"Delroy Wilson, the Cool Operator"
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So sang Joe Strummer on the Clash's "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" way back in 1978. Both Joe and Delroy have long since left this world behind, Delroy in 1995 of alcohol-related cirrhosis at the depressingly early age of 46, having struggled through ten or more years of drink-fuelled performances at occasional revival shows. Between aboout 1967 and 1976 he was a massive star though, although even then he could "vanish" for a few months. His best tracks were recorded for Coxsone and later Bunny Lee, although he did make some decent tunes with Lloyd Charmers, Gussie Clarke, Keith Hudson and Niney the Observer.
This, though is "Cool Operator" itself, produced by Bunny Lee in 1972. The rhythm is a copy of "Rasta Calling" by the Nightingales, an extremely obscure Studio One cut unavailable, to my knowledge, anywhere on the web at present.
Comments (9)
While "Rasta Calling" is wholly unobtainable, it was versioned as an instrumental at Studio One by house band the Soul Defenders, named "Still Calling"
You, my friend are incredible. You keep coming up with these gems that just glow. This guy's got avoice that won't quit. The second track, while better "produced" the stark simplicity of the first track, the ambience, with the drums in the next apartment, topped by that beautiful pleading voice. Superb.
Excuse please the disjointed nature of my first post, I'm tryin' to MOG & cook supper.
I agree with deadmandeadman about his voice and everything. "Cool Operator" describes his performance of same. I have to share with you one of my earlier Coxsone favorites by him, "True Believer," which, Baudolino, I'd be surprised if you didn't already have.
Best thing about the instrumental version is the lead sax. Thanks for posting some Delroy Wilson--he might be on one of my many compilation CD's but I don't recall hearing him before now. Most excellent.
Lovely to hear him again. I love the purity of the music - not an unecessary moment in it. I once heard reggae described as a music where, if the musician had the option of making a change or not making a change, he would always opt for "not". Sums it pretty well.
Spike: Every home should have a copy of "Original Twelve" - it's hard to believe that he was barely twenty when he cut these tracks, almost all of which remain classics of the genre. There's a couple of his Coxsone tracks posted in my replies to Mindful's Delroy posts.
Jonh: Coxsone did prefer his rhythm tracks to start off "uncluttered" - gave him room to play about with overdubs and versioning, so he was happy to leave many of his core tracks on the simple side
Oh my gosh, How I love reggae music!!! Delroy is a legend, with classics such as Rain from the sky and one of my favourites Dancing Mood and I believe in the same year "I,m not a King". Rock steady time when the lyrics were sweet like sugar candy.
i too like the sparse, loose sound of this Cool Operator. refreshing.