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Harry Chapman and Ragnam Poyser - Must Go Down (2001)
Harry Chapman and Ragnam Poyser - Must Go Down (2001)
Some tunes don't have to wait decades to become legendary. Such is the curious case of this 7" from 2001 that failed to attract attention upon release... Only to be heavily sought after 11 years later. Producer Paul Hussey opens up about its unusual path.
Zimbabwe-born British producer Paul Hussey is still puzzled. The 7-inch he released a little over a decade ago had never done anything, really, until he made a video for it last year and exposed its excellence to a youtubed world that couldn’t fathom it had missed such a gem, for such along time. "Not done anything", as in: "We pressed 200 copies I believe," Paul –who has no links to singer Winston Hussey- reminisces today, "but only maybe 70 got circulated at the time. I gave some to Jet Star, some to Blacka Dread in London. It was hard to get thing moving back then, an I had other things going on in my life as I hade just moved back to London from Jamaica." A scarcity that helped, later, other people: in 2012, his Harry Chapman/Ragnam Poyser tune reaches regularly the 100-pound mark on Ebay… And it’s not only the rarity thing: for once, this cult is totally deserved on a musical standpoint : lead by the one example of perfectly balanced electric guitar riff/UK stepper crossover riddim, Chapman lets his Garnett-like voice take the tune towards higher heights, all beefed up by a solid Ragnam Poyser deejay section.
It all came together sometime in 1999 on the Jamaican North Coast, where Paul was then running UB40’s studio. Rightfully thinking his brother had the necessary talent to record, Harry Chapman’s sister introduced him to Paul. Upon first hearing the Maypen singer -whose stage name is a nod to Tracy Chapman-, Hussey knew. After all, he had been in Jamaica for seven years on a long-term vacation, courtesy of his former boss at Falconer studio in London, so he knew when talent was worth recording. Good thing he did. Chapman had the lyrics ready, went for a voice test. It ended up being the one Hussey used on Must Go Down : "It was so good. I knew any other attempt would have sounded different." Chapman was reluctant at first. But after hearing Hussey’s final mix, he loved it and Must Go Down was ready to go up to the pressing plant…
It did. It came out. It sorta bombed. Only to reach, today, this cult status that has been juicing up Paul Hussey to go ahead and start his label Jambila Music. Besides new tunes with the loyal Harry Chapman, he recorded Father Culture, and contemplates, maybe some day, to fully reissue Must Go Down –this time with its dub counterpart. In the meantime, he’s just enjoying the ride… "It’s a funny business," Paul marvels at his 7-inch’s extraordinary destiny. "Part of it is luck. Or you have to create your own luck, I guess".
Read comments (4)
| Posted by Sug on 06.09.2012 | |
| Bought this for £3 in 2001. | |
| Posted by Adrian on 08.28.2012 | |
| Hey does anyone have Swade - Show Your Love in mp3? B-side from that vinyl? Would be nice to listen full tune if possible. Thank you. :) |
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| Posted by Adrian on 12.14.2012 | |
| Hey Sug, do you have Swade - Show Your Love tune in audio/mp3? I would like to listen that tune if possible. Can you help, please? Thank you for info and help. |
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| Posted by DrRiddim on 05.18.2013 | |
| Check out Harry Chapman's full biography here: http://djkaas.com/harrychapman.htm | |
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