Clancy Eccles
See also: Eccles (homonymy)
Clancy Eccles was a singer, a musician and a music producer jamaïcaine born on December 9th, 1940 in Dean PEN (Jamaica) and deceased on June 30th, 2005 with Spanish Town (Jamaica).
He was singer, type-setter, arranger, producer, organizer of springboards for new talents, and tailor. He is above all known for his work of the end of the year 1960 (period of the Early reggae)
He left a discrete but important trace in the history of the music jamaïcaine.
Biography
Clancy Eccles was born on December 9th, 1940, in Dean PEN, in Jamaica, of a mother dressmaker and a father mason. He passed his childhood in the countryside of the Paroisse of Saint Mary, where he attended the masses regularly, thus he bathed during all his youth in the hymns. At the end of its adolescence, it leaves for Ocho Rios where it takes its first steps in the music while playing sides of the Blues Busters, Joe Higgs & Wilson or Buster Brown as musician guide.
In 1959, it settles with Kingston in order to start a career of singer. It records its first songs with Studio One, located by Coxsone during a “springboard”. In 1961, it makes a success with its song Freedom (recorded in 1959), song worship of the time Ska which always has as much success today in Sound system. Freedom is one of the first songs jamaïcaines in social matter and was recovered with fine policies. Indeed Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Jamaican workers party adopted this title to symbolize its combat against the Federation of the Western Indies in 1960. Clancy Eccles, during an interview included in the documentary film Reggae Sunsplash in 1979, also entrusted that this song was sung at the time of the steps for the Civic right carried out by Martin Luther King.
The following years, Eccles sings other songs with success like River Jordan and Glory Hallelujah , and all being in the spirit of the incipient ska, remained close to the Boogie woogy and the Rhythm and blues.
In 1962, he becomes organizer in concerts and lance Chistmas Morning , his own springboard in partnership with Coxsone at the beginning then only afterwards. He organizes also those of the Clarendonians in 1963 and the Wailers in 1964-1965. He off launches also other springboards for new talents like Battle the Stars , Clancy Eccles Revue , Independent Revue or the Reggae Soul Review , who allowed Barrington Levy or Culture inter alia having a name.
In 1963 it records with various producers like Leslie Kong, Charlie MOO or Lyndon, the husband of Sonia Pottinger. Eccles does not manage sufficiently to earn its living by its music this is why in 1965 it starts to work by exerting the trade of tailor with Annotto Bay. For this period, it creates costumes for musicians such as Kes Chin, The Mighty Vikings, Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, Carlos Malcolm and The Blues Busters.
In 1967, it goes back to the music and becomes independent producer, produces his own recordings and those of other artists like Eric “Monty” Morris. The titles Say What You' Re Saying and Feel The Rhythm then recorded are classified today in the first pieces which one can regard as being reggae. It enters then during a very prolific time with to the key a popular success in Jamaica and to the the United Kingdom. (its British first hit is What Will Your Mama Say ).
In 1968, it records its song Fattie Fattie which becomes traditional a Skinhead, like its productions for King Stitt ( Fire Corner , Lee Van Cleef , Herbman Shuffle …). It also records many instrumental with its formation musicians, the Dynamites (same formation which records for Derrick Harriott under the name of the Crystalites ). At the end of the years 1960, it also will produce recordings in collaboration with Lee Perry (which he knows since the time when he worked in Studio One and that he helped to create his label Upsetter in 1968). In 1970, it revisits its title Herbman Shuffle , and makes an instrumental version of it where the low one takes a paramount place. With this new renamed version Phantom for the occasion, Eccles positions then among the pioneers of the Dub.
Eccles launches a series of labels like Clansone , New Beat and especially Clandisc on which it records artists such as Joe Higgs, Alton Ellis, Lord Creator ( Kingston Town ), Larry Marshall, Hemsley Morris, Earl Lawrence, The Beltones, Glen Ricks, Cynthia Richards, Buster Brown like Beres Hammond as of the beginning of the year 1970.
In 1971 he encourages Niney to observe Winston “Niney” Holmes which will be known under the name of “The Observer” to later record its first success as producer ( Blood & Fire ).
Socialist militant , it takes part into 1972 in the elections of the Prime Minister of Jamaica by supporting the countryside of the candidate JLP, Michael Manley. Artists like Bob Marley and The Wailers, Refusals Brown, max Romeo, Delroy Wilson, Inner Circle and well of others still take part in this event. During the years 1970, it supports Manley and writes several songs speaking in praise of the program of the JLP ( Power For The People , Rod Of Correction , Generation Belly ).
With the years 1980, per hour of the Dancehall its popularity weakens little by little (as for the majority of the other artists jamaïcains of its generation), its musical activity decreases and it will not meet any more real successes, with share with some songs engaged like Dem Mash Up The Country in 1985.
June 30th, 2005, Clancy Eccles dies in the hospital of Spanish Town following an heart attack.
Discography
Individual (before 1967)
- To rivet Jordan/I Live And I Coils - 1960 - Blue Beat produces Coxsone Dodd
- Freedom/More Proof - 1960 - Blue Beat - product Coxsone Dodd
- Judgment/Baby Please - 1963 - Island Records - product for Charlie MOO
- I' m The Greatest - 1963 - product by Mike Shadad
- Glory Hallelujah - 1963 - Island Records - product by Coxsone Dodd
- Sammy No Dead/Roam Jerusalem - 1965 - Ska Beat - product by Lyndon Pottinger.
- Ida Miss - 1965 - Happy Ska
Compilations after 1967
-
Clancy Eccles:
Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites
- *The Dynamites - Fire Corner - 1969 - Clandisc
- *Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Herbsman Reggae - 1970 - Clandisc
- *Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Signal Off 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'n'roll - 1969-1970 - Jamaican Gold (1997)
- *Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Herbsman Reggae - 1970 - Clandisc
-
Productions of Clancy Eccles
- : Clancy Eccles Present His Reggae Re-examined - Rock'n'roll Steady Intensified - 1967-1972 - Heartbeat Records (1990)
Videos
-
Reggae Sunsplash documentary film left in 1979, recalling the festival Reggae Sunsplash 2 with extracts in concert of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Third World, Burning Spear and scenes documentary. This film contains an interview of Clancy Eccles.
See too
Internal bonds
External bonds
- Biography referred of and homage to Clancy Eccles
| Random links: | Sebastien Frangolacci | History of the natural history | Operating margin | Arvan | Agusta A.109 | Safa_Giray_de_Kazan |