Phone Interview with the veteran Little Roy on 27 / 12 / 1999
P.Matos - For the first time Earl Lowe ak.a Little Roy is giving an interview to a Reggae Show in Portugal.
P.Matos - Little Roy How Are You ?
L.Roy - Yes fine.
P.Matos - Let’s start with this questions, how and when you get involved in music ?
L.Roy - Yeah, i’ve started from a very young age you know, because i had family members who were good singers like my brothers you know, i’ve started recording at the age of 12, that was in 1965 i did my first recording at Studio One and continued with Prince Buster who gave me the name Little Roy, i’ve recorded two songs for Prince Buster, then went to “The Matador” where i had my first number one song in 1969.
P.Matos - Like you have said you have started like many of the Top jamiacans artists at Studio one, tell us how was recording at Studio one, artists like Dennis Brown, Leroy Sibbles, Bob andy, Delroy wilson, they were there right ?
L.Roy - Yes, they were there , but i hadn’t much association with them at that time, the time that i’ve work for Studio One was just a school for the youth passing by, it was just an opportunity to sing one song, my career didn’t last to long at Studio One.
P.Matos - After Studio One you have make some records to Lloyd "The Matador" Daley, was the start, the begining of your sucess, right ?
L.Roy - Yes it was the begining of my sucess, my first song for Lloyd “The Matador” Daley was number one, it was the song call “Bongo Nyah” it was one of "Matador’s" biggest sellers.
P.Matos - When and why you left "The Matador" to follow on your own ?
L.Roy - I left “Matador” in 1974 to formed a label call "Tafari" with me and a bredren called Maurice Jackson, his the brother of Munchie Jackson who started a project in early 71, me and Munchie have recorded a song call “Mr. T” and then Maurice came from América and it was me and Maurice working much closer than Munchie, Muchie went back to América and the songs that we produced in Jamaica he released some of them in América on the label call “Aires”, it was mostly me and Maurice in the studio.
P.Matos - On that period you have record fantastic songs, specially the two hymns "Tribal War" and "Prophecy", is true that the late Dennis Brown have played bass on the song "Tribal War" ?
L.Roy - Yes, it is something that a lot of people don’t know but Dennis Brown did played the bass on “Tribal War”, that song was made with four musicians, Dennis Brown on Bass, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace on Drums, Roy Hamilton on Guitar and Pablo Balck at Keyboards.
P.Matos - Was recorded where ?
L.Roy - It was recorded at Black Ark studio.
P.Matos - Lee Perry’s studio...
L.Roy - Yeah...
P.Matos - How you feel wnhen artists like John Holt, Freddie McGregor and other ones cover your original classics and get a huge of Success ?
L.Roy - If they cover my songs i always have to earn from it, i mean, appart of that, well i may not get the recognition they get from my song but hat is just politics that deal with the business, you know...
P.Matos - But they have to pay you to cover your songs, right ?
L.Roy - Yeah, i always have to get paid if they cover my songs.
P.Matos – Off course.
P.Matos - Some of your best recordings are included on the compilations Tafari Earth Uprising and Little Roy & Friends "Packin House" both on Pressure Sounds label, now let’s talk about your newest project, “More From A Little” is your new album since when ?
L.Roy - Is my new album since December, this album have been released in December (99).
P.Matos - What you mean with “the Dragon and the Bear and the Eagle and the sickle, they want us to give more from a little" ?
L.Roy - The Dragon represents the chinese or the japanese, that’s their symbol, alright, there is another country that has the bear as a symbol - THEY ARE ALL BABYLONS !!! alright !, is like different branches of babylon, they pressure the people a lot you know...
P.Matos - What about the song “Prophecy”,any special reason for you include it on the CD ?
L.Roy - You see, "Prophecy" is like a never lasting song, it was just the vibe you know, we were making some songs for this album and we just said ,"Prophecy" would feet.
P.Matos - The album have been recorded at Lion studios, You catched a lot of vibe there, right ?
L.Roy - Yes there is a lot of vibe there because they’re different classes of Rastas you know,they go against another Rastas if i don’t feel confortable, they are bredren at Lion you know, they are humble bredren you know, that’s why i can work with them you know.
P.Matos - Finishing this little interview any special message to the listeners of the reggae show here in Portugal ?
L.Roy - Yes, what i would love to say is love and nuff respect to everyone you know, all been supporting the Reggae all trough the years you know, and be still working to see the good come out of it you know, and the good one from it and let you know that world can live in love in a dispite of colour, dispite of rich and poor and that can be love all over.
P.Matos - Little Roy Nufffff Thanks for this enjoyable interview, all the best for you, Big Respect Man.
L.Roy - Yes, Love My Bredren.
Little Roy's releases :
"Tafari Earth Uprising" Friends - "Packin House" "More From A Little"
Big Respect to Earl Lowe a.k.a Little Roy and special thanks to Peter Holdsworth, PEACE my bredren.
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