R.I.P.: Legendary Reggae Producer Harry J

Words by Kieran K. Meadows—

The reggae world lost another pioneering figure last week when legendary Jamaican producer Harry Johnson (at center, with engineer Sylvan Morris), known as Harry J, passed away at age 67 on April 3 after a long struggle with diabetes.

Johnson became a producer in the late 1960s after playing bass for (and later managing) the group, The Virtues. After a short stint as an insurance salesman, he found himself drawn back to his passion for music. In 1968 he booked time at Studio One in order to record The Beltones. The resulting song, “No More Heartaches,” was the debut on Johnson’s newly launched Harry J label. With its laid back yet still driving sound and a scratchier, more percussive feel to the rhythm guitar, the record is widely considered to be one of the first reggae songs to be recorded, a departure from the rocksteady sound of the previous two years.

“No More Heartaches”

As with most new genre developments, the folks involved usually aren’t fully aware of a song’s place in history while it’s being recorded. However, it’s worth noting that Harry J was producing his very first record and was a bass player—as such it’s likely no coincidence that, as reggae emerged in the years that followed, the bass took on a more prominent role with more complex lines. The former lead singer of The Beltones, Trevor Shields, told Billboard that “The driving sound on ‘No More Heartache’ was totally different; we were like outsiders starting something new but didn’t know it at the time. The song was No. 1 on the Jamaican charts for about four weeks, which was no easy feat in those days.”

Johnson followed up in 1969 by producing and arranging the hit “Cuss Cuss” with Lloyd Robinson:

“Cuss Cuss”

The riddim became one of the most popular and classic riddims in reggae with remakes and new artist voicings in each subsequent decade including one on Channel One in the ‘80s:

And one on Massive B in the ‘90s:

Read on for Part 2 of the Harry J story

Also in 1969, Johnson had great success with the instrumental “The Liquidator,” which was recorded by his session band, The Harry J All Stars, and built around organist Winston Wright’s stellar soloing. The song reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming a sort of anthem for the emerging youth skinhead subculture of the time and helping Johnson get his own Harry J imprint on the UK’s Trojan Records.

“The Liquidator”

Those of you hearing the song for the first time might be thinking, why is this so familiar? Where have I heard this before? The opening guitar riff and instantaneously recognizable bassline was used a few years later on The Staple Singers’ 1972 megahit “I’ll Take You There” on Stax Records.

According to Johnson, speaking in a 2000 interview with the Jamaica Observer, he had met the drummer who played on that record, Al Jackson, Jr. of Stax house band, Booker T and the MGs, in Kingston shortly after “The Liquidator” was released in 1969. Johnson said that when he met Jackson, he gave him two copies of “The Liquidator.” Johnson said he was shocked to hear how similar “I’ll Take You There” was to his own 1969 hit. He said he took steps to get royalties from Stax, but as is the case for many musicians and producers in general and particularly those in the Jamaican music industry who too often aren’t fairly compensated for their work, he didn’t get anywhere. Today the Staples Singers’ song is closely identified with the Black Power movement of the 60s and 70s. And during the 2008 US presidential campaign, Barack Obama used the song at the closing of his stump speeches on the campaign trail.

In the early 1970s, Johnson found success producing the duo of Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths and recording the song “Young, Gifted and Black,” a cover of the Nina Simone tune.

But Johnson is perhaps best known as the owner of the recording studio at 10 Roosevelt Avenue, Uptown Kingston—called Harry J Studios and founded in 1972 with sixteen-track recording capability (a big step up from Kingston two-track and four-track studios of the time). Bob Marley and The Wailers recorded their first four albums for Island Records in the pre-Tuff Gong era at Harry J Studios: Catch A Fire, Burnin’, Natty Dread, and Rastaman Vibration. (According to David Vlado Moskowitz in his book The Words and Music of Bob Marley, Bob and producer Lee “Scratch” Perry took over the studio one night to record the song “Jah Live” shortly after Haile Selassie I died in August 1975.)

Throughout the 1970s, many well-known artists recorded albums at the studio, including Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, The Heptones, Toots and the Maytals, and The Melodians. It became a must-stop spot for foreign musicians and bands visiting Jamaica including The Rolling Stones and The Who. The studio itself starred in the iconic 1978 film Rockers. Here’s a scene from the film of Kiddus I singing the song “Graduation In Zion”:

Though the 1970s were Johnson’s producing prime, he continued to stay relevant into the following decade. In 1984, in response to the massive riddim “Sleng Teng” on the King Jammys label, which launched the digital era, Harry J released the riddim “Computer Rule,” which featured songs from numerous artists including Daddy Freddy, Charlie Chaplin, Frankie Jones and this tune from Little John, “Come Back To Me”:

In 2000, after an idle period of seven years, Harry J Studios reopened after being refurbished and re-equipped under the management of Stephen Stewart (who had worked during the studio’s early years alongside engineer Sylvan Morris), with Johnson retaining ownership of the facility. During the 2000s, the studio continued to uphold its legendary status and without a doubt will continue Johnson’s legacy in years to come. Here’s a clip of Horace Andy recording there with Sly and Robbie in 2008: