Johnny Clarke releases ‘JA 50’ CD
VETERAN reggae singer Johnny Clarke’s latest musical creation — a CD entitled Jamaica 50 Sing Then Dub Them — is his contribution to the island’s 50th anniversary of independence from Britain.
The CD is produced on Clarke’s own Hit Machine label.
“This is my first CD on my Hit Machine Label. With 14 tracks, Jamaica 50 Johnny Clarke Sing Then Dub Them, is a mixture of dub and vocal. Remember now, within the 50 years, we [Jamaican music] used to deal with versions,” he explains.
As for Clarke, the greatest achievement in the country in the last 50 years, is in the area of music.
“As far as the country [Jamaica] is concerned, there has been positive and negative [developments] over the period we are celebrating. But I want to concentrate on the positive which is the music,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Clarke, who rose to prominence in the second decade of Independence, said that it would have been remiss of him not to have played a role in recording this significant milestone in our country’s musical history.
“It would be kind of a negative [for me] not having a CD to show where we are in our career, which began in the 1970s. This CD is where the 50th anniversary come catch I. This is my contribution,” he said.
Clarke is one of the first Jamaican artistes signed to Virgin Records’ Frontline subsidiary in 1976, releasing the albums Authorized Version and Rockers Time Now.
He helped to defined the ‘flying cymbals’ period that preceded the roots rock sound of the mid to late 1970s. His hit songs include Move Out Of Babylon, None Shall Escape the Judgement, Jah Jah In Deh and Rock With Me Baby.
