Mikey Dread

Conscious Dread

By Ray Hurford

Mikey Dread : Pic DATC

Mikey Dread – Conscious Dread – Ray Hurford “Well I started out with a sound system called Safari in North Eastern side of Jamaica. From schooldays I definitely like reggae music. So we usually play out, no big thing not a popular sound. Just a little thing between youth and youth. Then after I go to college, I had this idea. When I listen to radio, the DJ only promote himself. Them naw really think about the people who make the music.” 172 More Axe 4 Who were the DJ then Mikey? “Jeff Dixon, Winston Barnes, Winston Williams.” But they wasn't really interested in reggae? “They play reggae, but they was just doing a job. And when you are just doing a job, you’re doing a job, you know. When I start work I made me do a different thing. I get to know a whole heap of man in the music. I travel round the studios, and if I hear a good selection, I might get it upon tape or a dub. I man usually move around with Tubby's a lot. I get a lot of inspiration and Tubby's is who encourage I still.” “Like one day I went down there to make a jingle. 'The Dread You Have To Love' and he say (Tubby) “Why you sound like a DJ, you should finish it off, and make it into a record, and release it.” Like I just play it on the radio on my programme. And man start to ask for it. And Tubby said what happen, '”Dread come do a next tune.” At that time DJ music was not popular. If you DJ tune, you was like an outcast. As far as the people at JBC were concerned.” 174 More Axe 4 They have always seemed to be against the DJ even from the days of U Roy. “Seen, because when I work for JBC the 12” just start to come out. After the singing, the DJ come after, and the library know when the DJ come in, so they a crayon and draw around the part the DJ come in, and say do not play below this line – never, never ever play a DJ tune… never. I man say it can't work, seen. So I play the disco all the way through.” How about now? 175 More Axe 4 “It’s the man behind it. The way they see it. They are only doing them job. Them naw build up anything cultural in Jamaica to boost up the record industry or encourage the youth to make music. Even now they can't go into the library to play any selection that I man usually play, because them no catalogue, them just sling down all over. If you don't know them, you can't play them. So the DJ they try and bring off a sound where they appeal to girls. So they play the sound that the girls them like. When I start play rockers, the brethren, tell me “Pure Man listen to your program”

I man make it open, make a man feel welcome and share it, and them man encourage I still. So even now we still move close, I man not forget I past.” How long did your shows last? “Four and half hours, from midnight to 4.30. Every week you have hundreds of new tunes, so I give each man a chance. Tune I make popular is Gregory Isaacs 'Soon Forward, U Brown 'Weatherman Skank' and 'Uptown Top Ranking' by Althea and Donna. I go down Joe Gibbs and hear it on tape and say run it off.” At this point Prince Hammer, who's present along with Ashanti Roy and Trevor Bow, speaks up to claim 'Uptown Top Ranking' as his own. “I do the first version, Joe Gibb listen to my tape, make them do a version.” Prince Hammer 177 More Axe 4 “Ehh” utters Mikey. Hammer continues - “They do a version of my 'Dreadlock Thing Carrry The Swing'. “I Remember that one”, replies Mikey. “They put them on my version first, but then they take them off”, says Hammer. “Awoaah”, Mikey cries, and returns to the story of JBC. 178 More Axe 4 “I man love versions, love to play twenty piece of a tune, just to see how ideas can change. To hear how different man can hear different thing on the same tune. I love engineering still, I man love electronics. I man love sound. So it’s like I try develop them things. Read up a whole heap of books about it and study it up learn how things go on. Then start producing little by little.” The Mikey Dread label, the Dread At The Control label, a lot of the pressings that came over here came from Miami. Was that your idea to get better quality?

“I usually use a place called Federal Records right, and their relatives had a place called Roots Music, which operate out of Miami. So most of the songs that I release through Federal get released in Miami.” Where is your music recorded now in Jamaica – Channel One? “Yes, work out at Channel One and voice and mix at Aquarius. Them more professional than Channel One. When you work at Channel One the engineer don't even write up a track sheet. I go down there to record and overdub and Scientist just make a mess of all of my work. He don't write up a track sheet. And when I want to put on horns and things pon my tune, he rub off all damn thing pon it.” The thought of it seems to make Mikey even angrier. “Them just eager for money, Channel One no deal with discipline. Them not progressing.” I notice that Dynamic is coming back into it. Is that the reason for that? “Yes them professional. Like an English studio, to time, in order. Channel One waste time and money, you don't get nothing done. They give the impression that they give little favouritism to amongst how they work with artist and artist. Sometimes you can't even listen back on tape. You record and they don’t give you enough time to listen back on tape.” It’s sad to hear this. “Channel One is not the best studio, it’s just now they realise the potential of the console, and they have utilised that now. And they really realised how clean the sound can be. Most people now don't want to offend anyone, but with progress they get swell headed and they forget consciousness, they don't care anymore.” Most reggae fans will be surprised at what you are saying Mikey. Mikey goes on to tell me that another problem is the lack of opportunity for musicians in Jamaica.

“They don't get a chance – most producers want to make quick move. England have a thing now where them to trendy. They want something new all the time, naw stick to nothing. If you deal with a message tune, a tune that deal with truths and rights, right now it won't reach nowhere. The youth that really penetrate, them naw hear it. Them play pure gimmicks, so it’s reggae coming like a gimmicks business. Youth who deal in foolishness will cool out this year. They had a nice run between 81-82. but 83 onwards only righteous tune will come forward to set the pace gently.” Mikey is also unhappy with the state of the radio in this country. He wants a better selection of music played on reggae shows. “Them naw deal with nothing, they play random selection, this and that, you have to map it out.” How about the music made in the UK? “Them can't make reality music in the UK. I man tired. The LP I made, I record it twice. Use the same man Sugar Minott use, had a big war over it, because I showed them how I want the tune, and them play like them asleep to Rastafari seen. And I man have to dump about 4-16 tracks of rhythm, them too slow. I man go again at Easy Street and record it. Pure unprofessional things I get from Easy Street, rub off my track. Them unprofessional. They mix it, and it sound well powerful. When I man go home and listen upon my cassette it soft. I try it I&I at first when I come, I say I man would never do it. I man see a whole heap of man get a beating. Man encourage I, and say try it man, and I try it, give them a try, and prove to myself now, them can't interpret my message.

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