Zoomsoulblue

Award-winning independent journalism Music Jamaican musician who helped pioneer ska music in the 60s and who provided inspiration for a subsequent generation of British musicians including Madness 18:41 UTC Thursday, 08 September 2016 It was boxing ability as much as musical talent that helped Prince Buster become a key figure in the birth of Jamaican ska music. During the mid-1950s Buster, who has died aged 78, sang in a number of small-time bands in the island’s capital, Kingston. But he also had a promising career as a street fighting boxer, and it was his reputation as a quick-witted and assertive gang leader that brought him to the attention of the legendary Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, operator of the famous Downbeat sound system that travelled the country playing the latest dance records from the United States. Coxsone took Buster on as a security guard-cum-personal helper, and the young man used the experience to learn all he could about the fledgling Jamaican music business. Propitiously, he had been born – as Cecil Campbell, the son of a railway worker – in Orange Street, the central commercial street in Kingston that was to become the heart of the island’s music scene. Known as Buster in his gang-oriented youth because of his middle name Bustamante (after the Jamaican Labour Party leader Sir Alexander Bustamante), he later took on the nickname Prince for his boxing exploits, and had a natural entrepreneurial flair as well as musical talent and street sense. He left Dodd in the late 1950s to set up a record store, Buster’s Record Shack, and then his own sound system, the Voice of the People. While both ventures were successful, it was his next move – into the recording studio – that really left its mark. In 1960 he embarked on a couple of marathon recording sessions with various artists at the studios of the local radio station RJR that were to shift the island’s musical axis away from the all pervasive influence of America. Among those early recordings was a Buster-produced song by the Folkes Brothers called Oh Carolina that became an instant hit in Jamaica. In a typically bold and unheard-of move that was to characterise Buster’s innovative career, he used the Rastafarian percussionist Count Ossie for the backing track. But more importantly he also asked the guitarist, Jah Jerry, to emphasize the afterbeat instead of the downbeat. The same radical syncopation was used on many of the other tracks, including classics such as Little Honey, Humpty Dumpty, They Got to Go and Thirty Pieces of Silver. Ska had been born. Most of the singles from those sessions were hits in his homeland, and Buster never looked back. Over an eight-year period he released hundreds of productions on various labels, many of them chronicling the gun happy “rude boy” activities of an increasingly violent, newly independent Jamaica. He became rich, living the high life of sharp suits and fast cars, though remaining an aggressive champion of the underdog. As ska slowed down in the mid 60s and turned into rocksteady – a transition Buster did much to nurture – he set Jamaica alight with a series of records featuring his mythical character Judge Dread, a super-tough magistrate who handed out ridiculously long sentences to recalcitrant rude boys. But his influence went far beyond Jamaica. Many of his own compositions, as well as those he produced, were released on the seminal Blue Beat label in the UK, where ska became the music of choice for many mods and skinheads. He was the first Jamaican to have a top 20 hit in Britain – with Al Capone in 1965 – toured the country regularly to sell-out crowds, and appeared on Ready Steady Go in 1964. It was also in Britain that he converted to Islam and changed his name to Mohammed Yusef Ali after a meeting with the boxer Muhammad Ali. As the 60s drew to a close, Buster moved with the times to produce records for some of the new breed of Jamaican DJs, including Big Youth, and continued to work with well-known artists such as Dennis Brown. He even ventured into early dub music. But by the early 1970s, when rock steady was transmogrifying into roots reggae, Buster’s influence and interest began to wane – partly because as a Muslim he found it difficult to move along with the Rasta-influenced tide. He moved to Miami to pursue various business interests, including the running of a jukebox company he had set up. His influence did, however, resurface in the late 1970s, when his music was the key inspiration for the ska revival in Britain. In 1978 a London band called Morris and the Minors renamed themselves Madness after Buster’s classic song Madness is Gladness, and in 1978 their first single, The Prince, went straight into the top 20. The band later reached number seven with a reworking of the Buster song One Step Beyond. Their hero resisted a comeback then, but did reappear onstage in the late 1980s and 1990s, and toured Japan with ska legends the Skatalites as his backing group. He even recorded again in 1992, and in 1998 re-entered the British charts for the first time in 31 years with a new version of an old song, Whine and Grind. Essentially, though, his comeback was low key. In 2001 Buster was awarded the Order of Distinction in Jamaica for his contribution to the development of the country’s music industry. He had long since received countless accolades from his peers, but it was nonetheless fitting recognition for a man whose self-proclaimed title as King of Ska was never seriously disputed. ● Prince Buster, musician, born 24 May 1938; died 8 September 2016

We use to hammer out Prince Buster at all the scooter all nighters in the early 80ts - amazing gritty Jamacain sound that will always be played - RIP Prince

Back in 76 when coming back from St Ives all nighter - I brought four records off this guy, honestly I didn't know what they were but for £5 it was worth the punt, one of them was I cant get a hold of myself - absolute classic, remember, Respect RIP

Saw these yesterday in the BHF shop Stamford up for grabs if anyone was interested

1976ish Got a lift with Mick from Aldershot in his Mk 2 cortina not sure if it was a 1600e , got to Wigan car park, and he took the steering wheel off and put it in the boot, "fuckem they ain't stealing this" he would say, good laugh, great guy, always time to talk, always great stories, respect big guy.

just some more pics of the great man and one of George in his e type

The Fleet last night - Soul music , football , beer and a 50" TV

He looked bored, he cocked up the fold your arms routine , felt a knob for wearing pink and purple clothes - and headed down the pub

Semi dry today took the Vette out to a local car meet.

There was a place out st Encinitas or that area, but it was full of LPs https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=uk&sll=32.7556498,-117.1283787&sspn=0.0002136,0.0003386&q=music+record+shop+el+cajon+blvd best shopping Viejas out on I8 I think it's the Alpine turn off best beach - Coronado beach Romona is a nice small town they use to do car nights on a friday Escondido the Main Street reminds me of American Graffiti Temecula - is an old cowboy out west town all wood and broad walks Borrego Springs - real dessert area

Dave try out near the university there's a shop there I pulled a few from, trust me they know about NS , also there's a few second hand places like antique shops never saw 45 s all shirt LPs in the long beach area. Do mission beach, roller coaster old wood one. Corvette dinner, and go over the bay bridge to the beech close to the air base - don't do Mexico trash Have fun

Sounds like bucking , classic track haven't heard that for donkeys years

Rick - what about a dj who plays off an effing lap top ? I went to a local soul night years ago that's all he had, by passing the pressing and original record mob, What's next I'll stick my memory stick in I've got a whole set on here, in fact I can go to the bar buy a drink and dance to my own tunes - the future !!!

Lived here over 14 years never seen a seal in the river Nene , watched it feed and come up with fish in its mouth - if you look in the second picture you can see Peterborough Cathedral (left hand side) in the back ground.

Who was running this in 1975 - as the title has EASC - yet the address is 106 Wootten Ave Peterborough ? was this a Ken Cox or a Paul D ? I also notice Pauls name not on here Uptown records where were they (I remember Andys records) and Mr Howards sounds like a KGB agent Who was Pete and Dave and Jonnhy (never seen it spelt like that) just curios

Bedford Embankment - EASC When was that late 70ts and was it an old cinema I remember sitting in seats and looking at people dancing on a stage , or had I had too much again !!!

Steve that was the key to the Peterborough Soul and Scooter crowds, they were a younger crowd the Knights Hall at the Cresset Bretton, Friday night, followed by the fleet all nighter on the Sat then coach down to St Ives all dayer on the Sunday - 16 - 18 year old speed feeding, crowd. In late 81 early 82 these were under the D&S Promotions - then when the first Soul nighter was put on at the Wirrina that was under the PSC - this was run by Dave Read and Wilcox and later by Stuart Gordon after he was released from prison - mid to late 82.

Peterborough Soul Club - ran this nighter in Notts 1983 in org format / also The Dedicated Soul Club ran weekly Northern nights at the Camden Ballroom London

D&S Promotions About 1980-81 - then changed into PSC 1982 Dave Read and Stuart Gordon it usually was shown on early flyers in a cap / pill like pictures -as DS stood for drug squad - kind of piss take

PSC started 1982 at the Wirrina they did about 6 nighters there as EASC Ken Cox had the Fleet - PSC clashed with EASC - That was Ken Coxs last night -PSC moved into the Fleet PSC - Started in 1982 after Wigan had shut, they wanted a more oldies style music rather than what was being played at EASC - Steve Gs right bully butler Inst first then fading in the vocal was a favourite - little bit hurts, green door, how can I forget, velvets, interplay, breakout , poor dog, anything that was 100mph remember this was a young adrenaline crowd EASC - after st Ives 1977 Ken Cox moved the EASC venue to the Wirrina in about 1977/78 then EASC moved to the Fleet - which was a council run property up to 1982 when the ICA took over (brought it) Italian Community Association who still own it today.

Thought they were 74 / 75 - not 1980 onwards , could be wrong ?

Steve didn't know anything about the damage to property etc - hope the police were involved - I can understand slapping someone but damage to property is a no go. Record I brought off James on one of this hunting trips to London paid £2:50 1979

Steve - Peterborough Soul Club did 2 all dayers at St Ives (wow shot myself in the foot there Steves poster says 5th all dayer so they would have been running all dayers for at least 6 - 8 months) - then got heat off of the local council - so they stopped . Russ Towers later did evening dos there , his wife's mum at the time, was a councilor at st Ives, the plot thickens, that's why S Gordon hit him at The Newage Stamford soul do - there's a lesson in there some where.