JUNIOR MURVIN

In late 1998, Dubwise Productions were visiting Port Antonio in Jamaica with the hope of doing some recording. While stopping on a corner enjoying a drink and other refreshments we asked about local singers. The name Junior Murvin was mentioned and our response soon led us to a nearby house where we were introduced. Within an hour it was agreed that Junior Murvin would voice two songs for Dubwise Productions. We are proud to present the fruits of the labours of Junior Murvin, Earl 'Jacko' Jackson the engineer at Native Studios in Port Antonio, Chris Jay who built the rhythms, and a man known as Puss who programmed some drum rolls. The track currently on release is Wise Man, remixed by Gussie P and featuring Hughie Isaachar on guitar and Martha on backing vocals.

( Ed : 'Wiseman' is now available as part of Free Radical Sounds' new roots compilation 'Nu Shoots Inna Roots' )

Junior Murvin achieved fame as the falsetto singer of 'Police and Thieves' which was an international hit for him and innovative reggae production artiste Lee Scratch Perry. The song has been covered by artists as diverse as The Clash and Boy George, and has maintained his profile over twenty years after it was made. In the dancehall's Junior Murvin has scored with hits: the ultra rare easy skank of 'Miss Kushie', the seminal 'Cool Out Son', and others like 'I'm In Love', 'Bad Man Posse' and 'Muggers In The Street', releasing enough material to maintain his reputation, without ever flooding the market.

His uniquely pitched voice is unmistakeable and has stood the test of time as he effectively shows on 'Wise Man' which he recorded in November 1998. Junior Murvin has indeed 'come from very far'.

Junior Murvin was born 'Junior Murvin Smith'. His father Murvin Smith was a tailor and singer of ballads from St James in Montego Bay. When he died Junior's mother relocated the family to Port Antonio in the Parish of Portland, where she was originally from. Junior Murvin began his singing career after going to school first in Port Antonio and then in Montego Bay. He sang on stage shows in Montego Bay backed by either A.J.Brown or E.T.Webster - he remembers his first show was at Christmas promoted by Fanso.

He graduated to do mechanics at the Montego Bay Technical High School but "changed the vibe - music take over. From mi born me start sing y'know, when mi small me just have a talent, when I was growin' up reach all 7 or 9 years old, used to sing Billy Eckstein songs and those big songs. Me find myself singing all different kind of voice - bass, treble y'know". Junior's main influences in his youth were ballads and soul classics by the likes of Billy Eckstein, Nat King Cole, Curtis Mayfield, Benny King, Sam Cooke, Brook Benton, Roy Hamilton and others.

Junior soon moved to Kingston where the growing recording industry was based: "I left Montego Bay, I went to Kingston to live with me aunty in Trenchtown. There I get to know Delroy Wilson, Stranger Cole, the whole a the Wailers, Ken Boothe, he was from Denham Town. I get to know Alton Ellis, he always like how I sing, an tell me say 'youth you're going to make it y'know', an Ken Boothe always say 'youth you have to come harder y'know- cause me know you have it'. A guy name Jackson Jones taught me to play guitar y'know - used to carry me up and down, everywhere I used to go and sing they used to say 'soul soul soul' so they just call me Junior Soul. Monty Morris usually help me to sing in time y'know, taught me harmony, also Derrick Harriet taught me harmony".

He began his recording career as Junior Soul recording first for Sonia Pottinger's Gayfeet Label with 'Miss Kushie' in 1966, and then 'Slipping' and 'Jennifer'. Derrick Harriet's Crystal imprint also showcased this new talent with tunes like 'Soloman' (originally written by Junior and re-recorded later with Perry), 'One Wife', 'Hustler', 'Magic Touch', 'Big Boy', 'Glendevon Special', 'Chatty Chatty', 'Yellow Basket' and 'Rescue Children', (which he also later recorded for Lee Perry along with Soloman').

While he was recording he also joined various live bands touring Jamaica playing to both locals and tourists, attracted by the fledgling tourist industry. He was at one time time part of The Hippy Boys singing with Max Romeo and backed by the rhythm of Carlton and Family Man Barrett, and later the Mighty Falcons doing covers of the Stylistics, Chi-lites and Curtis Mayfield tunes. Other members of this last band included Dennis Brown, Noel Brown (of the Chosen Few) and Cynthia Richards.

Junior continued to concentrate on live work with The Tornadoes who later became the Young Experience Band. These bands included Lenford Richards, guitarist in Burning Spear's band, vocalist Carl 'Passion' Nelson who today runs the X-Rated label, and bassist Earl Jackson from Native Studios amongst others. He recorded a few tunes like Slim Smiths 'Conversation' (Top Hat Music 7') and played the hotel circuit and Kingston clubs like Merritone Discotek and The Sombrero, until the mid 70's when the band became defunct and he had an idea for a song which had special qualities.

At this time he needed a name change as there was another Junior Soul based in New York, and Derrick Harriet who he had returned to see suggested Junior Murvin. Co-incidentally Lee Perry also suggested Junior Murvin and that settled the name. He had met Perry years before when Scratch auditioned singer's who wanted to record at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One. Scratch introduced Junior to Coxsone as a singer with potential. Coxsone heard the song and told Junior to learn another verse to his song. Junior never returned and never recorded at Studio One. "I never had the patience to wait at that point"

He had come to Kingston to look for a producer for his song and this is how it happened: "It was a vibes y'know - of the producers at that time, only he could manage that heavy hardcore - cause I just get a vision to go to him and that was it. Lee Perry is the greatest producer I ever work with". Together he and Scratch developed 'Police and Thieves' and by its popularity was to prove the cry of the Jamaican People in the strife torn mid 1970's and early 1980's. "He (Perry) always said to me 'bwoy with the tune that you make you nah go dead' True I was young I never realise what him a tell me - true he was older than me - but now me start get bigger me understand"

Junior and Scratch developed a relationship where they counteracted each other: "He is a man who when you have voicing - him can talk through the mic and tell you three bars before the bridge comes - he just phrase in your ears - remind you say'Junior phrase away now remember the bar a come, phrase away now the bar a come now-hit it!' (Laughs) When you're voicing he's talking through the mic in your ears - coming down with the music y'know and dancing too - give you a vibes. ......Him a dance and a mix, people who play instrument them always dance, but he's the only man who I see mix and a dance....... Me give Lee Perry nuff idea too y'know nuff idea. Him like work with me too .... we have same idea, some time me have the idea before him - him say 'when you have it?'

Perry had recently contracted to do work for Island Records and so they began working on an album, which resulted in the classic 'Police and Thieves' set. The songs were written by both Perry and Junior, who sees writing songs as "how we get to our reggae foundation - its a biblical form it come to me spiritually- difference is that I find myself a sing from proverbs - me can't sing nothing impossible and nothin go happen always come reality or when it come from proverbs a come to teach to tell the youth a nah do that. Me never did know still until when me get older me really find out.... and then Winston Barnes (a Jamaican Broadcaster) now start call me that on the radio, "me a proverbs man ". It come so to, like they come in a message y'now you have to put them together it might take a time to put them together sometimes three or four weeks, like when you build a house you have to build it strong".

The songs on this classic album were 'Roots Train', the title track, 'Soloman', 'Rescue Jah Children', 'Tedious', 'False Teachin', 'Easy Task', 'Lucifer', 'Workin' In The Cornfield' and 'I Was Appointed'. Island Records also released Police and Thieves, Tedious / Memories and Closer Together (written by Curtis Mayfield), on the 12 inch format with extended Upsetter mixes. The Upsetter sound was unique and as Junior says:" Lee Perry's 4 tracks sound like 8 track, some say it sound like a 100 track. Scratch used too say him nah change cause it's four generations you know."

At this time further releases on 12 and 7 inch format came out on Jamaican pressings which included two recuts of 'Police and Thieves', titled 'Bad Weed' and 'Philistines On The Land', alternative mixes of 'Tedious' and 'False Teachin', and 'Roots Train' with Dillinger as the toaster on the extended mix. In 1980 a 12 inch on Black Ark International emerged with two further tracks 'Crossover' and 'I'm In Love', which have the sound of those classic sessions. After the success of the first album Scratch asked Junior to find a backing band - who became known as The Apostles - a further album's worth of material was recorded which still lies on master tape.

With success Junior Murvin was in demand, and he went on to cut songs with Joe Gibbs and the late Errol Thompson including 'Time Stiff', 'Right Lick', 'Idle Dog Worry Sheep' and the impassioned dance hall favourite on the Real Rock rhythm, 'Cool Out Son'. The song began when the guitarist in one of the touring bands Junior was in, was feeling downhearted after too many rehearsals. Junior said to him "patient man ride donkey" and the idea for the song just followed - cool out son.

He returned with 'Load Shedding' with GG Ranglin in 1978. In the early 1980's he made an album with Mikey (Dread At The Controls) Dread called Bad Man Posse, with the title track asking young men to stay away from posses in this turbulent time. He recorded again in the mid 1980's, this time with Henry Junjo Lawes, who released the album 'Muggers In The Streets', and the singles 'Strike and Demonstration', 'Poison Dart', 'Jamaican Girl' and the title track, a recut of 'Police and Thieves'.

Soon after this in 1986 he began a project with Prince Jammys who was the top producer at the time. The album 'Apartheid' was released along with the singles 'On The Level' on the Boxing rhythm, 'Lawman and Gunman' and the heavy 'Cool Down The Heat' over the rhythm that Nitty Gritty masterfully sang 'Run Down The World'. Beres Hammond was present at this session. "He always there when I voice a tune...stay and listen to me - always come in and say 'wha'appen you want a harmony'. One time me say 'bwoy Beres wha you a do? You feel the harmony - yer' nah go feel up man, give him the earphone man and come go sing the harmony' - when me a voice the same tune Shot A Lick, (Cool Down The Heat), down at Jammy's, Beres was down there too - most of the songs me a voice him a always deh deh - like a co-incidence me no know. He always tell you someting say 'Junior that ting there it bad you know. Do more a dat, y'unnderstand wha me a say'- give me a vibe and him give vibe to the studio more time y'know".

Junior Murvin recorded 'Make It And Set It' on Tubby's Taurus label and 'I'm Fresh' on Sunset in 1987. He reappeared in 1989 with an album produced by Al Campbell called 'Sign and Wonder'. Junior has also recorded material for Bobby Digital, the New Name label, Freddie McGregor's studio, some of which is still unreleased.

In the last few years Junior has been recording again. He has a self-produced album called 'World Cry' for the Sunvibes label, who he did a tour with in Germany in the mid 90's. He has done two unreleased tracks for a German label called 'Weapon of Destruction' and 'Keep Your House In Order' (on a Dubfront 10' released in 2000. He has also released numberof 7 on his 'Murvin' label including recuts of 'Bad Man Posse', Bounce Back, Poison Dart, and 'Police and Thieves', a do-over of 'People make The World Go Round' as well as new titles 'Go For It', 'Girl Come On Back', 'Blood Sweat & Tears' and 'Puss and Dog'.

Junior has maintained a presence in the dancehall recording specials for local sounds Love Stone and Mandela, as well as bigger sounds like Exodus, Kilimanjaro, Saxon, 4 By 4 and others. He attributes his longevity to healthy living - "I'm fit - take a whole heap a exercise, nah smoke or drink a whole heap a exercise and less woman, one woman and your body and your mind and your soul, music is a spiritual vibes y'know not a thing to boast over a talent from God y'unnerstand. I tried to avoid the whole heap of tours it's not good for your voice box too much tour really wear you out. Singing is a thing you've got to be disciplined, you have to be displined and if you sing in a high pitch you have to be more, you have too discipline your body more'. ...and less problems - don't think pon certain things if it upsets me I don't think about it - go with the flow me don't really deal with competition, wish everybody the best. If you do things spiritually you don't have no problem".

We spoke at length with Junior in the studio and on his front porch, and in the reasoning many subjects were negotiated, we spoke about music, his recording history, other local artists, his children and grand children, song writing, sounds from different keyboards, rastafari*, politics**, cowboy films, country and western music, cooking and dogs. I found him to be a genial and affable man, he bigged up those who had worked with him and supported him - and is looking to carry on singing a "whole lot of songs and nuff more songs to sing now - remix and new songs - a whole lot of songs."

* "Rastafari alright mon a good people - if one set of people 'say love' they can't bad - a good people you know - are the most disciplined people too - Rasta - discplined and organised."

** "The structure of the system, the infrastructure never set up properly y'know cause a whole lot of problem........ Poor people kind of feeling neglected, y'know and when you hungry you angry. People have the right to demonstrate too y'now people have their rights not just Jamaica worldwide y'now. ......The youth dem born in de ghetto cyaan smile, the uptown youth can smile - the uptown youth isn't hungry....."

Dubwise Productions / Free Radical Sounds