Q: The thing about you and your career, and where you stand within the business on a whole, is that I see you more as a songwriter for others than a recording artist on your own, after all you haven't been that prolific and had success when others have done your songs?

A: Yeah, one of the reasons is because we came up in a time when artists had gotten more sensible. You know, in terms of knowing that we shouldn't prostitute the business, you see what I'm saying? So if you can see from when I started out with Derrick Harriott, who is like a pioneer in the business, so I learned certain principles. Then shortly I was working with Inner Circle in 1978. So after working with those people then you really start to pick and choose who you want to work with. Yes, so that was part of the reason. Beca' I could've had out, like, ten albums. But I refuse to do certain things for many years. Now everything is gonna change, yunno? Yeah man.

Q: There was a good amount of singles Harriott did with you, like 'Armageddon Time', 'Bassline Party', 'Disco Medley', 'Having A Party', 'Hot Number'. Also 'It's You', 'Ugly Days' of course, 'Unknown Melody', 'My Pick To Click' and 'Two By Two, Four By Four'?

A: Yeah, those are on my first album for Derrick. That's my first album, called 'Pick Hits To Click'. Came out in '77, yeah man. And then after now I had the Inner Circle album ('Wha' The Man A Deal With' on Top Ranking). Then I did the Skeng Don album, again with Inner Circle.

Q: That was later on. So what happened to that first album again?

A: Well, Derrick is... we're gonna release it in France, so... It's a thought (?) of the album, yunno? But Derrick's - they need that album, so some people gonna license it shortly. Beca' the people don't play around Derrick's things, yunno? Yeah.

Q: But around the time of its release, originally, did it take off at all?

A: Yeah, he used to do a lot of export on it. It's an album that did very well. Beca' I've met some of the guys who used to distribute it in New York, Michael Rose's cousin. Yeah man, and he told me - he said, "Winston, I ordered another 500 of that album, when I ordered it from Derrick I always take another 500". Yeah man. So the time has now come for it to be released in a bigger market, y'know?

Q: You and Derrick had a falling-out when you went to Inner Circle, or what was the circumstances?

A: No, not really. It's because I was doing so well, that was why Inner Circle come to see me. They wanted me to do that second album with me, 'Wha the Man A Deal With'. 'Ca you had the 'Electric Dread' and you had the 'Bionic Dread'. Jacob Miller was the 'Bionic Dread' (laughs)!

Q: Is there any possibility to bring out that 'Wha the Man A Deal With' album again?

A: To bring it out again? Yeah man, I just had it to court...

Q: Who is sitting on the master tapes for it?

A: No man, listen - I own that album worldwide. Because I just... Some guys pirated it in France for several years, yunno? So I had a court case with them which we're gonna release it through Makasound now. The court tell him to leave that alone. Beca' you had Tommy Cowan as producer and I've never recorded a song with Tommy Cowan. So he made a big mess up the case in France - Enzo Hamilton from Culture Press.

Q: Oh... yeah! A well-known bootlegger...

A: Ah, okaay! Yeah man, well... he got a beating this time! You know wha' I mean? So I took my things, yunno? Yeah.

Q: And the court case went on for how long?

A: For seven years! It's the number three best selling CD in all his catalog. Best selling album. Only Jacob Miller and Bob Marley has sold more albums than that album, yeah man.

Q: How come that you linked with Inner Circle in the first place?

A: Well, I think... because there was a program in Jamaica called 'Where It's At'. That use to come every Saturday, you know, so... Like, 70 per cent of the country usually used to watch that program. And the guy who had that program is a close friend of Derrick. So, I went and I did some shows and the people kept requesting the shows, y'know? I think it's the account of the popularity of 'Where It's At' and how they came, y'know. They were doing a project...? I think they were just giving back something to the music. They recorded like, about, seven or ten albums. Jacob Miller, David Jahson, I believe Lloyd Hemmings - a couple of singers, man. They did some recordings.

Q: So there wasn't any hesitation to do an album, just a few songs for single release?

A: No! They did the album straight off! No, we record the album straight. We went on an audition and they picked the songs and then we went and recorded it. It's Inner Circle mostly. They use some guest musician, like Sly (Dunbar, drums) on one or two track and some other musician them use... Ah, Ras Starr! You know there's a group in Jamaica by the name of... what's the group again?

Q: Light of Saba?

A: Light of Saba, man!! Yeah, yu a wise guy yunno, Pete!! Yeah, but that basically had a wicked scene, y'know! So they used to bring him in to play one or two songs. Yeah, beca' that guy he just had a certain feel, man. Wicked!

Q: I think he used to play bass, Michael Ras Starr.

A: Yeah, yeah. Ras Starr, Michael... He's in California now. He has a group there.

Q: I think he's called Haile Maskel these days.

A: Yeah, Haile Maskel man! That's the man.

Q: Well, that's certainly something to look forward to, if you own the master tapes for that second album you said?

A: Yeah man, I'm gonna release it in France shortly. I'm gonna release it with the dubs.

Q: With the dubs? They were never released at the time, I guess?

A: Yeah man! We're gonna release them with the dubs, like how I did it with the 'Diary...'!

Q: Who mixed the dubs for the 'Wha the Man A Deal With' lp?

A: Maxie - at Channel One, yeah.

Q: So on to the next thing now after this album for Top Ranking, you went into forming Black Kush?

A: Yeah, that is my brothers. That is me and my brother, yunno? After that album with Circle now I was doing an album with Cedric Myton.

Q: From the Congos.

A:... from the Congos. We were doing three album. One with Richie Mac, one with me, and one with Cedric, yeah?

Q: So Myton produced all those albums, or what?

A: Well, no. What happened, he didn't have the money at the time to go to studio, right? The people told him that if he got the album done, they would... you know? It was EMI. Yes, so... I went and I speak to Chris Stanley, and I ask him if he could give me some studio time because he was just finishing his studio. So I asked him to give me some time for a project, and he said "yeah!". Because he want to hear what the studio sound (like). After I went and I told Cedric and "Cedric, Chris Stanley say we can do some work up there". But he didn't know the magnitude of the work that I was gonna do! When he heard the songs that we were doing, he said that he wanted a turn of the deal (laughs)! So Cedric and him getting a big fight now. So what happened is that I asked my mother for the title from the land, I borrowed some money from the bank and I went and I took my tapes. You understand? So by this time now I had the tapes from Aquarius, and I had these other songs I was doing with Cedric, yeah? Up until today, ca' Cedric was in France the other day, and he saw the album - 'cause Cedric did the backing vocals on 'Malcolm X', yunno? He did the backing vocal on my 'Malcolm X', right? So, up until today, his tape is still there. And he was trying to get it and he found out that it is in Atlanta. 'Ca Chris Stanley died, he was the boyfriend of Grace Jones. So he died and his daughter came down from America and she took all the tapes. She ship them out and it's with her lawyer in Atlanta. So Cedric is trying to negotiate with them to see if he can get back his tapes.

Q: What time are you talking here? When was all this recorded - early 80's?

A: About early 80s. A little bit after Bob Marleys death.

Q: Before we get into Black Kush, you hooked up with and recorded something with Ossie Hibbert?

A: Yeah, yeah, yeah!! Yeah man! It's Derrick Harriott's friend, yunno? I did two songs for him - 'I Love Jah' and 'I'm Getting Married'.

Q: He is still sitting on these tunes, not doing anything with them, I guess?

A: Yeah, he is still sitting on these songs - but is a friend, yunno? He is in New York most of the time. Is Derrick's friend as well. So maybe I might finish up a project with him. Yeah, I think I might do that.

Q: There's another one-off, called 'Ital Yud'? On the KG label.

A: Well, that song! You see, it's a national pantomine in Jamaica, yeah? So I did the juvenile lead alongside Charles Hyatt. Yeah, Ronnie Williams and those guys. 'Ca I do acting on a professional level. You know, stage work. That was the theme song from the pantomine. But the pantomine was so successful that the people who produce the play, they produce that song. They said they wanted to record that song, so that's how that song came about. I don't have a copy of that song, yunno? That song sound like it's a very rare song.

Q: Can you remember when it came out?

A: That should be about '77, yunno? Yes, I think it's just after high school. After I left high school. Yeah, '77...

Q: And there was a few singles off the Inner Circle/Top Ranking album?

A: Yeah, but I didn't know about that. Those were released abroad. There was one discomix with Trinity, yeah. And 'Hypocrites & Parasites'. That's on the 'One Love' album, first Inner Circle album.

Q: So after doing this stuff with Inner Circle, Ossie Hibbert and Cedric Myton - what came next? Black Kush? You formed that group around this time, didn't you? Around '79 - 80?

A: Yeah, yeah. Me and my brother. So, we went to France and did some tours there. You know, some shows in France with the group. And we did some recording. I recorded 'Can You Keep A Secret' and 'Grand Time'. You don't know about those singles, but I did those two singles. You know, for a brethren of mine, who got me into the 'Deep Roots'series. 'Fear Fear Fear'(laughs)! Yeah, but we did that song and...