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BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 9

BETTER MUST COME . . .
Carl Gayle On The State Of British Reggae . . .

IT`s Impossible not to ask what most of the companies concerned with Jamaican music in Britain are doing, and why they are releasing so little that`s good and too much that`s mediocre.

The finger is pointed principally at Trojan since they are responsible for 75% of reggae on the market. But before going further, it must be admitted that over the last three months or so their attitudes, policy, and direction have shown a great change for the better under their competent and sympathetic new managing director, Webster Shrowder.

Yet the obstacles that face him and others in the same position, have their origin in a mismanaged past for which Trojan must accept much of the blame. Why, for instance, after the very good years for JA music of 1969 -`71, is there now this problem of stagnation in the reggae industry? Surely a lot of progress should have been made. But still the records do not get into the charts. The companies have all been feeling the pinch, their artists have been squealing, and the standard of the music, especially that of the British-based ones, has fallen.

Is it just a question of bad treatment by the media? You`d be misguided if you thought so. The chief factor in the currently discouraging state of British reggae in relation to the rest of the music in Britain is the narrow minded and short sighted, and sometimes cynically harmful attitudes that many in positions of authority in the JA business have had for it over the years.

There are too many piecemeal merchants, and one-off amateurs, a situation engendered by the ever more pitiful state of the business in JA. Too many little/big men out to make a quick buck, who show little understanding and less sympathy for the fundamentals. There has been too much indecision, lack of cohesion, and misdirection on the part of the bigger companies who since the sixties have monopolised JA music here in Britain.

And what did these companies do exactly?--In order to sell the music here (in LP form) the decision was made to issue compilation albums at a selling price of 14/6 (77 1/2 pence) and later 19/11 (99p). Thus Jamaican music became cheap music. The cynical attitude to it set in and the damage was done. Not only the music, but the artists became cheap artists, cheap labour. Little pay, less respect, no promotion etc etc. Consequently the story of a Jamaican artist`s career in Britain is the story of the struggle to overcome this disrespectful attitude that the business as a whole has for JA music.

But can we really blame the record companies? This "cheap" route was after all the only one open to them. The LPs had to be sold in pop shops to be successful and those shops weren`t willing to risk trying to sell an unfamiliar music (at normal prices) whose selling potential they were not in a position to calculate. It was purely a business matter, not a conscious attempt to cheapen the music.
Carl Gayle:
Part 1

BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974

peace

BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 9

BETTER MUST COME . . . PT. 2
Carl Gayle On The State Of British Reggae . . .

Yet, at the same time, the companies were definitely over zealous in their haste for profit, and short sighted in not recognising (until it was too late) that when the time came, as it did eventually, for the need to give reggae music a face lift, the need to sell artists instead of records, the "cheapening" effect would be a tremendous obstacle.

They had failed to realise also that reggae music buyers could not have been psychologically prepared for such a drastic increase (from 19/11 to £1.99) in LP prices.

The only way that Trojan seemed to compensate the buyers for the 100% price increase was by making the albums in stereo. Initially people kept buying because dearer stereo LPs were distinguished by quality material like Delroy Wilson`s "Better Must Come", Cliff`s "Jimmy Cliff" or Donaldson`s "Eric Donaldson". But they were also the releases by the British based artists which were never of the same high standard. Record buyers were quick to recognise this and to reject the pop reggae style which the exiles have pursued in a futile attempt to reach a "wider" audience.

It would seem that the British based artists want "commercial" success at almost any cost and very important fundamentals have been overlooked. The real objection is not to pop reggae as such but to too much mediocre attempts at it.

Choice of material, lack of sympathetic and imaginative thought in arrangement and production and shoddy promotion have all hampered the standard and weight of pop reggae in Britain. There is another important factor. Albums in Britain, or Jamaica for that matter, have usually been a collection of singles by the artist at any given stage in their career. If the numbers needed making up more tracks would be recorded out of the blue. If that couldn`t be arranged an instrumental or two would suffice.

Apart from Sharon Forrester and perhaps Dandy Livingstone, the Marvels and the Cimarons, what other Jamaican artists based in Britain have been given enough scope to go into the studio and come out with a really worthwhile album? None!

But from the record companies` point of view artists must give them good reason to think that the required expenditure will be justified. And maybe they haven`t. Who buys the pop-reggae stuff anyway? Ashanti boss Junior Lincoln supports Webster Shrowder`s view that it sells as much to white buyers in Britain and on the Continent (if not more so in the case of the Pioneers and Dandy Livingstone for example) as it does to black buyers. But do the companies in fact make a profit on the LPs by such artists, who are usually thought of as the mainstay of British Reggae?

A look at the weekly chart of the most comprehensive and one of the most popular reggae shops in Britain--Rita King`s R&B shop in Stamford Hill North London -- shows that British pop-reggae isn`t popular with W. Indians. In the LP section only the Marvels figured in the top ten, the top five were John Holt, the Wailers, Ken Boothe, a various artists selection of very ethnic material, and Byron Lee. Ken Boothe led in the singles charts followed by Gregory Isaacs, Bobbie Houston, Cynthia Richards and Raymondo all of whom are based in JA. Only two English based artists--Jackie Robinson and Winston Groovy--figured in the first fifteen.
Carl Gayle:
Part 2

BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974

peace

BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 9

BETTER MUST COME . . . PT. 3
Carl Gayle On The State Of British Reggae . . .

It is also obvious that as far as British reggae is concerned the stuff that the smaller companies--Shelly, Koos, Ethnic, Santic -- produce is infinitely more popular among younger buyers than the stuff Trojan release for example. Thus there is little to support the so called pop reggae artists` case for more expenditure on their music and its promotion. The fact is that regardless of promotion, if the discs aren`t selling over the counter at the reggae shops, they aren`t selling in vast quantities anywhere else.

"Reggae has a very varied market," said Webster Shrowder, "as well as being a specialist market. You can sell a lot of records without everybody who likes reggae music buying it. Sixty per cent of our pop reggae sells to British buyers, I`d say. West Indian mums and dads go for it too. British people on the whole buy the LPs because they like the rhythms, many don`t even understand the lyrics so you find they`d go for an LP like `Reggae Strings`. But they like Nicky Thomas, the Pioneers, the Marvels, and John Holt. Holt`s albums always sell very well, better than anyone else except for Johnny Nash and he`s not a reggae artist anyway. The Maytals usually sell a lot too.

"I don`t think a hit single would necessarily sell the albums because again, we`re a specialist market, but we`re getting through to the pop market much more now anyway. People prefer to buy singles and even if the artist gets a hit single albums don`t mean much to most people. All black music sells like that in Britain, even Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder don`t do well in the British pop LP charts".

It`s a good thing that the reggae market is such a varied one and that tastes are so diverse. One man`s idea of good reggae might be undiluted roots stuff which to someone else is the perfect example of what`s bad about reggae. It would be unhealthy if everyone had the same tastes. But what is the common factor of Jamaican music that makes it accessible to us?

Undoubtedly, as is the case with all black music, we buy reggae music first and foremost because of the emotional content and the rhythm. And there is as much importance attached to the artist`s image as to their singing ability. Least important would seem to be lyrical and musical sophistication. There is however a changing trend towards sophistication on the part of the more studied musicians, but not the fans. this situation might be given impetus, and sophistication might become the trend if the new LP by Sharon Forrester manages to capture the imagination both here and in Jamaica.

The fact is though, that our music has lacked musical and lyrical sophistication necessarily because of the emphasis on rhythmical and emotional content . . . These qualities have been most important because the sociological and cultural, economic and political consequences of our history have provided black musicians with a much more intense subject matter than their white counterparts.

Thus black music is fundamentally an emotional music. At the same time it will be more acceptable and accessible to everyone if it can provide its black audience with some means of identification, and with some spiritual ideal.

Not only have British pop reggae artists failed to come to terms with what`s required on a musical basis (and pop reggae can be done with admirable style and quality as Cliff`s "Jimmy Cliff" LP and John Holt`s "The Further You Look" proved), but they have overlooked a key factor.

When we buy our records we want to hear something in there that we can relate to and that relates to us. If not physically or ideologically, then at least emotionally. Maybe the trouble with British pop reggae artists is that their music continues to display a sad lack of emotion.
Carl Gayle:

BLACK MUSIC AUGUST 1974

peace

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Jah Rastafari

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 10

ERROL DUNKLEY:

HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL: -
By Carl Gayle

ERROL DUNKLEY`s story is, like most Jamaican artists, the story of a struggle for artistic expression in the face of injustice and frustration. His persistence and patience is typical of JA musicians. It`s extraordinary how they manage to survive the crippling effects of the island`s repressive musical state of affairs.

Dunkley himself, without seeming to be aware of it, is one of those singers who by the sad, painful tone of his vocal alone has said enough to enable many Jamaicans everywhere to relate immediately to him, and to endear him to them. Yet outside of Jamaica he`s almost unknown.

If you`re not used to him you`d probably find this slow, sensuous music too gloomy. His emotional voice (whether in song or in speech) is tinged with melancholy and seems resigned to a state of suffering. But if you can`t dig Dunkley, you ain`t really got soul. For most of us it is enough to know that he`s a deep and authentic soul singer, we don`t have to weigh up the other merits of his voice.

He`s also an adept composer of good earthy songs among which "You`re Gonna Need Me" is outstanding.

Errol Dunkley is 23, short, and softly spoken (but not shy). He`s the only musician in his family, and was introduced into the music scene by his friend Junior English in 1964 after singing in talent parades at church and school.

"I used to just love singing", said Errol. "In the evenings after school I`d just stand at my gate with all the other small guys. We`d give jokes and sing y`know.

"One day Junior took me to see Prince Buster. I had a song called `Fay Is Gone` and Buster liked it. It was my first time in a studio and I was so young, I wasn`t that good at it. So Buster and Junior recorded the song. That made me feel bad."

Junior English left for Britain soon after "Fay Is Gone", but Errol continued with Buster. He had recorded two songs with English for Buster. "My Queen" and "Cherry", both of which he composed. His first solo record, a Blues Busters number, was not a success.

"I was under contract with Prince Buster but I went and did a song for Joe Gibbs` (Joel Gibson) Amalgamated Records which was called `You`re Gonna Need Me`. That was around the end of 1965. Joe gibbs had to buy out my contract from Buster before he could release the record."

The next release, "Please Stop Your Lying Girl" also helped to establish Errol as a big name. Both records were big hits. In `66 there was "I`m Going Home", another hit. But there were many other songs that Dunkley recorded for Gibson in the `rock steady` era that were never released.

"My biggest influences were Delroy Wilson and Alton Ellis," said Errol. "I made a lot of records but never got much money. I did the arranging myself. Joe Gibbs produced the records and paid the musicians--Lynn Tait And the Jets."

Errol lived at home with his mother, a brother, and sister. His father lived in Freeport, Nassau. While he was singing for Gibson he was still going to school, but he quit at 18.

"Joe Gibbs started to get too `big`. He started looking down on you, so I walked him out. I just stopped singing, and I took my copy of the contract to him and told him I quit. I just stayed at home, rehearsed, and wrote some songs, but I didn`t do any recordings. I didn`t make any music again though until late 1969 when I went to see Bunny Lee."
Carl Gayle:
Part 1

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974

peace

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 10

ERROL DUNKLEY:

HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL: - PT. 2
By Carl Gayle

When Dunkley`s contract with Gibson ended some songs were released by Lee but they were largely unsuccessful. Errol next tried Sir Coxon.

"I sang a whole bag of songs but he didn`t release them. He must have over thirty songs for me on tape. He just wouldn`t put out the songs and I wasn`t getting anywhere. I think he released some outside of Jamaica though, but with other people`s names on the labels. And there was nothing I could do, there was nobody to defend me. So I walked out on Coxon after about a year."

Things improved for Errol in 1970 when he teamed up with his good friend Gregory Isaacs whom he`d known since 1968, and went fifty fifty. They made one record each and an instrumental--a version of "Picture On The Wall" called "Jah Picture"--which was the first release.

"A producer over here pirated it too," said Errol. "We put out my song `Movie Star` on our label--African Museum, and it was a big hit, a number one."

With the single`s success Errol got the chance to go to the Cayman Islands on a two month long tour. On his return he put away 500 dollars for future use. Dunkley and Isaacs seperated financially after recording a few more songs, Isaaca became very popular suddenly with the success of his songs "My Only Lover", "Lonely Soldier", "Smiling Face", and more recently "Love Is Overdue". Currently he enjoys as much esteem from the "ghetto youth" as any other Jamaican singer.

"Gregory had the African Museum label and I had one called Silver Ring but we still worked together musically. Then I met a producer called Jimmy El Rodway. He had a song he wrote called `Black Cinderella`, and he wanted me to sing it for him."

"Black Cinderella", a very sensitive and melodic tune, also went to number one. But Dunkley was only paid a small lump sum.

"Then I did `Darling Ooh Your Love Is Amazing` for myself but El Rodway said I was wasting my money but probably he was fighting my record down because he had `Black Cinderella` out at the same. So I played the song to Rupie Edwards, he liked it and I sold it outright and lost a lot of money after spending $150 to record it."

Rupie Edwards also released a medley of Dunkley`s earliest hits (You`re Gonna Need Me / Please Stop Your Lying / I`m Going Home) called "Three In One" which was another chart topper. "I did that on a royalty basis and raised some nice money but the money came very slowly. With royalties you only get paid every quarter. And you don`t have any assurance of how many records really sold. That record sold plenty it was one of those songs you`d hear everywhere you went."

After that Errol decided that he wasn`t going to sing for anyone but himself any more but in fact sold another hit-- "You`ll Never Know"-- to Mrs Sonia Pottinger of Tip Top Records.

"I decided to start a business for myself in `72 after coming back from a two month tour in Canada. Four of us went, Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Scotty, and myself. We had some nice shows but I didn`t like it there. I opened a record shop and made a song called `It`s Impossible`. But one night some guys passed through and stole everything and smashed up the shop. I had to sell it out the other day after re-opening it, because it wasn`t doing very well. Then I did an LP for Mrs Pottinger late in `72."

The LP, recently released by Trojan titled "Darling Ooh", does not represent Dunkley at his best. The quality of his singing is indisputable, but the musical backing is lifeless, detracting from the tenderness of songs like "Movie Star", "Darling Ooh", and of course his best song "You`re Gonna Need Me".

From 1972-73 Errol produced other singers. Errol and Gregory Isaacs took Big Youth (the dj for the most popular Sound System--Tipatone) into the studio and he dee-jayed to "Movie Star". The record was a failure, but Youth got a hit with his next record for El Rodway, a version of "Black Cinderella". Errol continued in production with two other singers using musicians like Family Man and his brother Carlton, and Gladstone Anderson. And despite the lack of commercial success Errol says: "I want to be a producer really, produce my own records and work with new talent."

Dunkley came to Britain late in November 1973 after Count Shelly (Ephraim Barrett) contacted him through JA producer Bunnie Lee who had been in Britain. Errol appeared on stage here and has recorded "Soothe Me Baby" and "Little Angel" for Shelly`s label. Both are strong earthy material that pay little attention to "commercialism" or sophistication.

"I don`t like commercial reggae. It`s like you`re downgrading reggae music when you do that. Reggae is supposed to be an impact sound where you can hear the melody of the instruments. But these things over here are too fast and noisy, I couldn`t do that type of thing."

Errol`s music stands up to what he says. It has impact, It collides head on with the "commercial" reggae sound that Dunkley and his fans find so disdainful. Errol Dunkley`s sound, his fans will tell you, is the real music, the music of and from the ghetto.
Carl Gayle:

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974

peace

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Jah Rastafari

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 10

JUNIOR ENGLISH

JUNIOR`S COOL: -
By Carl Gayle

JUNIOR ENGLISH is one of the British based Jamaican musicians who believe above all in making earthy reggae music, in keeping it undiluted regardless of trends. "Reggae with strings isn`t original," he says.

His recent LP--"The Dynamic Junior English"--is a collection of moody, mostly sentimental, songs like "Perfidia" and "Daddy`s Home" which are charmingly sung, although the choice of material and the mushiness of the sound distinguishes this British-made `roots reggae` from the more virile Jamaican equivalent.

Junior has a good voice however and the album, recorded at Chalk Farm and Tangerine Studios in London, seems to be selling well.

"Of course I hope the LP will be a successful in the reggae market," said Ellis Breary the producer, "but we weren`t catering for the pop market. We used those pop songs to develop or introduce Junior. After this album everything will be his own compositions.

"We have to break Junior properly in the ethnic market. This is a record we`ll sell over the counter. Y`know how West Indians buy records--they just go into the shop, listen to a few tracks, and buy it because it sounds catchy. When the LP is successful, hopefully, then the next one will have a much better production, and we`ll use more instruments".

Junior`s latest single, a song called "I`m Back On The Scene" (TR7928) is one he wrote himself and is easily superior to anything on the LP.

"I was in prison," said Junior, "that`s how I came to write the song. I got six months for driving while disqualified. I wrote quite a few songs inside . . ."

Junior English lives in a modestly-furnished house in Willesden. Ten years of singing has so far brought him no hits, no big deals, little encouragement and even less to get excited about. Only the music keeps him going.
Carl Gayle:
Part 1

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974

peace

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 10

JUNIOR ENGLISH

JUNIOR`S COOL: - PT. 2
By Carl Gayle

Junior came to Britain from Jamaica in 1964 to join his parents. He lived in Preston for six months before moving to London where he went to John Kelly Secondary school.

"Then I got a band together after leaving school and started travelling to places like Tunisia, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. I made my first record with Pama after the group broke up, an Arthur Conley song, `Somewhere`. "I used to enter a talent contest that Pama used to run at their club, Club 31 in Willesden. Pama gave me a break after I won a contest".

Junior had begun singing before coming to England however.

"I used to sing with Errol Dunkley. We were supposed to do a record called `Fay Is Gone` but we couldn`t get the harmony right in the studio so I ended up doing it on my own. We still practised and rehearsed together though. Errol was my first influence really--he wrote that song".

Junior`s first band in Britain was a quartet called the Magnets. The group lasted about a year playing ska, rock steady, soul and pop.

"The song `Somewhere` didn`t do badly, it got me recognised in the West Indian community. Then I got into another band called the Nighthawks".

Junior`s next recording spell was with Saga Records about two years after the first single with Pama. He made an LP, "Man It`s Reggae", and a single "Jesamine". Junior and Ellis Breary, his close friend and producer have a congenial working relationship which has existed for three years and produced songs like "Miss Playgirl", "Daniel", and "I Don`t Wanna Die".

Said Ellis: "Working for Pama Records I got to know many musicians and watched them in the studio--people like Lee Perry and Lloyd Charmers when they came over here from JA. That gave me the inspiration to produce Junior`s records. I got a rhythm track from JA in 1970, Junior listened to it and wrote some lyrics and a melody. We just had to overdub lead and backing vocals. That was "Miss Playgirl". We got some good airplays on it.

"`Daniel` did very well for Junior," continued Breary. "It sold around 60,000 but we had difficulty in getting pressings. We couldn`t meet the demand quick enough with our limited supply."

Junior: "I always wanna do the pure Jamaican music with gradual additions. Good, well produced music using more instruments. Reggae is basically just bass and drums and one or two guitars and organ. Anything else is just `commercialism!`"

Ellis: "The people who do pop-reggae were forced to either by their management or by the public, and their records sell to a lot of British people. But West Indian people won`t buy `pop-reggae` from reggae singers.

"The whole thing boils down to a hard fight. Keep doing it. But you don`t expect any miracles overnight, it takes time . . . For Junior and myself, we produce records and we go around doing shows. It`s just making a living, nothing big! But in ten years time!..."
Carl Gayle:

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974

peace

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Jah Rastafari

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 10

NEW BLOOD - HONEY BOY:

ALTHOUGH his short recording career has so far been a rather stormy and unhappy one, a lot of people in West Indian music circles are predicting big things for Honey Boy.

Honey Boy`s real name is Keith Williams. He`s 22 and fron St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

"When I came to Britain I went to live with my parents in Oxford. I only got into reggae since coming to London in early 1971. I didn`t used to hear any reggae at all until I heard some rock steady when I was at college in Nottingham and I began to get into it".

At college Keith was studying music, learning to play piano. He gave it up because it was too slow a process and started playing by ear. "I learned to read and write music a little bit," he said "but now I just write lyrics and make up the tune on the guitar or piano, I want to end up playing as many instruments as possible. I play on all of my recordings".

His first recordings--"Jamaica"--was for Trojan Records: "I thought I`d get a job with a record company and work my way up. I started working in the stores at Trojan and talked to some of the guys about singing. Well Dandy (Livingstone) took me into the studio and I made `Jamaica`".

The record was produced by the Bush production team and backed by the Aces (Desmond Dekker`s group). It was a softly sung, melodic tune and a promising first attempt. "It did pretty well," said Honey Boy, "but it could have done better".

He left Trojan "after a slight disagreement" with the management. "Then I went to work with Junior Lincoln in his record shop. I was there until late `72. We also had a little disagreement and I left and came to work for Count Shelly."

He did an original song "Homeward Bound" for Lincoln`s label Bamboo, then he recorded "Sweet Talk" for Shelly.

"I signed a contract with Creole but they didn`t do much for me. I got some money together with Sir Collins and we made `Fight Life` and `Sweet Cherie`. I gave Collins `Fight Life` and I took `Sweet Cherie` to Creole and they put it out. First of all it came out on the Ethnic label which Creole used to run at the time. (Larry Lawrence who produced the record now runs the Ethnic label). Then Creole put it on a label called Honey when Larry left and then they finally put it out on the Cactus label."

"Sweet Cherie" is one of Honey Boy`s best records, and his best composition. it has the catchy melody and sentimental lyrics which seem to be Honey Boy`s penchant. His rhythms tend to have a disconcerting simplicity about them, but this one with it`s moody wistfulness is just right for romantic dancing couples.

He recorded an LP for the Shelly label. "This Is Honey Boy".

"I also did `Julie` for Shelly. And I did `Let`s Stay Together` and a christmas song called `Away In A Manger` for Creole. My last record was `The Most Beautiful Girl In The World`. "A few times I`ve thought of going back to Jamaica. I`d like to go and do some recording and live over there for a while . . . I`ve been doing a bit of producing for a female singer on Creole called Maureen Davis. Things aren`t going very well right now but I`m gonna do some freelance recordings and if I can get a good contract . . ."
Carl Gayle:

BLACK MUSIC SEPTEMBER 1974

peace

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Jah Rastafari

BLACK MUSIC NOVEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 12

STREET FUNK: -
Carl Gayle Reports On London`s Notting Hill Carnival.
Pictures (right) By Dennis Morris.

THE COLOURFUL PICTURES don`t tell it all. The atmosphere between Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove was filled with the happy emotional sound of human revelry and excitement, the heavy sound of sound system music, and the infectious sound of hands and sticks on steel drums.

Trojan Records were stationed on a corner, set up with their own sound system and a record stand, playing and selling music. "The singles selling man, but not so many LPs," said a smiling Desmond Bryan, manager of the company`s Muzic City retail shops. "Gimme dat one dat jus` play," called a middle aged male customer in a straw hat, referring to Max Romeo`s "Sixpence".

Larry Lawrence, owner of Ethnic Records, was seated in a van with a friend on a corner of Ackland and Portobello roads. Like Trojan`s his records were also on display while he employed a system called CLD to play them. "We deh ya from ten o`clock this morning," said Larry perspiring as he handed me a bottle of Special Brew lager. "We were the first to play music in Carnival `74. We just cool y`know."

It wasn`t easy to stay cool. The air everywhere was battered by aggressive reggae music, the hypnotic steel pans, and the ecstatic calypso singing. It urged you to get more involved, get high and get lost. A merry ocean of jubilant people singing, dancing and jumping up as the pocessions grew thicker and hotter.

A fat middle-aged black woman made fun with a red-faced cop by grabbing him around the waist and entreating him to dance. A guy dressed like a galloping gourmet in top hat, black tails, and a flower in his lapel carried a notice on his back which read "Fred Ass Tear". Occasionally he bent over to prove that it was true.

Ten yards away from Trojan`s spot was the Westway Theatre. Inside the theatre the mostly white audience waited patiently until the Funkess, an African funk / percussion band, arrived on stage.
Carl Gayle:
Part 1

BLACK MUSIC NOVEMBER 1974

peace

BLACK MUSIC NOVEMBER 1974: Vol. 1 / Issue 12

STREET FUNK: - PT. 2
Carl Gayle Reports On London`s Notting Hill Carnival.
Pictures (right) By Dennis Morris.

They make a fair noise, The Funkess, Attack, attack, attack, all out raunch and percussion. The audience loved it. The band were a good deal better than when I first saw them on a lame Thursday night at the Countdown club. The Cimarons attracted an even bigger crowd later in the evening. During their set they were joined on stage by an old-timer in a white straw hat and baggy trousers who danced detachedly. Jackie Robinson of the Pioneers and Danny Ray sung "Everything I Own" and "Silver Words" respectively, backed up by the impressive Cimarons who received a warm ovation from the happy audience.

Earlier in the afternoon OFO played their brand of afro/funk on the "Golborne Mothers Play Group" site to a receptive audience which was separated from them by a wire fence. They`re a tight band with bass, drums, lead guitar, organ, and congas making a very distinct and refreshing sound.

At 4 pm on Sunday the Sir Coxsone (Lloydy) sound system arrived with his faithfuls and set up next to Trojan. There was no violence only good vibes. And it`s true black people are colourful. It`s expressed in the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the sounds we make (whether verbal or musical), the way we celebrate.

Lloydy`s sounds exploded at 4.30, a musical vibration, the soul of black folk. When you go to Lloydy`s dances the past catches up with you in the shape of lost old friends, and you`re caught up in an atmosphere of carnal expectancy.

Bob Marley, Aston Barrett, and Carlton Barrett, singer, bass player and drummer respectively, showed up and stood among Coxsone`s followers. Lloydy announced their presence over the mike and then said "We just want to let you know that all these Bob Marley dubs was specially made only for this sound system. Watch out for their brand new album called `Natty Dread`. The greatest reggae LP from the greatest reggae group. These tunes only can be played by this sound, your number one station . . ."

Trojan`s system battled on but the reggae audience converged around Coxsone`s kingdom. They ate curried goat, drank barley wine and Long Life and smoked. From time to time the cops were attracted by the sweet scent. Coxsone, with the aid of two allies hoisted a flag of red gold and green--the rasta flag--in salutation of his rebel audience.

Over the sidewalk at Lancaster Road, beside the Apollo public house, the Undivided--featuring the famed Reco Rodriguez on trombone--attracted a good audience as they played some earthy reggae instrumentals.

Monday was Grenada`s day. They were represented by the Kicksters and Merrymakers steel bands. The more colourful being the latter, who were supplemented by dancing young girls in red and green costumes, feathers in their hair, and paint on their faces. At the head of the Merrymakers was a more frantic and rowdy element. Armed with gun belts, holsters, helmets, fake guns and bullets, this whistle-blowing group in "dreadlocks" called themselves the Grove`s "Ghetto Block Rebels". On Westbourne Park Road they encountered a passive black cop with two of his white colleagues. They singled him out for the verbal insults and hostile gestures.

As night fell on the second Carnival day the processions that blocked the intersection of Cambridge Gardens and Portobello Road grew more frantic. There was a brief scuffle but no one was seriously hurt. The marchers, young and old, leapt into the air again and again, propelled by the incessant rhythm of the drums and the pans. Often they landed on each other`s feet but no one really cared. The singing and dancing became wild and delirious as the people realised that all the merriment would shortly be over.
Carl Gayle:

BLACK MUSIC NOVEMBER 1974

peace

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Jah Rastafari