Jimmy Cliff

0:00Alright, well let's start with the tune Reggae music, because you're basically giving a history lesson about your life and the genre and everything. Trying to tell the whole story of Reggae in about four minutes. Right, a little daunting. But you pull it off well. Yeah, so yeah, yeah. I mean I thought that that story was needed to be told, and how the song came about was you know, we were bumping off ideas, Tim, I'm strong on myself, of each other. And you know, he came up with the idea and said, you know what, I'm making music, I'm about this. I said, wow, it's an interesting idea. And then you know, I came up with a melody and I started writing some lyrics and it came. So it was not a difficult story to be told.

0:46Nible, it's your own story. Yeah, exactly. So if you mentioned Tim there, how did that start? Because that's very interesting pairing, and I'm sure you get that question all the time. Yeah, well you know, when I knew I had to make this album, a few names came up in terms of producer. So I knew about Tim, I'm strong, Viangjou, the drummer of the Cash. And I thought, Joe was a fan or Joe was a friend or? Both. Okay. You know, because on my last album he, we did this one song. The last song you recorded in the studio was the last song that you recorded in the studio was a song that we did together on my last album. Song, or? That's what you accomplished, right?

1:31Yeah. Well, okay. Kind of. Kind of. Kind of. But yeah, I'm glad that I had that opportunity to close one chapter. Sure. You know. So he kind of really introduced me to Rancet in the music. And then since the opportunity came I said, wow, I spoke to Tim on the phone and it kind of happened from there. He sounds so good since he's on his person. And when I got into the studio with him, you know, it was the same vibes or even better. You know, when you meet someone in person, then talking his turn. Sure. So we just kind of snowballed from there. Because we weren't setting out to do a whole album.

2:19We were just going to make like an EP. But you did, right? Yes. Yeah. But everything felt so good and went so well. So we all got studio album. You know. She went straight ahead and I'm very happy with that. What kind of collaboration is it? Because I mean, obviously he writes one of the songs. You're going to be so host his own, right? So is he writing with you? Is he sitting behind the board doing stuff to Clamp Base? Or what was he up to? Well, some of the songs that I already had, and he liked some of them like one more or rubber or some of the songs I already had. So we needed some more songs, of course. We started bouncing off ideas of each other, just like the song, Regga Music is one of the songs that came during the session. Because we know we needed more songs. And a few other songs came just like that.

3:06So the reason for recording like Rubiso and Guns of Brixton, which to cover versions is to say, well, on both sides of the Atlantic, Regga Music has been influential and inspirational to pop music. So why not record one from that side of the Atlantic and one from this side to close to make it rounded. So that's how we kind of do that. Well, almost rounds of your life. Because Guns of Brixton talks about the heart of the count. Like it's a whole verse but I mean, it's amazing. Exactly, that's right. Do you remember the first time you heard that tune? I guess in the 70s, when would it went? In the 70s and that was the time when, you know, the clash and I used to pass each other on maybe the airport or on the bus or some were going to gigs, you know.

3:53Hey, how you doing? How you doing? We're going, I'm going here. You're going there. So at that time I came familiar with that song. Crazy. Back to Regga Music, the song because I'm not a Regga purist. I'm sitting beside you. I'm going to ask you these questions as a Regga historian here. So it's, I mean, there's a lot of political talk on the record. There's a lot of happy talk on the record. There's love songs, there's a little bit of everything. So did Regga Music come from political uprising or did the political uprising happen? And then the music kind of just talks about it. The statement that we really wanted to make with Regga Music is that it has always been a music that expresses the social political situation of the people globally. That is really the motivation for writing that song.

4:41And then we showed from where it began, the social political consciousness and how it began. And that's really what we really wanted to express on that song. Well, I mean the genre in general, because I mean you were there at the beginning of it essentially, right? Yes. So well, you know, from the Scott that we mentioned in the first verse of the song, from the Scott to the rock steady, then it became Regga. And the vehicles that took them, you know, like the honor they come which introduced it to the world. And all of that. And that's kind of the story that we really wanted to tell in that song. Cool. World Upside Down. World Upside Down. Is one of those songs that, you know, that's talking about a lot of shit that's going on right now, right?

5:28So was that a heart song to write or did it come easily? It came easily. Yeah. It came easily because for me to comment on social and political situations is a natural thing. And having seen what was what is going on in the world, it was just a natural for me to highlight it. Because so many people have it on their lips and their hearts and want to hear it expressed. And so I am that legal to express those things. Most artists today don't do that anymore like it used to be done in the 70s. And I do think it is still important to express those kind of things,

6:21especially in this time, you know, we're coming into a new age. When I say we're coming into it, it means it doesn't finally click in until later on in this year. You know, because I believe in the what the history of the Mayans. Oh, you're into that? Okay. Yeah. I kind of wonder what's going to happen. Yeah. But I don't see anything negative. I just see something that happens every 2,300 years. When the time goes into a different constellation. So now we're in the constellation of Pisces. We're coming out when it clicks in in December to the constellation of Aquarius.

7:11It's a different energy. It's a different time and humanity will rise higher. So we're seeing what we're observing now is a lot of the things dying, you know, the economic system, political system, ecological things that we've never seen. All of these things are going on. That's why, because we're coming into a new time. So when something has to be reborn to come new, a lot of stuff has to die. Is that why you called the record reaper? Reaper. Right. Yeah. That was a very good feeling. I don't even need to write that. That's very much the, um, I don't want to talk about recording. What's the floor? That's how I like to make music like that. That's amazing. So you must have not done that in a while. I've done that in a long while. And so it was a great fun to do that again because, you know, to six people sitting in a room together and vibing off each other.

8:01That's the, that's the real music there for me. I respect and I still will do sit around with a one guy playing a keyboard and playing all the instruments. Still fun doing that too. But it's great fun. I like to feed off each people, different people in the room. And that's what we did. Were there any songs that you probably start off with just you in a guitar? I would think right? Probably writing it all with something. And then you bring it to the group and things change. So what song really, when everyone started playing it, you were like, oh, that's how it sounds. That's perfect. For instance, this song called, um, um, back, we had finished quite a few songs. And the day I was leaving the studio to go back to the hotel in California,

8:47you know, I said, look, um, I have an idea for a song. It's called bang. And they said, oh, of course, so you want to leave with a bang? Yeah. I said, OK, yeah. And the next morning I just came in and, you know, played the chords. And I didn't hear my wall words together. I have a few other words and a little, I'm the melody going. And they just chipped in. Timped to copy his guitar and go like that, bass player, drummer, and said, and it all just fell into place like that. I went into the singing boot. And suddenly the words start flowing and I kicked it off. And it went like that. So that was one of them that came in the studio. That's right. You know, yeah. And it's great when you sit back and say, wow,

9:34spontaneity is such a great thing when it happens like that. You know, you never expect it, right? Exactly. Fantastic. Exactly. I read something about you saying you like acting more than music, but I haven't seen you in a movie in like 20 years. Well, you know, why aren't you doing it? It's more difficult to get the movies done. As you know, it costs more money. Sure. And more time, a lot more things are involved in that. So, and also, you know, I don't want to make just any kind of movie. I really like to make a movie that I can look back on years from now, like the other day come. You can still look back and still feel proud of it. So looking around for the right script. Sometimes the right script doesn't come. So you have to write it yourself. So I have a few scripts on the table at the moment.

10:21Really? Yeah, like there are three scripts, including a sequel to the other day come. Right. So that isn't the work. So they're talking about that. Still in the works. What do you want to see of that? Like what would you hope if you, if you had your say writing or whatever? Well, you know the reason for the impact that the other day comes made was because it captured a time. The character that I played could be found anywhere in the world coming from the country, coming to the city, want to make it and got involved and took the wrong path. So we capture the time, a revolutionary mind or a rebellious mind that what caused you to rebel. And so we captured that time. So there's still that kind of situation going on today. And I would like to capture that feeling of what's going on today with the youth mind.

11:14And I would then play a character that had seen it before and trying to be a guide. And that would conflict with this young character saying, you know, your day is gone. This is a new day. This is my day. And then that's where the conflict coming. How we finally see eye to eye. You go from one path. That's cool. Did you write the music before the film or did the film inspire the music? Ah, the film did inspire the music. I can see it afterwards. Oh, it's only the way it's only the time. How did it come to the film? Oh, there it is. Okay, never mind. We've got a couple of names for you. I wanted to throw it and just give me like your first thoughts or first thing to come to your mind. We'll start with Joe Strowman. Joe Strowman, brilliant mind. Very creative and a good soul.

12:04Cool. Bob Marley. Bob Marley, great artist, brilliant poet. Incredible sense of rhythm. Sam Cook. Sam Cook. One of the best voices ever. For sure. Paul Simon. Paul Simon. You played with him recently, right? Yeah. Do I see something? Yeah, okay. Yeah. One of the greatest poets. One of the greatest songwriters. And knowing him now, a great person. Nice. And one of your fans, Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan, of course, one of the greatest, poets, the voice of a generation.

12:51The voice of a company generation. See, any things you're the voice of the generation, that's amazing. And I've not had the opportunity to meet him, but what he's done is we'll go on in the hours of time forever. It's really all you can hope for, right? Yeah. Absolutely. So we do something called Five Questions before. Let's go five quick questions. One more answers. Leonard or McCarty. That's a difficult one. I know. That's a difficult one. Sorry. However, I probably would go with Leonard for the fact that I think he's a bit expresses revolutionary feelings more. Sure. Then, but this other side of McCartney, which is

13:40which he expresses, this expresses relationships so well. But then again, Leonard does it too, you know. So it's a difficult one. Sure. Road or studio? Ah, you know, I love them both again. But I would have to give just a little notch more to the studio. Yeah, like creating. Yeah, because that's what lives on forever, you know. You come to a concert and you see a great concert. Wow. Thank you. And that concert may leave you for the rest of your life, but a great recording, you can put it on and on and on and on again and go on. So I give it just like a percentage more.

14:27Cool. When you hear a song, usually it's your first lyrics melody or rhythm? It kind of depends on the song. Depends on the song because for instance, let's take a song like Bridget of a Chubboard Waters. I was in South America. I was in Argentina. And I first heard that song. And the first note, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, right away, grab me, you know. But, you know, maybe another song like a Moby Crayon. Give me the beat, boy, to free my soul. That's the feeling of that song. That grabs from the feeling and then the words, you know, I've been there.

15:13So I know that song is difficult again. You have some difficult questions. I asked them to everybody go and I like, because I get weird answers from you. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Song you've written your most proud of. Well, my songs are like a woman giving birth. And, you know, your first child or her first child, she loved the first child. Then the second one comes along, oh, she has to give attention to that one. And then the next one and so on. So right now I would have to give attention to, there's a song I have in this Robert Alnon called, Cry No More, which is kind of a lullaby for family love, you know, situation. I have not expressed it that way in all my writing.

16:04It's the first time I'm expressing that kind of relationship family and that. So that would be the one right now. Is it because you're there now in your life? Yes. Okay. Interesting. In one word, Jimmy Cliff. Brilliant. Thank you, man. Much appreciated. That was awesome.