Clinton Fearon: His Message of Love

Dedicated, rooted, experienced, original, Clinton Fearon continues his path across the globe as a creator and founding father of Roots Reggae music. His efforts have proven timeless, as the personal style he brought to Studio One, Lee Perry’s Black Ark Studio and Jamaica’s vocal phenomenon The Gladiators is still enjoyed on an international level, perhaps more now than ever before. The Basie’s new stomping ground is Seattle, where he is currently producing his own group, the Boogie Brown Band, whose works have established Clinton as leader of the pack in the Northwest.

His newest release, "What A System," continues to bring music that will move your feet: "Go tell your mother father and sister, tell them we bring them music to rock their bones." The album was independently produced and released on Fearon’s personal label Kool Yu Foot. It is a two CD set, with a dub side of the vocal tracks mixed by none other than originator and innovator, Scientist. Fearon’s stock of material seems limitless and boundless, ranging from the sweet sounds of lovers’-rock on "Feelin’," to some gospel that the veteran has kept to himself for years until now. Clinton gives new life the the Gladiators’ classic, "Chatty Chatty Mouth," and starts things off strong with "Rock Your Bones," a choice cut from his first effort in the States with The Defenders, a group which included Alric Forbes and Outernational Records label owner, Charlie Morgan.

Equally impressive as his history, is what Clinton Fearon brings to the table today, coming through clear with positive vibes on and off of the stage. I was fortunate to speak with Mr. Fearon on April 4, 2001.

Christian Olivier: You’re going to be playing at Ashkenaz in Berkeley, California on Sunday, April 29. Are you on tour, or is this a one-time stop?

Clinton Fearon: Actually, we’re playing in Portland, and then driving down to Arcata, and flying the rest. There were a couple of dates on Saturday. One at the school down there in the daytime, and in the night time we play at Café Tomu, and Sunday is at Ashkenaz, so it’s kind of like a long weekend tour.

C.O.: I’d like to ask you about touring in Europe. The Gladiators are now popular worldwide, but when you were bringing this music to Europe for the first time you must have ran into some difficult audiences. Was it hard to break that barrier?

C.F.: I think the music was ahead of us, you know what I mean? It’s like putting the horse in front of the buggy. So, the music was out there. When they first did a tour for us, people, they were already waiting to see us.

C.O.: So you were well received?

C.F.: Very well. I remember the first time we played in Paris, I think to 8 or 9 thousand people. The promoter was fretting, saying that he didn’t know how it was going to turn out because it was some political event going on that was supposed to envelop everybody. But we managed to have a good audience, and that was our first time playing in France.

C.O.: How do you feel about the role of sex, gangster business, or topics like that in music that’s supposed to be socially conscious?

C.F.: In my time, we were coming from a spiritual base. In my opinion, music is a soothing thing–soothes the mind, relaxes you. You want to read a book, or clean the house, or do the yard work, drive down the street, or make love and have music in the background. It’s all about love, really. That’s the bottom line. So, taking it out on that harsh edge is kind of out of line of where I check for it. I know that there are all kinds of people out there, some who would consider lovers’ rock soft. Unless you’re talking about guns and bayonets and crack, then you’re not tough enough. There is that audience out there, but I try and stay on the positive side of the fence.

C.O.: Where did The Gladiators’ style of tight, eerie, call and response harmonies with a strong lead vocal that I hear on songs like "Country Livin’" and "Hearsay" come from? Was that something that you all brought to the table as a group?

C.F.: You know something? Honestly, when I joined The Gladiators, they were singing songs like "Hello Carol" or "So Fine." That’s the way that the group sounded then. I joined the group, and I came with a different feel. I actually started the question and answer thing. Other people might not agree with that, but I know where the truth lies where that is concerned (laughs). But all in all, we work together to perfect it.

C.O.: Your last track on "What A System," entitled "Never Get Burn" is beautiful. I heard it was an old song that has been with you for many years.

C.F.: For many years, man! Long time ago, and it just got recorded.

C.O.: It’s a precious work, very tender with gospel influences I can hear.

C.F.: Well, you know? In my youthful days I actually worked with the Adventist church. When I got there I did something with my dad a couple of times. Then this woman named Mrs. Cole, who was the choir leader, checked my dad, and then after that, I joined the choir. That first week, she had me sing a part all by myself (laughs). I was scared. I trembled and I sweat, but I made it through. Later on I realized what she was doing. She was basically grooming me.

C.O.: So, your dad played as well, or sang?

C.F.: He sings. Not professionally, but he used to do it in church. And he used to play the harp, what you call the mouth-organ [or harmonica]. I learned to play that too, from really early, and then I made a flute, from bamboo. Then I decided I need a bigger instrument, a better instrument. I wanted a guitar and I couldn’t buy one, so I made one.

C.O.: What did you make it out of?

C.F.: I made it out of a cedar trunk. I dug it out of a cedar trunk, and I used nails, like six inch nails. I flattened it, filed it down and used it as a chisel to dig it out. And I used a machete to shape the whole thing. So the neck and the body actually came out of one piece of wood. I use a fork that you eat with and sawed off the teeth and used those to make the frets. (laughs) Yeah, that was my first guitar! It was something to look at; we’ll put it that way! (laughs)

The string was around two inches from the fret in some parts. The first time I got it going, I played it all night. I couldn’t touch anything with my finger the next day, but I still wouldn’t stop, I wouldn’t put it down.

C.O.: What do you think about some of the local talent on the West Coast?

C.F.: Some excellent musicians! I think the reason why we’re not seeing a lot of quality is because everybody is so scattered, ya know? There is no group, really. The problem lies in that nobody spends time to really know a song. They just practice a set, so they play a set. But nobody’s playing each song accordingly. There is talent out there. In the same breath, it is frustrating for a musician from here, going into Reggae music, because you get judged from your own peers, friends and family before you even start. ‘What’s that you’re doing?’ ‘You don’t even fit in’–all kinds of little things before you even start. When you start getting good, people still hang around waiting for every little mistake, and judge you left and right. I see groups that come from Jamaica, that in my book aren’t saying anything, and the crowd goes wild anyway just because they are from Jamaica, and yet here we have musicians that are playing well, and it’s like them skin up them face before they even play it.

C.O.: Is there anything else you would like to say your fans?

C.F.: What I would like to say to young and up-coming musicians is to practice, and be true to your heart. Stick with it, and it’s possible to find a group or form a group, instead of just being hired guns [session musicians]. Be true to yourself. Find time to do the things that you love to do. Approach it with love, instead of a hateful attitude.

It is clear why Clinton Fearon is well respected among those in the music community. Not only has he introduced some of the hardest basslines and chilling harmonies Reggae music has seen, he furthermore continues to purvey an age old message which has no less significance in this time. "Silver and gold will vanish away, but true love will never decay."

Don’t miss his performance with the Boogie Brown Band at Ashkenaz Community Center on April 29th in Berkeley, California.