Bitty McLean

Bitty McLean – Made In Jamaica – Peckings 2007

Barrington and Sugar started off the dance hall style back in 1978. The big difference between them is that Barrington sang over new old rhythms built by the Roots Radics, and produced by Junjo and Jah Life.

Sugar had a different angle, he would sing new songs over old Studio One rhythms. Coxsone took a bit of convincing it seems that would be popular, but when he realised just how popular it was. He stuck with it for the rest of production career. Working on old rhythms with the The Blackstones up and until the day he died.

Strangely, the other big vaults of sixties rhythms, Treasure Isle, Prince Buster and Leslie Kong were not touched. In the case of Treasure Isle/Duke Reid and Leslie Kong/Beverley’s both died in the early seventies to mid seventies.

Prince Buster wasn’t interested in producing himself or anyone else after the mid-eighties. When he made an album with the Radics, which as never been released.

Another producer with an incredible selection of rhythms, going back to Rock Steady is Bunny Lee.

He also never got into recutting old rhythms. Except when he worked with The Blackstones.

Meanwhile around 2005, Peckings in the UK – who had originally released the Sugar Minott album in 1978 in the UK, decided that they would carry on the tradition started at Studio One in Jamaica.

Bitty McLean took on the same role as Sugar Minott all those years ago– and was asked to come up with new songs for old rhythms.

A couple of albums and a couple of years down the line, and he came up with this set. ‘Made In Jamaica’

This time, it’s not just Studio One rhythms that are dusted off, it’s Treasure Isle. And he does a great job. Some still object to the principles involved in all of this.

Objection No.1 is that it stops progress being in terms of new production. That is a valid point – but Jamaican music is built upon the very foundation of recycling old rhythms and melodies.

Fatis in Jamaica was the last producer in reggae music to come up with something that was totally new. That event happened in 1994, that is nearly 30 years ago!!!

If something new or original – was going to come forward, you would think after nearly 30 years it would have happened.

In Jamaica there is a saying, sometimes to go forward you need to go back. In reworking these old rhythms, something, a spark of originally might come out of them.

Bitty sings in in a good clear voice., and he really knows how to write great songs over old rhythms. Sugar was very good at this, and so was Garnett Silk. And there are a load of great old rhythms to be given a relick. And if you want something a bit special call for Bitty McLean