After leaving JBC Mikey Dread was employed at Treasure Isle as an engineer. Soon enough he started producing music himself and by the end of the year he had launched his own label, Dread At The Controls.
Well I started out with a sound system called Safari in North Eastern side of Jamaica. From schooldays I definitely like reggae music. So we usually play out, no big thing not a popular sound. Just a little thing between youth and youth. Then after I go to college, I had this idea. When I listen to radio, the DJ only promote himself. Them naw really think about the people who make the music.
Who were the DJs then Mikey?
Jeff Dixon, Winston Barnes, Winston Williams.
But they wasn’t really interested in reggae?
They play reggae, but they was just doing a job. And when you are just doing a job, you’re doing a job, you know. When I start work I made me do a different thing. I get to know a whole heap of man in the music. I travel round the studios, and if I hear a good selection, I might get it upon tape or a dub. I man usually move around with Tubby’s a lot. I get a lot of inspiration and Tubby’s is who encourage I still. Like one day I went down there to make a jingle. ‘The Dread You Have To Love’ and he say (Tubby) “Why you sound like a DJ, you should finish it off, and make it into a record, and release it.” Like I just play it on the radio on my programme. And man start to ask for it. And Tubby said what happen, “Dread come do a next tune.” At that time DJ music was not popular. If you DJ tune, you was like an outcast. As far as the people at JBC were concerned.”
They have always seemed to be against the deejay even from the days of U Roy.
Seen, because when I work for JBC the 12″ just start to come out. After the singing, the deejay come after, and the library know when the DJ come in, so they a crayon and draw around the part the deejay come in, and say do not play below this line – never, never ever play a deejay tune… never. I man say it can’t work, seen. So I play the disco all the way through.
How about now?
It’s the man behind it. The way they see it. They are only doing them job. Them naw build up anything cultural in Jamaica to boost up the record industry or encourage the youth to make music. Even now they can’t go into the library to play any selection that I man usually play, because them no catalogue, them just sling down all over. If you don’t know them, you can’t play them. So the DJ they try and bring off a sound where they appeal to girls. So they play the sound that the girls them like. When I start play rockers, the brethren, tell me “Pure Man listen to your program”. I man make it open, make a man feel welcome and share it, and them man encourage I still. So even now we still move close, I man not forget I past.