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Little Kirk (Kirk Davis) - Ghetto People Broke
Livity Exclusive Repress
Ruddy's Music (2008)
| Side A : 1 - Screechie Cross The Border 2 - Version 3 - What I Want It To Be 4 - Version 5 - Enemy Pon Me Corner 6 - Version |
Side B : 1 - Ghetto People Broke 2- Version 3 - Pretty Dunce Girl 4 - Version 5 - Killer Sound 6 - Version |
A écouter dans l'ordre :
- Little Kirk - Screechie Cross The Border
- Little Kirk - What I Want It To Be
- Little Kirk - Ghetto People Broke
Livity Reggae, avant d'être un label, est un magasin situé à Lyon depuis 3 ans, mais aussi un studio d'enregistrement de dubplates, une boutique en ligne (www.livityreggae.com) et un sound system.
Voici comment il résume et décrit ce lp de Little Kirk :
"L’album initialement sorti en 1987 à été produit à New York chez Ruddys après que Jah Life ai congédié Kirk (qui avait alors 16 ans) de son studio en lui disant que ça ne l’intéressait pas…. (l'un des plus grands regrets de sa carrière, nous a confié Jah Life en 2005…).
L’alchimie du digital reggae music et de la voix adolescente de Little Kirk est une pure merveille…à tel point que les copies de l’album original se sont vendues aux enchères à des prix astronomiques.
Voila un album qui redevient accessible à toutes et tous !!!"
Tout ceux qui souhaiterais se procurer une copie de ce Lp, sont invités à ce rendre directement sur le site de Livity Reggae.
Livity Reggae
contact@livityreggae.com
France : 04 78 29 85 52
Foreign : +334 7829 8552
1 rue Docteur Augros
69005 LYON - FRANCE
Le Lp de Little Kirk "Ghetto People Broke" était jusqu'alors avec celui de White Mice, une, parmi tant d'autres, des pièces les plus recherchées des collectionneurs de early digital, partant très souvent à des sommes astronomiques sur les sites d'enchères. C'est en voulant se lancer la production que Livity Reggae décide de contacter Kirk Davis aka Little Kirk, tout d'abord afin de lui faire enregistrer quelques dubplates, mais de fil en aiguille des projets de plus grande envergure se dessinent, notamment l'idée d'une repress. Pendant les 3 mois qui vont suivre, tout s'enchaîne : cadre légal, contrat, récupération et « nettoyage » des masters originaux pour proposer une repress de qualité. Et ils ont bien fait les choses, le repress est de très grande qualité, les massives du monde entier ne s'y trompent d'ailleurs pas : mis sur le marché entre fin novembre et début décembre, ce repress était début janvier en rupture de stock. 1000 copies ont été tirées lors du premier pressage, elles ont toutes été vendues en 3 semaines et cela au travers le monde entier! Numéro 1 des ventes au Japon, Etats-Unis et à Londres. C'est dans cette optique que Livity Reggae se prépare à represser courant du mois de mars 2009, un autre très rare maxi de Little Kirk, le non moins fameux "Weed Dem Out".
Nous avons choisi de ne pas traduire les questions et les réponses de cette interview, afin de ne pas déformer le sens des réponses de Kirk Davis, les réponses comme les questions sont relativement simples et ne demandent pas de gros efforts de traduction. Nous vous laissons donc le soin de profiter de cette interview.
Enjoy !!!
YL - So we start with « Ghetto People Broke » repress, we have some question about it. First to know how do you meet Livity Reggae and Kunta?
LK : Kunta and I meet actually by the internet, good vibration with him.
YL : By myspace ?
LK : Yeah, myspace
YL : When they propose to you to repress this LP, did you want it for a longtime and you jump on the occasion, or you haven’t the idea to repress it ?
LK : ok, when I have the idea, couple a people check me before and I was really interested in a way cause “Ghetto People Broke” was one of my first album from 1984, and I have like ten albums now.
I had a good vibe with Kunta, he’s a good person. We decided to repress the album cause actually a lot of person would like to get a “Ghetto People Broke” album and can’t get it nowhere so.
YL : I will ask to you a quick question about each song of this album? There six tunes plus the versions.
- Screetchie across the border, who sings the original, Courtney Melody or you ?
LK : No, that song is me and Courtney, Stitchie was the one that write that song, I sing it first and then Courtney, he went and record it and then I record mine, cause we used to be in the same sound, Stereo One Sound, with Stitchie, Courtney Melody, Malibu...
YL : What is this song about ?
LK : Soundclash song! Screechie across the border then kill another soundbwoy, not kill and it will be music, musical hit, music hit you with the feel and the pain. It’s a musical challenge, you have two sounds and then one sound is the champion sound.
YL : Other two clash tunes on this album “Enemy pon mi corner” and “Killer sound”
LK : Killer Sound is actually my first recording song. I recorded this song when I was like about 14. Killer Sound, at the time I was on the road with Tenor Saw and Yami Bolo, and Tenor Saw has a song call “Ring The Alarm” at same time the slim ting was going on. Because you know songs like killing tunes once you have a killing tune the other sound want it to play. To play on the next sound. That song (“Killer Sound”) actually went number four in Black Echo charts in England also. Back in the Eighties.
YL : In a different style “Wanted to be”, you talk in this tune about artists you like, in particular Junior Reid, you were inspired by these artists you talk about in this tune?
LK : Yes, most definitely Junior Reid was like my mentor. I always look up to Junior Reid. I love him the style and “tingtingtingdanadiniwow”, all of us used to do this stuff, Yami Bolo, White Mice…, used to use Junior Reid’s style. This song was written by my manager, my ex-manager, Patrick Roberts of Shocking Vibes, we co-wrote the song “Wanted to Be”, cause this is what I want to do from my youth days and what I’m still doing now.
YL: At last, Ghetto People Broke is a famous hit of you, but can you explain what you talk about in this tune?
LK: This song is about the unfortunate people who have no where to sleep, no have any clothes, no shoes, the youth who doesn’t go to school…, ghetto people, so they can’t get no work, cause a lot of people are suffering, really want a job to get better their life, and can’t get any job, so many youth turn up to robbing people and start killing people, ghetto people is still broke today.
YL : Was it inspired by your childhood and your past?
LK : Yes, it was, definitely. Because I grow up in the ghetto, I didn’t have any clothes to wear, any shoes on my foot, so it was easy for me to come with a song like that, because people who have grown up in the ghetto can actually relate to what is happening, it was an experience for me.
YL : There only one gal tune in this album “Pretty dance girl”, what is inspired by the period of the early dancehall in the 80’s?
LK : The song is actually “Pretty Dunce Girl”, girl that just look beautiful and don’t want to go get any education. So I’m saying I don’t want any pretty dunce girl, they should go back to school.
YL: Now, I would like to know how you started your career, how and when did you start to sing?
LK : I started to sing when I was about like 10. Near Waterhouse, we have a sound system call Black Scorpio, I used to watch artists like Echo Minott, Junior Reid, Half Pint, Sassafrass... A couple nights, they gave me the mic and I sing and I bust the place. So Jack Scorpio invited me to sing in Black Scorpio in 1984, I did some dubplates and they have a producer call Winston Riley and Rose Mary Riley, his sister, hear the dubplates and like it so they bring me to Chancel Lane to meet them the next day. Then from there I went to Dynamic Sound to record my first song “Killer sound”. In 1986, I recorded in New York Ghetto People Broke, and come back to Jamaica doing some covers.
YL : As you talk about Winston Riley, how did you meet him ?
LK : As I say, his sister Rosie Riley, Rose Mary Riley, she was at a Black Scorpio dance, and she hear a dubplate playing and she like the sound “Killer Sound”. Winston Riley have a riddim at this time, the Sleng Teng (In fact, it was the Sleng Teng Riddim, but he rebuild it and call it the Rebel Teng Riddim). She ask me if I have already been in a studio, I say no. She say Ok. At the studio, I was wearing the headphones, the riddim start to play, I made one cut, “Killer Sound”. People start to hear Little Kirk, and I start travelling and I went to New York, that’s where I did “Ghetto People Broke” album. That was like in 1986. After that I came back to Jamaica and started doing some covers because covers was going good at the time. You have me, Wayne Wonder, Sanchez, everybody was doing cover versions. I did Michael Jackson, Man In The Mirror and it bust so then I start doing more, Don’t Want To Lose Your Love, Ease The Pain…
YL: Can you talk about the vibe in the 80’s?
LK: The music vibes in the 80’ I love it more than now. Even music and the artists were showing more love, but now, it is all about war in the music, can’t go to dance without fussing and fighting, it is a different thing. At that time, it used to be nice, very nice, that’s why I don’t go in the dances anymore. The 80’s vibe was made in good and positive vibrations, now it’s just a gun thing.
YL: Is why you turned to gospel or not?
LK: No, I have always wanted to sing for god, sing about what god has done for us. It took me a while, to decide to turn to gospel. One day, I was writing a song and realized that I was in the fast lane, with lots of girls etc …full of hype, but after the hype, you risk to lose your soul. And when you lose your soul it is forever.
YL: What do you think about the new generation, Movado, Kartel, artists like that ?
LK: The new generation do their thing, they have people dancing to their thing, and I don’t want to fight against anyone’s music because everyone have to do what everyone have to do I guess. But you have to be careful about what you promote, what you teach the youth, because a lot of things they sing, the gun and negative stuff, they will lead the youth astray. They are role models, like when I looked up to Junior Reid, when I was young, everything Junior Reid did, I wanted to do, if he spit on the ground, I want to do the same. So we have to be careful of the message we are sending out. In my songs that’s what I’m doing. It was so easy to change my life and start singing some positive things that the people can learn from. You have to be positive, because they look up to you, because the youths are the men of tomorrow.
YL : I would like to speak about Patrick Roberts from Shocking Vibes, because you mostly worked with him.
LK : Patrick Roberts was the man that help me to start. Me and Beenie Man used to be on the road, we made a concert, a musical challenge, Beenie Man in the deejay part and me in the singer part, we both win the challenge. He’s like a father to me.
YL : You have done lots of Michael Jackson’s covers. Are you a fan of him? And why did you choose to do covers of him?
LK : I’m still a fan of him, I think he’s one of the greatest entertainers in the world! A my singer that! Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” song he is telling you to look into yourself and saying you need to make a change in yourself before you try to change the world. It all starts with you.
YL : Before being repressed, Ghetto People Broke can be bought on Ebay, I think you know that, and it is very expensive, so I would like to know what do you think about the fact to pay so much for an album ?
LK : I heard about the Ebay thing, I don’t think it is unfair, because a lot of people like to have this album! But now, you have Livity Reggae!, everybody can afford to get the album, and have it at a good price! So this is a good thing, big up to Livity Reggae!
YL : Have another project to repress another tune of you?
LK: Not right now, I just put out my first gospel album that’s released in May. I’m focusing on that one, on this album I have collaborations with brother Beenie Man, brother Shamrock, daughter Breanna Davis and good friend St Matthew and another good friend Andrene Lewis . I don’t use the name “Little Kirk” anymore, I use Kirk Davis, formerly known as Little Kirk, for those who don’t know Kirk Davis, you know! I never stop working, I still doing my music, I don’t stop. I’m on a musical mission.
YL : Is it hard to be Beenie Man’s big brother ?
LK : Not so hard. I don’t even use Beenie Man’s name to go out there because I’m already out there, and a lot of people know about Little Kirk.
YL : Did you help Beenie Man to start his career, did you bring him in the sound systems in the 80’s ?
LK : Yes, most definitely we went to see Black Scorpio, Youth Promotion…we went in the country, we do a lot of dances, so yes.
We would like to thanks :
Kunta and all the Livity Reggae Shop family, Kirk Davis aka Little Kirk himself, his manager Carolyn Farrand and Colonel D (FuryBass) for helping us to set up the tings.
- Zapo & Eklipse -
sources :
http://incolor.inebraska.com/cvanpelt/thompson.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linval_Thompson
http://www.myspace.com/linvalthompsonsound
L'Encyclopédie du Reggae par Yannick Maréchal
Flyer - 22 Octobre 1994 - Beenie Man & Little Kirk alongside King Addies International (Baby Face & Tony Matterhorn)
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