Festival Guide 2006 ❤ 54 estls eod h rcsed nmes Tut h Bo” and Book” the “Trust numbers the record Versatiles the had Scratch label. Amalgamated fledgling Gibson’s Gibbs” “Joe Joel technician TV for artists recording and auditioning was time the at Perry,who “Scratch” Lee producer eccentric ace met Versatiles the and an Junior Earl. with Dudley named along youth Indian Davis East Louis friend childhood by provided was backing harmony while career.lead a sang as Junior music into and laterusedthisnameonrecordings. neighborhood, the in “Chubby” called in was youth a Junior As Jonestown, Cash. Johnny and Cole King Nat Charles, Ray as such artists American as well Techniquesas the Wailersand the Maytals, the like stars local of vocals secular the to listening was Junior though, church in singing not When career. erratic brilliant, his of corn seed the be to prove would This church. to went he sure made who Christians religious deeply strict, were father worked as a mechanic and his mother taught school. They contemporaries asprofoundlyhumble.” of oppression. The uir ye’ hrce i “qa prs ec ad defiant and fierce parts “equal his by described personality a is and fundamentalism Rastafarian character Byles’ noted, Junior Pierson Leroy aficionado reggae and guitarist blues As him. with die to the wanted at Junior died, up Selassie his stared Haile When sky. and in ground the bones on with down them came threw he hands, mid-1970s, the in Away” “Fade many – a classic example of eternal protest reggae at its root forces the whip its – hell – fight to determination righteous at essence: reggae protest eternal of example classic a for – meaning many deep holds that song a is work, Babylon,” known Down which best “Beat his of Probably music. some reggae in roots, anthems message are heavy plaintive, innocent, to through reggae early and rocksteady optimistic light, – 1980s his lifeisdifficult,evendownrighthairy. no parallel in Jamaican music. He has made music as uplifting as genuine tribulation than the strongest of with reggae songs, Junior has experiences more endured Having direct imagine. can us of few had ways in suffering has Byles “Junior” godly Kerrie and quirky singer the it,” see to like don’t I – suffering at scoff JUNIOR Circa 1967, Junior formed a group, the Versatiles, to break Versatiles,to the group, a formed Junior 1967, Circa Born in 1948 in the tough Jonestown ghetto of Kingston, Byles’ hn uir hwd p t hne Oe tdo o record to studio One Channel at up showed Junior When Junior Byles made inimitable records from the 1960s to the to 1960s the from records inimitable made Byles Junior and scorn who person a am “I said, once who person a For “Junior Bylesisagoodsinger, ahumbleguy, irie, very humble.”LeePerry irie, very by MarkGorney

Long

BYLES

Way: amongst skinheadsfondofthenewreggaebeat. Get (“Children Barnett Esther Ready”). These as tunes were released in well the U.K. and as were popular In”) It (“Push Gibson but gleeful a made which Come,” intothe1968FestivalSongcompetition. unsuccessful entry Has Time “The band, later backing as and Jets the and Taitt Lyn with Win” Can’t “Just grd n h scesu efrs f ihe Mne ad the and anti- conservative, Manley the defeat Michael to (PNP) of Party National efforts People’s successful the in figured complete with whip-crack: Byles’ potent hit “Beat Down Babylon” when it was released on Pama records in the U.K. recordingartist,“Demonstration”stringarrangement agiven was Don’t Know.” Possibly because of the name“Demonstration of theProtest,” & originalthelatter versiona AmericantheofViolinaires’ “I (LeePerry)productions Junioron were 1970’s “LiveOne”Asand ’sofUpsetter greatestfirstonevocaliststhe as Byles and he added Junior to his roster. The 1969super-able and Perrythe rightfullynext yearregarded Scratch brought more genius to the fold when come toareality. Thatismypurpose.” JuniorByles inthatchannel,youknow–toseethesethings h Vraie cniud o u srig al rga for reggae early surging cut to continued Versatiles The n 91 a uia catsmn ws u wt Scratch, with cut was chastisement musical a 1971, In WailerstheandPerryLee startedtheir genius collaboration in cover the earth asthewayitshouldbe. covertheearth So then,mostofmywritingisjustbased “I personallydesiretoseerighteousness

Billy Espejel 59 ❤ Reggae Festival Guide 2006 LP in 1976, and Junior continued to make make to continued Junior and 1976, in LP Jordan JUNIOR BYLES JUNIOR “Can You Feel It” is a haunting autobiographical account of his tribulations set to the to set tribulations his of account autobiographical haunting a is It” Feel You “Can Throughout the latter half of the 1970s, Junior saw spells in mental hospitals but Pete but Pete hospitals in mental saw spells Junior of half the 1970s, the latter Throughout 1973’s “Cutting Razor” is a heart-rending but beautiful Scratch-produced, Black Ark Black Scratch-produced, heart-rendingbeautiful a but is Razor” “Cutting 1973’s “Curly Locks” sold well (reputedly 60,000 copies), and the other recordings Byles More distinct, unusual gems from the beginning of the fertile Upsetter/Byles Most artists can be said to have a and year, for Junior it was arguably 1972, with LP and his own mysterious label Love Power, where he produced he where Power, Love label mysterious own his and LP Babylon Down Beat “Pick Up the Pieces” rhythm, rendered even more poignant by a sense of outrage that Where You’re Going” (1974), “Chant Down Babylon” (1975) and “Pitchy Patchy” (1976) (1976) Patchy” great records such “Pitchy as “Fade and for Away” the Hookims and (1975) Channel One (1975), “Know Babylon” Down “Chant (1974), Going” You’re Where Campbell. F. Lloyd for (1977) It” Feel You “Can and “Weeping” Swaby, Dudley for Woe time and time I travel this road Woe the heavy heavy load My knees getting weak from And Jah shall knock them out Yeah he was oppressed and he was afflicted Yeah he opened not his mouth Yet as a lamb to the slaughter He was brought few to none were assisting him at the time: Weston and Micron records released the the released records Micron and Weston onto new producers – and new hardships. studio version of “Stepping Peter Razor” Tosh’s (written originally either by , Locks” “Curly breezy almost 1974’s and person”), barefooted “a Byles, to according or want don’t he chop...and pork a is father “Your girlfriend, his to complaining Junior finds you dealing with me...” made for Perry (“Auntie Lulu,” “Rasta No Pickpocket,” “The Long were Way”) all of a consistently high caliber but by 1975 Junior stopped recording with Scratch and was himself with the possible assistance of Lee releasing Perry, the fine “Our Mistakes” and the masterful “Black Crisis.” the But a brighter sun has dawned today stop us come what may They can’t A time shall come for you and I She bowed her head and cried cry Mama please don’t Mama how did I get here? How did I stray? Mama how did I get here? How did I stole us on a ship She said once upon a time my son, they the boss he took our pay had to work and slave each day, We There’s a place called Africa, far far away a place called There’s Africa, many miles away a place called There’s where I’m from Mama says that’s be wrong and I know she can’t me back to Africa Take Rasta (JLP) in 1971-72. Written in collaboration with childhood friend Harold Meikle, the tune was not only enormously popular in Jamaica but would first album, released abroad as well as in JA, featuring a color prove the title of Junior’s on the cover. rootsily dapper Junior photo of a collaboration include the political jab “Pharaoh Hiding,” Minister which of doing just that, accused and the sublime then “A Place Called Prime Africa,” an aching cultural lament about which an essay could be written in which Junior’s almost trembling voice seems to rise above the shacks of west Kingston and the collective bad saint Indian West ascetic an of spirit the like past, slave-plantation memoryJamaica’s of trying to find God: Reggae Festival Guide 2006 ❤ 60 understand it. So, I got caught up with tablets by the score, pills score, the by tablets with up caught got I So, it. understand couldn’t They position. better a in be would I because then, life my take could they if best be would it them told I moment that at So die. couldn’t he that sayin’ was I and die, could he that me tellin’ was They Majesty. Imperial His with die to wanted I that in stay a Kingston’s prompted Bellevue Mental Hospital: “It was all based on which the fact suicide, attempted Junior Selassie. Haile of death 1975 the by aggravated further was state mental Earthquake, yeah Earthquake, brimstone andfire Ooh thunderandlightning, Yes day Ifeelit every And Ifeelit they don’t knowwhereit’s at Like theTower ofBabel Yeah somesaythisandthat Yes day Ifeelitevery Yeah yeah Yes day Ifeelitevery And Ifeelit madeupintheirowneyes Assertions Though peoplestareandcriticize Yeah day sufferationevery day Sufferation every And Ifeelit that youtake.” Yes youfeel itcomingon On andon Can youfeelitcomingon Can’t youfeelit? in theboilingsun dayit’sEvery gettinghotter The road isrocky butmymindisstrong In desolateplaces day Every In desolateplaces “I havetraveledfarandwide–t’rough hills,hedges, Don’t care howmysticitmightlook.Ijustappreciate Everyday in my life, everyday isjusta workin’day. inmylife,everyday Everyday still doin’ it. That is just part ofmydutyfromstill doin’it.Thatisjustpart dayto day. Ialreadyforeseethedaywhen Iamnotgoing to want.Iseeit.knowit isjustaround thecorner. beca’ Iknowthataslong asIamlivingcleanand afraid togo.AndIdon’t believeI’ve stopped.I’m highways andbywayswherealotofpeopleis It was clear that Junior was feeling it, and his already wobbly JUNIOR BYLES myrewardisendless–priceless.” tryin’ mybesttodowhatisright, tryin’

61 ❤ Reggae Festival Guide 2006 Nighthawk Records Nighthawk

tbeat) 1997 Nighthawk In younger days, while recording LP with while recording LP with ❤ The Beat, Wax Poetics, Global Rhythm and Full The Beat, Wax

, Before he Reggae is Hit currently the the Town owner that there is still hope for humanity.” “Yes, I’ve been fightin’ terrible struggles through creation. creation. I’ve been fightin’ terrible struggles through “Yes, rod and a bundle of fire beside me. Sometimes I live in the hills. and a bundle of fire rod At times, I walk barefoot. At times, you only see me with a At times, I walk barefoot. At It remains to be seen whether with Junior, assistance from current manager Herbert Like Lee Perry, Junior has a merry prankster sense of humor. Producer Lloyd “The Live it out. Junior. to looking in your ear, Here’s Beat Down Babylon (Dynamic/Trojan) 1972 Beat Down Babylon (Dynamic/Trojan) Mark Gorney has written about Jamaican music for Junior Byles and Friends – 129 Beat Street: Ja-Man Special 1975-1978 (Blood & Fire) 1998 Rasta No Pickpocket (Nighthawk) 1986 1987 (Trojan) Beat Down Babylon: The Upsetter Years Jordan (Heartbeat) 1988 1988 Better Come 1972-76 (Trojan) When Will Curly Locks: Best of Junior Byles and 1970-76 (Hear Jordan (Micron) 1976 Junior continued recording into the and late 1970s, recording the continued Junior Fortunately Junior did not die a tragic death on the with along U.K. the in concert Want We Dread Natty the at appeared Junior 2004 In Sometimes, I go away. Sometimes the only t’ing that I have to satisfy Sometimes the only t’ing that I have Sometimes, I go away. my soul is lightning and thunder and the sun that shine to remind me my soul is lightning and thunder . The director of the Watts short documentary film a world music and reggae publicity agency (www.worldisc.net). of Worldisc, “Sprinter” Morrison, can stay on course with his medication (the copious ganja interferes), ganja copious (the medication his with course on stay can Morrison, “Sprinter” and possibly perform again in the future. Regardless, Junior presently has some people looking after him, and given Jamaica’s propensity to vintage artists, neglect be thankful for. this is something we can all the treasure-trove of its Randy’s at Junior with something do to tried once Deanna wife his and Daley Matador” have Matador Mrs. and “Mr. sing, and chalice the smoke to preferred Junior but studio, a lot of money to spend...” In the obscure Lee Perry production mumbling, “Are practically by Leading side its You on String” Me a on “Puppet Boothe’s Ken turns Junior On,” “One day I’ll be flat on the ground, the next day I’ll look in your ear.” For singles, please consult Roots Knotty Roots. DISCOGRAPHY – Albums: 1980s saw another international album, this time on the U.S. U.S. the on opportunities time this album, recording international ‘90s another saw and 1980s ‘80s the but label, Nighthawk as poverty profound into slipped Junior and infrequent were he tried to keep his mind while in the hell of and Kingston him. with something do to producers convince streets, as could sohelp of his father easily and that of haveguitarist and “Fade happened. composerAway” With Earl the “Chinna”Jamaica for the Smith,very first time, in stagemaking debuthis at 1998 theinternational Sierra Nevada JuniorWorld Music Festival.Despite leftbeing unsure of the unfamiliar surroundings,was enthusiastically he and warmly welcomed andgoodperformance, gave evenreachinga intohispockets during “Demonstration” and pulling out the emptysang “...yourlining pocketsas innahe holes.” Thompson. Linval and Clarke Johnny Campbell, Cornel Andy, Horace of lineup justice a However Junior’s erratic performance, which at one point stage, saw led him many being in pulled the off audience to partill-advised – but for others he was the greatest of it. feel his having been booked for the show was