IFEATURE Sarah Davis meets Adrian Sherwood -a man whose Portrait ofaSapp cult status on der,etc.Despite his impeccable a Mark Stewart And The Maffia LP. reggae credentials and esteem as Sherwood began in the business the indie a producer, he is perhaps still most by selling reggae records out of scene borders widely known for remixing the back of his car when only 17. DepecheMode's People Are He progressed through a variety of on the People, for Mute in 1984. reggae record labels, beginning Sherwood has recently returned with Carib Gems which put out fanatical from an exhausting US tour with "some brilliant records like Black Tackhead. This was the third time Uhuru and Prince Far -I". On the P out -for Tackhead, and wherever & M label he began his association ADRIAN SHERWOOD is a they'd played before they returned with Lee Perry. ON -U Sound was happyman. His cult to a sell-out audience. "And when born in1981. He says: "ON -U status among the we go back again, everywhere we Sound is a vehicle to put out a lot cognescenti on the played this time will be sold out," of records that majors wouldn't underground/indie scene borders states Sherwood. touch,likeAfricanHeadcharge on the fanatical and he feels he is Interestingly, most of the audi- and Dub Syndicate. I'm going to workingwiththeworld'sbest ences were white: Sherwood says open an office again now so I can rhythm sectionsin reggae (Dub "black kids tend to go to the turn- have more young singers and pro- Syndicate) and funk/hip hop tablestuff". Tackhead consist of jects going through, but the press- (Tackhead). Reggae legend Lee Keith LeBlanc, Doug Wimbush and urethenwillbetobe more "Scratch" Perry has produced all Skip McDonald, luminaries of New businesslike, to draw up contracts his own albums except Time Boom York's seminal rap label Sugarhill, and have a 365 -days -a -year op-

De Devil Dead - producer Adrian with Sherwood at the mixing desk, eration going. But I don't know if

Sherwood. so maybe those kids missed out this Ireally want that." Sherwood and partner Kishi run time. Sherwood puts his operation's the ON -U Sound label from their ON -U Sound is geared up for obscurity down to the lack of any home in East Ham. Adrian handles a spate of releases. Vacuum Pump- visible front persons, so now he is ADRIAN SHERWOOD fright) and Banjo of African Headcharge: We soundshaping and production for ing by Singers And Players was re- endeavouring to "take our good want to stay independent' Dub Syndicate, Singers And leased towards the end of July and reputation and make a lot of the Players, Mark Stewart And The with all the classic Sherwood hall- artists a little bit more visible". Sher- tors want total control and I'm just best for us right now. We own our Maffia and the other occasional marks - gutwarming, sensual bass wood is also committed to produc- not interested. Manyof the own rights, we're in a healthy posi- aggregations on the label, and the andotherworldly snare drum ing a quality product. As he says: independents use the Cartel, we tion and next year we'll put loads multi -talented Kishi plays key- sounds - it'sgood, very very 'We want to stay an independent use Southern and I'm selling more of the material that's most in de- boards on some releases, takes good. Coming this month and next label. We don't have much in com- records now than when we were mand on to compact disc, and all pheir.- and designs sleeves for re - are four singles, featuringartists mon with any of the majors or with with the Cartel because we're get- that sort of tacky stuff.I feel quietly leas, s, even handles boring stuff likeKeithLeBlanc and African a lot of the independents. tingspecialattentionfromthe confident.Nothingtobetoo like th .accounts, T-shirt mail -or - Headcharge. He's also working on "The majors and major distribu- people who run Southern. It's the ashamed of!"

I filiNs CALENDAREXCLUSIVE Official Rock and Pop Calendars for 1989

OFFICIAL CALENDAR 1989

BEWARE OF POOR IMITATIONS. THESE ARE THE BANDS'ONLY FULLY LICENSED CALENDARS FOR WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION. AVAILABLE FROM SELECTED WHOLESALERS OR DIRECT FROM ATHENA. CONTACT ALEX KENNEDY AT ATHENA INTERNATIONAL, P.O. BOX 918 EDINBURGH WAY, HARLOW, ESSEX CM20 2DU. TELEPHONE NO. 0279 641125. TELEX 817247. FAX NO. 0279 635672.

MUSIC WEEK 17 SEPTEMBER, 1988 PAGE 31