By Howard Campbell—-
DURING recording sessions for The Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2015 album, producer Clive Hunt recalls a pivotal moment with veteran keyboardist Franklin ‘Bubbler’ Waul.
“Him sey, ‘Clive, yuh know why dis ting a work? Cause yuh doing nuthin new!'” said an animated Hunt.
‘One Drop Anthems’ is a back-to-basics project to be released October 23 by Greensleeves Records, a London-based label that played a significant role in breaking artists like Barrington Levy, Yellowman and Michael Prophet in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.
The compilation showcases mainly upcoming artists such as Ikaya, Jah9, Jahvinci, Yahsha and Raging Fyah, as well as the established Luciano and Etana.
Each of the 13 songs is produced by Hunt, rated as one of reggae’s top producers. He said his main objective was to restore a sense of thought to the music.
“No producer in reggae in Jamaica use an arranger. Jus’ like how a producer hire a bass man an’ a drummer, him mus’ have an arranger,” he said. “It’s a different vocation in music.”
Hunt handled all the arrangements and selected musicians whom he believed would give him the ‘different feel’ he envisioned. He also brought in some of the artists, like singers Yashsha and Jahvinci.
Yashsha does the ballad, Fly Away to Love while Jahvinci contributes the rootsy Kings Highway. Ikaya does a respectable cover of the Steel Pulse classic Rally Round the Flag, so too Luciano on the Rod Taylor original, His Imperial Majesty.
There are two instrumentals (Sierra Leone and Hit and Run 1) by the Hit Team, the band Hunt assembled for the recording sessions. It includes drummer Kirk Bennett, guitarist Lamont ‘Monty’ Savory and bassist Ian Hoilette.
The chatty Hunt disclosed that One Drop Anthems is the idea of Neil Edwards of VP Records, Greensleeves’ parent company.
“Him ask mi to do a roots album an’ told mi about the concept. I jus’ made suggestions as it went along,” Hunt said.
Hunt, who is in his 60’s, first learned the rudiments of music in the early 1960’s while a ward at the Stony Hill school for boys. He continued to develop as a multi-instrumentalist in the Jamaica Military Band and began recording professionally in 1972.
One Drop Anthems is among a list of projects Hunt is producing for VP/Greensleeves. He also produced Etana’s latest album, I Rise.
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