The band Creation Rebel started as a studio project and played on my very first production released in 1978, Dub From Creation, engineered by Dennis Bovell. This was the debut release on the Hitrun Label, co-founded by Peter ‘Dr.Pablo’ Stroud and myself. To help launch the label, Prince Far I generously provided some of his productions for release, including voicing Frontline Speech on the title track’s rhythm. We were thrilled when he released it in Jamaica on his own Cry Tuff label. Hitrun, in turn, organized live shows for Prince Far I in the UK and Holland, promoting the name Prince Far I and Creation Rebel on posters. Though bringing musicians from Jamaica was costly, it was equally challenging to find a top UK-based drummer. Prince Far I recommended a fantastic new talent, Lincoln “Style” Scott, recently out of the Jamaican army, whom we brought to London. During our first rehearsal at Gangsterville, it was clear how talented he was.
During Style’s first visit, we recorded what would become our second album, Rebel Vibrations. Rhythms from this session also contributed to much of the third record, Close Encounters Of The Third World, which saw the band evolve from the original ‘strictly come dubbing’ concept to include more vocals from Crucial Tony and Lizard Logan. Prince Jammy, visiting London, was employed to mix the record. By then, Creation Rebel had transformed into a proper band with Tony, Lizard, Fatfingers, Mr. Magoo, and Dr. Pablo in the UK, and Style flying in for shows and recordings.
By 1979, Creation Rebel had built a strong reputation, still backing artists while opening with their own set, with me learning to mix the live sound. That year, Hitrun organized the Roots Encounter tour featuring Prince Far I, Bim Sherman, and Prince Hammer. Shortly after, we were invited to join The Slits’ tour promoting their debut album Cut, with Don Cherry also on the bill. Unfortunately, Style’s participation in the tour ended abruptly in a Glasgow hospital the day before our London show at The Rainbow in Finsbury Park due to a burst appendix. Unable to find a replacement drummer, Tony stepped in, marking Style’s last show with Creation Rebel.
Upon returning to Jamaica, Style Scott teamed up with bassist Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt and other top talents to form Roots Radics, rapidly becoming the backing band for Bunny Wailer and Gregory Isaacs and one of the island’s most sought-after rhythm sections.
The fourth album, Starship Africa, had its origins before the second album, beginning with a session at Gooseberry Studios with Charlie ‘Eskimo’ Fox (Freedom Fighters) on drums, Tony Henry on bass, and Crucial Tony on guitar, along with his cousin Clifton ‘Bigga’ Morrison on keyboards. During a session in 1979, Style Scott overdubbed some tracks, and we recorded a few more. In 1980, while working with Chris Garland (Zen Gangster), Starship Africa was mixed, edited, and finished at Berry Street Studio with engineer Dave ‘Nobby Turner’ Hunt.
I first encountered Charlie Fox in 1974 when he was drumming for Gregory Isaacs’ first UK tour. At 16, working holidays for the Pama label, I managed to get into the Apollo Club in Willesden. Fox, a highly in-demand drummer, continued with Freedom Fighters, backing top visiting acts and later joining Creation Rebel.
In early 1980, Rebel performed a few dates with The Clash before heading to Europe for shows in Berlin. By now, the band balanced vocals and dub, continuing to back Prince Far I and striving for their shows. Percussionist Bonjo I, later known for African Head Charge, also joined the band.
Thanks to Lawrie Dunn at Virgin Music, we accessed The Manor Studios in Oxford, my favorite studio. It was here we recorded the fifth album, Psychotic Jonkanoo, released in 1981. A year later, we created Lows And Highs (bass and treble), hoping it would propel Rebel forward. Despite its commercial potential and the single A Love I Can Feel gaining radio play, circumstances took a tragic turn. Lead vocalist and bassist Lizard faced legal troubles, and in 1983, Prince Far I was murdered in Jamaica, halting the band’s activities.
Creation Rebel’s legacy is profound. Their records inspired countless dub enthusiasts and were foundational in the formation of labels like On-U Sound and Ruff Cut, and bands such as Roots Radics, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, and Singers and Players. The new album, Hostile Environment, brings the story full circle, featuring three original members and special guests. The album title references UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s term for creating a hostile environment for refugees and asylum seekers, highlighting the Windrush scandal impacting many Caribbean families in the UK.
Explore the journey and enduring impact of Creation Rebel, a band that helped shape the reggae and dub music landscape.