- File
Parkes expresses himself during a performance with the band.
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
MANY BANDS have come and many have fallen along the way as Jamaican music developed. There are not many reggae musicians who have been in demand for 30 years.
When Lloyd Parkes and We The People band struck up in 1975, starting out as a four-man unit, they had no idea of the impact they would have on the Jamaican music industry.
Having been in the business for 29 years, the band's leader, Lloyd Parkes, says as a backing band they have probably come in contact with everyone in the reggae music business.
"I have worked with over 90 per cent of the artistes in Jamaica, most of the singers from the '70s coming up until now, and even some artistes that people never knew that I backed, like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Freddy McGregor and Beres Hammond," Parkes explained.
He says the band has also backed overseas artistes like the Chilites, Main Ingredient, Dorothy Moore, Gene Chandler and the Persuaders.
GROWTH
The band has steadily grown from its original four members to almost two times that size, adding a horn line in the process. The current members are Lloyd Parkes (bass/vocals/bandleader), Howard Brown (guitar/vocals), Everald Gayle (trombone), Everton Gayle (saxophone), Junior 'Chico' Chin (trumpet), Franklin 'Bubbla' Waul (keyboard) and, occasionally, Robert Lynn, also on the keyboard. Except for Ershell Walters (drums) who is the newest member having been with the band for just over a year, the other members have either been with the band since its inception or for more than 17 years.
Parkes has also slipped over to singing, with Officially being the band's signature tune.
The band has become a household name in Jamaica and their hard work and dedication has earned them a number of awards.
In 2000, Lloyd Parkes was awarded an Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica and in 2001, he received the Musgrave Award, a bronze medal, for his contribution to reggae music worldwide. Just last month, Lloyd Parkes and We The People received the Martin's International Award for Backing Band of the Century, at a ceremony held in New York.
Parkes says he was overwhelmed by this most recent award. "It was presented to me by Copeland Forbes at the last Heineken Startime, because I was unable to attend the function in New York," a jubilant Parkes said.
Even in the current sound system era, where promoters sometimes find it more economical to hire the services of one or two selectors for the night as opposed to paying an eight-member live band, Lloyd Parkes and We the People has stood the test of time and is still one of the most sought after backing bands.
According to veteran promoter Mikey Barnett, who is part of the team which puts on the Heineken Startime series, "when you talk about Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band you talk about professionalism, quality and staying power. As far as we as promoters go, we always want to try and recreate the original sound and for a live show we find that they (Lloyd Parkes and We The People) come the closest to sounding like the original sound that we desire... No disrespect to other bands out there.
"There is nothing to replace live music. Selectors is a poor man's way of replacing live music and with live music you are more flexible. It's unfortunate that because of economic reasons you have to put on a show with only selectors or recorded music.
"There was a time in the mid '50s in Jamaica when you would have 10 different live bands playing over the weekend and those were the days. Bands like the Skatalites, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, the Sheiks and the Caribs. Just like how you have sounds like dirt nowadays, you had bands like dirt back in the day."
HOPING FOR THE BEST
Barnett says he hopes that Lloyd Parkes and We The People will be around for another 29 years, as they will be the ones to back the nowadays artistes who will become vintage singers.
"When you see Lloyd keep a group together for so long it is good, because it is not easy to keep a group together, especially when the money have to share so many different ways," Barnett says.
Pinchers, who has had the opportunity to do much work with Lloyd Parkes and We the People, says he admires them for their professionalism and the serious approach they take to their work.
"Working with them on a learning level has been great, they know the music from many different angles. Dem nuh deal wid di hurry come up ting. They always have proper rehearsals, because at the end of the day it will reflect both on the artistes and the band on stage. Mi glad fi know seh dem did deh deh fi pave di way fi wi before wi come. Respect fi dat as well," Pinchers said.
Parkes, who is a Christian, is confident that he will continue to do good music, without conflict of interest. "I'm still a Christian. I only play clean music and God hasn't showed me otherwise. Clean hands and pure heart shall see God, because when you are doing something wrong you know," Parkes says.
Now that Lloyd Parkes and We The People is celebrating 29 years in the music business, persons may be wondering just how much further this veteran band can go.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Well, already Parkes' children have shown their desire to carry on the musical baton. With son Craig, who plays the drums, and daughter Tamika on keyboards, the future looks and sounds as impressive as the past.
Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band will celebrate their 29th anniversary on Saturday July 3, at the Mas Camp Village on Oxford Road in Kingston.
