Milton Henry

Milton Henry - Photo: Maria Stratford

I started in 1966. it was like a year after l

left school." How old was you? ‘l wasn't no more

then about 15 or 16. I was 16, when I did my

first recording. And that was with Joe Gibbs.

That session was the Errol Dunkiey & Roy Shirley

session that came up with...There was two hits

from it. Roy Shirley's ‘Hold Them‘ and the first

ever Errol Dunkley hit you know, ‘You're Gonna

Need Me’. During that time I was with the Leaders

-Keith Blake...” Yeah you know him as Ras Allah."

"After that I did a few more recordings with Joe

Gibbs, but then l moved on." These recordings

with Joe Gibbs were they pre recorded rhythm

tracks for you to sing over? "These were sessions

it was Joe Gibbs first sessions." where were the

sessions? " I actually can't remember where they

were was. But they were his first sessions."

Joe Gibbs had his own studio pretty early on

didn't he? Like the early 70‘s. "I think he had

a studio before that." What happened to the

Leaders? "Right, The Leaders during those times

they made a lot of pre—releases like labels with

no...blank labels but the only one that came out,

was the B.side of ‘Just Like A River‘ by Stranger

and Gladdy.That was the one I can remember. There

might have been others but the years take these

things away from me." What was the title of the

released record? "'Home Someday’,. 

Audley Rollens

After that I started to...I ran into other people and got

interested in what I was doing. The following

year, 67/68. I started a company with some other

guys who were recording for Studio One. They

didn't do good at Studio One, their name was the

Jets. After that they cahnged their name to the

Progressions. We published one album-By this time

we had Freddie Mack, who was Freddie McKay.

A little after that I was involved with two

groups. The Progressions and the Emotions, the

Emotions were already an hit making group. That

was the group Max Romeo was with. I filled in

after Max had left. The Emotions had one of the

Shakespear Brothers (Lloyd), myself Audley

Rollens and Leroy Turner who is Leroy Brown. He's

now in Canada somewhere. He‘s doing his thing in

Canada, on the Turner label, he puts out. After

that we put out a various artist album. The

label's name was Kismet. we did a rendition of a

Major Lance tune-do you know ‘Monkey Time‘? "Move

your hips, make your backbone slip." We was sing-

—ing 'Rock Steady Time’. It sold sold locally."

What was the album called? 'Reggae To The UK

with Love’ Pama was the one who actually handled

it here. After the Progressions, I went fully

with the Emotions. And I kept working with them

up until, I would say 76'. During that time I

still had a productive scheme going.

Hippy Boys

I was still recording. At Gayfeet (Sonia Pottenger's label)

with the Emotions. That's where we came up with a

cover version of ‘You Can't Stop Me‘ that's the

song they call ‘Dr No Go‘ that hit, for the Hippy

BOYS: we did the Vocal cut. And during that time

I was actually playing with the Hippy Boys too. I

was playing guitar with them. The original Hippy

Boys...I'am going to be spilling the beans man.

What Mrs Pottenger had done...The original Hippy

Boys who were really the Hippy Boys, she used her

own studio musicians. which were like Jackie

Jackson on bass, Hux Brown, Winston wright & G

Winston Grennan on drums. That aggregation they

were the Hippy Boys! But understand, the Hippy

Boys were still on the road." So that album was

cut with Jackie etc? "Yes.whatever Hlppy Boys

album that was cut, was cut with Jackie Jackson,

Hux Brown etc." Who were in the Hippy Boys with

you? "The Barrett Bros, Max Romeo and Leroy

Turner/Brown." After that moving into the early

seventies now, say'70~72 ih that_era things moved

fast. I Just walked out on the group.% ‘

Any special reason for that? "I wasn't comfor-

table, l went to a show one night and I surprised

everyone, I walked off the stage. Something

wasn't right. I felt uncomfortable. After that

I decided to stay with the Emotions. They went

from Gay Feet to like Lloyd Matador. Audley, came

in then. we did quiet a few recordings. One of

the main sellers was 'HalleluJah'(Burning In My

Soul>." Do you know anything about Lloyd's

studio? "He started it while we was there. But

it never got finished. But by this time, while

we was with Matador, I stepped aside a little

bit from the group. And I did a solo recording

with Perry. Lee Perry. Again it wasn't so...It

wasn't a major seller a hit. But the second

recording I did with him came off."

"l'am talking about now 73, 72/73. It came off

very good. This hit was ‘This world‘ I wasn't

using the name Milton Henry. I used the name King

Medious, which l later used as a name for a

record label (Medious) in New York. where I did

my own productions on that label. But that's

later. I did this thing with Perry. But I found

myself...When I worked with these guys. I don't

go out and give them to much. because of the way

of the business. Before I decided to go into it.

when I say studied, I compared myself with the

prestige of the american artists, you know. It's

not easy to move into a successful career. So

whatever the consequences were. I had decided to

take these scarifices in order to come out with

what I wanted. It's not really selfish. The next

guy is going to make money. But at least you're

suppposed to be happy too as the artist. After

that I started going solo,cause it caused a

little problem with the group. After I had made

that hit. Everyone felt they should make a break

and try something."

"And so you found the guys started doing

little...Audley Rollens did his own solo. and so

on. The group started having personality problems

the group was on it's way to the top. At the time

the group was one of the best sounding vocal

groups in Kingston. we were in the 79' Festival

Song contest, and got to the semi final, and got

jerked. Anyway after all those changes and the

solo effort I decided... I started to work with

other people by helping to arrange and produce.

"I try not to run studios down to mucn as these

guys well run you over. as producers. they

make sure they take care of themselves before

they take care of the artist. I understand now

what it is to run a company. Somtimes you have

this money and the artist cannot get it at a

particular time, when he asks for it. But at

least your supposed to let these people know the

situation that your dealing with, but it wasn't

so."

No royalties, no statements? "Right. these

were things that disgust me, so I went. But

before that I had a record shop around about

‘Three Miles’, it started while I was recording

for Matador, it kept up until I left for the

States." was this the Globe Record Centre? "No,

it's not Globe, that was at Hagley Park Road. But

I did good because I was beside Federal and

Dynamicsl So I had access to records, and knowing

a lot of these artists as friends, I was able to

get deals on stuff. But my buddy's somehow, they

wouldn't help me at that time. They migrated,

they left the island, before I did."

when was that? "About 73/74 ." How did ‘Follow

Fashion‘ come about, the release on the Globe

Record Centre label? "well actually ‘Follow

Fashion'is a version from ‘This World‘ (First cut

'Fever‘ by Junior Byles) you know this guy

Alphonso. He had bought the rhythm off of the

Upsetter. To do the version ‘Follow Fashion‘.

If you hadn't mentioned it to me I would have

forgotten! Freddie McGregor also cut a tune for

Globe Records at that time. He did ‘why Can't we

Be Friends’ the tune that war did." I wasn't

sure about ‘Follow Fashion‘. I knew it was Lee

Perry's rhythm, But I was always wondered what it

was doing on Globe.

Devon Russell

Mention of ‘Follow Fashion‘ returned us to

‘This world’. where Milton recalled that Errol T

& Lee Perry took a part of the credit for writing

the song. Even the song was written by Devon

Russell who gave it to Milton. Milton continues

"They outed the song. So I'am now going to

rerecord the song. That was just bits and scraps

of the song. The commercial parts of the song.

The gimmick part of the song. But the real...lt's

a black solidarity song. I must tell you after

‘Follow Fashion’ that was like 7A/75 my shop was

going well. Me and my brother in law, this guy

Kelly, who was running the shop. we went off and

did this ‘Gypsy woman‘. we did it for ourselves."

when it was released over here on Cactus, it

had a Rupie Edwards production credit? It wasn t

wevjust gave it to him for distribution." In

Jamaica? "In Jamaica." It was a big seller over

here. "It was a big seller over there as well]

It took off with the dance crowd. They had about

6 versions of that tune. Dillinger did a version

of it too. On one of his albums." I've just found

about the Jah Stich version. " I recorded Jah

Stich too. I did the version with Jah Stich.

Then I migrated to the States and that's the

time I started working with Bullwackies. He was

the first person I started working with.” And

that was? "76/77, when the Bullwackies involve—

ment came about, he distributed that particular

record. I had a label then called Perpetual Sound

it did well in New York. But I don't know about

elsewhere. Wackies distribution wasn't as power—

ful during those times. The Wackies connectiofi

started right there. I worked around, then

finally two years later, I went full time with

wackies.

The first recording I did with wackies was a

cut that‘was distributed by Top Ranking." The

Miami based distribution outfit? "Yes." Milton

then tries to remember the title without success.

Although he recalls that it did well, along with

the first Lovejoys LP and a Paragons LP that was

also distributed by Top Ranking. "But my main

interest in joining wackies was"to help improve

the sound, coming from the studio. I had started

to build a studio in Jamaica~It was the reason I

left Jamaica. And didn't have the strong urge to

go back. I was encouraged to stay, cause my ‘

parents were already in the States. The reason

my studio didn‘t come off in Ja, was that

politics started to screw it up. I worked as a

postman from I972 to 1975, but it didn't stop my

career. Anyway I couldn't get an importation

licence for the equipment. So I thought I'll have

to go to England. But the first opportunity that

came up was for the States."

Carl Dawkins

l have deep feelings about the music. The

people who brought me into the music were Slim

Smith, Carl Dawkins and Rudy Mills. I grew up and

around these guys. They brought me in. They

introduced me to the people in the business.

They were watching my career. helping me. i'would

give Cari Dawkins credit for that."

who were your vocal influences? "Slim Smith

and Carl Dawkins." The Carl Dawkins influence is

strong.-l worked with these guys. I help arrange

two of his (Carl Dawkins) hits. One tune was

‘Satisfaction’. were you involved with Sound

Tracs? "No, but l was on Federal's rostar for a

while. They only released one single from me the

title was ‘It's so Strange‘ that was 73/7h."

Do you know what Carl is doing now? "He‘s now in

the States, around Boston. Carl had an album for

release, that should be out by now. I don't know

what's happened to it." There is a lot of record~

ing going on in New York now§ reggae wise. How do

you see that developing? "For a long time ago,

people usually take their mixes to New York.

l remember when Derrick Harriott and Mrs

Pottenger around 73/74 took their recordings to

New York for mixing and mastering. They would

work with people like Frankford Wayne? and with

studios that are in Manhatten. I recorded two

tunes in New York. One was a cover version of

Lloyd Parks's ‘Music Man‘ but the sound...l used

Eagle Studios. This was before I started to use

Wackies. But I didn't get the sound that I wanted

and the_recording came out as a flop.[_‘n__¢M__H

The wackies sound. now as that deep. but clear

bass sound. "There as been development over the

years at wackies. They had a sound. but we had

audio problems. we kept working with it kept

improving it. As it is right now it as improved.

immensly that we are getting reactions from every

part of the world. Yet it's still a struggle,

because people don't really except us. We get an

hard time in New York...Locally we get an hard

time. The sound as been working it's way up from

a different level. Yet some people still have us

at the level where we started from. And they have

been mistaken—some of these guys have been so

embarrassed to come to us for records. Their

customers are asking for our stuff. and after

putting the sound down so badly, they can't even

come to us to get a better price to sell to their

customers they run to the one stops. They get it

from the one stops. I've made my survey, as I’ve

been into sales and marketing, while being at

Wackies. That as been my concentration. That's

why you don't...l didn't do too much recording,

My head was in the business. A lot of effort as

been made. And it's been a struggle. Moving from

store to store, sales in New York now for just

about everyone are bad. Reggae is selling but not

as much as it did even three years ago. it's a

slow up."

Are you still issuning 7" in the U.S.?

"We do 7" but not as much 7" as we do 12". We are

one of the people who are still putting out 7"."

After some talk about the Wackies sound in

general, I asked Milton how long it took to

record his debut album for wackies. "I went to

Jamaica in 1980. And ran into a few journalists

down there. They harrased me, to get a story. So

I told them that I would have this album released

at that time. But actually it took three years!

I did an album, but I wasn't satisfied. myself

and Bullwackie wasn't satisfied with some of what

we had done. There are about 2 cuts from the

original album. But I waited like I knew when it

was time for me."

There is a tradition at wackies, that artists

tend to pick up a lot of musical knowledge. They

learn how to play different instruments. "Yeah,

I've aquired musical knowledge in being there. I-

learned how to play the keyboard. I couldn't play

the keyboard before. But now I can play them."

Is it true that wackles encourage the local

neighbourhood to come in and learn about record-

ing etc? "Defiantly, right. It even interest the

guys in Jamaica, who are travelling to the States

most of them want to come to see what's happen—

ing. Wackie is not a rich man, I tell you that's

one of the main reasons I stick with him. I felt

I was in the same situation. I have this vast

amount of knowledge and experience. And he had

going what I was intending to start."

How conversation returns to Milton's own

recording career with mention of Ras Allah and

Freedom Sounds. "I was actually one of the

original members who started that companyaalong

with Bertram Brown and Earl Chinna Smith. My

first recording on Freedom Sounds was ‘Cornbread

& Butter‘. I had another tune released in '79 —

'Rastaman In Zion'."

"Those were some of my involvements. But

Wackies right now to me. no individual could turn

or make me an offer that could take me away from

my involvements...cause l gone through blood,

sweat and tears...seven years, this year made it

seven years since I get involved'with wackies.

I must tell you the truth. It took seven years

before wackies could sell 5000 records in one

time. But by this time people around me were

getting frustrated. There wasn't much money

coming in. And we were still putting all the

money we had back into the business. The business

takes so much out of us. We can't really take

from it. We would starve ourselves to make sure

this continues...to keep the doors open."