THE first time Earl “Chinna” Smith saw Junior Byles, it was in 1974 at Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark studio in Kingston. He was struck by the force of Curly Locks, a song the singer did for the eccentric producer.
Smith was just 18 years old at the time, with a rising reputation as a session guitarist. That year, he emulated Perry by producing a song by Byles called Fade Away, which like Curly Locks, has endured.
Inspired by a Psalm, Fade Away is one of the songs being covered by roots artistes for a tribute album to Byles, tentatively scheduled for release in 2022. It is being produced by Smith who has kept contact with him over the years.
Byles, now 73, lives at his family’s home in Kingston. His personal life and career have suffered due to sustained periods of mental illness.
“Reggae produce a lotta great artiste inna di 70s and Junior Byles outlive many of dem an’ dat’s something yuh can’t ignore. Junior Byles is still alive an’ him jus’ need some help,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer.
Nine songs from the project have already been recorded. They include A Place Called Africa by Itral Ites, Long Way by Marlon Brown, and King of Babylon done by Colour Red.
Initially, Smith wanted to record the songs with established acts but lack of enthusiasm saw him shelving that idea.
“I was talking to one of dem an’ him wasn’t showing di kind of love, so mi sey mek mi jus’ do it with some new artiste den,” Smith explained.
He plans to use some of the funds raised from the yet-to-be-titled album to source a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for Byles.
There have been similar attempts, the most recent being a 2019 show staged by Big Stone Records at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston. That event was poorly attended.
Kenneth Byles Jr was a fireman at the start of his career in the late 1960s with The Versatiles, a harmony group. He was among the flood of roots artistes who emerged during the early 1970s; Byles fit in at Perry’s studio which was a camp for like-minded acts such as Max Romeo.
Perry produced his biggest hits which also included A Place Called Africa and Beat Down Babylon. They made him a rising star but psychological problems prevented his career from taking off.
Smith, whose long list of credits include recording and touring with Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff and Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, is determined to help make his final years comfortable.
“Is a great artiste an’ him deserve it,” he said.
You must log in to post a comment.