News : The Boys of Birmingham - Steel Pulse motors on in the face of reggae adversity

[Roots Archives]

It's easy to assume that reggae music is a product of Jamaica alone. The island has produced all of the genre's biggest names for the past 40 years, and it's still ground zero when it comes to discovering what's hot. Reggae music was undoubtedly born in Jamaica, but if you branch out across the Atlantic, you'll see that for a considerable amount of time during the late '70s and '80s, England was an underappreciated mecca for reggae music as well.

Bands from Brixton, Birmingham, and London put their own spin on reggae and kept the culture moving forward all the way until dancehall surfaced in the late '90s. But before that, a hard-driving subgenre emerged; acts like Aswad, Black Roots, Apache Indian, and UB40 charted internationally and were able to steer reggae culture in a different direction.

Although most of those bands have come and gone, one group out of Birmingham is still around and making roots music for anyone who still wants to listen. The name **Steel Pulse** doesn't often invoke the same rebellious thump that it used to, but the band is still touring, still making new music, and band members still consider themselves relics from a time when roots music was king. Steel Pulse was once a household name within reggae music, and it's cranked out a bunch of hits over the years. Tracks like "Handsworth Revolution," "Sound System," and "Babylon Makes the Rules" were some of the toughest and, unfortunately, most slept-on tracks in reggae. Though sometimes overlooked, songs like those helped take the band beyond the confines of England and into the greater reggae world as we know it.

But when you talk with the band's affable longtime frontman, David Hinds, he suggests that Steel Pulse was one of the most misunderstood bands of its era as well. Blacks didn't always get it, Jamaicans on the island were quick to ignore it, and, when the group started in 1975, it had to align itself with an unlikely group of musicians just to get started.

"When we first started out, we jumped on the punk-rock band circuit because most blacks didn't understand us," Hinds says during a recent phone interview. "At the time, punk rockers were accepting anything that the system wasn't accepting. Since reggae wasn't accepted, they'd let us open up for other bands and build an alliance."

It probably sounds like a strange union, but counterculture Brits with Mohawks and Rastafarians had more in common than many would at first assume. Both were revered as outlaws, and without trying to be stylish, both punks and Yardies (British slang for Jamaicans) had their hairstyles and dress codes, making for an interesting mixture in the middle of a dance floor. In the band's early days, newspapers routinely called Steel Pulse "Jah Punk" because of its popularity with the Sex Pistol-loving punk rockers of the day. That doesn't mean the two worlds always got along.

"There were issues with racism," Hinds says. "The spitting and throwing beer mugs at us all happened... no doubt about it, but once they got the message that we weren't about that, the audiences adjusted."

Many of the band's early songs do have a punk edge to them, like "Ku Klux Klan," a song that called out hate groups like the KKK in America but those in England as well. In fact, in their early days, they were known just as much for their wild hairstyles as their controversial lyrics. The band members all had huge, aerodynamic dreadlocks that seemed to defy gravity, and when they got on stage, they shouted lyrics that could have given the queen a heart attack.

Over the years, Hinds has always been quick to pen songs about racism and oppression, the dominant issues in his working-class Jamaican immigrant neighborhood. Whereas Jamaican reggae bands on the island were all writing songs praising Jah, Steel Pulse didn't spend a lot of time praising anything, instead singing lyrics that addressed societal ills.

"I think it's because we come from an urban society," Hinds says. "We made the issue stick. It's different, because Jamaicans don't always talk about racism. It's more classism there... more poverty and suffering and not paying the rent. But we're from England. And it's about racism and chattel slavery and the oppression we've been dealing with for 400 years."

The band's heyday has past, Hinds concedes, but he doesn't think there's any lack of moxie on the band's part that would explain its decline in popularity. Rather, he points the finger at dancehall, the subgenre that made roots-rock reggae seem less interesting.

"A lot of people didn't give us a chance after dancehall came out," Hinds says matter-of-factly. "I'd say that dancehall killed all our popularity, but that's been true of a lot of reggae bands that are conscious and spiritual and political."

When Steel Pulse tours nowadays, it tries to keep the rocker vibe alive, but it also mixes in new songs. It's hard to say how much longer the band will be around, though. After 32 years, it's proven all it can, and Hinds is bold enough to give the group five years tops before calling it quits.

"We don't want guys walking around the stage with walking sticks," he says laughing. "Rock groups can get away with that, but we don't want to be on the oldies night."

In England, hip-hop and garage have become the popular forms of music, and Hinds doesn't think the band has much vitality left in its own country.

"People aren't listening to reggae that much in England," he says. "It's all garage music. Dizzee Rascal and whatnot. I understand things change, and to be honest, I'm happy to see any black act making a dent in this music industry, because it was hell for us. Twenty-five or 30 years ago, it was rough."

Jonathan Cunningham

*source : [browardpalmbeach.com](http://www.browardpalmbeach.com)*

[Survival]

Much Respect To Steel Pulse!

[maredicorsica]

Well, i'll try to tell this story, it may be of some interest, this is what I hope.

I'm an italian white man 47 years old, (so forgive me for my poor english), always involved with music because my daddy was (and still is) a music lover, especially classical and jazz, so I grew up listening to the music all day long. When I was little more than teen ager, after listening for year to the most popular group that at that time were popular in Italy, I mean Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and UK rock band like these, I then discovered early time missisippi blues music, that I liked, but then, the great discovery was reggae.
As almost any white guy in the world, this is what I believe, I discovered reggae with the song Dont Blame Me of Eric Clapton, and then, the hit I shot the sherrif.
Soon there after I became aware of the existence of somebody called Bob Marley from the little caribbean island of Jamaica, with long hairs, singing something between afro american gospel music with a completely different, and truly exciting and new rhythm, with bluesy tastes somwhere, in the guitar and organ arrangment.

Being involved with sound equipment since that age, I especially appreciate the sound of the instruments, the parts of arrangments and the overall stunning quality of the recording.

This happened at about 1976, if I remind correctly.

My God, what a revelation.

This was truly stunning to me, I was feeling clearly that this kind of music had something more than any other things I listened before.
This discovery drove me to the resarch of all the Island Record Catalog, that was at that time, the ONLY source of information about the genre, so I then had the opportunity to hear the tune Reggae Fever of a band called Steel Pulse.

That music was so fascinating to me, what a huge and new universe coming from somewhere was hitting my little ancient world and my life. At that time, the only pop music played by the radio was UK rock, the italian progressive rock (similar to UK), the pop songwriters and some disco music, both from USA and from Italy.

I was trying to understand what they were singing but at that time, it was almost impossible to understand the lyrics, but this dindt injured the high appreciation for the music I had. I was about teenager at that time, we didn' t had information from any media, no magazines, no broadcasting radio, with very, very few exceptions.

When I realized about the thematics of the lyrics, and I understood something of the phylosophy behind reggae music, my interest and admiration became even higher.

Then, Bob Marley approached italian people in Milano playing for 100000 (one hundred thousand) people (a meeting that I unluckily missing) and also the newspaper spoke about him, but in no way this helped us to understand a little bit more about who he was, what he was telling and singing and why he choose those unusual fashion (both music and look) to communicate to his wide audience.

Nobody told us nothing so we still being unaware.

With some friends we then started to travel somwhere all around trying to find somebody who maybe knew more about this music, with very poor results. Nobody knews nothing about reggae, rasta and so on.

It took many, many years before we had the opportunity to join a live show with David Hinds and their friends, i saw them the last time in Milano, if I recollect about middle eighties, and then in Jamaica in 1989, where I was still trying to understand something in the reggae homeplace.

Today, things are different, we have the web, youtube and so on, we can communicate, we can easily find anything we want but, in my opinion, this is not enough to spread a Culture, to make it known and appreciated to different human beings, we're still experiencing big confusion and the ignorance still remain.

I'm referring to the people who are now about the age I had, so, teenagers. These young boys and girls are devastated by the media system, managed by the advertisers, in their own sole interest.

My business is in the live shows, I'm a sound engineer, I teached to a lot of young technicians who had the opportunity to listen to many different kind of music we deal with, and especially, all my Steel Pulse tracks I always use to ckeck and align sound systems, where I go from one venue to another, just to hear how the acoustic is working.

While I always made people listening to these music, I always discovered that not everybody understand or feels it in the right way it deserves.

I'm not speaking about not understanding the depth of the militant lyrics, they do not understand the big power of the music. This is sad to me but I must admit it to myself. They do not "get in sync" with the rhythm and the soul, as they were deaf. I dont have any other explaination.

I dont know about afro caribbean communities living around the world, I' m speaking mainly about italian people, they are still ignorant in music, but not just about Steel Pulse. It needs something special to tune itself with their music, this music is not for everybody, this is what I believe.

When Miles Davis delivered Bithches Brew and the followings, he was trying to communicate with the black people who enjoyed James Brown, it was frustrating to him being not enough appreciated by afro americans. The same happened to Jimi Hendrix, he had mainly white audience, and also Bob Marley had hard time to get in touch with the black american community, at first.

Today, mass media are still playing a big, big role in the game, especially where people do not understand foreign languages easily and where the incredible power of the web is still badly used.

I'll tell you what is going on in my country.

National wide broadcasters, both TV and radio, are fighting each other in terms of audience, monitored by a private entity called AUDITEL, that tells to advertisers about the share of audience they reach with thei programs.

So, for example, being the music a low "auditel rate", it has disapperead from TV, also the governative broadcasting, except, of course Pavarotti, and some very very old pop songwriter who is followed only by granddaddys and grandmammas.

Our highest music star for the young generation (he reach from teenagers to my co aged), the singer Vasco Rossi, he fills stadiums all the time but nobody wants him on the TV, because of the not politically correct way of life he had and still has.

Babies are looking to the TV all day long and they cannot seen or being aware of cultural music at all.

Nationwide radio broadcaster are programming only the top forties hit pushed up by the majors. As you know, CD sales are dropping off, piracies is even increasing, artists like Steel Pulse and many, many others have no way to achieve a radio passage in Italy in the nationwide circuit, except, maybe at nightime when everybody are sleeping. The owner of the biggest private radio station in Italy, for years, forbidden to DJ's the airplay of any raggae tune (including BMW) because, he said, he disliked the genre, but today he changed idea, after the success, some years ago some good italian reaggae artists like Reggae National Tickets (now Alborosie).

Music on TV in Italy, with audience reaching several millions people, is the shitty Festival of Sanremo once time in a year, but ther's no music there, only things for families and aged people.

Despite this, many years ago, a good and serious italian reggae band called Pitura Freska (now splitted), performed there with an hyronic song titled Papa Nero (The Black Pope). Today, they will surely not admitted to the festival, being not enough politically correct.

Being this the real SHITuation, how could a teen ager develop an interest in the roots reggae music, if he or she has no way to experience it by listening?

This is a big cultural problem that in Italy is huge and dramatic. Luckily, Bob Marley is beloved also by teenagers.

I don know how this music may reach the mass market, we have our TV NEws speaking about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton everyday, they forgotten even Madonna that was a huge star. If they spoke of somebody, is because of their death, as happended recently with James Brown. (of course nobody told us anything about the death of Joe Zawinul). Nobody told to the TV watcher who was really James Brown and his great importance in the pan african culture, also because italian are mainly catholics, and he was not.
So, better not to advertise him too much.

One may expect that the school is deemed to give some answers to this problem, but this will not happen, because music is outside the primary and secondary school. Where there are, teachers are old, and not enough wide minded.

Our immigrant are mainly from Romania, Albania, Marocco, and with the exception of Ecuadorian, there are no West Indian immigrants here, so the cultural confrontation happens with people coming mainly from East Europe and North Africa, who do not seems interested in reggae music.

Last, listen to this.
At the most important annual classical concert in Italy held at the La Scala Theatre in Milano one month ago, the acclaimed conductor Daniel Baremboim told to an interviewer that the problem with music is that "somebody considered music culture being not essential to the cultural growth of the human being in the third millenium". This is a very sad and, in my opinion, terrible statement.

Music is the only thing that may allow for peace on earth.

You want smile?

This interview has been cancelled from the nationwide TV governative and private network, and being sent on air only to a radio station that is specialized in ....you guess what...business and finance!

So, this is my experience.

The only thing I can assure I will continue to play Steel Pulse tunes for my friends, old an news.

Good New Year

John

[selecta bing]

Hi John.
It is really interesting to hear your story.
I know what you mean and how you feel. You obviously love this music and seem troubled about it being under appreciated.

BUT I think you are in an ideal position to do something positive about it
because you visit many venue owners and you know about sound.

I think you should use your contacts and try holding your own events
to bring the music to the people.

It is NOT easy though, I know through my own experiences and indirectly through my friends' experiences that it can be a real struggle to get people to attend Reggae nights.
Here in Australia interest in Reggae is slowly growing through LIVE BANDS,
but DJ nights are not attracting the same numbers.
(other than in the larger capital cities like SYDNEY and MELBOURNE)
This is because Australians are used to LIVE BANDS.


In my opinion you must firstly start by having FREE events with Reggae that is not so militant and that is danceable and FUN.
( you could slowly start to introduce more militant styles as you go along )


I am also 47 and first heard Reggae in 75/76 but it was, as with most people,through BOB MARLEY.

You could start by doing a TRIBUTE night to BOB MARLEY
in celebration of his birthday which is in FEBRUARY.

This would attract people who love his music and get the ball rolling for you.

Anyway all the best for 08 and beyond

[Lee Burke]

I want some cds mate i want ya first album mate and all the others signed 384 court lane erdington birmingham mate b23 5lg and dats my postcode mate.

[Owen]

In reading this article,it brings to bear that any music must have social credibility,all the bling bling and fadism that is evident in almost everything that toady's youth are involved with.Where is the depth in their souls or consciences.
I was 18 and lived through the days of Handsworth Revolution and the riots of the early eighties and the general atmosphere of the times along with the sufferation of "Maggie's Britain" I was jobless most of those times I had to make a major decision would I retain my soul funk vinyl collection or keep my collecting strictly reggae.Due to the times the choice was clear to me ,I sold all my soul/funk (Thankfully all this music stayed in house as my brother was a great soulfunk freak and he bought most of my soul collection).
I have great memories of seeing great acts around those times in Cardiff,my home town.
Culture was the first reggae act I had the pleasure of seeing ,the experience was mindblowing.It was the time they released "Harder than the Rest"
It was the heyday of reggae and other acts came in swift succession,Black Uhuru,Steel Pulse,Matumbi, Third World ,Gregory Isaacs,Dennis Brown and many more.
Seeing Misty In Roots at Cardiffs Sofia Gardens was another unforgetable one.
The vibes were unreal,nuff memories deh deh.
I am still adding to my reggae vinyl collection (thank God for Ebay )and promote all them artists and tune on a radio show on Cardiff Radio (98.7 FM)The show is named Soul Freedom and airs every Saturday usually 2-5pm .Along with dudes named Mike Ashley and Kevin Baynham we play the music we love and moves us.Mike plays mainly Soul ,Kev is a mixed bag including soul,jazz and reggae and I play reggae alone.
I had the pleasure of meeting David(Dread)Hines after a flight we were both on ,in the "nothing to declare section in customs at Heathrow Airport.I approached him and asked him to sign a Steel Pulse Cd( Earth Crisis )I had purchased in Tower Records in New York .He, at this time was being given the " HEAVY DUTY "treatment by a customs officer,hoping ,I suspect ,of finding illegal substances in David's hand luggage.The custom's man,upon seeing my interest and obvious adoration of his suspect,was taken aback and said."pop star are we" Upon hearing his patronising I strongly retorted ,"NO ,this man is NO pop star, he IS the Singer,Songwriter,Guitarist and Leader of the greatest reggae band ever to come from these shores"
Upon hearing my words ,he duly closed the case and ushered us along.I chatted with David a while then he requested my name and address,I asked what for ,he insisted that I give him the details,I did .
A few weeks later I received a copy of his latest CD (Rage and Fury)with a message saying .To Owen, Bless and stay strong David Dread.
I treasure this to this day .

Reggae Music Liveth Forever. Owen...aka Coolruler

[selecta bing]

I want some cds mate i want ya first album mate and all the others signed 384 court lane erdington birmingham mate b23 5lg and dats my postcode mate.

MAAAAAAAAAAAAATE
lay off the herb for a day MAAAAAAAAAAAATE

[Ites]

maredicorsica, i think that could've been more likely around 1980 wouldn't it? 'reggae fever' came on their 'caught you' lp from that year, or maybe you heard them in 1978 from the 'handsworth revolution' lp

nice story anyway

[maredicorsica]

Hello Ites,
you're right, I heard Steel Pulse in the 80, my story omitted the few years between 76 and 80 while I was listening exclusively to Marley, Tosh, Livingstone, Third World, Culture, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaac, before Steel Pulse and Aswad come into play on my turntable, with huge effect.

You could imagine how difficult it was to understand something of this Big Culture, at that time, for my point of view, I was buying any record with somebody wearing dreadlocks.

I was also shocked of all the different stylee and interpretation of such a "music genre", as this was told to us at that time by magazines and "music experts", they were absolutely unaware and ignorant. These lovely artists were anything but similar also from a musical point of view.

They told to us that Bob Marley was "the king of reggae", as you know, and, I always asked to myself: "if Bob is the king, who are the other ones?"

I never felt them all in a inferior position from a musical point of view.

You may lough, but I may tell you that it needed years to understand that Gregory Isaac and Dennis Brown were similar to our romanthic folksinger, Tosh was more revolutionary and militant, Culture were more roots oriented, Third World were more funky and rhytm and blues and so on.

Thank you for your appreciation, is always beutiful to exchange real life experience.

John

[dave spice]

The term Yardie refers to Jamaican criminal gangs both in JA and abroad - it's not a British slang term for Jamaicans.

Also, contrary to what many people believe most punk audiences didn't dress in the cliched manner that history would have you believe. There may have been a few with mohawk haircuts - actually named mohicans in the UK - but for most of us it was simply spiky or short hair, worn or ripped jeans and tee shirts, although the jeans were straight leg styles, no flares, please.

Other than that it's nice to see Steel Pulse getting some recognition again. I remember back in 1977 that if you saw the first Clash album in someone's record collection the chances were that Handsworth Revolution would also be in the pile. Great stuff