Derrick Morgan's career spanned all areas of Jamaican music from 1960 on as a both a popular singer and producer. This disc showcases both skills with two self produced sides from 1971 on England's Pama Supreme label.
The two sides are arguably closer to instrumentals or toasting tracks than they are to full blown songs but are certainly both worth listening to. "John Crow Skank" carries a funky groove and Morgan's directives. The instrumentation is pulsing with a sparse backing hidden underneath interjections by pianos, organs, horns, guitars, and more.
If you have been reading along with the posts, you may remember that this Max Romeo post was produced by Derrick Morgan. This b-side, "Give Thanks," features the same rhythm with Morgan's variation of the song. Compared to Romeo's version, Morgan's has more a powerful sound and instrumentation all around. It's also more of an instrumental take than Romeo's. I'm not sure which version I like more, enjoy!
Listen & download here:
A-side: Derrick Morgan - John Crow Skank
B-side: Derrick Morgan - Give Thanks
3 comments:
"John Crow" skank was a very popular dance in Jamaica around '71-'72 when i was a kid, and there was a brief flurry of records with the distinctive start/stop rhythm. this Derrick Morgan tune is fashioned after the biggest John Crow rhythm ever - Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby", which was a massive, massive song that won the festival competition for '71. my mom had a lot of 7" records with this style, like Peter Tosh's "Maga Dog" that he did for Joe Gibbs in '71, and more Eric Donaldson/Bunny Lee-produced records like "Love Of The Common People", "Just Can't Happen This Way", "Blue Boots" etc. that were all cut at Dynamic Studios by a very young Inner Circle band and a few of the Dynamic session guys.
Thanks for your comments on this and the Clarendonians posting, Chris! You're information is especially intriguing as it sounds like you grew up in Jamaica around the time of all this great music. I've got copies of "Cherry Oh Baby," "Maga Dog," and "Love Of The Commong People" and can hear the similarities. I was oblivious to the fact that the "John Crow" skank was as popular as you point out.
Thanks again and feel free to share anything else!
check out this very rare Bynny Lee interview from the early 90's in which he speaks on the origins of the "John Crow" Skank riddim. http://www.mediafire.com/?bdrc97kv6v75ruk Give thanks Dub Tafari
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