Augustus Pablo
Jah Light!
Articles
An unfinished melody Part Two
How did you link up with King Tubby ?
"Well, i jus` use` to love King Tubby sound from a longer time when i was a yout` an` jus` a greater joy too that i met King Tubby`s himself
y`know, yeah, `cah `im a scientist. Original scientist y`know."
How important was Tubby to you in the developement of your music ?
"Well, Tubby`s understan` the mixing board more. We use` jus` goround an fuck around the board an` mix an` do all these things.
An`through i brought in one a me bredrin, Phillip Smart, he owns a studio in America now, HC & F y`know.
Well he is my bredrin, we all grow up in the same area, Havendale, we use` to work together. I use` toshare dub with `im.
He had a sound, i had a sound y`know. We jus`love it.
An` he used to work at a car place, an` i said to `im `Phillip,leave them car place man, `ow much money yuh get?`
`im a tell me`im pay an` i said `Cho! a joke t`ing dat Phillip man` so `im decideto tek `im time out half day an` come a Tubby`s start learn.
Cah Tubby`s is the firs` person who started givin` young engineers a break y`know, Scientist an` all y`know, Scientist train that man an`
that man train this man an`....is he start a revolution. Tubby`s is the one y`know, believe me."
Did Errol T mix some of the tracks on `King Tubby` Meets Rockers Uptown`...or was it all Tubby`s ?
"Tubby`s. Some a the songs were recorded at Errol Thompsons studio, like `Each One, Teach One`, y`understan` ?
Thats why his name is there. He was a foundation man who record the songs live.
He is great cah him understan` the live mix. He is one a the bes`. But `im cool it now, `im `ave `im business a run but, `im jus` cool out.
But great, `cos is `im record most a those hits in those early days, even Bob Marley with Scratch in those early days y`know."
How popular were those early tunes in Jamaica ?
"Well, in the dance they were popular y`know cah you see, i used to hook up to mos` a the dance there y`know, like Tubby`s.
Tubby`s use` to promote my music, he use` to jus` push my instrumentals, y`understan`? Jus` like `ow someone would jus` love Pablo instrumental ?
Thats how Tubby`s was with me.Tubby was like my father too y`know.
He bought a xylophone for me an` i started playin` it in the studio.
We use` to do a lot a experimentin`, put it on dubplate an tes` it on the sound
. `Cah Tubby was the number one sound in the land, or in the world.
`Cah when he build that soun` like that. Nobody use` to do these t`ings. Even the echo what he use` to `ave, the Japanese invent the whole echo t`ing off`a Tubby`s thing.
They cyann fool me, i know everyt`ing!`Cah you see, when we were doin` these t`ings it was jus` a one in the world thing.
Everybody use` to say our music is unfinished.
In America they use` to say that, years ago. I see dat an` i mek a music, `Unfinished Melody` jus` fe dem, becah t`rough dere thoughts an` what they were doin`
i had to counteract them. An `now them comin` an` mixin` the music jus` like how I & I mix
heavy an` boof, boof! pon, the whole echo t`ing an` boom! an` drop out an`....
if you listen a lot a those Disco music an` those Hip Hop music, or whatever the name they call it.
Even the idea of Rappin` an deejayin`. Look `ow long Jamaiva people been deejaying, look how long!
So when you check it out, a lot a them...the brother `ave the talent but them don` `ave much creative ideas.
Thats the whole key to it, that inspiration. I don` know what they do with it. I dont know if they bury it, or if it gwan round the corner for one day...i dont know."
Another person that you worked for was Lee Perry. How did you manage to get together ?
"Well, i was goin` through a time when i was in the hills, an` i kinda back off a` the scene for a while.
So when i come forward now i never waan` mix among certain people, so i jus` went to Lee Perry place, cah he carry a particular vibes with `im
an` i use` to jus` work with `im everyday, y`know, play on session sometime, an` do lickle t`ing fe `im.
So Chris Blackwell came by there an` say `im wan` get a album with me.
So i said i`ll do it with Scratch if Chris Blackwell pay me straight up y`know.
But it don` really come becah after that a lot of things happen y`know.
I went on my own an` started putting back out my songs, an` started gettin` strong again....
i did kinda ease off producin for a while , an` tek to the hills, learnin` more about myself an checkin` out nature as it really is y`know.
Cah, you `ave to understan`, you cyaan be livin` in an environment an` dont undertan` whats going on
. I mean wi` the trees an` the birds an` them things deh, cah they a part a you so, keepin` you healthy an` strong y`know, cyaan go on like you no see dem."
So did you do an LP at the Black Ark ?
"Yeah, Yeah."
But It was never released ?
"No. Some a the tracks were release` like `Vibrate On` an` `Lava`.
I think his wife (Pauline Morrison) had some a` the tapes, cah i saw her in America an` she told me that she had some a the tapes an` she wanted to gi` me,
but i never really contac` her in time y`know, through i was goin` back a Jamaica."
There was another version of `Java` as well: `Ethiopia` ?
"Yeah, thats the way i did it firs`. You `ave a newer version to it too, y`know, pon the new LP.
Me `ave a different version a it too, really far out y`know, singin` about `Et`iopia."
The tracks on the `Authentic Golden Melodies` album, a melodica cut to the Gatherer`s `Words Of My Mouth`..
"Yeah right. That was done because Brad`s (Brad Osbourne / Clocktower) bought that riddim from Scratch,
an` that was played for Brad`s in New York, y`know, Bronx.
Brad`s, he`s dead now, they killed `im, but Brad is a person `im really believe in my music.
`Im use` to love instrumental, `im just freak out over instrumental.
He had about eight tracks with me `cah the LP was`nt even finished.
`Cah it even was `im put out `King Tubby`s` original too, becah i gave it to `im. Because them days there i was lookin` a money fe go an` do some tunes a Jamaica,
y`know. So through i know `im when he was in Jamaica, like `im `ave a lot a money, so he treat me like a king.
Can go studio, anything i ask for, any instrument i ask, them jus` go rent them, clavinet....anyt`ing.
Them days there, nobody was`nt really doing them tunes there, but `im jus` love all these type a riddim track.
Any riddim `im love `im jus` send to the producer in Jamaica an` say ` I want that riddim to buy`, an` get it,
because in those days people sell riddim, y`know, a man would jus` sell you a cut a his rhythm.
An` `im jus` run `em off on a eight track machine an` blow pon them."
Back To Interviews | Back To Articles