Roots Archives Forum

ive just been listening to a cd of four early b albums, called early b anthology and one of them features overdubs by joe lickshot. for those not familiar with him, joe lickshot made some kind of career of making these funny gunshot sort of noises over tracks and live in the dance. ive heard recordings of him in a live situation and while it seems a bit more in keeping there, on this early b set and other studio work, the guy is just annoying. can someone counteract that by supporting him? the noises he makes are laughable and most often dont even sound like gunshot, more like squeeky little, well, flatulences.

its got to be a first for jamaican music: someone whose sole talent seems to be being an annoyance.

now either he or his clone, jackie knockshot, actually gets some good ones in on one track on sugar minotts inna reggae dancehall on i think the track war and crime. but its mostly because he is very restrained and only used in appropriate places. edit: and actually his utterances sounded like machine guns or richocheting bullets so it was a bit more bearable esp considering the theme of the song.

ps: on roots archive they list the extra guy on war and crime as "jackie lickshot" so maybe im getting the two mixed up namewise, but my understanding was it was joe lickshot and jackie knockshot.

one love
jah bill

I have no clue at all - but this is a funny post!

Jah Bill wrote-

its got to be a first for jamaican music: someone whose sole talent seems to be being an annoyance.


Yo Jah Bill! See also... Eek A Mouse

aloha from Maui my brother!
boomshot

Well, like him or not I think that's a bit unfair to eek a mouse. He at least had some actual songs.

As for the lickshot/knockshot thing, I can't defend it and say, what are you crazy? I love listening to someone make gunshot sounds over music!!
I think it's kind of a funny novelty, and I could see how it might work at a dance. On record it becomes overkill pretty quickly, but I can take it in small doses. Of course, a lot of dancehall wasn't about talent, but style & fashion. And if you take it in that vein, I think it's kind of fun sometimes, and definitely throwaway. It can also be an interesting historical and cultural curiosity. That's the best 'defense' I could muster, and, no, I won't be diggin in the crates for any Joe Lickshot appearances anytime soon!
Early B, though, now that's another story!

It's "Jackie Knockshot" on Sugar's "War & Crime".

The whole thing works better in a dance than it does on LP.

I was at a Youth Promotion dance once where the two clashed: Lickshot started with his noisey arsenal of ammunition, and Jackie's response was to take the mike, and sing sweetly "it's gonna take a little time....a little time to think things over (from Foreigner's "I want to know what love is", a song that was very popular in Jamaica at the time).

Pure fence-beating and pandemonium, he brought the house down without firing a shot!

Knockshot was a sweet guy, and had a sense of humour. Lickshot is, well, as you say....very good at being loud!!! The other diffference is that Knockshot has some drawing talent, he did whole series of "Ragamuffin Life" cartoons that were very nicely done.

from roots archive:

Heartbeat LP #HB 29 1986
Heartbeat CD #CDHB 29 1988
Record date : 1986

Album style : dancehall, solo vocal

Playlist :
Victim Of Society
Nah Follow Nuh Fashion
Hard Time Rock
All Day And Night
Charlie Chaplin & Sugar Minott - Four Wheel Wheelie
You've Got The Love
Jackie Lickshot & Sugar Minott - War And Crime
Down The Line
Nuh Know It Like Me
Run Come
Rhythmatic
Inna Rub A Dub

Arranger : Sugar Minott

Vocals : Sugar Minott


note: jackie lickshot. guess its a typo because yeah its jackie knockshot vs joe lickshot.

one of sm's best albums by the way.

ps: big up boomshot hope maui is still treating you well and vice versa!


one love
jah bill

Can pictures be uploaded to this forum?

Joey Lickshot also had a dub album to his name. Quite a nice digital set with him introducing every song in his style.

Some info on Jackie Knockshot;
http://reggaelicious.pbwiki.com/Jackie-Knockshot

I enjoy Knockshot on Colourmans Kick Up Rumpus 7". A pity he was only included on the single and not also on the album version.

Dave K, if I recall correctly you had copies of his comics for sale? Do you still have any per chance? Would love to buy them.

and as if by coincidence, what shows up at ernie b today?

7":
Colorman, Jackie Knock Shot - Kick Up Rumpus / Version Creation Here I Come/Black Roses 1986

which i ordered solely based on kalcidis' review!

one love
jah bill

In my opinion, his touretts-like outbursts completely ruined Early B's "New York Party," and this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mz2SVRU ... annel_page

Ridiculous. Why are they right over the main vocals? It's like a rude interruption of otherwise great songs.

DB