INTERVIEW WITH... APACHE SCRATCHY

You started with sound systems, like Echo Vibration, before recording in the studio, which artists no longer do. What did this experience bring to you ?
Sound systems were like a training goal for me. That’s where all the work began and where I became mature. I started sound systems before Echo Vibration with Black Lion, Jamix, Atlantic One, Tyrant, Echo Force… I started with Echo Vibration in 1984 or 1985, I stayed about 3 or 4 years. I meet giants artists like Sammy Dread, Michigan & Smiley, Peter Rankin, General Lucky, Philip Frazer, also Rappa Robert, Hopeton James and Junior Demus who came after. Welton Irie came as a guest most of the time, he was not stable. He was more established than me. I was the junior. I become a stable DJ by Echo Vibration. Junior Demus had a voice like Nicodemus and I had a voice that people compared with Super Cat. We played every week-end. Our selector was Soljie who was engineer at Channel One. I deejayed so many over the land before I started recording in studio. When I went to the studio for the first time, it seemed like I was a studio artist already.

You were influenced by artists like Brigadier Jerry or Nicodemus. Tell us about them.
Nicodemus was the man. Brigadier Jerry was the man too. I loved his style and his cultural lyrics. Nicodemus was the one who named me Apache during a dance with Taurus sound system because I sounded like Super Cat.



What was your first single ?
My first song was a combination with Skipper Logan "When Jah Come", a 12 inches. It was recorded at Bob Marley recording studio Tuff Gong in 1986. Actually, it was not released in Jamaica, I think it was released in Canada. It was produced by Barry Clarke for Hard Rock International.

How did you get connected with Penthouse ?
It was during an audition at Penthouse, a saturday. There were so many people in the studio with artists like Wayne Wonder, who was a young artist too, Tony Rebel, Garnet Silk, Twiggi... The engineers Dave and Tony Kelly were in the studio. It’s my voice that captured them because they were a lot of artists to record. When I went to the voicing room, my voice was outstanding

Your first song recorded at Penthouse was "Fancy Girl" on the Taxi riddim in 1989.
I recorded it one shot, like a sound system. I was loaded with lyrics as a sound system DJ, that what gave me inspiration. It’s like writing without a pen on a paper. All my songs recorded at Penthouse I didn’t even use a paper. Every song I recorded was brand new from my head top. Germain did not release the song as a single, he put it on an album. It could have been more promoted.



The same year, 1989, 2 others cuts were released on Penthouse Records : "Popularity" and "Wheel & Turn".
"Popularity" was a song that I needed for my popularity, I needed to get popular. If you listen to this song, I’m saying I need to get the boss, I want the world to see me.
At that time, Admiral Bailey had a song called "Della Move" about dance. "Wheel & Turn" was a dance song too, another song about dance.

The following year, in 1990, 2 others cuts were released on Penthouse Records : "Mampie" and "Pon Cock".
"Mampie" is another name for fat women. Red Dragon had a song on the same issue called "Kun Kum Kumm". All my titles have something to do with naturality. I was so into dancehall at that time, busy in the dances and in the street. I was more established, I was recording songs for other labels like Capricorn. Before recording "Pon Cock" on the Workie Workie riddim, a lot of songs were recorded on this riddim, Chaka Demus "Workie Workie" and Wayne Wonder "All This Time" among them. The Penthouse studio was packed because every artist wanted to record on this riddim. Then, I went to the voice box even if it wasn't even my turn to record "Pon Cock" because I had that thing going, it was time to get my popularity, I was just eager. My lyrics weren't written before, I just built them here. From start to finish, one straight cut. When they heard that, the place was going crazy because I brought something different on the riddim. The same day, more than 20 songs were recorded by Dave Kelly on this riddim but only 4 were cut on a dub plate to be played on Stone Love sound system during the night : Chaka Demus "Workie Workie", Wayne Wonder "All This Time", Tony Rebel "The Armor" and my song. "Pon Cock" was pulled up 15 times during the dance with a lot of gun salutes. It was a song that people needed, it was a monster, it gave me popularity, sent me all over the world. That song changed my life.
I had a another hit in 1990 : "Girls Pon Consignment" for Mr Doo on Cocoa Tea's Rikers Island riddim.



The following year, in 1991, 2 others cuts were released on Penthouse Records : "Rough Cut" and "Shuffle And Deal"
When I came back in Jamaica after shows in Montreal (with Wayne Wonder and Cutty Ranks), England, Carribean, Trinidad, Panama (with Cutty Ranks and Clement Irie) and a lot in USA with many artists (Junie Ranks, Echo Minott, Nico Demus, Super Cat, Burro Banton, Frankie Paul...), I recorded another hit for Penthouse : "Shuffle And Deal". I had 2 hits for Penthouse the same year. All happened in a short space time.
This experience on "Rough Cut" is on my football side. I went to England I bought a full back jersey green and white. I named my football side "Rough Cut". This song is how my team is, how bad I am. That became a popular song because Tony Kelly remixed that song which had 2 mixes.

You participated in the first Penthouse Celebration with Stumpy at the mike control. Do you remember this recording ?
Yes, it was like a sound system recorded live in Penthouse studio in late 1990 with Wayne Wonder, Sanchez, Cutty Ranks, Nardo Ranks, Tony Rebel, Sugar Black, Flourgon... I think it was a good idea.



Why did you go 10 years without recording for Penthouse between your singles recorded early 90s and the song "Better Jamdown" in 2001 ?
I stop recording for Penthouse when I migrated in Canada in 1993, at the same time that Dave and Tony Kelly left the label. I started to venture to different places and different recordings. It helped me because I found others hits at the same time. I was just a real ruffneck raggamuffin artist ready for the world.
When I came back to visit Jamaica in 2001, Germain asked me to record a song on the None A Jah Jah Children riddim, I named it naturally "Better Jamdown".

You recorded for many labels. What is Donovan Germain's singularity comparing to other producers?
Donovan Germain actually put me to the world with "Pon Cock". So I have a lot of respect. Penthouse is the backbone. We were there before Buju Banton and the great who came after. We put food in Germain pot. When he was cooking the food, we put food into the pot. Penthouse did good for me because we had massive hits. As I said before, everything happened in a short time.

You belonged to Penthouse Crew, which featured artists such as Tony Rebel, Wayne Wonder and Cutty Ranks. How was the atmosphere between artists at that time in the studio ?
The first camp at Penthouse was Wayne Wonder, Apache Scratchy, Tony Rebel, Cutty Ranks, Twiggi, Andi, Dave and Tony Kelly. It was a good energy. Every one started to make a hit. We knew each other through Penthouse and through sound systems.



Kelly brothers, Dave and Tony, were producing and engineering most of your Penthouse songs. Can you tell us a little bit more about them ?
They know my name. Musically speaking they have vibes and know music. Theses guys are good. We have good connection. They can tell you this is a hit, this riddim is for you. They have a feel. Tony Kelly is the one who mixed "Father & Son" album

Your link with Penthouse is not only with the label but also with the studio in which was recorded fully or mostly your albums "A Mi" and "Father & Son" in 1991.
When you become a popular artist, producers always want to record a song with you. Robert Livingston, former manager of Shaggy and Super Cat, was in Jamaica. He was coming from New York where he had studio time. He was mixing some tracks for Super Cat at Penthouse studio. I just stopped there just in time because my name was just over the place. Robert met me and asked me if I wanted to record a song for him and at the time I said you have to check with Germain. I don’t know if Germain said yes, but it did work. I said ok. He booked the studio for the whole week. He asked me to sing on the Bandelero Riddim. I never write song, it’s all in my head, no pen no paper. I recorded the song "Father And Son" for his label Blue Trac. It was the first single from the album "Father And Son" produced by Wild Apache, Super Cat's label, and it became a hit. I finished the album in 4 days. Tony Kelly and Soljie mixed the tracks.
For the album "A Mi", produced by Olive Shaw for Capricorn International, some tracks were recorded at Penthouse and some tracks were recorded at Dynamic Sounds (Byron Lee studio). It was mixed by Soljie, Steven Stanley, Dave Kelly and Mikey Riley.

How is the reggae music industry in Canada ? What differences do you see between Jamaican and canadian productions ?
When it comes to reggae music, nowhere better than yard. But now people are doing reggae music globally. I'm doing productions for myself. I live in Toronto.

You have been in the reggae industry for more than 30 years. What is your opinion about the evolution of the jamaican music over these years ?
The change is now that there is not the same good reggae music that we used to do. It changed after the 90s. The lyrical content is different too. It had to change because the youth have a different vibes. But reggae music is reggae music, you can’t change reggae music. We need some other youths to do reggae music, not trap. You can do that, but that’s not reggae. If all the youths are gonna do new music, who is gonna do reggae music. The people who do the riddims now are not creative, they cant get a song, they can’t beat Steelie and Clevie. I like a lot of youths : Busy Signal, Agent Sasco, Chronix... These are my new artists.
I’m putting out a new album. It will be different, a more mature Apache Scratchy album. I enjoy life. I have beautiful children and grand children, I have a beautiful wife. Every good man needs a good woman. All my things are together. I have 22 new riddims. My catalogue is huge, I have hundred songs, 4 albums and lot of collaboration with Frankie Paul, Hopeton James, General Degree, Tanya Stephens...



DISCOGRAPHY FOR PENTHOUSE RECORDS :

- Better Jamdown (None A Jah Jah Children riddim - 2001)
- Fancy Girl (Taxi riddim - 1989)
- Mampie (Circle Me Country riddim - 1990)
- Pon Cock (Workie Workie riddim - 1990)
- Popularity (Pon Me Nozzle riddim - 1989)
- Rough cut (Gunman riddim - 1991)
- Shuffle And Deal (Yush riddim - 1991)
- Wheel & Turn (Sweetest Girl riddim - 1989)