Birch basks in Shaggy’s golden success
MUSICIAN and producer Christopher “Birchill” Birch says he is happy to be a part of any successful project.
Birch, a renowned keyboardist who was a member of Shaggy’s band, co-wrote or played on four of the songs featured on the 19-track Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection which was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) last Friday, commemorating sales exceeding 100,000 units.
“It’s always a good feeling being part of success and some failures, because you learn from the failures. Being part of that success is always good. Just being in the room where the project was created is a good feeling,” Birch told the Jamaica Observer on Sunday.
Released by Geffen Records in 2008, Best of Shaggy: The Boombastic Collection is a greatest hits compilation which features songs culled from six of Shaggy’s albums, namely Pure Pleasure (1993), Boombastic (1995), Hot Shot (2000), Lucky Day (2002), Clothes Drop (2005), and Intoxication (2007).
Birch co-produced the tracks Hey Sexy Lady (which also features Brian and Tony Gold) and Those Days. He played on the hits Church Heathen and Strength of a Woman.
Hey Sexy Lady, taken from Shaggy’s 2002 album Lucky Day, peaked at 10 in the United Kingdom and has been certified gold in Belgium and platinum in Canada and Australia.
Strength of a Woman, from the Hot Shot album released in 2000, rose to 39 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart.
Other credited producers on the greatest hits album include Robert Livingston, Shaun “Sting” Pizzonia, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Tony “CD” Kelly.
Among the songs included on the hits package are Angel and In the Summertime (both featuring Rayvon), Hope (featuring Prince Mydas), It Wasn’t Me (with Ricardo “Rik Rok” Ducent), Ready Fi Di Ride, Wild 2Nite (featuring Olivia), and Feel the Rush.
Birch, a former member of Shaggy’s band, started out with the SANE Band. He also worked with several bands on the hotel cabaret circuit and later ventured into music production. He said working with Shaggy has been a journey.
“Being part of the 809 band and then moving on to working with Shaggy and transitioning into being part of his band, it was a world of tours all over the place. Being a musician then transitioning to building beats for Shaggy and then to starting my own label, it was good,” said Birch.
Birch came to the fore with the Thrilla rhythm, released in 2004 on his Echo label. It spawned Macka Diamond’s breakthrough hit Done Already, Exit Sign by Voice Mail, Get On Up and Dance by Elephant Man, Solid as a Rock by T.O.K., and Stand Firm by Bounty Killer, among others.
He has toured with several acts through the years including Buju Banton, Marcia Griffiths, Tony Rebel, Wayne Wonder, Mutabruka and Diana King.
His most recent music production, Sponsor featuring singer Lanae, was released in August.