Clive Chin

Rebel Rockers

Clive Chin: Photo Beth Kingston

Clive Chin - The Rebel Rockers

By Ray Hurford

The credit 'Produced By Clive Chin' hasn't appeared on many record labels, although without his presence at crucial moments in reggae music's history certain things might not have happened. One of those things might been Rockers. The 'Rebel Rock Sound' . For if its accept that Augustus Pabl is the creator of the Rockers sound, the man who gave Pablo his first hit 'Java' must also share the credit in that creation.

So Pablo had the creativity, Errol Thompson (Errol T) the engineer at Randy's had the the technical skilll, and Clive Chin knew what he wanted. And he got - The 'Rebel Rock Sound'. For 'Java' is the foundation of Pablo's sound, an d so plays an important part in shaping the course of what was to follow. All the elements of the later music are present on that 1972 recording.

The Single 'Java' had a tremendous impact on reggae music, but less well known is the subsequent LP 'Java Dub'. The only other album to date of Clive Chin productions is 'This Is Augustus Pablo' .

'Java Dub' begins with 'Java' from Pablo in dubwise form, with the bass and rhythm guitar sharing the rld of lead instruments with Pablo's melodica - irresistable. Next comes Tommy Mc Cook's horn cut called 'Mava'. Tommy in a mellow mood blows a lovely tenor sax melody over a birttle bongo driven version of one of reggae music's greatest rhythms.

Also to be found is a dub cut of Junior Byles's 'King Of Babylon' produced in the same style as Lee Perry's work of the time, yet which can now be accepted as a Chin/Randy's production. For Clive had more than shown he had no need to take other people's music as his own. Mind you Clive had no qualms about recutting records, and why should he, no one else does.

His version of 'Guiding Star' by the Heptones is transformed here into dub form, and rocks away nicely to a typically Randy's rigid rhythm guitar line. And big hit for Clive was Dennis Brown' superb 'Cheater' which came out in 1973. Like 'Java' 'Cheater' employs a far east introduction. Then Dennis takes over with one of his best songs, sung with great passion and humour -

"Remember that Friday night

When you stole my pants off the line"

A beautiful horn cut follows which again is the work of Tommy McCook. By 1974, Clive Chin ws an independent producer at Randy's rather than with them, reached his peak in producing. And again it was with Augustus Pablo, namely the LP 'This Is Augustus Pablo'. It remains the Pablo to have, which is saying a lot when you consider that Pablo's production work is hailed by all who appreciate reggae music.

Yet in a vague musical world, when it is hard to point to one thing as a perfect example of something, that is precisely what you do with 'This Is Augustus Pablo', the best rockers album so far created.

Carl Malcolm was the next artist to benefit from Clive's production abilities. Carl had just had a massive hit with 'No Jestering' produced at Randy's. Clive produced Carl's followup the excellent 'Miss Wire Waist' which sold in just as lare quantities as 'No Jestering'.

Black Wax released 'Miss Wire Waist' in the UK, and must have thought they had it made when Carl's third release, his second record for Clive - 'Fattie Bum Bum' began to get played on Capital Radio's day time shows. 'Fattie Bum Bum' is a typical reggae novelty tune, which means little within the reggae scene, yet are seized upon by the gimmick hungry pop record companies like the are essential to life.

'Fattie Bum Bum' was turned into an international hit via Jonathan King's opportunist UK label, so as always happens no reggae company benefited and neither did Carl or Clive. For Clive it is a bitter memory. For Carl it meant a promising career cut short, written off unfairly as a one hit wonder, he he did issue a self produced album called 'Tonight' in the late 70's on the Weed Beat label.

Clive's other production work at the time included the powerful dub like instrumental 'Ghetto Guns' featuring some outstanding harmonica playing. If there were any justice in the world of reggae music, it would have been as big a hit as 'Java'. The record could be a called a double A side because Lloyd Parks turns in a hard reality in the form of 'We'll Get Over It' on the reverse. Carl Gayle raved about it at the time of its release, and it lives up to all expectations. But 'Ghetto Guns' is something else. -

"Down Here In The Ghetto

We Know the Horror Of The Guns

We Wear The Scars Of Violence

Son, Turn In Your Gun."

Then there were the DJ tunes like Jah Woosh's 'Shine Eye Gal' which used the 'Miss Wire Waist' rhythm to great effect. It also took Clive and Jah Woosh high up into the UK reggae charts. Yet success like this didn't encourage Clive to then record a whole heap of DJ's. Far from it. Clive's productions were trendsetting, he didn't follow trends.

Clive should reissue his excellent 'Jave Dub' to let more people know about his production skills. But today it seems he is happy enough running the the J&C Restaurant on Jamaica Avenue in New York. He knows that the people who have been listening to the music for respect him for what he has done for music and is quite prepared to wait for for the right time to return to the business. Many would argue that now is the right time for Clive and other talented producers like him to return, and I would agree. But not because the music is in crisis, it isn't. But for the simple that reason that it would be a lot better if people like Glen Brown, Lloydie Matador, Niney and Clive Chin were once again involved in the production of reggae music.

At the time of our interview with Clive he was in the country trying to arrange UK distribution for American released reggae music. He had with him two Kwame Hesimu tunes 'It's Alright' and 'Beast Of Burden' plus a number to tapes including a Jah Malla, the band that played on Pablo's album 'East Of The River Nile'

"The days of small producing is out, if a company is not behind the artist or producer, there is no way he can go and do his work anymore, so it cuts. A lot people have been wondering what's been happening to the pre's that come from Jamaica. It is a main fact that the European companies are behind it. And they they get involved they take the roots out. They bring it here and put what they want into, and take out what they don't want, and what they're taking out is the roots of it."

When did you start producing?

"1971, but my first actual recording was Pablo's first hit 'Java'.

So when did Pablo leave your, or you leave him?

"Well, Pablo always wanted to his own thing, you know, because being in the business for a while, he see what a man can do for himself. He's more safer doin it that way rather then for a producer, where he has to hang out for at least six months before he can go back into the studio, to whatever the producer want him to do. Whereas if he has the monopoly and the finance, he goes it (the studio) everyday. Pablo would love to live in a studio right now."

Augustus Pablo Pic Lloyd Gouldbourne - Hand Tinted by John Ferguson

How old was he when he did 'Java'?

Well, it's about a year difference either way. I'm a year older or he's older. He was about eighteen-nineteen."

Is that how the 'Youth' tag got stuck on it?

"Well, when rockers was brought down here for the first a lot them weren't really into rockers. It was only the younger generation, the older generation couldn't relate to the rockers, so they fight it down."

I think it was you or Leonard Chin (Santic) who came onto 'Reggae Time' on Radio London amd had an argument with Steve Barnard about the rockers rhythm. Steve claimed it wasn't new or different. Clive laughs, but cannot remember the incident it must have been Santic. In New York, have you any studios that you prefer to use for recording?

"That point is a ticklish one, because I hardly work there, for one it's expensive to go into the studios in New York, and not only is it expensive, it's just you've got to get the right sound you want. What a lot of American engineer are very scared of is that when they're recording the the bass and drum, they don't like to to be in the peak. They watch the needle and that annoys a lot of producers, because they want hard driving. I have seen the needle going like that (indicating a seesaw motion) and I tell you, the sound that hear is incredible, you can't judge it, and you listen to it again, you listen to it low, you listen high, it hold you."

What is radio play like in America?

"Well, in the States, I want to tell you it's on a much more commerical basis. A man can buy his own time and a company can buy their own show. Brad's have their own programme. Chin Randy's have it's own. It's advertised more than here. I hear reggae on the air at least 12 hours. In the night time at least four to six hours. One the non-commerical ones you can get away with a Third World or a Bob Marley or something. But to hear the direct roots like Augustus Pablo or Hugh Mundell, you don't them unless you have your own time. You have at least a dozen programmes."

It's a good idea, it would be good if the UK had a set up like that.

"Yeah well, the British Empire control that, and its non commercial, and there no way you can get around it. Unless you say alright I'm going to put a r radio station in the heart of London and play reggae music. The only reggae I hear over here is on a Sunday. How long is it, two, three, hours?"

One and a half (before David Rodgan's show on Capital Radio).

"One and a half, exclaims Clive, loot a dat, how much music and you play in one a half hours?"

It's a joke. They even tried to change the show by playing spouge, calypso, etc, something for everyone.

"Something similar we had in New York a little while ago a Third World thing. They play spouge, the play reggae, calypso, even Spanish, everything. And man say, no man it can't run so. We want a different vibration in the studio man. So a Jamaican man has control now, and reggae like dirt. Play reggae inside out man."

What happened to Carl Malcolm and the album you had produced with him?

"It was the first opportunity to come to this country. I did the production and when the record came out in Jamaica ' Fattie Bum Bum' I didn't even have a inch of some form of idea that would be a top selling record in this country. It was really amazing, I just thought it was average music. I had a album with seven tracks led by the Wailers for the rhythm tracks. Put the album together, one of the best album I ever spent so much time on, it was well done. But they don't interested. It bugged me out so much. The man Jonathan King he just took a single off of it and turned down the rest.

What happened to the rest of the tracks?

"I just parked them. Sometimes when you do a thing and you don't see it happening, right. It just wastes time and you fool around. You have to do something different. So I thought i'll penetrate this market some more, because when you do a thing - it's not right, you cool off until the time is ready to try again."

Augustus Pablo -This Is Augustus Pablo - Above Rock Records.

One of the all time classic reggae albums finally makes it onto CD. And in a way it tells you a lot about the way the reggae music business is today. Instrumental and dub albums are not really respected within reggae music and yet the musicians are as

talented as in any other field. ‘This Is' features the work of Pablo, Tinlegs on Drums, Familyman and on bass and was mixed by Errol T. Production comes of course from Clive Chin, who’s added two more tracks.

Jimmy London – A Little Love – Above Rock

Randy's recording studio was beloved by so many producers, that it seems very little self production took place there. And reggae music is poorer for that.

This album was only the second album from the studio, The first was Augustus Pablo's 'This Is'.

Originally released as 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' on Trojan, it’s also Jimmy London's debut album. This magnificent work is expanded out to 17 tracks.

Jimmy's vocal style is so pure, it’s perfect for these simple rock steady/roots rhythms. For that is what Randy's had created. All they needed was a good song – Jimmy seemed to like the Everly Brothers – and the rest was a masterclass in how to produce! Everything has its place – and knows its place!

Great tunes likes 'A Little Love', 'A Bridge Over Troubled Water', all end up sounding like they were originated in Jamaica! That is the kind of album it is! Very few producers have two classic sets to their name but Clive Chin does. Time to release the Rico, the Carl Malcolm and the Gladiators – Clive!!!!

Java Java Java- Dub

Various Artists - On A Funky Tip - Motion

V/A - 17 North Parade - Pressure Sounds

Clive’s work on the Tropical label was more than enough to fill up a CD. Add in all the stuff that never got released here and you would have a great work. This one picks up one of the Tropical releases - the incredible ‘Guns In The Ghetto’ by Broadway. Alton’s ‘Too Late’ is probably one of his best tunes and that is saying something. It’s so different from anything then. One tune that is not here, Jimmy London’s ‘Till I Kissed You’ is the only thing that comes close - a different style of Reggae. Never heard any other cuts of either tune. Other artists from that era, Gregory, Errol and Dennis are included. And it’s so nice to see the Gladiators here. It’s a shame that Clive doesn’t release his album with them. And a good outing for the Randy’s Allstars would make a nice set as well.

Augustus Pablo

Java

Impact

1971

Augustus Pablo And Bongo Herman

Java Passion

Checker

1971

Jimmy London

A Little Love

Impact

1971