Earl Gateshead continues thriving and building his reggae music legacy
Photo courtesy of Earl Gateshead / Mastermind Group.
Daily Reggae spoke with legendary DJ and Sound System producer, Earl Gateshead about his work with Trojan Records, reggae in London, and podcast, “The Huge Reggae Show”.
Has reggae grown in popularity in London and in the UK over the years? Who are some of your current favorite artists to listen to?
In my very early years, we didn't really consider making music. That was something musicians did in hugely expensive studios. Studio time in top studios was 200 pounds an hour even then, back in the late seventies... So we just DJ'd and played on our Sound System. Doing that was a revolutionary act at that time...There were no other white English Sound Systems...
Like everyone else, we began to make music with the arrival of the computer. The computer made making music possible for everyone. The first tune that came from the Sound System was 'Don't Dream It's Over" by Less Stress which incredibly, as it was our first record, reached No. 37 in the UK national charts... Our early MCs were Maxi Jazz (later with Faithless, although he was working at the Post Office at that time), and Mr C who later did well with The Shamen.
How did you end up working with Trojan Records? When did the Sound System get started and did Sound System perform live shows, or record more often? Are there any tracks you’d recommend we listen to?
Myself and Daddy Ad had already started a Sound System called "Roots And Reality". Basically, Trojan heard us play and asked us to represent them. We were doubtful at first but the relationship became strong and I loved representing the music. We played all over the world. We began to release tunes too... I think “The Bomb" by Trojan Sound System is a pretty good example of what we released. It reached No 1 in the Reggae charts.
What are some of the favorite reggae festivals you performed at as a DJ and what stage name do you go by?
For me personally, it is probably Outlook Festival. They believed in me and put me on big stages. Some of the best shows of my life were at Outlook, including a very emotional afternoon playing with The Wailers at the opening ceremony... Outlook was the first proper Bass Festival, they lead the way to all the dub gatherings we have now.
It’s really cool to hear about your podcast “The Huge Reggae Show”! What can listeners expect when they tune in and where can they access the show?
I've never had another job for 40 years. All I've done is go to dances and DJ... I've accumulated quite a lot of information about Reggae music, and I understand its place in our culture. I've got fantastic records picked up over the years too. On the podcast, I play the music and try to explain why I love it, in the hope that other people will feel the same way. It's been successful... In part, I think because lots of people like Reggae but can't find a way into it. I'm hoping to show people the best Reggae ever made and explain it to them. You can hear the show on my SoundCloud or YouTube.
Has reggae grown in popularity in London and in the UK over the years? Who are some of your currentfavorite artists to listen to?
Sound System culture has grown, in London and everywhere else. There are a lot of Sound Systems now. The music has moved to music that sounds good on the Sound Systems, which is Dub. Real Reggae still doesn't get played much and is still outsider music. It's difficult to find the records and hear the music played live. I like Johnny Osbourne, and from the new Jamaican artists Micah Shamaiah is very good. Reggae will always be there. It's music designed to support people. Some people will always be able to feel it. When you feel it, you love it!
