Q: What would you like to see, future-wise, in the music? A: Well, I'd like to see us go back to the more original. Bob Marley said that, y'know, 'feel it in the one drop'. It's like you can't get away from that, from the heartbeat. More natural sounds and less computerized music. After he died, right, they just go on a computer and build a riddim, and it's kinda discouraging to hear it in this way, y'know. But they have to come back, it'll come back to the real thing. Q: Will that ever happen. The new technology has wiped out a lot in the past twenty-five years. A: Yes, I have the belief that things may be rough, but that's still the sound that they want, that long-time sound, yunno. It will have to go back. But people in Europe now, that is what they want to hear, so naturally it'll have to happen. Q: How much did you work closely and together with engineers in those days to shape a sound? A: Well, I'll tell you. In those days they were so competent, it's like you wouldn't have to tell them. They would automatically just know what to do. Q: Was there anyone in particular who you liked to be around, who got that 'perfect' sound on your organ or melodica? A: I worked with so many engineers. There was one they call Morris. Q: Sylvan Morris (Studio One/Harry J)? A: Morris, right. The last time I saw him he was at Dynamics. Those guys are actually like musicians, they have the musical hearing and everything. They would tell you if you're off-key, they would tell the singer if he's not singin' right, y'know what I'm saying. They could, it's not much you would have to say to get it right.

Sylvan Morris outside Dynamic Sounds (Photo: Shaun Roberts).

Q: What was your favourite studio back in those days, where did you feel most comfortable? A: Basically, the most of the studios they ran out of cable really, so that was really a problem. But I could always go to the studio, I didn't have any financial problem. But most songs had to be done quickly, so it didn't cost much. Q: When did you set up the Hit Vibes label, I believe this was your own production imprint for a time? A: Hit Vibes? OK. That time was in the eighties, sometime in the 1980's I guess. Q: I think it was the late seventies. A: OK, late seventies, around there. Q: 'Cause you put out tracks like 'Sexy Body'. A: OK, yes. That was the Bobby Boom, yeah. Q: Is that you, an alias? A: No, no. That was Bobby Boom. Q: Who was that? A: It was a singer from my area. He's in my area, he called himself Bobby Boom. Q: And you cut a track titled 'Star Fe The Show' as Musical Fowl. A: Right. Yeah, I wrote that song. I changed my label name at that time, yunno. Q: From Soul Sounds to Hit Vibes. A: Yeah, also my other label is Music Mania. I do tracks like with Luciano, 'Shalom'. Q: When did you put that out? A: About 2004. I have it on CD.

Q: If I just go through a few titles for you, if you can remember any details, like a track for Pratt, 'Behold I Come'? A: Yes. As I said, some of the titles, I'm not familiar with them beca' he name them. Q: Right, right. He released other 45's, like 'Garla Zar'. A: 'Garla Zar', yeah. Q: Pratt also had 'Merciful Father' and 'My Time'. A: Right.

Q: And, obviously, perhaps the most known, 'Raw Roots'. A: Yeah, 'Man In the Hills'. Q: It was that rhythm? A: Yes, Phil Pratt would have me update that one. Q: 'Zion Hill'. A: Right. Q: You had something for Alvin Ranglin, GG's, 'Something Special Lollipop'. There was a self-production called 'Rock All Rock', released both on Soul Sounds and by Sir Harry. A: Sir Harry was a deejay. Q: Yeah, so he was on that track? A: Yes, he was doing a thing.

Q: He passed away about ten years ago. Mysterious figure. A: Yeah, I think so, I haven't heard anything about him for a long time. He used to be at Idler's Rest, a lickle producer, he would try to produce a t'ing and all a that. I gave him some help, I jus' gave him the track and said 'OK, go ahead and help yourself'. Q: (laughs) I see. 'Natty Rock' was another title, English release only. Your track? A: I guess so. Q: Could be a pirate, who knows. Or maybe it was something you licensed with another title. A: A lotta these things happened. Q: And on Hit Vibes, you had 'Tribute To Bob'. A: Right, I and my first wife, we did that. Q: Carol, yes. A: Right, Carol Kalphat. Q: 'Last Date' was done for Clive Chin at Randy's. A: Yes, I did that for Randy's.

Q: Clive must've been good to work with, he obviously had a deeper interest in instrumentals. A: Yeah man, Clive was my friend. Q: And Clive produced, as is so well-known, 'Java' with Pablo. A: Pablo. Q: Did you ever get the opportunity to work with Augustus Pablo? A: No, we never worked together. We're both keyboard players, we never actually work together. But he's a person I knew and admire a lot. Q: But that could've been an interesting combination if you think about it, imagine, both playing the asses off each other, throwing melodica riffs and lines at the same time, duelling. A: (chuckles) Yes, the closest we got to that was when I think he did, like, six songs on an album, and I did another six. Q: Oh, for his Rockers label? A: No, it was a producer called Mosso. I don't remember his right name, but... Q: Mosso? A: Mosso, yes. Carl McCloud or something like that. No, Enos McLeod! Q: Ah, yes. OK. A: He used to sing too. So he must've had an order for a Pablo album, and Pablo did six of the songs and he didn't care to do any more, so he got me to do the other six. Q: And I could imagine him releasing it as Pablo, only, even if you... A: Yeah, I dunno what he really did. Q: Right, I've never seen anything like that by McLeod in any case (the album came out as 'Thriller', released on Echo and Nationwide). A: OK, maybe he release it as Pablo's.

Q: It's possible, yes. And you had tracks like 'Lion Head' on Randy's Leo imprint, and 'Just Can't Hide' on the Roots Rock International label as well as just 'Hide' on the same Roots Rock mark. You did 'Blacker Black' on Soul Sounds, that's apparently a late sixties recording. A: Oh yes, 1968. That was done the same time as 'Rhythm & Soul' was done, same session. Q: Where did you record it again? A: Federal Records. Yeah man. Q: This was the flipside? A: Of 'Rhythm & Soul', yeah. No, it was actually a different record. The flipside of 'Rhythm & Soul' was a song I wrote, called 'True Romance'. What I did, I just switched label from Soul Sounds for my records, to Hit Vibes. Q: The Roots Rock label, was that your own? A: Yes, Roots Rock was also my label. I change the label name so often. Q: It was quite a few of them, Roots Rock, Soul Sounds and Hit Vibes. A: Also Jam Rock, Vibesmaster. Q: Jam Rock? A: Yes.

Bob Andy.

Q: I think Bob Andy used that label for his 'War In The City' title if I'm not mistaken. Do you have the mastertapes for most of those productions intact? A: No, unfortunately not. When I got frustrated I would throw away stampers and tapes and all a that, wish I wouldn't have done that. Q: That's a pity. A: Yeah man. I was told that there's a record for me right now, the 'Rhythm & Soul', it sold for £40 pounds. They call it a 'collector's item'. Q: Yes, yes. They certainly go for big money now. A: I was told that if I could find those tapes I could make some good money off of it. But I can't find a copy of those records. Q: What about your productions with your (ex) wife, Carol. When did that start? A: Oh, with my wife, she was in my household, yunno, she liked to sing so I wrote songs for her, and then I decided to produce her. I did a song called 'African Land', I did that for her and gave it to a company. But that was my product. Q: That was released through the voice of thunder, Prince Far I. A: Right, he put it out (on the Cry Tuff label). Q: What was the connection to Far I, he approached you to 'do something', and you felt it could work with a release of Carol's? A: No, Far I used to hang out at the same corner with us down at Idler's Rest, so that's how we got acquainted. I took him to the studio one day, and he was trying to voice 'African Land', but his voice wasn't sounding so good. So the engineer, he sat there with her and he hear her singin' so many times and she hum it, and he said "This is the right one to sing it, man!" That's how it happened.

Prince Far I.

Q: What was Carol's previous experience in the music? A: Zero... zero. She wasn't involved but being my wife and in my household she knows what the music business was. Q: And it worked? A: It did well, so I was told. It was on the chart in England, a hit song in the charts. I saw it in Black Music magazine. But I didn't get any money for it. Q: So that was your only association with Far I? A: I played a couple of tracks for him. Q: You cut some more songs with Carol, but those were released on your own label. A: Yes, those were my productions. Q: 'Hold On To Jah' for example. A: 'Hold On To Jah', yeah. I wrote that song, it was my production. Q: And she did 'Peace Time' (both titles released on Roots Rock). A: Right, a dub track from somet'ing like Althea & Donna. That's the first recording we did. Q: What year was it produced? A: Wow, probably late seventies, '77, '78, some time like that. That was her first recording. Q: Carol also recorded 'Special Request' on Hit Vibes. A: Yes.

Q: These three were the only releases on 45, but can you remember cutting more tracks which never came out? It was never enough for an album? A: No, no. We never went that far. Q: She didn't record anywhere else? A: Not what I can remember right now. Q: So, like you said, you didn't do much work during the 1980's. A: No, no. Q: Because of being tired out, disillusion? A: Yes, yes. Some of the time these producers, sometime you work and they don't pay you and all a that, and I get so frustrated with them. But instead of reacting violently I would just withdraw myself. Q: I would say that you are one of those neglected names, 'officially', but in the deeper circles of reggae music followers you are a big name. Do you think you have received the recognition you deserve in the history of the music? A: Well, before you I didn't know that anyone had all this information on me, yunno, that I know of. Q: (laughs) A: So I'm beginning to believe that. Yeah, I didn't know.

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