This post is a tip of the hat to Fud Christian, who often flies under the radar whenever names of noteworthy Jamaican producers from the early roots reggae era are bandied about.
click on song titles for streaming audio
1970
The Linkers
B-side > “Creation Version” by The Fud Christian All Stars
Note: The Linkers recorded a handful of singles between 1970 and 1971, all of them produced in Jamaica for Fud Christian, except one 7-inch recorded for Carl “Sir J.J.” Johnson’s People label. “Bongo Man” was released in the UK on Big Shot in February of 1971.
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The Inventors
B-side > “Happy Version” by The Fud Christian All Stars
Note: The Inventors also recorded one side in 1968 for Derrick Morgan’s Hop label backed by Lyn Taitt & The Jets (“The Fool Of Love“) that was reissued on vinyl in the UK by Pressure Sounds in 2016.
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1971
Oswald & Calvin
B-side > “Butter Version” by The Fud Christian All Stars
Arranged by Fud Christian
Engineered by Sid Bucknor
Note: Oswald & Calvin’s contribution to humanity is this one 45 release.
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Winston Heywood
B-side > “Hot Version” by The Shoemakers
Arranged by Fud Christian
Engineered by Sid Bucknor
Note: Title amended in the UK (i.e., King’s English) to “I Will Never Fall In Love Again,” with the artist name similarly/slightly reconstituted as Winston Harewood. Heywood’s single must have drawn a good response, given the two additional related 45s released that same year.
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“Never Fall In Love – Chapter Six“
Fud Christian And The Shoemakers
B-side > “Jet 747“
Note: A-side is a mostly instrumental version of the vocal hit that is heavy on the percussion, while on the flip side, tenor sax takes the place of hand drumming.
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“I’ll Never Fall In Love – Version 3“
Glen Adams
B-side > “Jet 747“
Note: Organist, Glen Adams, the great session musician and recording artist in his own right, would also get a chance to interpret “Never Fall In Love” for popular release for version number three.
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“Valley Of The Dolls (A Tribute To King Curtis)”
Roy And Dizzy
B-side > “Bye Bye Love” by The (Fabulous) Shoemakers
Note: Bandleader, music director, session musician, and producer, King Curtis, was also the most in-demand saxophone player, who played on countless hits and thousands of recordings, until his untimely murder in August of 1971. Roy (surname unknown) and Dizzy (Flemming) are horn-playing alumni of the famed Alpha Boys School, according to Discogs (although this vintage Jamaican advert refers to the duo as ‘Ray And Dizzy‘). A-side opens with “Taps” played on a saxophone.
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The Linkers
B-side > “School Days“
Chorus: “Sing a sing of freedom – everyone join in. People come together, everybody sing. Sing a song of freedom, each and every man. People come together, all across the land.”
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The Linkers
B-side > “I Want Love Forever“
‘JBC‘ = Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation
Note: Fud Christian would also pair “I Want Love Forever” with Oswald And Calvin’s “Butterfly” that same year as a 7-inch release.
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Nora Dean
B-side >”Same Woman Version“
Note: One of three singles recorded by Nora Dean (profiled by Zero to 180 in 2023) for Fud Christian.
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Nora Dean
B-side > “Nanny Version“
Note: Also released under the title “Miss Anny Oh” on La-Fud-Del that same year, including a special red label pressing that bears a photo likeness of the seldom photographed Nora Dean.
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Fud Christian All Stars
B-side > “Caterpillar” by Fud Christian
Note: Nora Dean shares lead vocals with ‘Bunny’ on Dean’s third and final La-Fud-Del single, and yet the 45 label confusingly (and wrongly) attributes the record to the “Fud Christian All Stars,” with Dean merely getting a writing credit — an insult that no doubt prompts Dean’s departure from La-Fud-Del. “Caterpillar” is a dee jay version of the same rhythm track, per Discogs.
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1972
“Stagger Lee“
Don Lee
B-side > “West Kingston Gal” by The Fud Christian All Stars
Question: Why does “West Kingston Gal” (which also goes by variant title “Leftman Gang“) sound so familiar?
Answer: Song uses the same backing track as “Miss Nanny Oh” by Nora Dean but with a different vocal and lyric.
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I Roy
B-side > “Never Fall In Love Again“
Note: “Never Fall In Love” would return in 1972 for the DJ treatment from I Roy — one of the earliest releases on Christian’s new Fud’s label, distributed by La-Fud-Del. Also released under the alternate title “You Done Me Wrong” on Fud’s [b/w “Belfast” by Tony King].
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1973
Zeddie Bailey
B-side > “Speak No Evil” by King Tony
Note: Classic roots track, destined for dub and dee jay remix — released in the UK on Grape.
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“Dr. Fud“
Fud And Del
B-side > “La-Fud-Del Skank” by Fud Christian And The All Stars
Note: A-side is a ‘boudoir’ version of “I’ll Never Fall In Love” aimed at the 18 and older crowd, though the flip side (with ‘patois’ break) is safe for general consumption. Released in the UK on Count Shelley and Song Bird.
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Fud & Del
1973
B-side > “Ten Commandments” by Prince Heron
Note: A-side is a ‘boudoir’ version of “Babylon Gone” aimed at the 18 and older crowd — flip side is a dee jay sermon intended as a spiritual balm for people of all ages.
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Ansel Linkers
B-side > “Africa Bound“
Note: Ansel Cridland, founding member of the reggae group The Meditations and the duo The Linkers, per Discogs.
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Ansell Linkers & The Fud Christian All Stars
1973
B-side > “Scorer” by The Fud Christian All Stars
Note: Released in the UK on Summit, a Trojan subsidiary label — interpretation of the 1968 hit by The Paragons (WIRL).
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“False Dread“
King Smiley
B-side > “One Love” by Errol Dunkley
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Errol Dunkley
B-side > “Version” by Bennett All Stars
Note: Released on Fud-Del-La but produced by Bruce Bennett (i.e., David Issacs, right?) Also released in Jamaica on Silver Ring and Blue-Bells; released in the UK on Count Shelly and in Canada on Monica’s.
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“Voice Your Choice“
Fud Christian And The Shoemakers
B-side > “The Jet Seen” by Glen Adams
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1975
“It Takes Time“
Stranger Cole
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Final Note:
The recording credits for 1994 Heartbeat anthology, Deeper Roots: The Best Of The Meditations, lists seven different producers, including Fud Christian. More recently, a handful of Fud Christian productions have made their way onto the following Trojan Records box sets:
1998’s Trojan DJ Box Set includes –
Prince Heron‘s “Ten Commandments“
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1999’s Trojan Rare Groove Box Set includes –
The Linkers‘ “Bongo Man“
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2003’s Trojan 35th Anniversary Box Set includes –
Ansel Linkers‘ “Memories By The Score“
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2004’s Trojan Reggae Rarities Box Set includes –
Fud & Del‘s “Dr. Fud“
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2007’s Trojan Country Reggae Box Set includes –
The Inventors‘ “Bye Bye Love“
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Fud’s Dance Time
Not the same Fud
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B O N U S * B I T
Skank:
Context Is Key
“Our authors are leading experts in their fields,” proclaims Routledge publishing on its website — “every potential higher education textbook is peer-reviewed by instructors to ensure its suitability.” Therefore, it should surprise no one that Routledge’s Popular World Music is able to serve up on demand this comprehensive textbook definition of the Jamaican musical term of art, “skank“:
One of the most distinctive features of Jamaican popular music is the regular use of the syncopated rhythm, known as skank, which emphasizes the upbeats, or offbeats, of a four-beat measure. Although skank rhythm can be played by a variety of instruments, certain ones tend to emphasize it, depending on the genre. For example, in rural mento, considered the root of all Jamaican popular music, this rhythm is most often articulated by a banjo. In ska, low-range instruments, such as baritone or tenor saxophones or trombones, will emphasize the pattern. Rock steady and reggae music feature a muted electric guitar and/or a keyboard instrument, such as an electric organ or piano, playing the skank rhythm.
Bob Marley Demonstrates Skank Rhythms:
ska vs. rocksteady vs. reggae
Sometime in the early years of the new century, Gold Star — a popular Cincinnati chili parlor chain in the Ohio Valley tri-state area — made the left-field decision to adopt “Skank” as part of an offbeat marketing campaign, as this limited edition souvenir cup attests.
What kind of hipster character was Skank, and was the loveable scamp ever depicted, you may be wondering? Oddly, the internet is unable to provide a single shred of information about Gold Star’s “Skank” publicity push, while none of the folks who I contacted in Cincinnati have any direct memory of the (presumed) one-time mascot for the chili parlor restaurant chain, whose celebrity endorsements over the years have included Tony Perez and Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds.
Pete Rose Gold Star chili ad
(1987)
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TIP JAR
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