Lady Musgrave Road. And the address was 51 Lady Musgrave.
Yeah. I think I’ve passed by there once on one of my trips in Jamaica. But go ahead.
Right, so I went there and we started now—because I went out and bought some plugs and some sockets—mike sockets and and mike plugs—so that we could wire up that little garage. It had a drum set [and] a piano. It had a little sound inside of there with just two big speakers and an amplifier and all that stuff. And a small mixing board. They used to use this for rehearsals—that’s what Jimmy used to use this for. So we actually went in and transform[ed] it now where we could plug in up to 16 mikes on the channels on the board. So, for three days, me and Hopeton went there and we did all that. And on the third day—‘cause right around I think around 12 o’clock or 1 o’clock thereabout, [Scientist] would leave and go to work. And on the third day he left and he walked out, and he came back and he said to me: “Well, there’s no one here to take care of this now, so maybe [you’re] the person who’s gotta take care of it?” I said, “No problem.” You know, I didn’t see him again until a year after that? A year after that in Poughkeepsie, [New York], because [Scientist] left Jamaica right around then.
Yeah. True. Like 1985.
That was right around the time that Jimmy Cliff had released the “Power and Glory” album, which [featured the song] “Reggae Night.” Right, so I used to go up there every day, you know? Just playing around with the music system and, you know, just generally getting involved with what’s going on there—and see how I could get involved with it. Spiritually I asked—you know I always talk to The Father, Almighty God. I said: “Father God, I need some work now.” At that exact moment—because it’s costing me to go up there every day. I’m not being paid. And “Newton” is actually Jimmy [Cliff’s] nephew.
Oh? Okay.
Yeah, so, you know, I didn’t meet Newton until the third day—the last day that Scientist left there. For the three days that we were there particularly, he was never there. So I’m going up every day and, you know, exercising the machines and all that stuff. And I said: “Almighty God,” I said, “God, I need some work now.” And at that same moment The Mighty Diamonds had released a tune [called] “Pass the Kouchie.”
Yes. Love that tune.
[And] Musical Youth released a tune [called] “Pass the Dutchie.”
Yup.
And at the same time the Jamaica Festival Commission put on an event—what you call—I think it was a “Youth Fest.” It was done in the national stadium and all these youth bands from around the world were invited here.
And Musical Youth came to Jamaica, in fact, as I’ve talked to Dennis [Seaton] from Musical Youth about—the lead singer—they came to Jamaica and recorded with Scientist there, in Jamaica. There’s some video of that online.
We did all the rehearsals for them. Because Earl “Chinna” Smith from High Times [Players]—he was the one who actually started to bring the rehearsals in. Because when I said, “Father God, I need some work now,” that’s what happened. We started doing like 15-hours-a-day rehearsals. And at that pace I actually started making money right there and then.
Now how though—I’m sorry to get to it [because] maybe you’re about to say, but so then now how is it that you take over this job [from Scientist] as Jimmy Cliff’s sound engineer?
Well, from there it evolved where I’m there practically every day. I’m in electronics [and] I’m also, you know, [with my past [experience], with the mixing board, sounds came natural to me. You know, I also learned about instruments and where the registers and frequencies are and all these things—you know, in reggae, [how] it should sound. So right there and then, after those rehearsals stopped, we started to hire out the studio for, you know, recording. Now the first artist that came in there was Tiger.
And you’re talking about—just to be clear—you’re talking about Jimmy Cliff’s studio at the back of his house?
Right. Exactly. That’s where it all evolved from like I’m telling you.
Yeah, yeah. Just to be clear. Yeah. Okay. And so Tiger is the first [artist] who comes?
Yes. After we did all [that] [electrical] work. He was actually the first one that came there. And I did a little dub recording for him. Beenie Man.
Wow! Nice.
Little Kirk. Patrick used to carry him there and what we used to do—I would record their versions from the record onto a cassette and then voice him on the other side. You know, one track left for the music—and [one] for the vocals—
Yeah.
This was before Beenie Man even became a star, so, going up from there, we do the recordings, and, you know, people slowly started to come there to do a little bit of recording. So, we had only 8 tracks.
You said “8 tracks?”
Yes. In the beginning, we had 4 tracks. ‘Cause it was—I transformed a 4-track machine—
You were involved in building that up?
Yes. After that third day that Scientist left there, I was the only one—I took this place from then up until—that’s where Shabba’s second hit came from. Ninjaman’s second hit came from. And a lot of other [hits] came out of that studio.
So I hear you kinda saying, you know—what I think you’re saying is that you just kinda like—you were there. And you were already kinda really involved in Jimmy Cliff’s [home studio]—building it up. And being there and recording stuff after Scientist then—when you say “he left,” you’re saying when [Scientist] left Jamaica period?
Yes. When he left Jamaica period that’s when I took it from basic rehearsal—to rehearsals and recording.