like to hear from me. They send me copy of the record, and money too.

Q: What company are you talking about, would that be Greensleeves? A: No, not Greensleeves. Q: OK, probably CSA then. A: CSA, that's right! Q: Clive Stanhope's label, no longer in existence. A: No. And as far as I see here now, them music is going on good, and I ain't gettin' no recompense for it. I came to France and I see how the people react to me, y'know. It's great, they love the music. People come to me and say: "Bwoy, we grew up with dem music ya now, man!" When we come off a stage, man, the amount of autograph I have to sign! And people say: "Man, we grow amongst dem tune ya", y'know what I mean? Q: Right. A: It make me feel good, but (chuckles)... I have nutten to show! Q: It took so long before something like this could happen. A: (Laughs) It took so long.

Q: Back to the early days, after you passed through and subsequently left Morgan and Matador, you went to Lee Perry next? A: Yes. Q: And there you recorded 'Fancy Clothes'? A: Yes. Q: Circa 1970 or thereabouts? A: OK, about those times. And we did... Q: What became of that track for Perry? A: I don't really know what he did with it, because he never release those songs in Jamaica. I did one a them named... Q: By the way, listen to this one when we're speaking of Perry (playing 'Babylon Deh Pon Fire', credited to Truth Fact & Correct, which is actually the Viceroys in full force circa 1975). A: Oh, 'Babylon'. Q: Remember that one? A: Yes. Q: This he had as 'Truth Fact & Correct'. A: 'Truth Fact & Correct', that's the Viceroys! Q: I called you in Jamaica in April when you mentioned something about this song. A: Yes. Q: I'm sure there's several out there who are a bit puzzled about this track, wondering who they really are. A: (Laughs) 'Truth Fact & Correct'. Q: This was cut a few years after 'Fancy Clothes'. A: Yes.

Lee "Scratch" Perry

Q: I took it from a Trojan CD entitled 'Public Jestering', came out about fifteen years back or so. A: Ahh, man oh man! Q: There's tracks all over. A: All over, and it seems as if I can't do nutten about it. Q: What was it like to work with Perry? A: This year I saw Perry come to Jamaica and I ask him "What about the songs?", and he told me that... he asked me if I never go inna him yard and take up my tape, I said no. Him say him throw everybody tape inna the yard and all the singers come and tek up them tape, why me never take up my own? (Laughs) And I never know nutten about that. Q: I know he buried some tapes in the ground, but not that..? A: Him say every artist come and tek up them tape. Why me never come tek up my own, 'cause him throw them inna him yard. Q: A lie? A: He's lying, I know that. Q: It might have happened to some of them but I suppose Pauline Morrison got several of those tapes. A: I know he has them.

Q: Then you moved over to Randy's to try something, with 'Chuckie'? For Clive Chin I think it was, or his uncle, Keith, or perhaps Miss Pat, whatever. A: Yes. Q: I believe the Slickers did something similar with '9 Millie' some years later. A: Do you have it? Q: Yep. A: I have so many songs I can't even remember. Q: Are you aware of a 'second Viceroys' out there, because as far as I know the Pioneers used that name for some releases in the mid seventies, for songs such as 'Marcus Marcus Garvey'. Can you recall ever recording a song with this title? A: 'Marcus Marcus Garvey'? Q: Produced for Joe Sinclair's Klik imprint in England by Sidney Crooks. A: There are so many songs I can't even remember some of them, if I hear them...

The Pioneers

Q: I believe this is just a name rip-off by the Pioneers though. A: Oh yes. If I hear it, y'know... I can know if it's the Viceroys or not. Q: Right. What happened when Bonnigale left? This separation took place before the debut album for Phil Pratt was recorded? A: Yes, 'Consider Yourself'. Yeah, Bonnigale left. That is after I recruit Neville Ingram. Q: What was the split about? A: Well, them time, yunno, the politics t'ing was bad in Kingston and they must've fired shot after him, so him leave. Him have to leave the area. Q: What area was that? A: Wellington Street, West Kingston. So he almost got killed, because him haffe jump a fence (giggles)... when them bwoy fire shot after him, yunno, so from that him leave the area. So I have to start with another guy, two other guys. Q: Ingram was one. A: Ingram and Norris Reid. Q: Where did you hook up with them? A: Ingram was a neighbour to me, y'know. And we were learning trade at the same place, like we was jewellers, make jewels. So we were working at the same place, L.A.N. Richards at King Street them time deh, and we start rehearsing together. Q: That was the income then, jeweller. A: Yes, I work as a jeweller for many years. And when working as a jeweller, when I get a sparetime we go to the studio, that's why them gwaan like that, yunno. Beca' when I record a song I have to be on the job, I have to leave them with it. And I have to be on the job making jewelry for L.A.N. Richards right through his store, and I have no time - you understand - to monitor that, so they just take it for granted. Q: What was the name-change to 'Voice-Roys' about? I assume this was in the hands of Coxson? A: It's a mistake, it's 'V - i - c - e - r - o - y - s'. But they put 'V - o - i - c - e', yunno. It wasn't my idea, but because they was up to some trickery they do that. I saw the record, yeah. Q: But what was the use to change it to the Interns? A: To Interns? You know, it was because (chuckles)... Q: That could be a step back in the career when you already have a name established. A: Yes, but at one time we decide, because we say "Man, look like the Viceroys name na gwaan with nutten, ya know, mek we try a new name". And we did a couple of songs and an album under the name Interns, and then we just seh the old name sound better, yunno. (Laughs) So we just go back to that name.

Q: Tell me more about the first album project, 'Consider Yourself' for Phil Pratt. It took some time before you finally had an album out. A: Hmm, Phil Pratt now is another one, he was in Jamaica doing some producing and he knows that our t'ing is good, so he called us to do it. We never even get an advance. He call us to do some music, and because I have all these songs written down, I said "Come man, gwaan we do it". And he went away to England and he live there, never return. He had that album in England, living offa that album and never give us anything for it. Q: He did a Jamaican pressing titled 'Consider Yourself' on Chanan-Jah though. A: Yes. Q: And there was the UK release entitled 'Detour' on the Burning Sounds label. A: Yes. Q: You learned a long time after about the 'Detour' pressing? A: Yes, the 'Consider Yourself'? I don't know about the 'Detour' album, I know him have an album name 'Consider Yourself'. Q: The same album was retitled 'Detour' for the European market. A: Never know about it. Q: So there was no Phil Pratt in sight after that? A: Never saw him again.

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