05.30.13 - Andy Shaw of Metro Stylee in the studio

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Andy Shaw of Shaw Promotion aka Andy Stylee

The Specials

This was a very special show for me, one of my oldest and dearest friends Andy Shaw joined me in the studio to talk about his upcoming reunion with his band Metro Stylee. He introduced me to ska and reggae way back in the 90s as the third wave ska revival was happening. Like Andy I was enamored with the rude boys, skinheads, scooters, tattoos, the fashion, the scene and most of all the music. Through this third wave I traced my way back to the foundation of the music and continued to fall in love with reggae chronologically. In a way, I wish I had known about the insane dancehall happenings popping off at that time in New York but honestly I don't regret a thing.

08.23.12 - Tenor Saw, 80s Digital and More

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Tenor Saw

Clive “Tenor Saw” Bright was raised in the Payne Avenue district of West Kingston. His first single, “Roll Call” was recorded in 1984 for George Phang’s Powerhouse label, on the “Queen Majesty” rhythm. He moved on, with his friend Nitty Gritty, to work with Sugar Minott’s Youth Promotion sound system and label, having hits in Jamaica with “Lots of Sign”, “Pumpkin Belly”, “Run Come Call Me”, and “Fever”. His most successful single, however, was “Ring the Alarm”, voiced over the “Stalag” rhythm for Winston Riley’s Techniques label. The singles’ success saw Tenor Saw work with Prince Jammy, recording “Pumpkin Belly” on Jammy’s (then) new “Sleng Teng” rhythm. Further hits followed in 1986 with “Golden Hen” (on the Uptempo label), and Minott issued Tenor Saw’s debut album, Fever, that year. In common with most dancehall albums of the period, most of the rhythms were digital copies of older tunes from the 1960s and 1970s, usually produced originally by Coxsone Dodd or Duke Reid. Thus, “Shirley Jones” versions Keith “Slim” Smith’s “Rougher Yet”, and “Eeni Meeni Mini Mo” versions “Real Rock” from Studio One, while “Roll Call” versions The Techniques’ “Queen Majesty” from Duke Reid, while “Lots of Sign” versions “Tonight” by Keith & Tex, produced by Derrick Harriott. - (from Last.fm)

Thinking of Tenor Saw this week, then when I looked him up online I had noticed that he passed away in August of 1988. I decided to do a show on him, some of my favorite 80s digital productions from huge talents such as King Tubby and King Jammy, as well as artists from this era and a few songs about artists passing too soon, that Tenor Saw is mentioned in.