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Clancy Eccles

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Clancy Eccles
Born(1940-12-09)9 December 1940
OriginDean Pen,St. Mary,Jamaica
Died30 June 2005(2005-06-30)(aged 64)
GenresReggae
Ska
OccupationRecord producer
Years activeMid-1950s–2005
LabelsClandisc, Newbeat
Formerly ofThe Dynamites

Clancy Eccles(9 December[1]1940 in Dean Pen,St. Mary,Jamaica– 30 June 2005 inSpanish Town,Jamaica)[2]was a Jamaicanskaandreggaesinger, songwriter, arranger, promoter, record producer andtalent scout.Known mostly for his early reggae works, he brought a political dimension to this music. His house band was known asThe Dynamites.

Biography

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Son of a tailor and builder, Eccles spent his childhood in the countryside of the parish ofSaint Mary.Eccles had an itinerant childhood due to his father's need to travel Jamaica seeking work.[2]He used to regularly attend church, and he became influenced byspiritualsinging; In his words: "One of my uncles was a spiritual revivalist, who always did this heavy type of spiritual singing, and I got to love that".[3]Eccles's professional singing career began as a teenager, working the north-coast hotel circuit in the mid-1950s.[2]In his late teens, he moved toOcho Rios,where he performed at night in various shows, with artists such asThe Blues Busters,Higgs & Wilson and Buster Brown. He moved toKingstonin 1959, where he started his recording career. He first recorded forCoxsone Dodd,who had organised a talent show in which Eccles took part.[2][3][4]

Eccles had a Jamaican hit in 1961 with the earlyskasong "Freedom", which was recorded in 1959, and was featured on Dodd'ssound systemfor two years before it was released.[5]It was one of the first Jamaican songs with socially oriented lyrics. The song discussed the concept of repatriation to Africa, an idea developed by the growingRastafari movement.The song became the first Jamaican hit to be used for political purposes;Alexander Bustamante,founder of theJamaican Labour Partyand at that timeChief Minister of Jamaicaadopted it for his fight against theFederation of the West Indiesin 1960. In the following years, Eccles had other successful songs, mixingboogie/rhythm and bluesinfluences with ska rhythms, such as "River Jordan" and "Glory Hallelujah".

In 1962, he started promoting concerts and set up hisChristmas Morningtalent show; first with Dodd, then on his own.[6]He organised concerts forThe Clarendoniansin 1963, and forThe Wailersin 1964 and 1965. He launched other talent search contests, withBattle of the Stars,Clancy Eccles Revue,Independent RevueandReggae Soul Revue,[6]from which emerged stars such asBarrington LevyandCulture.

Starting in 1963, he recorded with producers such as Charlie Moo (Leslie Kong's business partner) and the husband ofSonia Pottinger,Lyndon.[5]He couldn't make a living from his music, so he quit in 1965 to work as a tailor in Annotto Bay. During this period, he made stage outfits for musicians such as Kes Chin, The Mighty Vikings,Byron Lee and the Dragonaires,Carlos MalcolmandThe Blues Busters.[6]

He went back to music in 1967, producing his own recordings as well as those of other artists.[7]He scored a hit with Eric 'Monty' Morris' reggae song "Say What You're Saying", and with his own song "Feel The Rhythm", one of several records that were instrumental in the shift fromrocksteadyto reggae.[7][8]Eccles has also been credited with deriving the name 'reggae' fromstreggae', Kingston slang for a good-time girl.[9]Eccles' first hit, "What Will Your Mama Say" which was released by the recently created United Kingdomlabel,Pama Records.In 1968, his song "Fattie Fattie" became askinheadreggae classic, along with his productions of recordings by thetoasting DJKing Stitt( "Fire Corner", "Van Cleef", "Herbman Shuffle" ). Eccles recorded many organ-led instrumentals with his session band The Dynamites (same band hasDerrick Harriott's Crystalites), featuring Jackie Jackson, Hux Brown,Paul Douglas,Winston Wright,Gladstone Anderson,Winston Grennan,Joe Isaacs, and Hugh Malcolm, withJohnny MooreandBobby Ellisboth contributing trumpet in different sessions.[8][10]In 1970, Eccles helped pave the way to thedub musicgenre by releasing an instrumental version of "Herbman Shuffle" called "Phantom", with a mix focusing on the bass line.

Eccles launched different record labels for his works: Clansone, New Beat and Clandisc (the latter also the name of a sub-label set up byTrojan Recordsfor Eccles' UK releases).[11]He recorded artists such asAlton Ellis,Joe Higgs,theTrinidianLord Creator ( "Kingston Town" ),Larry Marshall,Hemsley Morris, Earl Lawrence, The Beltones, Glen Ricks,Cynthia Richards,Buster Brown andBeres Hammond.[7][11]Appreciated by musicians for his fairness and sense of equity, he helpedLee Perryset up his Upsetter record label in 1968 after Perry left Dodd's employment, and helpedWinston 'Niney' Holmes(later known as 'The Observer') record his first hit as a producer in 1971 ( "Blood & Fire" ).[7][12]

A socialist militant,[13]Eccles was appointed as an adviser on the music industry toMichael Manley'sPeople's National Party(PNP) and took part in Jamaica's 1972 prime ministerial elections by organising a "Bandwagon" featuring musicians such asBob Marley& the Wailers,Dennis Brown,Max Romeo,Delroy WilsonandInner Circle,performing around the island in support of Manley's campaign.[6]Throughout the 1970s, 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".

Eccles' political interests meant that he spent less time on music, although in the late 1970s, Eccles had further success as a producer with recordings by Tito Simon and Exuma the Obeah Man, as well as collaborations withKing Tubby.[2]After the 1970s, new Eccles recordings were rare, and he concentrated on live concert promotion and re-issues of his back catalogue.[2]In the 1980s, Eccles slowed down his musical activities, and he never met success again, apart from a few political songs, such as "Dem Mash Up The Country" in 1985. Eccles died on 30 June 2005, in Spanish Town Hospital from complications of a heart attack.

Eccles' son, Clancy Eccles Jr., has followed his father into the music business, initially performing as simply "Clancy".[14][15]

Discography

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Singles before 1967

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  • "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 Recordsproduced 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

Compilations after 1967

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Clancy Eccles

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  • 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

Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites

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  • 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– 1967–71 – Jamaican Gold (1996)
  • Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites –Nyah Reggae Rock– 1969–70 – Jamaican Gold (1997)

Clancy Eccles productions

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  • King Stitt –Reggae Fire Beat– 1969–70 – 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– 1967–70 – Trojan (1998)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles Presents His Reggae Revue – Rock Steady Intensified – 1967–72 –Heartbeat Records(1990)
  • Various –Kingston Town: 18 Reggae Hits– Heartbeat Records (1993)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles –Feel The Rhythm- 1966–68 – Jamaican Gold (2000)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles' Rock Steady Reggae Revue at Sombrero Club – 1967–69 – Jamaican Gold (2001)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The Ward Theatre – 1969–70 – Jamaican Gold (2001)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The VIP Club – 1970–73 – Jamaican Gold (2001)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles' Reggae Revue At The Carib Theatre – 1973–86 – Jamaican Gold (2001)
  • Various – Clancy Eccles:Freedom – An Anthology– Trojan (October 2005)

Notes

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  1. ^Some sources, e.g. Thompson, have DoB as 19 December
  2. ^abcdefKatz
  3. ^abBarrow, p.109
  4. ^Katz suggests that Eccles won this contest, but Eccles himself has stated that it was won by Tony Gregory.
  5. ^abLarkin, p.90
  6. ^abcdWalters
  7. ^abcdThompson, p.310
  8. ^ab"Eccles Goos As Performer, Producer",Jamaica Gleaner,17 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014
  9. ^Barrow, p.108
  10. ^Gorney, Mark (2005).""Clancy Eccles - Reggae Pioneer""(PDF).Reggaefestivalguide.com.The Beat Magazine.Retrieved19 November2016.
  11. ^abLarkin, p.91
  12. ^Barrow, p.110
  13. ^"The music of politics".Jamaica Gleaner.25 December 2011.Retrieved14 May2013.
  14. ^Munroe
  15. ^Cooke

References

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