Biography:
Son of a tailor and builder, Clancy Eccles spent his childhood in the countryside of the parish of Saint Mary, where he used to attend regularly church cult and became soon influenced by spiritual singing. In his late teens,
he moved to Ocho Rios where he made his first musical steps, performing at night in various shows, with artists like The Blues Busters, Higgs & Wilson or Buster Brown.
He moved to Kingston in 1959 where he started his musical career as a singer. He first recorded for Coxsone Dodd, who noticed him at a talent show, and had a Jamaican hit in 1961 with the early-ska tune "Freedom" recorded actually in 1959 but a sound system favorite since then. Talking about the repatriation to Africa, an idea developed by the growing rastafari movement, "Freedom" was one of the first Jamaican songs with socially oriented lyrics. Curiously, it also became the first Jamaican hit to be used on political purposes with Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Jamaican Labour Party and at this time Chief Minister of Jamaica adopting it for his fight against the Federation of the West Indies in 1960.
In the years after, Eccles had other successful songs, mixing boogie/R&B influences with emerging ska rhythm, like "River Jordan" or "Glory Hallelujah".
In 1962, he started promoting concerts and set up his "Christmas Morning" talent show in association with Coxsone at the beginning, then on his own. He organized shows for The Clarendonians in 1963 and in 1964-1965 for The Wailers in different locations. He launched other talent search contests with "Battle of the Stars", "Clancy Eccles Revue", "Independent Revue" or "Reggae Soul Revue", from where emerged such stars like Barrington Levy or Culture...
From 1963 he recorded with different producers like Charlie Moo, Leslie Kong's business partner, or the husband of Sonia Pottinger, Lyndon, but couldn't make a living of his music and so decided to quit in 1965 for working as a tailor in Annotto Bay. During this period, he made stage outfits for musicians like Kes Chin, The Mighty Vikings, Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, Carlos Malcolm or The Blue Busters.
He went back to music in 1967, producing his own recordings as well as other artists and soon scored with Eric 'Monty' Morris' hit, "Say What You're Saying" and his own song "Feel The Rhythm", both now recognized as being among the first early reggae tunes.
He entered then a very prolific period with popular success both in Jamaica and UK (his first hit "What Will Your Mama Say" was released by the recently created UK label, Pama Records).
In 1968, his song "Fattie Fattie", became a skinhead classic, along with his productions of the DJ King Stitt ("Fire Corner", "Van Cleef", "Herbman Shuffle"...). He also recorded many organ-led instrumentals with his session band named The Dynamites (same band has Derrick Harriott's Crystalites) featuring Winston Wright. By releasing in 1970 an instrumental version of "Herbman Shuffle" called "Phantom" with a mix focusing on the bass line, Eccles paved the way along with other innovators, to dub music.
Eccles launched different labels, "Clansone", "New beat" and above all "Clandisc" (also a UK subsidiary of Trojan for his works) on which he recorded artists like Alton Ellis, Joe Higgs, the Trinidian Lord Creator ("Kingston Town"), Larry Marshall, Hemsley Morris, Earl Lawrence, The Beltones, Glen Ricks, Cynthia Richards, Buster Brown and in the early 1970s, Beres Hammond...
Appreciated by the musicians for his fairness, and his sense of equity, he also helped Lee Perry to set up his Upsetter label in 1968, and Winston 'Niney' Holmes later known as 'The Observer' to record his first hit as a producer in 1971 ("Blood & Fire").
Also a socialist militant, he took part in Jamaica's 1972 prime minister elections in organizing a "Bandwagon" featuring Bob Marley & the Wailers, Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, Delroy Wilson & Inner Circle among others who went around the island to support the campaign of the PNP leader Michael Manley. Throughout the 70s, he remained close to Manley and wrote several songs in praise of the PNP program including his hits "Power For The People", "Rod Of Correction" or "Generation Belly".
By the mid 1970s, his popularity declined and he had to live off his shows. In the 80s, Eccles slowed down his musical activities, and until his death, never met success again, apart from few politically songs like "Dem Mash Up The Country" in 1985. Clancy Eccles died on June the 30th 2005 in Spanish Town Hospital from complications of a heart attack.
Discography:
Singles before 1967
* River Jordan / I Live And I Love - 1960 - Blue Beat produced by Coxsone Dodd
* Freedom / More Proof - 1960 - Blue Beat produced by Coxsone Dodd
* Judgement / Baby Please - 1963 - Island Records produced for Charlie Moo
* I'm The Greatest - 1963 - produced by Mike Shadad
* Glory Hallelujah - 1963 - Island Records produced by Coxsone Dodd
* Sammy No Dead / Roam Jerusalem - 1965 - Ska Beat produced by Lyndon Pottinger.
* Miss Ida - 1965 - Ska Beat
Compilations after 1967:
Clancy Eccles:
* Clancy Eccles - Freedom - 1969 - Clandisc/Trojan
* Clancy Eccles - 1967-1983 - Joshua's Rod Of Correction - Jamaican Gold (1996)
* Clancy Eccles - Top Of The Ladder - 1973 - Big Shot/Trojan
Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites:
* The Dynamites - Fire Corner - 1969 - Clandisc
* Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Herbsman Reggae - 1970 - Clandisc
* Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Top Of The Ladder - 1973 - Big Shot/Trojan
* The Dynamites - The Wild Bunch Are The Dynamites - 1967-1971 - Jamaican Gold (1996)
* Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites - Nyah Reggae Rock - 1969-1970 - Jamaican Gold (1997)
A FEW WORDS/RECENT NEWS:
"He (Clancy Eccles) is one of the pioneers, a producer who made a tremendous impact during the transition period of the music from rock steady to reggae," was how president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM) Desmond Young remembers the veteran entertainer, promoter, and producer who was honoured for his contribution by the music union.
For Derrick Harriott, himself a stalwart in the local recording business, Eccles' legacy lies in the era of the annual Christmas morning concerts for which he was one of the architects and leading promoters.
"Some of the younger producers now on the scene would often tell me, bwoy Charriot, ah from dem days mi get inspirations from watching yuh and di rest of artistes dem at Carib on the Christmas mornings shows. But Clancy was also a good producer; him produced so much hits that people don't even remember.
Hits like Lord Creator's Kingston Town, hits for King Stitt as well as the Flames," recalled Harriott who also reminded of Eccles' foray in the Festival Song Contest with a little-known entry titled Festival 68. This was the same year, Harriott entered with Tan Tan Festival.
"Clancy was one of, I would say, the second-tier producers in Jamaica. I think the first tier would include like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Sonia Pottinger, Bunny Lee and Lee Perry. Then the second tier would include producers like Clancy and Winston "Niney" Holiness.
One thing about Clancy, his songs were professionally done and well made," said Michael Barnett of MKB Promotions, promoters of the popular Heineken Startime.
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