Wednesday 2 July 2008

BIOGRAPHY OF UNCLEFEE


I was born in Wales on the 3rd of February 1952 and lived there until I was 4 when my father moved the family to Edmonton in North London.

From a very early age I was influenced by music and I was brought up on a good diet of jazz. Dad had a drum kit in the “front room” and he and some of his pals would jam along to records.
Whilst growing up during the early 60’s, although not totally aware, the street and local area was slowly giving rise to a certain change. More and more West Indians (mainly Jamaicans) where coming here to live and bringing with them their rich and vibrant culture.

Houses were being painted in a way that the traditionally “stuffy” English where totally unaware of to aromas and fragrances that were equally baffling, filtering through the scent of good old fish and chips!It was during this period that I became aware of a different style of music that I was not very familiar with although I had heard stuff that I thought might have resembled it. From hearing tunes like Al Capone, Madness and Bonanza Ska from early visits to a local “dance hall” in Bush Hill Park.. Dressed as a “rocker” (you know, fake leather jacket and studs ha ha ha) I would dance along to these as well as the latest pop hits. I was really unaware that I had been listening to early ska.

It was not unusual for me to be found “loitering” up and down our street and hanging about outside the houses of our overseas friends just listening to what I could. The sound always sounded more powerful than our record player and it was not long after that I saw and heard my first “BlueSpot Stereogram”
The “Spot” was the ultimate home accessory for any Jamaican household and would take pride of place in the front room normally adorned with lace and pictures.

It’s now early 1968 and my 16th birthday is looming so I persuaded my Mum to let me have a party for a few friends. So I got a couple of crates of brown ale (for the men haha) and some port and lemonade (for the girls). Oh we knew how to enjoy ourselves in the “old days”!
While I am waiting for people to arrive my brother Eric turns up with a pile of tunes that Carlton Small had given him saying “let Brian use these for his party tonight”.

So there I am going through these tunes thinking “bloomin’ ‘eck” these are brilliant!All rocksteady stuff like “Run boy run” and a whole pile more of Studio 1 stuff.

Everybody has now turned up and the party is in full swing and were all bopping to pop music but as we start t o run out of selections I draw out “the pile” from Carlton. Well in seconds everyone is jumping and after a few more we spend the whole night just playing them over and over……….! I am now hooked on this music and 40 years later I am still addicted to it !!!!!!!!!!!!!


TO BE CONTINUED..ALSO ON AUDIO SOON!

No comments: