Winston Rodney grew up in Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica, the home of Marcus Garvey, and fellow musician Bob Marley. Marley introduced Rodney to Coxsonne Dodd and helped him get his start at Studio One. Rodney recruited a couple of musicians and named his group Burning Spear after Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya. Their first single was Door Peep, a song with the mystical power of a biblical psalm:Door Peep |
After experiencing the same frustrations with Dodd that drove many Jamaican musicians from Studio One, Rodney, now known as Burning Spear, left the studio and signed on with Jack Ruby's studio across the street. There he was backed by the Black Disciples, the legendary group of musicians that included Earl "China" Smith and Robbie Shakespeare. Here are two songs from that period. In his lyrics, Spear sings of the simple realities of rural poverty in Jamaica.
It's a Long Way Around |
Dry & Heavy |