Clancy Eccles
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Clancy Eccles (December 9, 1940, Dean Pen, Jamaica–June 30], 2005, Spanish Town, Jamaica) was a Jamaican reggae singer, promoter and record producer.
One of the most respected personalities in Jamaican music, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, show promoter, talent scout and tailor Clancy Eccles, mostly known for his early reggae works, also brought a political dimension to this music.
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[edit] Biography
Son of a tailor and builder, Clancy Eccles spent his childhood in the countryside of the parish of Saint Mary, where he used to attend regularly church cult and became soon influenced by spiritual singing. In his late teens, he moved to Ocho Rios where he made his first musical steps, performing at night in various shows, with artists like The Blues Busters, Higgs & Wilson or Buster Brown.
He moved to Kingston in 1959 where he started his musical career as a singer. He first recorded for Coxsone Dodd, who noticed him at a talent show, and had a Jamaican hit in 1961 with the early-ska tune "Freedom" recorded actually in 1959 but a sound system favorite since then. Talking about the repatriation to Africa, an idea developed by the growing rastafari movement, "Freedom" was one of the first Jamaican songs with socially oriented lyrics. Curiously, it also became the first Jamaican hit to be used on political purposes with Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Jamaican Labour Party and at this time Chief Minister of Jamaica adopting it for his fight against the Federation of the West Indies in 1960.
In the years after, Eccles had other successful songs, mixing boogie/R&B influences with emerging ska rhythm, like "River Jordan" or "Glory Hallelujah".
In 1962, he started promoting concerts and set up his "Christmas Morning" talent show in association with Coxsone at the beginning, then on his own. He organized shows for The Clarendonians in 1963 and in 1964-1965 for The Wailers in different locations. He launched other talent search contests with "Battle of the Stars", "Clancy Eccles Revue", "Independent Revue" or "Reggae Soul Revue", from where emerged such stars like Barrington Levy or Culture...
From 1963 he recorded with different producers like Charlie Moo, Leslie Kong's business partner, or the husband of Sonia Pottinger, Lyndon, but couldn't make a living of his music and so decided to quit in 1965 for working as a tailor in Annotto Bay. During this period, he made stage outfits for musicians like Kes Chin, The Mighty Vikings, Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, Carlos Malcolm or The Blue Busters.
He went back to music in 1967, producing his own recordings as well as other artists and soon scored with Eric 'Monty' Morris' hit, "Say What You're Saying" and his own song "Feel The Rhythm", both now recognized as being among the first early reggae tunes.
He entered then a very prolific period with popular success both in Jamaica and UK (his first hit "What Will Your Mama Say" was released by the recently created UK label, Pama Records).
In 1968, his song "Fattie Fattie", became a skinhead classic, along with his productions of the DJ King Stitt ("Fire Corner", "Van Cleef", "Herbman Shuffle"...). He also recorded many organ-led instrumentals with his session band named The Dynamites (same band has Derrick Harriott's Crystalites) featuring Winston Wright. By releasing in 1970 an instrumental version of "Herbman Shuffle" called "Phantom" with a mix focusing on the bass line, Eccles paved the way along with other innovators, to dub music.
Eccles launched different labels, "Clansone", "New beat" and above all "Clandisc" (also a UK subsidiary of Trojan for his works) on which he recorded artists like Alton Ellis, Joe Higgs, the Trinidian Lord Creator ("Kingston Town"), Larry Marshall, Hemsley Morris, Earl Lawrence, The Beltones, Glen Ricks, Cynthia Richards, Buster Brown and in the early 1970s, Beres Hammond...
Appreciated by the musicians for his fairness, and his sense of equity, he also helped Lee Perry to set up his Upsetter label in 1968, and Winston 'Niney' Holmes later known as 'The Observer' to record his first hit as a producer in 1971 ("Blood & Fire").
Also a socialist militant, he took part in Jamaica's 1972 prime minister elections in organizing a "Bandwagon" featuring Bob Marley & the Wailers, Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, Delroy Wilson & Inner Circle among others who went around the island to support the campaign of the PNP leader Michael Manley. Throughout the 70s, he remained close to Manley and wrote several songs in praise of the PNP program including his hits "Power For The People", "Rod Of Correction" or "Generation Belly".
By the mid 1970s, his popularity declined and he had to live off his shows. In the 80s, Eccles slowed down his musical activities, and until his death, never met success again, apart from few politically songs like "Dem Mash Up The Country" in 1985. Clancy Eccles died on June the 30th 2005 in Spanish Town Hospital from complications of a heart attack.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles before 1967
- River Jordan / I Live And I Love - 1960 - Blue Beat produced by Coxsone Dodd
- Freedom / More Proof - 1960 - Blue Beat produced by Coxsone Dodd
- Judgement / Baby Please - 1963 - Island Records produced for Charlie Moo
- I'm The Greatest - 1963 - produced by Mike Shadad
- Glory Hallelujah - 1963 - Island Records produced by Coxsone Dodd
- Sammy No Dead / Roam Jerusalem - 1965 - Ska Beat produced by Lyndon Pottinger.
- Miss Ida - 1965 - Ska Beat
[edit] Compilations after 1967
[edit] Clancy Eccles:
- Clancy Eccles - Freedom - 1969 - Clandisc/Trojan
- Clancy Eccles - 1967-1983 - Joshua's Rod Of Correction - Jamaican Gold (1996)
- Clancy Eccles - Top Of The Ladder - 1973 - Big Shot/Trojan
[edit] Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites
- The Dynamites - Fire Corner - 1969 - Clandisc
- Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Herbsman Reggae - 1970 - Clandisc
- Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Top Of The Ladder - 1973 - Big Shot/Trojan
- The Dynamites - The Wild Bunch Are The Dynamites - 1967-1971 - Jamaican Gold (1996)
- Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Nyah Reggae Rock - 1969-1970 - Jamaican Gold (1997)
[edit] Clancy Eccles productions:
- King Stitt - Reggae Fire Beat - 1969-1970 - Jamaican Gold (1996)
- Cynthia Richards & Friends - Foolish Fool -1970 - Clandisc
- Tito Simon - Just Tito Simon - 1973 - Horse/Trojan coproduced by Joe Sinclair
- Various - Clancy Eccles - Fatty Fatty - 1967-1970 - Trojan (1998)
- Various - Clancy Eccles Presents His Reggae Revue - Rock Steady Intensified - 1967-1972 - Heartbeat Records (1990)
- Various - Kingston Town: 18 Reggae Hits - Heartbeat Records (1993)
- Various - Clancy Eccles - Feel The Rhythm - 1966-1968 - Jamaican Gold (2000)
- Various - Clancy Eccles' Rock Steady Reggae Revue at Sombrero Club - 1967-1969 - Jamaican Gold (2001)
- Various - Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The Ward Theatre - 1969-1970 - Jamaican Gold (2001)
- Various - Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The VIP Club - 1970-1973 - Jamaican Gold (2001)
- Various - Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The Carib Theatre - 1973-1986 - Jamaican Gold (2001)
- Various - Clancy Eccles: Freedom - An Anthology - Trojan (Oct. 2005)
