The extended disco-mix was an integral part of Jamaican dancehalls from the 1970s onwards. It brought the experience of live performances, where multiple versions of a song were played and a DJ would be toasting to the man in the street. Collected here on REBEL DISCO are eight ultra-rare Studio One mixes made especially for dancehall fans, including the previously unreleased “Arena Rock” by Roland Alphonso & Jah Buzz. Featured are performances by The Heptones, John Holt, Tommy McCook, Winston Francis and the release also includes the now topical “Cure for the Fever” by Jim Brown. This new digital-only release is taken from the vaults at Studio One and includes many hard-to-find releases from the label. A particular favorite is Nana McLean’s reworking of the Everly Brothers’ “(Till) I Kissed You.”
Jim Brown was born Paul Sinclair in Kingston at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital on October 14th, 1958. He grew up with his father in Kingston’s Maxfield Ave area before moving at fourteen to live with his mother at 33 Waltham Park Road. His step father, a Rastaman, owned a sound named Jah Barry Hi-Fi and Brown would hang out observing the sound and finally he was asked “Wah yu a look pon, you can DJ?” and was given a mic. His first toasts he can’t remember, they were just spur of the moment, but they got attention. He was brought to toast at a dance at Two Miles, by the Spanish Town Road, and caused such great excitement the crowd gathered round to check the youth. This gave him the opportunity to work with other local sounds like Dynamic Hi-Fi, another small sound with 4 12” speakers, but they did travel to the country area to play. These sounds were his start.
As a youth he had seen U Roy at a show held at the State Theatre and Daddy Roy was his first inspiration. He also was a big fan of Roy Shirley. As his reputation grew Brown came to the attention of Smith the Weapon that held forth from Mongoose Town at 57 Waltham Park Road, by Hagley Park Rd. Run By Sonny Smith this was known as Dillinger’s base but the sound was looking for a replacement as by then Dillinger was often abroad. His step father’s friends took him up there and Smith liked him so that weekend he went to Highgate in St Mary which was his first big show. Smith was the selector and Brown would toast. He was known at that time as Jah Paul the Marshall for his cultural style. Brown often used Studio One rhythms noticing how well the crowd would respond. Despite living in Kingston the set was big in the country areas and was the top sound in St. Elizabeth winning many clashes with sets from other parishes. In Maroon Town they were the king sound where no one could test them. He also free-lanced with other country sounds like Tuffagone (who he had already flopped in a clash) but for them he was a selector.
His cousin Smoker who sang for the Silvertones (Gladstone Grant) had heard of his growing popularity and came by to bring him to see Mr. Dodd. Brown was satisfied with being an upcoming toaster but still went with him. Mr. Dodd said “Alright Jackson” Soon come” but tired of waiting, Jim Brown left. His cousin asked Mr. Dodd how he had done and was told that the “youth left”. Grant came by again and cussed Brown out and carried him back again.
After patiently waiting again he watched Mr. Dodd closing up and was surprised to get something from Mr. Dodd to come back the next day. So he started going back on a daily basis and people at home thought he was going to a job, or to school. But every day he would sit under the tree and hang out with Johnny Osbourne, Bagga Walker, Freddie McGregor, Jennifer Lara, Clevie and Dalton Brownie, Pablo Black, Sugar Minott and others. These were the established artists and musicians. He was waiting for his chance. At that point he decided to change his name to Jim Brown, the movie star in Four The Hard Way. He didn’t want a white name like Clint Eastwood.
One day as Mr. Dodd was closing up he called out to Brown and asked him what he had. He auditioned Love in the Dance but told Mr. Dodd he did it off the Shank I Shek rhythm which was not a Studio One. So Mr. Dodd, who liked the song, had the studio band recut it. Love In The Dance became Brown’s first release for the label and Brown was surprised to hear Winston Williams play it on Friday’s Studio One show on JBC with the follow-up on RJR Saturday morning.
Cure for Fever had started out in the earlier dances as a toast over the Fever rhythm but for Studio One the lyrics were fully fleshed out, with Mr. Dodd adding the line about putting the rum in the water. Mr. Dodd had been watching the progress of the song and gave brown “a little sice”. Kalanga Water is an old time Jamaican remedy and Brown’s grandmother would rub it on them when they had a fever. The song was recorded by Earl Cousins.
Later in his career he recorded for Jah Thomas. Brown would eventually change his name to Jim Nastic, cutting singles and the album Chaunting for Studio One. He has also performed in Europe and Finland.
He remembers Mr. Dodd with fondness and says, “How him deal with me he was like my father, a father figure because I didn’t have that with my own father. My own father didn’t like Reggae”. He still, to this day, remains a member of the Studio One family and now graces the new mural at the studio.
(For the completist. On the tape the 12” version of Cure For Fever was followed by two mixes of a song, also on the Fever rhythm, by Johnny Osbourne and Jennifer Lara (still unreleased) as well as two dub mixes.)
Chris Wilson, Studio One, 2020.
