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show had ended just moments before, and now I was backstage at the Rechter
Theater in Towson, Md., with my reggae colleague Chris, waiting for
the Mighty Diamonds to cool off after their superb show that started
at 1:00 a.m. It took their bus about eight or nine hours to get to the
venue, according to Bunny Diamond, from the previous night’s show
down in North Carolina. And although they were quite tired, they rocked
the patient crowd with hits past and present. Over half of their benchmark
album Right Time was performed, along with a stirring 15 minute version
of “Pass The Kutchie,” which included alternate lyrics and
band introductions and solos. Definitely a night to remember.
Although they were completely wiped out from a very long day and were
about to head off to Boston, the Diamonds still took about 20 minutes
to talk
Q:
How long have you, Tabby and Judge known each other growing up?
Bunny: Well, it’s 30 years now. From 1969 to
1999. Together.
Q: Where did you guys grow up in Jamaica?
Bunny: Same place where Bob Marley come from, Trenchtown.
Q: Right, did you guys live on the same street? How
did you guys start getting together musically?
Bunny: Yes, well we was still living in the same community,
you know? And, on street corners in the night, where we would sit and
practice. Yeah, we used to just sing, but we realize that we could come
together and do some things, so from there we start to get step by step
and we start to rehearse. And we move on to various talent shows that
keep an air of community, you know? And we just build from there, take
time and build, until today.
Q: So what was the first time you guys as a group stepped
into a studio?
Bunny: It was about 1974. Was first time we step in,
the first person that take us to studio was Rupie Edwards. I don’t
know if you know Rupie Edwards, he used to have the Success label. He
was the first person really take us in the studio.
Q: Was that just a one off, just one track, one 45?
Bunny: Yeah, it was just a 45, you know? A 45 called
"Girl You Are Too Young”.
Q: I’m a big fan of his work with Jah Woosh and
a couple of the other deejays. What would you say Rupie Edwards left
... since it was early on in your career, did he kind of leave anything?
Did he help tutor you along, teach you anything about the business or
the music?
Bunny: Well, we learn, but you know is early days,
and we was really grateful for he was the first person who really take
the Mighty Diamonds in the studio. And I would say Rupie Edwards have
done something for the business, cause if you know that song “Skenga”,
right? That was a big song for Rupie Edwards in England. He also produce
Dobby Dobson, and Shorty, the President, you know. So, Rupie Edward’s
label was a very popular label and I think him do some good for the
business. And for the Mighty Diamonds start in there for our career.
Q: So did you search him out or did he quote-unquote
discover you?
Bunny: Well, actually I don’t know if you ever
hear of this producer called Jah Lloyd. Yeah, Jah Lloyd was a person
who take us to Rupie Edwards.
Q: How did you run into Pat Francis, Jah Lloyd?
Bunny: Well Jah Lloyd was also a singer himself. He
did have a group. That group used to practice and we used to go same
place where the group used to practice. So from there on I know Jah
Lloyd. At one point, I was in Jah Lloyd group, when the Diamonds couldn’t
get by.
Tabby and Judge now enter the room.
Q: And you also recorded with Stranger Cole in those
early days...
Bunny: Yes, we have a song called “Oh No Baby.”
That was released on the Stranger Cole label. Stranger did have a label
once called Stranger Soul Cole, right? I don’t know if you know
that song called “Oh No Baby.”
Q: I’ve heard of it, I still haven’t heard
it though.
Bunny: Well, Stranger produce that song. Early, you
know? Cause Stranger is like part family with Tabby. You know of this
drummer called Squiddly? That’s Tabby nephew. That’s Stranger
Cole’s son. He’s a drum player with Ziggy Marley. He’s
the drummer for Ziggy Marley, that’s Tabby nephew. So Stranger
is like a family thing, you know?
Q: And Stranger has been in since the beginning of
modern Jamaican music, when the initial studios opened up. He seems
kind of like a person’s person, he’s not really talking
down to you like a producer, since he was an artist as well. What was
that experience working with him?
Bunny: It was a good experience working with Stranger
Cole, cause Stranger Cole’s like a teacher. Like a father to the
business, cause Stranger Cole been in the business since ska, you know?
When we just come in the business we use Stranger Cole and Flim, long
time, Black & White Flim. Ska, ya know.
Q: Judge, coming up to Channel One, I read somewhere
one time that you said that "Right Time" was like food music.
What did you mean by that?
Judge: Well, really, because Right Time that was really
the tune that burst for the Diamonds, ya know? That was our first tune.
So that’s why I really a call it food music.
Q:
Put food on the table?
Judge: No, that’s not really the first one. But
that was the tune that started to put food on the table. Yeah.
Q:
And that was very influential, not only because of that song and the
album that came out after that with you guys, but the whole Rockers
sound after that in Jamaica. What was the impact of, that you saw, the
impact of that album on the youths in Jamaica at that time, since you
were right there?
Tabby: Well [?] put out that album [?] written because
at that time it was selling neck-and-neck with Bob Marley Rastaman Vibration.
And we really have five hit singles, in a row, and then the album. It
had a great impact on the island and overseas.
Q: One thing I’m kind of curious about, I’ve
never read anything about this, the Hookims, Jo Jo and Ernest. (Owners
of Channel One studio) What were they like? I mean, I’ve never
heard anything about them.
Bunny: Well, they were, well first thing they were
Chiney men, right? They are not really black men, they are Chiney people.
But, they are good people, you know, good producers. Ernest was really
engineer, Jo Jo really the producer. They are rich people. Used to be
businessmen until they came in the music business.
Q: Tabby, another question I was wondering surrounding
that exact same time. Channel One, that had a little courtyard in the
front, the studio. What was the scene like in Channel One since it was
so popular for a number of years and all the session musicians and producers
were trying to rent time there? What was the scene around Channel One?
Tabby: That time? At that time? It was very popular
you know. Like, it was like a traffic jam. Like both sides the car dem
always park up, all kind of people come to buy dub plates and all that,
because we just had five hit singles, ya know? And everybody wanted
the sound, in Jamaica, want dub. You know wha mean? And it’s they’re
time, so, yeah, a whole heap a people come for a visit. It’s like
a factory, a business, if you like music. So it’s like, it was
very busy. I can’t even explain it without more time, I can’t
even explain it because too much people just pack up in deh and there’s
a whole yard outside. (laughter) You know mean? Yeah mon, real.
Q: So you guys would spend a lot of time just hanging
around the studio in those days?
Tabby: Well, we wouldn’t really hang around the
studio that much. Most of the time we down there would be like we want
to work, you know? Do some work. Cause we couldn’t really hang
out that much. If we have some work to do we sit down there, you know
wha mean? But, more than one or two times we cool out still, but not
regularly. But nice vibes, you know.
Q: Bunny, I also heard that the Right Time album had
made a very big impact in England. It was selling by the cartloads up
there. Did you guys ever get a chance to go over and witness that for
yourself, the effect that album had?
Bunny: Yeah mon, the album sell all over. At one point
in Jamaica they say Mighty Diamonds sweep record sales. (laughter) You
know? All over. That was really the album that give us a break to go
to England. That album sell in Nigeria, all over. They don’t tell
us, but we know that song, that LP’s a million seller LP. Cause
it sell all over. Still if you put it with every other album right next,
it still outsell every album. That’s the icebreaker.
Q: Definitely. Now, that was done for the Virgin label.
Now, if it sold that much, would you say that there were correct royalties
or treatment from the label?
Bunny: No. Correct royalty no come, you know. First
of all, we never sing straight up for Virgin. We sing it for Channel
One. Channel One give Virgin for distribute, we also sign but, we go
through some likkle bad vibes, you know? Like you read every other artist,
they always treat them some bad way on first off. So, can’t be
accounted for all them royalties deh. But, one a dem ting.
Q: So, the Diamonds never directly dealt with Virgin
one-on-one? It was through Channel One? So the Hookims did that?
Bunny: Yeah, that album was through Channel One, but
after they sign the Diamonds. And our first album, Virgin do it straight
up. Like it carry a different area, like, one called Ice On Fire. We
actually record that one in New Orleans. And we do a next one in the
Bahamas, and carry all over the place.
Q: Oh, Back To The Channel was in the Bahamas?
Judge: No, Planet Earth was in the Bahamas. Back To
The Channel was for Channel One.
Q: Oh okay. And you guys have also had the chance to
be backed by a who’s who of Jamaican musicians. Soul Syndicate,
Revolutionaries, Sly & Robbie, the whole gamete. What do they contribute
to the legacy of the Mighty Diamonds?
Tabby: Well, the Revolutionaries contribute to an earlier
part, like Right Time album. Revolutionaries dem, was set of people
who play on all them. And we got a ??? album. But then we have a next
lineup, Deeper Roots with Soul Syndicate, that one, you know. So them
guys get credit same way. Cause them really put in better work too,
you know.
Q: You guys also have had the chance to travel all
over the world. You’ve toured the world, you’ve played music
in just about every country, people in every country, different cultures,
different faces, and such. What does that mean to you guys personally
to have that opportunity? Cause not a lot of people have had that opportunity,
I mean, especially coming out of Jamaica where producers want all the
fame, they want all the money. They want the artists to just sing the
song and get out of the studio. What does that mean for you guys?
Bunny: It mean a lot. Is a good vibration. Cause ya
say, lot of people don’t really get that chance. That chance mainly
come through sports and music. A lot of people got to pay for it. (laughter)
Yeah, so a good vibration to me. I think to Judge and Tabby is a good
vibration...
Tabby: How can I say now, is a honor, you know, for
me. To achieve that exposure all over the world, you know? I really
get grateful. Give thanks. Through the Father, through the spirit of
the Father him keep and guide I.
Bunny: Guide I. Into this time.
Judge: Give thanks.
Q: Now through the 80s, on through the 80s, you had
the big hit with Gussie Clarke (“Pass The Kutchie”), and
right around that same time General Echo and Yellowman and all them,
they started slacking up the place. (laughter) And talking about Love
Punaany Bad and gun lyrics and everything, right? Now you guys throughout
the entire time, from ’74 on, have maintained conscious, positive
lyrics. Why would you guys do something like that during a time that
that was unpopular and people wanted to talk about slackness and guns
and things like that?
Judge: Well, those people wanted to talk about sex
and guns but we didn’t. So what we did is stick to our roots,
you know? Cause we know that whatsoever goes around comes around and
then, we knew that good things must prevail. So we just hang in deh.
Top of next column
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The Mighty
Diamonds
"Jailhouse" 7"
Channel One 1975
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Q: Have you guys noticed that it’s starting actually
to come back a little bit now? You know Luciano, and Buju is locksed
up and Capleton’s locksed up and Anthony B and Tony Rebel and
all these folks. What do you think about the new conscious movement
in reggae, the dancehall feel today?
Tabby: You will always have new conscious movements
ya know. But I would say, is just according to a man a deal with life,
cause you have to deal with life and upfulness. Cause downfulness, it
nah go work, seen? So, you if you a sing music and I listen to you it
all live up. We can’t help you if you a gone for yourself. But
wha dem a do? Them will a say, a man have to live life still if him
a singer fi hear. Him nah go deal with consciousness cause I no wan
see a man a live carnal, but nuff man, I see their movement and most
a dem no live right. Nuff people inna the world nah live right. But,
a man haffi gwan for himself same way. Diamonds give thanks for them
youth them man, cause them come with nuff vibes you know. You always
have conscious singers a come up, it’s like I and I feh them time
deh. Yeah mon. Particular music a youth coming, some negative and some
positive, ya understand? Just so it go.
Q: Do you think people still want to hear conscious
lyrics though?
Tabby: Yes! Them waan hear conscious lyrics more than
ever now. But it’s not playing on the radio, pon a regular like
basis that people can hear and get the vibes and buy the record. The
more negative vibes them hear pon the radio that’s why less record
people spend less money a buy record. Them nah waan deal wit it ca’
them nah hear wha them want, them nah hear it pon the radio weh them
want, ca’ just pure music dem just listen on the radio them just
buy what them want off of the radio now. It a go so. A play different
ting dem waan hear them nah hear. [?] it market, yuh know? Reggae music
it market still. It about consciousness! Everything, man, about consciousness.
That control everything, the bottom and the top line that, consciousness.
We nah live consciousness it nah make sense.
Q: Along that same line, how do you feel about people,
well, not people, but promotional companies that are paying money for
that kind of message. And they get videos, and they get, you know, very
thick CD packets, and they get big color pictures and everything. While
you guys, first of all, you’ve been carrying the torch for much
longer...I asked this same question to Joseph Hill. What do you think
about that? You guys are kind of...the message is there but you guys
are not getting the promotion that maybe is due to you.
Judge: It’s really...in these days, I don’t
know. Some reason or the other. They take away the conscious music and
they put all this stupidness. Cause for some reason that want to get
everybody stupid. They don’t want anybody to have any sense, you
know? What they do is play away culture, because music is really a message.
You know, so, they do all this foolishness to get everybody stupid.
Maybe, when they do that they have a reason.
Don’t know but, conscious lyrics has to come back. You know? But
so will they have control even by dealing with their culture, took away
culture yuh know. So they spread all this foolishness on the young youths.
Cause everybody that come up now, is like, they don’t want nobody
to learn anything anymore, I don’t know why. You know? They must
have their reason. It’s a whole big scenario. Bigger than we even
know. But whatever, they just stay deh and gwaan do we supposed to do,
really.
–
Interview by Toby Gohn
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