Clint Eastwood & General Saint

Clint Eastwood & General Saint - Two Bad DJ - Greensleeves 1981

The tremendous success of Michigan And Smiley was bound to lead to other DJ duo’s coming forward, but no one was really expecting this. Clint Eastwood was a very successful DJ, who had a number of hits streatching back to about 1977. General Saint was virtually unknown, but Junjo’s inspirational move to team them up really took the music by storm. Credit must also be given to to Chris Crackness at Greensleeves, who co-produced this excellent set with Junjo. Together they have built a number of rock solid Roots Radics rhythms, which Eastwood & Saint go into in fine style, as well as a certain amount of wit. With my favourite being ‘Talk About Run.

Clint Eastwood And General Saint - Stop That Train - Greensleeves

DJ duo's have always been successful in reggae - to the extent that Chakademus and Pliers took that success into the pop charts. Clint Eastwood and General Saint, never had that kind of success - but ten years before Chakademus and Pliers - they were working the same idea - and they got close very close. Produced by Chris Cracknell, this album 'Stop That Train' is probably the first Dancehall/Pop album. It predates the success of people like Smiley Culture who came into the pop charts with the fast style mc-ing. This is more traditional than that. And all the time you are listening you can't help wondering what this would have sounded like with the Roots Radics pounding away, but that kinda misses what this is about. The Inity Rockers provide the rhythms, and they do a great job. Another part of the great reggae jigsaw puzzle.

Clint Eastwood & Jah Thomas - Love & Happiness (1978, Burning Sounds)
What is quite surprising with this excellent album is that it really is a split set between the deejays Clint Eastwood and Jah Thomas even though no trace of the latter is seen on the cover. What is even more surprising still is the fact that only four songs are by Eastwood - the deejay whom this album is filed under! The opening track »Love & Happiness« has Jah Thomas chanting about how he searches for some love and happiness every time he feels distressed. Clint Eastwood follows up with »Problems« and »Serious Joke«. The upful delivery of the western hero interjects nicely with the lazy deejaying from Mr. Nkrumah Thomas. The productions are with quite certainty by Linval Thompson as we are treated to his rhythms to »My Girl« and »I Love Marijuana« among others. And thus the sound is also similar to the other Linval deejay sets on Burning Sounds from the same period. Even though some might get dissappointed at the low presence rate of Clint Eastwood they should feel no way. This is a very worthwhile album ... and it could always have been worse as with the Yellowman album that only includes songs by Purpleman!

Clint Eastwood - Jah Lights Shining (1979, Vista Sounds)

Jah Lights Shining is ironically an album that has fallen into the shadows. It is a fantastic draw of deep and pounding rhythms Bunny Lee have provided for Clint Eastwood to deejay over and this together with the militancy of Sly & Robbie's backing is dread and tuff, sah! The youthman Clint Eastwood though is well on par with the excellence of his surrounding musicians. In »Ganja Baby« the melancholic rockers rhythm suits Eastwoods style perfectly as he laments the persecution and scorning a youth who a deal with the chalice would have to endure.

»Two Lickie Lickie« has Clint Eastwood over the excellent rhythm to Errol Dunkleys

»Holding On« and on the song »DJ Jamboree« he gives respect to all his fellow deejay comrades. The album which is perhaps one of Clint Eastwoods less known releases is unfortunately also one of his best."