Q: Is there any future at all for harmony trios in Jamaica, as you see it? A: Well, I would say in Jamaica, yes. You know, in this respect, these guys now and deejay music - you understan' me, them rap music an' t'ing, well, they still got the roots rock reggae, yunno. But I waan tell yu, the roots rock reggae cyaan fade out, beca' there are people who love it. Still people who love it. But for the younger people, they love the rap music. Q: Some things goes in circles, and some just turn out to be something of the past, petering out. I hope it's coming back with vocal groups in Jamaica, but the future doesn't look very bright, I'm sure you can agree with that to a certain extent. If there was more of that in America, perhaps there would be more of harmony singin' in Jamaica as well. It is so much of Jamaican music that reflects the (current) US music. A: OK, that's true. But I mean, you see in Jamaica now the rap music is still going on and you have the roots rock reggae still going on, yunno. But when I come out of Jamaica and like come in France, I see how much the people love the old roots reggae music. Q: Speaking of live performances in JA, is Heineken Startime pretty much the only scene for the traditional music, vintage acts only get to play there, or there are new waterholes opening up for those artists? A: Yes. Yes, we have a new company in Jamaica now named JAVAA, all the old artists... they see that nutten is happening for all of the old artists, so they are trying to provide work now for those kinda t'ing, yunno, for us. So most of the old artists join that organisation, JAVAA - you ever heard about it? Q: Yes, I'm familiar with it. A: It's the same people who control Heineken Startime, those are the same people who have JAVAA, Keith Brown... Q: Mikey Barnett? A: Yes, those... Michael Barnett.

Q: If we move up to the early nineties now, you did a recut of 'Heart Made of Stone' for Leggo. A: Yes, him is another one. From the day him get that album (chuckles)... Q: Right, there was an album out as well. A: Yes. From the day he get that album, he went away to England and live there, never come back to Jamaica. Q: That's not nice. A: (Chuckles) That's all they did. That's why I said now, I do not want to deal with a producer anymore. I am recording my own album right now, I started that a couple of years ago. Q: The rights to your songs reverts back to the songwriter after a certain amount of years, one good project for the future would be to compile a bunch of those 45-only releases you've had over the years, songs that never made it to even a compilation album, and put them together for a Viceroys retrospective. A: Yes. Right now what happened though... Q: These days you can get a decent sound from cleaning even old vintage singles. A: Right now I'm searching for all the old copies I can find, and right now all the old music that I have done - even those from Greensleeves Records, Linval Thompson and those guys - I put them on CD now, yunno, and have somebody release them in France now. And I'm looking to see who will come to me to say anyt'ing to me towards them, you understan'. Yeah, I have done that with four albums already. And right now when I go home back, I have another one to put on CD and send to France same way. Q: What would the content be? A: This album that I have? Q: Yeah, the compilation you would do? A: OK, that album what named 'We Must Unite', the one that named - the one from Studio One, all those album, I get them together and put them on CD and I give it to a company in France to release. That's what helps me with all these tours and all these t'ing. Yeah.

Q: You're not expecting to go to court for it? A: I would love that. Q: (Laughs) A: That is what I'm hoping they would do. Q: You mean to countersue if it shows they have no statement to show? Which it would probably turn out to be anyway. A: OK, yes. Yes, they have to show me some statement, they have to show the court some statement. That's what I would like them to do! But I've seen nobody surface yet. Q: You have just finished the first tour ever for the group, in France. You did a one-off show with Max Romeo and the Ethiopian earlier this year in Paris. What's ahead for you in the immediate future? There was the album you had started. A: I have a new album doing, I've done four tracks already, and when I go home now I want to finish it. Q: Where did you start recording it? A: This was recorded in one new studio in St. Thomas. Q: You're using digital backing? A: No, I no want the digital, I no really want the digital. I want the drums and the bass and them t'ing. Q: Who did you recruit for the recordings? A: Well, I work with a lickle band up there named... forget whe them call themselves, but they're good musicians. Q: No well-known names among them? A: No, they are new musicians. And I t'ink four tracks gone already but I'm going to use well-known musicians on the rest.

The Viceroys "Live In France" (www.reggaelution.net)

The Viceroys "Live In France" (www.reggaelution.net)

Q: Who did you bring alongside yourself and Neville for this tour in France? A: OK, it's Michael Gabbidon, that's Max Romeo's cousin. Yeah, him joined the group now. Q: Alright. So what about Chris Wayne? A: Chris Wayne is (chuckles)... he's not around, I dunno where in the world is he. Q: He joined the Viceroys for a short period, like on the 'Chancery Lane' LP. A: Yes. Q: Do you recall a song titled 'Every Woman In This World' for Flabba? A: 'Every Woman In This World'...? For Flabba Holt? Q: Yeah. A: No, I've never recorded for Flabba. Q: There was another 7" on the Nice'n'Easy label called 'Are You Lonely'. A: Yes! Well, that's (chuckles)... that's two songs, 'Join The Club' and 'Are You Lonely'. Those two songs I did for Nice'n'Easy label. Nutten from those two either. Q: Linval put out a compilation of his productions during the early dancehall era titled 'Can't Stop Us Now' on the Easy Star label. A: That is one of the songs from the album 'We Must Unite'.

Q: Linval have it on this US compilation anyhow. A: OK, alright. Q: 'Chariot Coming' too? A: Yes, that was done for Luddy Pioneer (Sidney Crooks). Q: So there was a 'Pioneers connection' at least? A: Yes. Q: Plus the tune I mentioned for you, 'Chuckie' on Randy's. A: 'Chuckie'? I don't really remember how that tune go, yunno - 'Chucky No Lucky'. Q: Roots Knotty Roots, the documentation of Jamaican singles, has 'Come Dance' included in their discography as well. A: 'Come Dance'? Q: Yes, 'Come Dance' and 'Give Me Good Love' for Sidney Crooks. A: I think so.

Q: 'Come On Over' for Sidney Crooks too, although I suspect these are all Pioneers again under the Viceroys name. I haven't heard them. Then there's one titled 'Four Seasons'... A: For Roy, yeah. Q: That's for Pat Cooper. A: Yes, 'Four Seasons'... OK, OK (chuckles)! That is with this band that's named Fabulous Five, we were the first artists they ever recorded. You hear 'bout that one? Q: No, unfortunately I haven't. A: OK. Q: And 'Give A Helping Hand' for Randy's? A: Maybe, I don't remember. There are so much songs, yunno. Q: You did 'I'm Righteous' and 'Jump In A Fire' for Matador. A: I think so. Q: An early recording for Joe Gibbs back in the sixties titled 'Jumpy Jumpy Girl'. A: Mmm.

Q: 'Knowledge of Now' on the Victorious Steppers label, plus another one there called 'Shaddai Children'. A: Yes. Q: Is that Norris' production? A: No, it was Norris lead that one, but it was written by a man called Ras Levi. It was a Rastaman who love to hear the Viceroys sing and he write that song for us, 'Shaddai Children'. We call him Ras Levi. I think I hear that he was in prison. Q: 'Love One Another', 'You Are The One' and 'Poco' for Byron Lee, Dynamic? A: Yes, we work at Dynamic there. Yeah. Q: 'Power Control' is for Luddy again but that is most likely the Pioneers. 'Promises' for Matador was another one. A: For Matador, yes. You have all of those? Q: No, no. These are compiled in a book of Jamaican singles. A: Yeah man, OK.

Q: There is a tune - or tunes, don't know if that's two or three different songs with the same title - called 'Freedom' with production credited to Lee Perry, Clive Chin and Lloyd Campbell on various labels. A: Yes. Q: Another one came out as by The Brothers called 'Every Day' for Derrick Morgan too. The list of songs goes on and on, some of those I'm sure are worthy a reissue, on a 45 or if you could gather them on some sort of anthology. A: Yes, and all those are 45's? Q: Yes they are. A: Yes, I would like to get my hands on all those songs, clean them and put them on CD. Q: You have some at home still? A: No, in the storm that name Gilbert I lose a whole lotta records, a whole lotta records I've lost. Q: How did this connection to France come about? A: Well, it's a lady (chuckles)... her name is Helene Lee, she is the lady that check us up and know about us and our first tour, she set it up. Q: How was the show then with Max Romeo and Ethiopian, that was the comeback that excited a lot of people when it happened, like you popped up from nowhere. A: Great man, that's what cause me to be back here too (laughs)! Q: (Laughs) Would you consider working with any new or old artists in the future? A: Yes, like a group name Silvertones, those guys never get a chance to go out, yunno. And a group named the Jayes and those guys.

The Viceroys "Live at Elysée Montmartre, Paris" (www.reggaelution.net)

That would certainly be a treat for long time fans, the Silvertones and Wesley Tinglin working on future projects. Wesley also made the Studio One recordings available on the Sankofa label out of France with the same 'Ya Ho' album, but now retitled 'Slogan On The Wall' which came out on CD a couple of years ago. The same label also has the 'We Must Unite' set out now on CD in 'benefit' of the group, and an excellent album it is. There shouldn't be any necessary words here to express how good this music is, both are heartily recommended, let's just say that. What is missing presently is the 'Brethren & Sistren' album (the title track was also done in an excellent version for Gregory Isaacs and can be found on his 'Togetherness' compilation for Heartbeat, circa 1982) as well as the debut set for Phil Pratt, 'Consider Yourself' AKA 'Detour'. CSA did a re-release of that album twenty years ago as 'Ya Ho', now credited to the Viceroys and not the Interns as it originally was. But even that pressing is almost impossible to obtain anywhere these days. As with so much of the group's music, it is worthy a second chance on the market. About time that someone - and hopefully supervised by Wesley himself - gathers and cleans up the majority of the old 45's and put them on a CD for the rest of the vintage-hungry world to hear. 'Love Is All' (Vice Music/Sankofa) is the long-delayed release a lot of Viceroys fans had been waiting for, and it does not disappoint. Especially 'In My Father's House' carries Neville Ingram's honey-drenched vocals to other heights and Tinglin's songwriting is as focused as it has ever been. There are some truly fine Roots Radics playing on these rhythms, but clearly the sound was on its way down by the time these recordings took place and it lacks the sharp mix from a few years previous.

Lately a dubious CD entitled 'Ghetto Vibes' popped up in record stores but the overall impression is that this is another group and not the Tinglin-led Viceroys. A better investment would be when the group is surrounded by an acoustic environment in the 'Inna De Yard' series of unplugged Jamaican music from the Makasound/Soundicate stable out of guitarist Chinna Smith's Kingston veranda. The group delivers several classics in fine style and it is already hailed as perhaps the best effort in this ongoing series of 'wooden' albums so far. If Sankofa did such a great job by gathering the cream of uncollected singles by Winston Jarrett and his Righteous Flames, then I see no reason why they couldn't do the same for the Viceroys. It could happen and it must happen, because the Viceroys' music is a testament of quality songwriting and superb harmonies throughout and that in itself would create a stunning retrospective package for future generations to hear. Jus' gwaan do it, hear sah! 7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots.

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