Josey Wales
Leighton Williams, Staff Reporter
THERE WAS a time when a 'live' deejay and a sound system were like 'smoke and fire'. They were inseparable. It was a relationship from which both benefited, as sound systems used the deejay as crowd-pullers and the deejay used the sound as a training ground.
Deejays who were linked with particular sounds remember the 'good old days' with fondness. They point out that unlike today, where a deejay only needs studio time to make it big, many nights of 'bleaching' on the sound system was their ladder to stardom. As a result, many new acts linked up with sound systems to get their break.
"It (the sound system) was the training ground for a young deejay. It helped you to deal with the crowd and be able to deal with stage shows as well. We could ride any beat and was able to stay on the microphone for a long time, whether we had a new tune or not," said veteran deejay, Flourgon, who is popular for tunes such as One Foot Skank, We Run Tings and Bounce. Flourgon, like Red Dragon, Daddy Lizard and Sanchez, were a part of the Cristal Sound System outfit the sound that would later witness the likes of Buju Banton and Terry Ganzie on its microphone.
Jimmy Metro of sound system Metromedia adds: "The sound system was an avenue to launch a deejay's career and people got to know about them through the dancehall, as the deejays used to travel round with the sounds."
The beginning of deejaying on sound systems was said to have began with Count Matchukie, who selected on Tom the Great Sebastian's sound system. The boss of the sound went out to replenish the liquor supplies and Matchukie chose that time to 'talk over' the flip side of a 45 rpm selection. The 'dance bus' and deejaying was born in 1952. The deejay and the sound system became inextricable.
In fact, in the 1980s the deejays got exposure through sound systems when they travelled around the country with their respective crews. Deejays such as Super Cat, Ninja Man (both at different periods), Hammer Mouth and Daddy Blue were apart of the Kilamanjaro crew. Admiral Bailey, Shabba Ranks, Major Worries, John Wayne, Chakademus, Pampidoo, and Tulloh T were part of King Jammy's. Black Scorpio had deejays such as Colla Chin and General Trees, while Stereo One had names such as Stitchie, Ricky Stereo and Jonathan Wolfman.
Other deejays from that era who were also associated with sound systems were Peter Metro and Tanto Metro with Metromedia, Creation Rock Tower had Papa San and Daddy Shark, while Youthman Promotion was comprised of Sugar Minott, Steve Harper (Shalom), Tenor Saw and many others. Josie Wales was with Sturgav while other deejays such as Professor Nuts, Brigadier Jerry and Charlie Chaplin were with different 'sounds' at different times.
So, unlike today where young, enthusiastic, wannabe deejays hang out at studios and wait years in some cases to get exposure, the deejays of the 1980s found refuge in the sound systems. The sound system was their chance to be discovered. "Most man nowadays get audition. In dem time deh the sound system was the audition. Producers came to the dance and hear yuh and mek yuh record fi dem the sound system. Dat was the only way to get recognised," explained Josey Wales, who had the hits Undercover Lover in the 1980s and It Was A Coward in the 1990s.
Wales' point was supported by long-standing producer Jack Scorpio. Scorpio, who was the operator of Black Scorpio with General Trees, said the deejay had to be produced by the sound system operator, since no producer was willing to sign deejays. "People like me and Jammy's turn producers, as most deejays didn't have records. Also, most of our sounds was used to start the artistes," said Scorpio.
Flourgon, for example, concurs that producers of that era preferred singers. "First time, producer use to mostly 'voice' singer. So when people go a dance dem hear di singer dem tune. Di sound dem neva play deejay tune so di deejay dem could perform dem tune and hol' a crowd fi hours. Now it is not the case, because deejay tune a play pon sound so di people dem nuh waan hear di deejay dem too long," he said.
Scorpio, in supporting Flourgon, told The Sunday Gleaner that most artistes from that era graced his sound. To him those deejays were better deejays, since they could hold a crowd spellbound for hours. He said that after a while he had to build a concrete fence around his property, since patrons who were enjoying the lyrics would destroy his zinc structure.
These days, Scorpio points out, the current crop of deejays would not be able to hold a crowd in the same manner and the 'don gorgon' Ninja Man agrees. "Dem yah artiste a recording artistes. Dem a nuh performing artistes. A artiste who can perform and record betta any day than a artiste who just record. Most a we have vibes, so people use to gravitate towards we an we haffi could a perform," he said.
In all this, Josey Wales is of the view that one of the reasons deejays no longer travel with sounds is due to the changing times. Yet he admits nothing is wrong with change.
