Q: What was the inspiration for 'In Danger', what's the story? A: 'In Danger'? Well, right now it's like I man deh 'pon a corner one day, one of my brethren dem beat a chalice, so somet'ing was going on. Violence was going on further round the corner. They had a lickle Mini Moke, me dunno if you a remember this car deh, is not manufactured anymore, an' dem drive a Moke. The Moke driving back here, you no see it, but we still a smoke. But when the Mini Moke drive right upside me now, me see this big tall detective man... Q: Police saying hi. A: Yeah (laughs)! Just put him foot an' stop and step outta it, an' me have the chalice too, yunno, so me just a freeze now... Me see the man come out a the t'ing an' me jus' sit round an' jus' mek a move for that, you no see it (chuckles), an' me throw away the chalice. So me switch direction now. But there was a cane field there an' me run in the cane field, but he would just stand up outside an' hear in wherever direction me going, beca' through the cane trash them dry, you understan', he's just there. So is like if me come out me would look straight inna the gun barrel, straight inna the gun barrel me a look 'pon, you no see it, an' toward the man's position, him position like Lone Ranger. You understan'? All right. So me just 'Move man, run!' an' go across the street an' go over a lickle place now an' check seh, well, then me well protected now, an' hidden, y'know. Man come over there, them neva stop till them find me. Ca' when them find me, man seh 'Right now, must stop sleep on that pillow that I'm sleeping on', ca' right now... An' first, me never leave gun, ever stick. An' so right now, when man leave the station, him no really feel fe going, he jus' tek up a gun an' come say... so him say him a pull him trigger, yunno. Him shout we have fe come out, my brethren stand up an' escape when him fire the shot. So, that's why me jus' write that tune 'bout it, an' write 'Trouble passing through, tribulation following I, I wonder what to do, I'm so far away from home, I got to get...', you see me? (Chuckles) So hear wha' go happen now. Me a go see the policeman one day now, an' me see my brethren an' him waan say bwoy, me see the policeman an' the policeman say "You a sneak 'pon me street", you no see it, me na hail him up. The policeman say "Yo!" - him mek me go beca' him check me seh some of my people related, y'know. So him tell me brethren now seh "Hey, me bump into Ken Bob 'pon the street, him na respec' an' hail me, so tell him seh me catch him again". So one day me come in a Spanish Town now an' it's like him jus' pull me over an' say "Yo, what's up? Wha' happen, you 'ave the tune 'pon you?" Through me did 'ave a cassette inna me car, you no see it, so me have the song 'pon cassette. So him drive me inna the station an' carry me go inna the place deh, with them gun an' them a eat an' drink an' big talk, y'know. So him jus' call him big friend them an' say "A Ken Bob this, yunno". And him say "Listen the tune ya", an' him just push in the cassette. And when him hear (sings): 'I see trouble passing through...', him jus' touch him brethren an' say "You hear wha' him call me? 'Trouble'". You no see it (chuckles)? Yeah, and just have nuff fun. Still y'know, you see da man deh, a whole heap a people dem kill inna Spanish Town. Yeah man, even me brethren. A couple days after that him killed me brethren whe lived next door to me.

Ken Bob.

Q: That's the type of police-harassment or aggression you experience on a regular basis in Jamaica, or what?

A: In Jamaica? Yeah, yeah. True, man. The system is set up a certain way, you no see it? But right now, bwoy, a the light me want ya now, me no want no darkness. A right me waan an' no wrong, a righteousness me a deal with. That's why singers have to come with the truth. But I man want know seh, well, then is a unity an' a strength we 'ave between each other, ca' the heights, the livity, we have to respec' humanity, and so we have to love one another. An' through I and I seh right now, how we would like to be treated, yeah? So we have to treat we neighbour with one another, the neighbour a the guy nex' to you, not really in the sense the guy live next door to you, but when you're on the street, the guy next to you. That mean it don't fall 'pon like your brother in Jamaica or whatever, an' he cyaan help you. So, is the neigbour nex' to you. Yeah man.

Q: What became of that tune?

A: 'In Danger'?

Q: Yes. You didn't work any more with Roy?

A: What happened to 'In Danger' now, wha' became of that tune deh now... You see, even right now, the producer dem, the nex' t'ing is that dem couldn't even rate or respec' the artist, or some people would like to jus' have all for themselves an' don't want to give or don't want to share. Or, you know seh, well, all right then, here's the artist. Him go to the studio, go book the studio, him have fe pay the man advance fe him studio. You want four hours, you would have to pay two hours, firs', an' then him come fe the pay the nex' two hours, you understan'? An' if him waan some tape fe use him haffe go to the store an' buy it, buy dem tape deh an' dem t'ing deh. An' if him waan press it him have to go to the pressing plant, him 'ave to pay the press. But some a dem jus' want fe ignore the fact that the artis' is there, them don't treat the artis' good, an' then the blessing no come. Beca' anyt'ing you do you have to do (it) 'pon a positive level, an' Father God a forgive them, you no see it, God Almighty 'ave to be inna it, them have to deal with humanity a certain way. But at the same time it might look like seh, all right, then it never did no gold an' dem t'ing deh. But maybe through that song could be all the reason why right now me own a farm, an' me plant coffee an' me plant pineapples an' so on, because is different way Jah Jah give I and I and pay I and I, ca' you have a man whe aks fe wisdom an' you have a man whe aks fe money. Seen? Ca' right about now, until this day me even re-record it over for my music, different CD, 'Reggae Rider'. When me come now is like, the other night when me go a San Diego, me deh now, an' me go amongst a one fe do some work, an' me hear the man crave about 'In Danger', but it wasn't the Roy Cousin one, the one whe me do with Dean Fraser an' some more yout' 'pon a new... not really 'new' but a different one 'pon my album, 'Reggae Rider'.

Ken Bob.

Q: But anyhow, that tune, you did a recut on the Asher label, as you spoke about, for yourself.

A: Yeah, I have it 'pon me CD, and it was on the Asher label too.

Q: It was released in England on the Dynamic label as well.

A: Yeah man, yeah man, a Dynamic did 'ave it too.

Q: But that song, did you get any exposure in Jamaica at all, did it climb the charts?

A: Yeah man. As me say, there's 'In Danger', an' me have a tune named 'Lovely Lady', an' me 'ave a tune named 'A Chapter A Day'. So a dem tune deh, a dem three tune deh really keep me in the business an' keep me alive an' kickin'. Yeah.

Q: Things didn't turn out as expected with Roy, so it was time to move on?

A: Yeah man, right, right, right. No good intentions, 'cause right about now 'In Danger' end up on about three different compilations.

Q: I think one of them is 'Roots of David', a Wambesi production.

A: And I don't think I ever, ever, receive royalty from Roy Cousin. Yeah, true.

Q: And it came upon a various artists set in America too.

A: Yeah, 'Greatest Hits'... 'Reggae Greatest Hits' (Heartbeat).


Q: Right.

A: Yeah man, me see dem 'pon the internet. A record company now, dem send me an email too an' dem waan fe deal with my music, dem would like to sign me up. 'Cause dem check me an' seh the vocals nice, dem say dem a support wha' me working on right now.

Q: Did you record a full album in those days?

A: No, it's like... no, me do 'In Danger' and 'A Chapter A Day', dem t'ing deh come out 'pon my t'ing. Dem t'ing deh come out inna '85. And then some years later me deal with the 'Reggae Rider' album.

Q: So it was a limited vinyl release in that time, 'Reggae Rider' on your Asher imprint, or it just came out a few years ago?

A: Yeah, it was on vinyl only it come out. And me did some distribution deal with some Japanese, yunno, with 'Reggae Rider'.

Q: So I suppose that's partly why you haven't had your name out there, that the album came out as far away as Japan only.

A: Yeah, yeah. That's why me buy me farm an' all dem t'ing deh, through that album.

Q: You've been around for so long but there's so little recorded bearing your name, what's the reason for that? You just don't want to be over-exposed or exploited?

A: More time you see I and I spiritual wha' you hear sah, so more time you have fe 'ave a spiritual link with people. More time many are called but chosen is few, you no see it, an' good t'ings come in small parts. So me no bother do a whole heap, you understan'? Me na watch the crowd an' the whole heap, good t'ings come in small parts. When man plant Jah wipe out, an' me know seh whatever Father want fe I and I, a that me haffe do. Me no push t'ings an' me jus' mek t'ings happen naturally. An' you know seh me an' Chinna Smith we hook up too, yunno. Me an' Chinna hook up an' me and him do a couple tunes, so we have a couple tune well 'pon track. And you know seh, well, them have a project out name 'Inna De Yard', me an' him deh 'pon the firs' version. Him have a portion of tune with me too, yunno, ca' we hook up now fe quite a while.

Q: Can you recall a song named 'On My Guitar'?

A: Yeah man, 'On My Guitar'! Me see a nice review 'pon that tune deh from Roger Steffens too, same tune that. Me 'memba it.

Q: When was it recorded?

A: You know seh, bwoy, me no even remember the year but the studio was Stable Sound studio, near Stadium. An' me remember the bass player was a yout' whe play Riddim Kings band. Me jus' send a message to him, him have a studio up in Florida now. I think the producer was Chester. Yeah, I think Chester produce da tune deh.

Q: Chester Synmoie?

A: Me no remember him last name.

Q: Another single was 'She Knock Me Out' on Abyssinia House.

A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, High Times too. High Times connection. Abyssinia House a some yout' from St. Lucia. 'She Knock Me Out', yeah.

Q: Plus 'Yes I' on Midas Music.

A: Yeah, Midas Music. Could be a music for a brethren dem from Montego Bay. An' he was one of the guys who firs' started (Reggae) Sumfest. I dunno what happen to him now.


Q: When did you cut this album 'Hang On In Deh' for Tapper?

A: Tappa Zukie. That was about '89. On that album me 'ave songs like 'Hang On In Deh', 'Your Eyes', 'Love Is Not A Gamble', 'Your Love Man'. An' I did a version of 'Deep River Woman', Lionel Ritchie. I check seh, well, then really that t'ing a poorest production that, you no see it. The production is a bit poor, plus Tappa Zukie is a man whe record a lot of people. Sometime you're put on a backing track or whatever, you're limited with track space. It was dem time with computer or whatever. You'd never have space, an' so he had limited with space an' dem t'ing deh, serious. But me feel like seh is me poorest production. So the last album wha' me do me tek from the tracks offa it, too, like putting on tracks like 'Emergency'. Yeah.

Q: Was that an album too, 'Emergency'?

A: Right now, yeh, one of the last t'ing wha' me deal with. But dem t'ing deh more time me jus' sell dem when me have all me shows an' dem t'ing deh. You know? But it no really compilate still.

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

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