Jimmy Riley Exclusive Interview To Reggae Portugal Webpage :

Paulo Matos : First of all is with an honour that we are talking (by e-mail form) for the first time with the veteran Reggae artist  Jimmy Riley.

Jimmy Riley : Hail Paulo.

Paulo Matos : Jimmy how are you  ?

Jimmy Riley : i  am  good tell  me  how  is  everyone in  reggae  portugal.

Paulo Matos : You are precisely in what place in Jamaica ?

Jimmy Riley : Presently  i  am  in  kingston  jamaica.

Paulo Matos : Ok, your career spanning almost three decades on the Reggae industry, tell us first where and when you born and when and how you’ve started in music ?

Jimmy Riley : Yes  i  was  born  in  kingston  jamaica  a  place  called  jones  town  which  is  next  door  to  trench  town,  my birth  date  is  may  22  1955. I got  started in music  while  i was  going to  school  my  classmates  included  Slim  Smith who was  the lead singer for  the  Techniques,   they  told me about  their  group  and  i  said yeah  right  untill  one  evening  i  heard  one  of  their  record  on the radio. That  was  it  i  became  a believer  i  tried  to  get  in  their  group   but  they  had  four  members  so  i  decided  to  form  my  own  group so  along   with Cornell  Campbell  an two  other  youth   we  formed  the  Sensations  i was  about  14  at the  time.

Paulo Matos : What about musical and artists influences.

Jimmy Riley : My  musical  influence  included  bob marley  and  the  wailers  who  was  established  singers  at the time Alton Ellis, John Holt, Marcia Griffiths, Slim smith Cornell Campbell  and  Ken  Boothe  at that  time  also  we  would  hear singers   from  america  my  favourites  were  the  Impressions, the Drifters, the Temptations  Four  tops,  Marvin Gaye, Otis  Redding  and  Sam  Cooke.

Paulo Matos : Tell us who were the members and how it happen joined The Uniques ?

Jimmy Riley : The techniques  had  a  quarell, they  broke  up   being  that  Slim  Smith  was my best friend , it was  sort of  natural  that   we  started  singing  together  so  we  formed  The  Uniques  which  was a  spinoff  from  the  Techniques,  to let people  know  it  was  the same   lead  singer  Slim  Smith  also  now  leading  the Uniques. The   uniques  was  Lloyd  Charmers, Jimmy Riley  and   Slim smith. We  recorded  for  about  three  years  and  was  one  of  the  most  successfull group  at  the time  having  hit  after  hit   in the  charts  songs  like   "Let   me  go  girl',   "My  conversation", "Watch  this  sound",  The  Beatitudes "  , "Give  me  your  love "  to  name  a  few,  were  all  number  one   songs  at  the  time  and  we  won  the  contest  to  see  who  was  the  best   group  in  jamaica  at  the   time   beating   even  Bob  marley  and  the   wailers  group  in  a   show  called  battle  of  the groups  at  the  ward  theatre  down  town  kingston.   It was  however  a  friendly  clash. The  Uniques   broke  up  because   Bunny  Lee   our   producer  at  the  time  encourage   Slim  Smith  to  a  solo   career   so  we  all  did   our  own  thing,  after  that Lloyd  charmers   started   producing   other  artists  and  became   very  successfull  having  a number  one  record  on  the  british  charts  by  Ken  Boothe  called  “Every  thing  i  own”

Paulo Matos : Your first solo recording catch some attention in London, tell us the story.

Jimmy Riley : I was  singing  solo  and  had  produce  other  singers  as  well, i  did  a  record  called  "Eat  where  you  sleep  last  nite "  which was  very popular  in britain  and was  invited   there  to perform  at  a  nite club . I  went  to  England   and  one thing  lead  to  another  the  owner  of  the  club  wanted  to  do   recordings   so  i  told  him   Jamaica   is  my  preference,  cause  thats  where  the   best  reggae musicians  were,  we  went to jamaica  where  i  introduce  him  to John  holt  and   they recorded  a number  of  successfull  albums, the  first  single   relesed  by  John  Holt  became  a  huge  hit   "Help  me   make  it  tru   the  nite"  entering   the  british   chart  and   stayed  at  the  number  one  for  weeks. Just   as  my  album   was  about  to  be  released  the  company   claim  bankruptcy.

Paulo Matos : How did you felt when you did know that your friend Slim Smith had died in Jamaica in the beginning of the 80’s ?

Jimmy Riley : I  went  to  the  states  to  visit  relatives  and  heard  that  myfriend  Slim  Smith  was  dead  in an  accident, i was  very   disapointed  was a  double   blow  (the company claim bankruptcy and his dead) I  was decided  going  to  give  it  up.   

Paulo Matos :You have been associated to the Riddim Twins, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare and it was for their Taxi Label that you’ve reached your biggest number one and natural classic “Love & Devotion”, how it happen this association ?

Jimmy Riley : I  started   working  in a  factory   shippings   goods  over   seas ,  several  musicians  would  come  to  new  york  and  tried  to tell  me   to return,  i  was  not   interested  untill   Robby  Shakespeare   finally    talked  me  into  returning  home  to  jamaica. I did  and  we started  working  together  as  the  taxi   gang   along with   Sly  Dunbar  and  other  musicians,   we   recorded  at  the  chanel  one  studio  and  i  had  my  first  number  one record  as Jimmy  Riley  it  was  'Love  and  Devotion"  after  that  came , "Give  me  your  love",  "My  womans  love" ,  "I  try ".   "Every  body  needs  somebody"   etc,   and  Jimmy  Riley  became  a  house hold  name.

Paulo Matos : What have done Jimmy Riley on the nineties, I have notice that you have recorded some songs for Willie Lindo in Miami, what more have you done ?

Jimmy Riley : Sly  and  Robby  my  musicians  and  producer  became   internationally  famous and  was  playing  for   all  the  big  names  worldwide   so  being  hardly  in jamaica  i  went  to  miami   and  saw  the need  there  for  a  record   shop. I  opened  a  store  there  and  spend  a  number of  years  there . Willy Llindo  moved  to  Miami  from  Jamaica   we  teamed  up   and  started   making  records  there. We  were  building  up  nicely   i  did  a  remake  of " I  wana  sex  u  up " which  was  number one  there, followed  it  up  with  a  LP called "Love  fa  Real". I  came   back  to  Jamaica   after  it  became   slow  there.

Paulo Matos : I’ve know that you are also a producer, you have your own Studio ?

Jimmy Riley : So  i  am  living  in  Jamaica, i  dont  have  my  own  studio  as yet i'm working  on it,   so  i rent  Mixing Lab, Tuff  Gong  and  Anchor Studio  to  do  my  productions.

Paulo Matos : And what do you prefer, being an artist or producer ?

Jimmy Riley : I love  being  a  producer  as  well  as  being  a  artiste,  but  my  greater love  is  as  a  performer.

Paulo Matos :What about albums, can you make us a selective discography of your career ?

Jimmy Riley : My first LP was "Tell the youths the truth ", second  was "Jimmy Riley explosive showcase", third was "Rydim Driven" produced by Sly and Robbie, forth was  "Put  the  people first", fifth was "Magic", the sixth   was "Attention", the seventh was "Love fa real", the eight was "Rock  On", current one is "Love Canticle" on  Jet Star UK label.

Paulo Matos : This is a question that i’ve  been  making to all the veterans who I did interviews, what’s your opinion about Ragga  and if you feel that it was more criativity on Reggae music back on the 60’s / 70’s than today?

Jimmy Riley : Reggae music  has  allways been creative   but  i   prefer  real   instruments   as  oppose   to   drum machines  or electronic   instruments   i  also  am  not  to  keen  on  the   rap  music  with  the  exception  of  a  few cultural artiste   such  as Sizzla, Anthony  B, Capelton  to  name  a  few

Paulo Matos : Tell us about your ambitions to the future, regarding your career and off course your life.

Jimmy Riley : I  hopefull  intend  to  continue   my  music  by  the  grace  of  Jah the Beginer of  life, and  look  forward  to seeing  you  and  my  portuguese  fans as soon as i can.

Paulo Matos : OK Jimmy have been a pleasure for me making this e-mail interview, good luck for you and your family and I hope we can met someday. Big Respect and nufffffff thanks for everything.

Jimmy Riley : Thank  you for  the  oppurtunity  to  share  my  views  and  my  music. All  praises  due  to  Jah. Jah  bless, One  love. Jimmy Riley. 

  P.S. All  my  fans  visit  my   web  site it,s   www.Mp3.com\jimmyriley.

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PEACE...

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