CHANNEL ONE AN' ALL
Mike Brooks
Interview by : Smart Monkey
The name Mike or Mikey Brooks is synonymous with one of the great reggae studios in Jamaica namely Channel one. Mike Brooks agreed to allow the Free Radical Sounds crew to licence his killer cut 'Over Yanda' for our latest compilation album 'New Shoots Inna Roots'. Free Radical Sounds's Smart Monkey met with Mikey at his London Studio for one of a whole series of interviews with artists featured on the 'Nu Shoots Inna Roots' album.
Mike - 'Over Yanda' is really by a guy called Stingray. He just call me and says he have a track for me to listen I have voiced one of about four tracks for him and he gave me two tracks. ... Luciano is one of the tracks, Al Campbell, Bushman and Jimmy Riley were on the others. This is my label called the "Teams" label, a name from long-time " Shame and Pride" " Soldier around the corner." All those tunes came out on that label. As well as "Feel Enough Reggae." "Sensi-man" "Down in Jamdown " and "Woman of Shilo".
Smart Monkey - So when did you start the label?
Mike - 70's, late 70s.Smart Monkey - You have worked with a lot of artists as well as producers?
Mike -Yeah, because I used to work at Channel one.. and laying the rhythm on which I used to sing that was my work and you know. Make the rhythm tracks and all off that .Singers would come in and sing over the tracks, me, Sly, Ranchie, Duggie , Ansell Collins, Sticky, Skully. At night we worked and laid the foundations....Smart Monkey - What about the Over Yanda riddim?
Mike Brooks- Well it's a riddim from the Stingray stable and who got different singers who sit upon the riddim.Smart Monkey- I see that you have worked with both analogue and digital?
Mike- Well 'Over Yanda' you have a mixture of live and digital, if you listen to the riddim it's not just pure computer, it's live things mixed up together.Smart Monkey - Which do you prefer?
Mike - To tell you the truth, you know the times they change and the people they change with it and sometimes you have to go with the changes you know. But I prefer to use the live ting anyway because they may not be making the light now anyway. We've got this digital ting and it's like just going one way can't change it..straight in yer face you know. But we use tape, 2 inch tape, one inch tape in long days we use to use two-track you get a warmer and cooler feelings from it. You get me? Digital is fine but it is just too mechanical, you just don't get no feels on the rig.Smart Monkey - Do you still work with tape for the vocals?
Mike -Yeah we still use tape and best as we get that warm feeling from it.
Smart Monkey - When we were talking earlier you mentioned the new album that you have released.
Mike - 'Stamper Doctor - Dub Zone'. Well you have tracks on it like the Revolutionaries with Denis Brown again you can listen to it but I am not going to pick upon anything favourite. You have things like the track I did with Far-I ("Who have eyes to see ") the version, and "The money is not all." these tunes were all hits anyway. You get what I am saying? To me I have a next tune that I love that tune is from way back "Brotherman" You feel proud because that is a track back from the 60's. I sing a version over it , you get what I am saying? . The dub is wicked 'Lion Against Lion', this is the next wicked dub. But you have to choose, it's for the people to choose, its fe people to choose. I can't choose you understand. We have some nice tracks from Sly and Robbie, Mafia and Fluxie, every thing come together nice and that is how a dub LP is supposed to sound.
Smart Monkey- You passed to me the album that you have released with Joseph Cotton.
Mike - Yes, 'The Golden Days Of Reggae' .This is what we have put out and that it is me that produced it. I don't think that it is even in stock now it run out. They are just going to press it back. I also have an album that I am to release in France in October it's called 'Revelation'. It's a good L.P you understand that it is from the Book of Revelations. I have another dub L.P to come out & also an album with Lee Perry and it's nice. They are going to re-issue it, because it never come out in the right-way. Also I have another album that I sing upon ..called 'Gimme Your Love' It features the 'Mighty Ethnics' and is due for release sometime this year.Smart Monkey - It feels to me time, there is a real resurgence in the interest in dub reggae.
Mike - You see that the reggae is all right, the whole feel , it's always gonna be there because they are not making it like that anymore. Like the Studio one , like the Motown, it's there and you can't lose it.fin
Smart Monkey
Checkout profiles of other artists featured on 'Nu Shoots inna Roots'
