Clinton Fearon

Clinton Fearon I feel more and more at ease. At the beginning, it was really experimental. I had never heard a reggae acoustic album, even if it's more Jamaican reggae-folk. During my concerts, I often did a track alone with my guitar, and I had wanted to make an album like that for a long time. Finally, I did it, and we had good feedback.

Clinton Fearon Right! And it gives me closeness with the audience. I can't lean on my musicians, I have to lean on the audience. I like that simplicity. I was a bit afraid of the audience's reaction to 'Heart & Soul'. I played all the instruments, and I was afraid people would ask for a drum kit, that kind of thing, not just me and my guitar. But I felt good about it, it's something different. So far, everyone who has listened to it has liked it, I'm confident, and happy to have done it.

Clinton Fearon You're absolutely right. While recording it, I had to dive completely back into certain tracks, work on them again, because I hadn't sung some songs for years! In doing so, I had flashbacks of that time, when I wrote and we recorded the song... The 70s, up to the early 80s, were really a very difficult period for Jamaica. Some of these songs talk about the politicians, how they treated us, how much we needed more love between people... Either I made music, or I tipped over to the wrong side. It was a very strong force, and many youths got carried away, many were killed... I could have drowned too, but I love music and I held on. I wanted to turn the negative into positive, to create something constructive out of the situation. And always see a light in that darkness.

Clinton Fearon I truly believe that we, as a people, can bring about the future. Alone, I can't do it, nor can you or anybody else. But all together, we can have a great impact. That's why I think the politicians, and this goes back a very long way, are not at the service of the people. It's a group of people who decide for everyone how things are going to go. The system has been designed, for a very long time, so that only a few fat cats control it. It's as if we were at their service, when it should be the opposite! Our only way of fighting this, I think, is unity. And if they don't do a good job, let's eject them from power. They call themselves democrats, they all have that word in their mouths, democracy here, democracy there, but in the end, it's always those few people who keep us enslaved.
Most of us think we are no longer enslaved, but we still are. The very people who created this system are too, because it envelops us all. To change things, everyone, including those people, has to be involved and say: 'Hey, it's gone too far. Let's step back a little.' Let's care about ecology, about people sleeping in the street, and about the powerful too. Sometimes, the big guy up there is suffering terribly. Because he is constantly under surveillance by someone who is himself under surveillance, and so on... He isn't comfortable, despite his money, he's always in a cage... You understand what I mean? It doesn't depend on just one person.

Clinton Fearon Being in the middle of all that without getting involved was really very difficult. You have to keep your head on your shoulders. On certain streets, you have to behave like a gangster if you want to be able to get through. The next street, you have to walk as if you wouldn't hurt a fly... You have to sense the moments when you need to be arrogant, and those when you need to stay humble. Depending on the territories you cross, you have to adopt the right attitude, otherwise you bring trouble on yourself. But it was even harder with the politicians. Some youths really believed the promises of the local politicians and trusted them.

Clinton Fearon Exactly, he drove the government buses, I don't know how he got into politics. He became a Member of Parliament, and looked after Kingston 11 (not to be confused with the other Dudley Thompson, also a politician but in the upper echelons, who passed away in January 2012, Ed.). I hope these people will cleanse their hearts, so that things improve. I always have hope. As a people, we can make a difference. We can, and I think we will.

Clinton Fearon Yes, it was my first song! I recorded it with two friends who were like brothers to me,
Neville and Vin. That was before I joined the Gladiators. I wrote that song and here is the story: Vin and Neville weren't really great singers. I tried to guide Neville through it, to show him the harmony, so that we could form a vocal trio. We had auditioned at Treasure Isle, but without success. That was when I met Errol Grandison, who introduced me to Albert Griffiths... The rest is history... Coxsone Dodd gave us some equipment, I started playing bass, and Albert had the guitar. Errol Grandison had already left the group, as we were going through a hard time and nothing was moving forward... For a while it was just me and Albert. We recorded several tracks as a duo at Studio One, before Gallimore Sutherland joined us.

Clinton Fearon The 70s, even when we were with Virgin, were a hard time because we weren't making any money, despite our popularity. We played all over Europe and in Africa, yet we got nothing out of it. It was only with "Trenchtown Mix Up", our first album, that we saw a little money. It has always been a struggle. When we first came here to France, we were paid a pittance. We were offered more shows, but by staying in France we spent everything we had earned, and went back to Jamaica without a penny! (laughs).

Clinton Fearon Yeah man, it was hard. I wrote that song from a personal point of view. I looked at our situation and wrote down my feelings. It was the only way to get through that period. I was offered guns, but I couldn't go down that road, it's not my spirit. Who knows what would have happened if Jah hadn't given me the strength to carry on? That's why, when I write, even about a difficult subject, I have to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Otherwise, it's Judgement Day!

Clinton Fearon Untrue Girl is about my first girlfriend... She got pregnant, had an abortion, and only told me a month later. I asked her: "Why? Why didn't we even discuss it?" I was torn. I decided to stay with her all the same, but she started to find that I made too much noise with my music, and eventually told me I would never hear myself on a record in my lifetime! It was like a whiplash for me: "Oh yeah? That's what you think? Okay!" (laughs). I set to work, and I remember that shortly afterwards we did two songs for Lloyd Daley and his Matador label, I think they were Rock a Man Soul and Freedom Train. I sent her a copy! (laughs) Later I wrote Untrue Girl. I had learned to write better. That song idea had stayed in the back of my mind...

Clinton Fearon In our early days, I brought ideas to Albert Griffiths, but he never really gave me any credit or support. After a while, I realised it wasn't a good energy for my soul. That's how this song was born. But beyond all that, I learned a lot from Albert, a great deal. I learned a lot from the group, and also from Clinton Rufus. I used to go to his place to see him and pick up a few guitar tricks... I remember once, when I told Albert I was going to see Clinton, he got angry (laughs). He was very possessive and wanted to control everything. But he was also very creative and very talented. He's the one who plays the bass on most of the songs I sing with the Gladiators...