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If The Royals had never made another record after 'Pick Up The Pieces' Roy Cousins' place in the hearts and minds of reggae aficionados would be assured forever. Yet The Royals remain one of the great, still largely unrecognised, Jamaican vocal groups from reggae's 'golden age' in the sixties and seventies despite having sung some of the most sublime and enduring music of the genre. The membership of the group has always been fluid with Roy Cousins, one of the most fiercely independent and dedicated men to ever enter the reggae business, as the only constant. The music of The Royals deserves to be known far outside the confines of reggae historians as it contains truths and insights that anyone and everyone can learn from but Roy's self-effacing character and steadfast refusal to play at music business machinations have denied him his rightful, revered place in the history of Jamaican music
Amongst the earliest memories of Roy Anthony Cousins, born 25thAugust 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica, are being encouraged to sing by his late aunt, Melva Brown, who proved to be a formative influence on his subsequent career. She would take Roy to her local 'Church Of God', run by Bishop French on Waltham Park Road, Kingston 11, to sing with the Junior Choir and Roy's first duet was at a Church Concert with a friend named Dennis "It was the most frightening experience I will always remember".
Roy began his formal education at Mrs Scott's Infant School on the corner of Waltham Park Road and Campbell Boulevard. In 1954 he moved to Rousseau Primary School on Ricketts Avenue where his classmates included future musical luminaries Barnerd Collins of The Abyssinians, Lloyd Parks of The Termites, Dolphin 'Naggo' Morris (Naggo Morris) of The Heptones, keyboard players Ansel Collins and Earl 'Wire' Lindo, drummer Eric 'Fish' Clarke and Vic Taylor who would go on to sing for Byron Lee's Dragonaires. After graduating to Tarrant Senior School on Molynes Road Roy joined his first vocal group with some friends from his class and entered the 1964 Junior Festival Song Contest at The Little Theatre on Tom Redcam Avenue, Kingston 5 but "the whole thing ended in disappointment". Roy was then living in Finch Crescent and Winston 'Cobra' Francis, whose four man group, The Sheradons, included Driftersresided on nearby Canary Avenue. Roy "used to listen to their harmony most evenings" and would also love to listen to American harmony groups such as The Drifters and The Temptations: "In those days you had a lot of harmony but there was very limited listening because there was only one radio station in Jamaica... RJR".
The fist incarnation of The Royals was formed by Roy in 1964 with Errol Green, Berthram 'Harry' Johnson "the only youth in the area with a guitar", Trevor McFarlane and Maurice 'Professor' Johnson who then left to set up The Tennors. The following year they made their first recording for Federal Records, 'House On The Hill', and they then moved on to Treasure Isle studio where they recorded 'We Are In The Mood' and "about four other songs but that was the only one that was ever released" for Duke Reid.
Roy left school in 1965 and his first job was at the New Yorker Garment Factory on Plantain Avenue where he met up with Keith Smith and Trevor McFarlane... two good harmonisers who "taught him a lot about harmony". Roy then moved to Cockburn Pen where he lived alongside the Maytals and deejay Froggy who was also known as U Roy Junior. The Tartans, Cedric Myton, Prince Lincoln Thompson, Lindburgh 'Preps' Lewis and Devon Russell also lived close by and Roy's place at 14 Grass-Quit Glade now became the rehearsal yard for all the young singers in the area. The Tartans smash hit for Federal, 'Dance All Night', was rehearsed at Roy's yard: "We used to sing by timing. One, two, three, four then sing. The Tartans came up because of Berthram's guitar." Roy and Prince Lincoln would later merge their groups, The Royals and The Royal Rasses, for a brief time and rehearse with a view to recording together but sadly this legendary line up never reached as far as the studio.
In 1967 The Royals changed their name to The Tempests after The Temptations as "our singing was closer to the US sound but the Jamaican producers were not ready." The Tempests recorded eight songs for Coxsone Dodd (CS Dodd) at Studio One but none were released at the time. Many years later Larry Marshall found the tape and released 'Pick Up The Pieces' after The Royals' own version on Roy's Uhuru label had become a hit. The first Studio One release credited the song to The Tempests but later pressings were corrected to The Royals. The bass line for 'Pick Up The Pieces' has subsequently become one of reggae's most versioned rhythm tracks. Incidentally Larry also discovered 'Where It's At' by Lloyd Forrest and 'Live Up To Your Name' by Prince Lincoln on the same tape and these two classic tracks also gained a belated released.
Errol Green and Trevor McFarlane left The Royals and were replaced by Errol Wilson (also known as Errol Nelson), Keith Smith and Ivan Renee, all from the Waterhouse district. Berthram Johnson left to play bass in the RHT Invincible Band with Lloyd Parks, 'Sly' Dunbar and 'Ranchie' McLean and Errol Wilson then left to become a member of Black Uhuru in 1978. The Royals would remain a four man group from 1967 until 1978. They recorded an early version of 'Only For a Time' for Joe Gibbs (Joel Gibson) that was never released however their 'Never See Come See' for the same producer, a version to the popular 'Nanny Goat' rhythm, musically mocked fellow harmonisers The Pioneers and was a big hit. The Pioneers responded with a disparaging answer version, 'Easy Come Easy Go', although, sadly, nothing would ever come easy for The Royals throughout their long, illustrious career.
Roy started work for the for the parcel post division of the Jamaican Post Office in 1967 alongside Barry Llewellyn from The Heptones, Tommy Thomas from The Chantells and Don Carlos of Black Uhuru. Roy's co-workers Lloyd Forrest and Errol Davis sang with The Royals along with Carl Green and they were replaced in their turn by Melvin Reid of The Ethiopians and Hal Nicholson. The Royals recorded 'Can't Catch Quako' and '100lbs Of Clay' for Lloyd 'Matador' Daley, 'Country Boy' for Bunny Lee(Bunny Striker Lee), 'Pick Out Me Eye' for "a brother up in Waterhouse. I can't remember his name" and "too many to remember.... quite a lot of tracks" for Byron 'Baron' Smith but only 'Never Gonna Give You Up' was released on his Baron's label.
It seemed to Roy that "whoever he record for they never release" so his next step was to "do it yourself" realising that the only way he could survive in the music business was to finance and produce his own recordings through his work at the Post Office. He stepped back from the business for a time in order to give himself time to think and to save enough money to record for himself. The work at the Post Office was not easy but it made Roy acutely aware of the importance of paying attention to every last detail when it came to financing his own work in the studio. His musical pleas for tolerance, love and understanding were always lovingly assembled and painstakingly crafted.
"We only deal with good vibes....with peace and happiness." Roy Cousins
Roy's first self-production was made with the financial assistance of his partner from the Post Office, David Robinson, in 1973. They had saved forty Jamaican dollars to finance the session where they recorded a new version of 'Pick Up The Pieces', the beautiful 'Down Comes the Rain' and "a next song with Devon Russell". However, their forty dollars was not enough to pay the musicians and for the next few weeks they would line up outside the Post Office on Friday to meet Roy coming out of work with his wages! 'Pick Up The Pieces' was originally released on the Uhuru label and Roy's next two releases, an I Roy version to 'Pick Up The Pieces' entitled 'Monkey Fashion'/'Fashion Monkey', and 'Down Comes The Rain', came out on Tamoki. The Royals subsequent recordings all came out on Roy's Wambesi label named after a peaceful African tribe that he had discovered in Phantom Comics. It was going to be the name of the group but instead their Cuban manager gave them the name The Royals as "every time we change the name it just wouldn't work".
Roy was now living in the Waterhouse district of Kingston and his yard became a rehearsal area for other artists in the area including Don Carlos and Vivian 'Yabby You' Jackson(Vivian Jackson). The Royals provided the backing vocals for Yabby You(Yabby U)'s Prophets' classics 'Carnal Mind' and 'Run Come Rally' both recorded at Lee Perry's Black Ark Studio. The group also provided harmonies for a number of Joe Gibbs and Bunny Lee productions. The mid seventies proved to be a peak of artistic creativity for The Royals and, with their own releases on Wambesi such as 'Ghetto Man', Promised Land' and 'Only For a Time', they established a faultless body of work that few could ever hope to match. Their songs from this period were assembled for the 'Pick Up The Pieces' album, a definitive high point in Jamaican close harmony singing, which was released in Jamaica on Wambesi through the assistance of Gussie Clarke(Augustus Gussie Clarke)'s innovative 'Gussie Exposure' initiative in spring 1977. The Royals finally began to achieve a measure of recognition.
Roy's good friend, David Mohammed carried the master tape of the 'Pick Up The Pieces' album to the UK and gave it to Militant Barry who took it to Mojo Records. Mo Claridge at Mojo loved the album and released it on his Magnum label. In 1978 Roy came to England for the first time to work closely with Mojo who released The Royals' 'Ten Years After' album the next year. But Roy then left The Royals and was replaced by King Tubby's brother, Lloyd 'Scunna' Ruddock, who had sung the wonderful 'Genuine Way' as a solo artist for Roy and the group now changed their name to The Jayes.
Roy was finally in a position to be able to help out his fellow artists and, unlike many others who talk about their ideals but seldom act upon them, Roy now devoted himself to producing records rather than singing. "Me neglect myself. I just get tied up with producing people". Throughout the eighties he worked with an incredible amount of singers and deejays from his neighbourhood including many of his long time associates such as Winston Jarrett, Devon Russell, Cornell Campbell, Prince Far I, Don Carlos, Winston Francis and The Gaylads and many up and coming stars of reggae music including Sturgav deejay Charlie Chaplin and youth singer Earl Sixteen. He also released a number of exquisite dub sets that further expanded the burgeoning Tamoki Wambesi Dove catalogue.
Roy's next move was to Liverpool, England and he has made the city his home. He continues to market his extensive back catalogue and is still active in a business that has yet to fully realise or appreciate the genuine qualities of his highly polished output.
Sources:
Roy Cousins: The Royals 'The Climate Always Hot' Spring 2002
Noel Hawks: Interview with Roy Cousins. London UK/Liverpool UK 27th April 2002
Dave Hendley: The Royals: Picking Up The Pieces Blues & Soul No. 243 January 1978 |
| Aug 16, 2013 Text by Harry Hawks
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