King Jammy's shares his 80s hits secrets (1988)

​@LeoOReggio
Website: https://leosretroreggaestore.company.site/
Get a feel of what recording the 80s hits was all about, from the King himself, during that time.
I recorded this interview and studio session in 1988 at King Jammy's studio, at a time when many in the public were alarmed at the extremely x rated songs being put out at the time by some top artists, including Yellow Man. He was interviewed by top 80s radio DJ and events producer, "Super Don" Henry.
You get a good insight from the King about how he did his studio recordings and you will also see a recording session with him, Bobby Digital, who was his main engineer during that period, and Steelie & Clieve who made most of his 80s hit rhythms. I am told the name of the group singing is Cultural Roots.

Arguably Jamaica's greatest dancehall music producer, Lloyd “King Jammy” James describes himself as an “all-around sportsman”.
“Mi use to play fi Waterhouse [Football] Club. Only di people a Waterhouse know, nuh body else nuh know because dem never used to establish dem ting deh big. Yuh never used to have di coverage like now, where you have a lot of media coverage,” James told the Jamaica Observer.

“It was from '67 going up to the '70s. Mi use to play right wing, an' center-forward... in Major League and Division One,” he continued.
According to the producer, he established himself in other sports, including swimming, table tennis, cricket, and high jump. “Mi captain Jamaica All 4-H cricket team. Mi use to skipper my side — Cockburn Pen School...a Coburn Gardens dem call it now. Mi use to skipper all St Patrick Catholic Church side on Bay Farm Road,” he recounted.

A protégé of legendary dub pioneer and producer Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock, James worked with and mentored some of dancehall's biggest artists. He was the most successful producer of the genre's digital age.

Born in Montego Bay, Lloyd James relocated to Kingston as a child. Growing up in Waterhouse, he made a living as an engineer, building amplifiers and repairing electrical equipment at his mother's house.

Shortly after, he started a sound system, but in the early 1970s, James migrated to Canada. He returned in 1976, built a recording studio in Waterhouse, and worked as an understudy to King Tubby.

James produced Wayne Smith's Under Mi Sleng Teng, a 1985 song that announced computer beats to dancehall. That rhythm drove a number of hit songs including Pumpkin Belly by Tenor Saw.

During the 1980s, Jammy's Waterhouse studio was the place to be. He produced numerous hits including Two Year Old and Punaany (Admiral Bailey), Agony (Pinchers), Water Pumping (Johnny Osbourne), Serious Time (Admiral Time), and Peenie Peenie by Shabba Ranks.

“A me buss everybody. Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer, [producer] Mikey Bennett, [producer] Bobby Digital, [producer] Steely and Clevie... Di whole a dem, a me buss dem... A me rule di producing thing fi di longest. Mi win Producer of The Year fi 'bout seven-year straight,” he boasted.

While he is known for uptempo techno beats, James produced one of the outstanding albums of the roots-reggae era — Black Uhuru's debut, Love Crisis in 1977.

He was awarded an Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government in 2006 for his contribution to music.

King Jammy had some advice for aspiring producers.

“Producers are an integral part of the whole business. I would advise di man dem who want turn a producer fi know di business side a di whole thing first. After you know di business side, then yuh know di musical side. Because if you go into a business weh yuh don't know much 'bout, yuh nah go contribute nutten an' yuh nah go get nutten outa it,” he said.

Видео King Jammy's shares his 80s hits secrets (1988) канала Llewellyn "BigDaddyLeo" O'Reggio - Video Library