Prince Buster

Cecil Bustamente Campbell Template:Postnominals (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016),<ref name="Guardian"/> known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary music and created a legacy of work that would be drawn upon later by reggae and ska artists.<ref name="Rodigan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Cecil Bustamente Campbell was born in Orange Street in Kingston, Jamaica, on 24 May 1938.<ref name="Barrow">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His middle name was given to him by his family in honour of the Labour activist and first post-Independence Prime Minister William Alexander Clarke Bustamante.<ref name="Rodigan" /> In the early 1940s, Campbell was sent to live with his grandmother in rural Jamaica where his family's commitment to the Christian faith, gave him his earliest musical experiences in the form of church singing as well as private family prayer and hymn meetings.<ref name="Barrow" /> Returning to live at Orange Street while still a young boy, Campbell attended the Central Branch School and St. Anne's School.

While at school, Campbell performed three or four times a week at the Glass Bucket Club, as part of Frankie Lymon's Sing and Dance Troupe; rock 'n' roll-themed shows were popular during the 1950s, with the Glass Bucket Club establishing a reputation as the premier music venue and social club for Jamaican teenagers at that time.<ref name="Rodigan" /><ref name="Gooden2003">Template:Cite book</ref> Upon leaving school he found himself drawn to the ranks of followers of sound system Tom the Great Sebastian. Jamaican sound systems at that time were playing American rhythm 'n' blues and Campbell credits Tom the Great Sebastian with his first introduction to the songs and artists that would later influence his own music: The Clovers' "Middle of the Night", Fats Domino's "Mardi Gras in New Orleans", the Griffin Brothers featuring Margie Day, and Shirley & Lee.<ref name="Rodigan" />

Career

Campbell became more actively involved in the operational side of running a sound system after he was introduced to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, a musically inclined businessman who operated one of Kingston's most popular sound systems.<ref name="LarkinGE">Template:Cite book</ref> Campbell found himself fulfilling a variety of roles for Coxsone: providing security,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> handling ticket receipts, identifying and sourcing music as well as working in the essential role of selector. The knowledge he gained about the financial and logistical aspects of staging a sound system dance was put to good use when Campbell made the decision to start his own sound system called 'Voice of the People'.<ref name="Rodigan" /><ref name="Barrow" /> Campbell approached his family and a radio shop owner called Mr Wong for financial backing; both parties agreed. Campbell's 'Voice of the People' sound system was soon operational and within a short time had established itself as a rival to the sound systems of Coxsone and Duke Reid.<ref name="Barrow" /> Campbell applied to the Farm Work Program (guest worker scheme for the US agricultural sector) with the intention of buying music for his sound system but, on the day of departure, was refused entry into the scheme. Knowing that he would not be able to personally source records from the US, Campbell decided to record his own music. He approached Arkland "Drumbago" Parks, a professional drummer at the Baby Grand Club who had arranged and recorded a special (exclusive recording) for the Count Boysie sound system. Drumbago agreed to help and Campbell immediately began rehearsing with the musicians at the Baby Grand Club, including the guitarist Jah Jerry, who played on Campbell's first recording session.<ref name="JahJerry">David Katz, "" "Jerome 'Jah Jerry' Haynes", The Guardian, 22 August 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2013.</ref>

1960s

In 1961, Campbell released his first single "Little Honey" / "Luke Lane Shuffle" featuring Jah Jerry, Drumbago and Rico Rodriquez recording under the name of Buster's Group.<ref name="Katz">Template:Cite book</ref> In that same year, he produced "Oh Carolina" by the Folkes Brothers,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> which was released on his Wild Bells label.<ref name="Barrow" /><ref name="Music">Template:Cite book</ref> The drumming on the record was provided by members of the Count Ossie Group,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> nyabinghi drummers from the Rastafarian community, Camp David, situated on the Wareika Hill above Kingston. After becoming a hit in Jamaica, "Oh Carolina" was licensed to Melodisc, a UK label owned by Emil Shalet. Melodisc released the track on their subsidiary label Blue Beat; the label would go on to become synonymous with 1960s ska releases for the UK market.<ref name="Barrow" />

Campbell recorded prolifically throughout the 1960s; notable early ska releases include: "Madness" (1963), "Wash Wash" (1963, with Ernest Ranglin on bass), "One Step Beyond" (1964) and "Al Capone" (1964).<ref name="LarkinGE"/> The documentary This is Ska (1964), hosted by Tony Verity and filmed at the Sombrero Club, includes Campbell performing his Jamaican hit "Wash Wash". In 1964, Campbell met World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali, who invited him to attend a Nation of Islam talk at Mosque 29 in Miami.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That year Campbell joined the Nation of Islam and also started to release material, including a version of Louis X's "White Man's Heaven is a Black Man's Hell," on his own imprint label called "Islam". In 1965, he appeared in Millie in Jamaica<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (a film short about Millie Small's return to Jamaica after the world-wide success of "My Boy Lollipop") which was broadcast on Rediffusion's Friday evening pop show Ready, Steady, Go!<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Campbell had a top twenty hit in the UK with the single "Al Capone" (no. 18, February 1967).<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> He toured the UK in spring 1967 appearing at the Marquee Club in May and later toured America to promote the RCA Victor LP release The Ten Commandments (From Man To Woman). "Ten Commandments" reached no. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his only hit single in the United States.<ref>"Marquee Official Site Template:Webarchive" Marquee Club – Prince Buster 9 May 1967. Retrieved 15 February 2013.</ref> By the late 1960s Campbell was once again at the forefront of a musical change in Jamaica; the new music would be called rocksteady. Campbell tracks like "Shaking Up Orange Street" (1967) were arranged with the slower, more soulful rocksteady template as used by Alton Ellis ("Rock Steady") and many others. The album Judge Dread Rock Steady was released in 1967, and the title track "Judge Dread" with its satirical theme and vocal style proved to be popular to the point of parody. In 1968, the compilation album FABulous was released, opening with the track "Earthquake" (which revisited the theme of Orange Street) and including earlier hits. The album has regularly been reissued in the UK.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1970s and beyond

His career slowed up in the 1970s as the predominant style moved away from ska and rocksteady towards roots reggae,<ref name="Guardianobit"/> in part because as a Muslim he found it difficult to tailor his style towards a Rastafari audience.<ref name="Guardianobit"/> However he did make an appearance in the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, which featured Campbell in a cameo role as a DJ.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He subsequently moved to Miami to pursue business interests including running a jukebox company.<ref name="Guardianobit"/> From 1973 Campbell effectively retired from the music business, with only a handful of compilation albums issued.<ref name="amgbio"/> Even with the new interest in his music following the 2-Tone-led ska revival in the UK in 1979, he remained out of the limelight.<ref name="amgbio"/> Following an acclaimed appearance at the first Reggae Sunsplash event in July 1984 in London,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> he resumed performing with the Skatalites as his backing band towards the end of the 1980s, and resumed recording in 1992.<ref name="amgbio"/>

In 1994, a UK court ruled in favour of John Folkes and Greensleeves Records after they brought a lawsuit against Campbell and Melodisc (Campbell by this time had acquired Melodisc) concerning authorship of "Oh Carolina".<ref name="ChangPH.1998">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Inc.1994">Template:Cite book</ref> Campbell had a top 30 hit in the UK with the track "Whine and Grine" (no. 21, April 1998) after the song had been used in an advert for Levi's.<ref>"UK Official Chart Hits for Prince Buster". Retrieved 17 February 2013.</ref>

In 2001, Campbell was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government for his contribution to music.<ref>"Prince Buster presented with Order of Distinction" Template:Webarchive, Jamaica Gleaner, Tuesday, 7 August 2001. Retrieved 15 February 2013.</ref> He performed at the 2002 Legends Of Ska festival in Toronto.<ref>Now Toronto, Vol. 21 No 45: 11–18 July 2002. Retrieved 15 February 2013.</ref> Other appearances include: Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2003;<ref>"Sierra Nevada World Music Festival 2003 Performers" Official SNWMF site. Retrieved 18 February 2013.</ref> the 2006 Boss Sounds Reggae Festival in Newcastle upon Tyne,<ref>"BBC – Tyne – Roots – Boss Sounds Reggae Festival 2006". BBC, Retrieved 18 February 2013.</ref> the 40th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with the Delroy Williams Junction Band,<ref>"Montreux Jazz Live" Template:Webarchive Official site. Retrieved 18 February 2013.</ref> and the 2007 UK Rhythm Festival.<ref>"BBC – Three Counties – Music Feature – Rhythm Festival 2007". BBC, Retrieved 18 February 2013.</ref> Campbell resided in Miami, Florida.<ref name="Guardianobit">Template:Cite news</ref>

The Buster, "Girl Why Don't You", was covered by ska band Madness for their 2005 album, The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1. It was the third cover of a Prince Buster song to be released by the group, following "Madness" and "One Step Beyond". The single failed to attract much air play from radio stations and made little impression on the UK Singles Chart, failing to reach the top 75.Template:Citation needed

Legacy

The UK ska revival at the end of the 1970s that started with the 2-Tone label from Coventry introduced Campbell's music to a new generation of listeners. In 1979 the band Madness released their first single on 2-Tone, a tribute to Campbell called "The Prince".<ref name="Migrates"/> The B-side was a cover of the Campbell song "Madness"<ref name="covers"/> from which they took their name.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Their second single, released on the Stiff label ("The Prince" would be the only single released by Madness on the 2-Tone label), was a cover of Campbell's "One Step Beyond", which reached the UK Top 10.<ref>"UK Official Chart Hits for Madness". Officialcharts.com, Retrieved 19 February 2013.</ref>

On their self-titled debut album, the Specials covered "Too Hot" and borrowed elements from Campbell's "Judge Dread" (in the song "Stupid Marriage") and "Al Capone" (in the song "Gangsters").<ref name="Migrates">Template:Cite book</ref> The Specials also included a cover of "Enjoy Yourself" on their second album More Specials.

The Beat covered "Rough Rider" and "Whine & Grine" on their album I Just Can't Stop It.<ref name="covers"/> Campbell's song "Hard Man Fe Dead" was covered by the U.S. ska band the Toasters on their 1996 album Hard Band For Dead.<ref name="covers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2002, electronic duo Mint Royale sampled Prince Buster for their single "Sexiest Man in Jamaica" on their album Dancehall Places.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In September 2002 the tune was released on David Wood and Neil Claxton's Faith & Hope Records label and debuted at #20 on the UK singles chart.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn used Campbell's "Ten Commandments Of Man" on the soundtrack of his 2019 television series "Too Old to Die Young".<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

The Specials, with activist and vocalist Saffiyah Khan, recorded a rebuttal to "Ten Commandments Of Man", also called "10 Commandments", on their 2019 album Encore, criticising the original's outdated representation of women.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Sex Pistols Steve Jones cited Prince Buster as an inspiration in his autobiography Lonely Boy.

Death

Campbell died on the morning of 8 September 2016,<ref name="Guardian">Template:Cite news</ref> in a hospital in Miami, Florida, after suffering heart problems, according to his wife.<ref name="death" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had reportedly been in poor health for some time after a series of strokes, including one in 2009 that left him unable to walk.<ref name="death">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Selected album discography

• I Feel the Spirit (1963), Blue Beat<ref name="discography">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Fly Flying Ska (1964), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• National Ska – Pain in My Belly (1964), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• It's Burke's Law (1965), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• Ska-Lip-Soul(1965),<ref name="subcultz"/>
• What A Hard Man Fe Dead (1967), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• Judge Dread Rock Steady (1967), Blue Beat/Prince Buster<ref name="discography"/>
• Ten Commandments (1967), RCA Victor<ref name="discography"/>
• Wreck A Pum Pum (1968), Jet Star<ref name="amgbio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• She Was A Rough Rider (1968), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• The Outlaw (1969), Bluebeat<ref name="discography"/>
• Big Five (1971), Melodisc<ref name="discography"/>
• Dance Cleopatra Dance (1972), Blue Elephant<ref name="discography"/>
• The Message Dub Wise (1972), Melodisc/Fab<ref name="discography"/>
• Sister Big Stuff (1976), Melodisc<ref name="discography"/>

Compilations

• The Original Golden Oldies Vol. 1 (1967), Prince Buster<ref name="discography"/>
• Original Golden Oldies Vol. 2 (1967), Shack Recordings<ref name="discography"/>
• FABulous Greatest Hits (1968), Fab<ref name="discography"/>
• Tutti Frutti (1968), Fab<ref name="subcultz">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• The Prophet (1994), Lagoon<ref name="subcultz"/>
• King of Ska (2000), Prince Buster/Jet Star<ref name="subcultz"/>
• Rock A Shacka Vol. 5 – Dance Cleopatra (2003), Universal<ref name="subcultz"/>

Live

• Prince Buster on Tour (1967), Blue Beat<ref name="discography"/>
• King of Blue Beat (2001) (reissue of "Prince Buster Live On Tour"), Wah Wah<ref name="subcultz"/>
• Prince of Peace (2003), Island – Prince Buster with Determinations<ref name="subcultz"/>

UK hit singles

Date	Song title	UK Singles Chart peak<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>	Weeks on chart
23 February 1967	"Al Capone"	18	13
4 April 1998	"Whine and Grine"	21	3

External links

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