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Artist Hall of Fame

Slim SmithText by Harry Hawks

Slim Smith will forever remain the genuine Jamaican music aficionado’s favourite singer; two of his original compositions, ‘(I’ll) Never Let Go’ (aka ‘The Answer’) and ‘My Conversation’, are among the most versioned ever in the history of reggae...
Date Added: May 24, 2016 Copyright (C) 2024 Dub Store Sound Inc.
Real Name: Keith Smith
1948 - 1973
Place of Birth: Kingston
Jamaica
Related Artist(s):
Techniques
Uniques
Born Kingston in 1948 Keith Smith grew up in the West Street area and first sang as a member of The Victors Youth Band who came to prominence as champions of the 'Ska & Mento Contest' at the Western Kingston and Jamaica Festival in 1964. Alongside Winston Riley, Frederick Waite & Franklyn Whyte he then became one of the original members of The Techniques who recorded a number of hits, including 'You Don't Know', 'I Am In Love' and 'Little Did You Know', for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label and 'A Place Called Love' and 'I Am So In Love' for Ronnie Nasralla's Gala label.

"Before The Wailers hit the most popular group was The Techniques with Slim Smith"
Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd(CS Dodd)

And, in 1966, as the pace of ska slowed down to rock steady, Keith began recording as a solo artist with Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd who renamed him 'Slim'.

"Coxsone named him Slim through he was a slim person..." Bunny 'Striker' Lee(Bunny Lee)

Slim Smith and Coxsone hit again and again with '(I'll) Never Let Go' backed with 'Rougher Yet', 'Hip Hug' and 'The New Boss' and the excellent 'Look Who's Back Again' with Delroy Wilson and many of his Studio One classics are included on the essential 'Born To Love' long player. He also recorded for Prince Buster on the stirring 'The Prophet' before forming The Uniques under the guidance of Bunny 'Striker' Lee who was just starting out on his career as Jamaica's most prolific record producer.

"Slim Smith was a part of a group with Winston Riley named The Techniques and I said 'I'm going to form my own group named The Uniques' and Keithy also used to sing with The Sensations. The first Uniques was Derrick Morgan, Ken Boothe and Slim Smith... they sung the harmonies on (sings) 'People get ready to do rock steady...' that's the first Uniques tune. 'People Get Ready To Do Rock Steady'... that was the first tune I recorded with Slim Smith. Ken Boothe and Derrick Morgan sang the harmony. You'd have to say they were the first Uniques. Through Slim used to sing lead with The Techniques I came up with the name The Uniques. Them days you'd have to think!" Bunny 'Striker' Lee

"After three years Slim left the group (The Techniques) and formed yet another group The Uniques and quickly they were Jamaica's No. 1 group with hits like... 'Do Rock Steady'... 'Let Me Go Girl'... and 'My Conversation'. They stayed at the top of the charts." Tony Mack

"At The Carib Theatre, The State Theatre, The Regal Theatre and the Music Union they stole the show from any other group performing and, on one memorable occasion, from The Wailers..."Jimmy Riley

"Lloyd Charmers came in when we did 'Let Me Go Girl'... the second one that mashed up the place was 'Let Me Go Girl' and BB Seaton and Lloyd Charmers were singing on that one... and when the tune came out it was the baddest tune for 1967... it became a monster hit everywhere in Jamaica! Lynford 'Andy Capp' Anderson mixed and mastered it. You know (sings) 'Girl you hold me trying to control me...' Then we did a Dawn Penn piece like it was the answer to it (sings) 'Boy me never hold you...' Bunny 'Striker' Lee

"So the Uniques officially were Slim Smith and Lloyd Charmers and the original 'My Conversation' was just Slim Smith and Lloyd Charmers. When I formed the Uniques Jimmy Riley wasn't in it...Lloyd Charmers did bring him in it. Jimmy Riley used to work at a bauxite company and him and Charmers were friends.

Winston Grennan played the piano on 'My Conversation'. He played the drum on the rhythm track... so Winston Grennan was the drummer with the 'ding a ling' piano on the voice track and sometimes he made mistakes but I make it go same way! If a man made a mistake the whole thing would have to start over back again." Bunny 'Striker' Lee

The Uniques will always occupy a very special place in the hearts of Jamaican music lovers, but, after they had created some of the most memorable rock steady records ever made, Slim began to work as a solo singer for Striker and the pace began to quicken to the more upbeat reggae rhythms. Striker recalled turning up at Studio One on Brentford Road to voice one of Slim's biggest ever hits, a version to the Motown classic 'Everybody Needs Love', recorded by, among others, The Temptations and Gladys Knight & The Pips, only to be told by Coxsone that "a singer's done when I done with him". But Striker and Slim proved him wrong.

"So I said to Slim 'just sing around mixing the board' and Slim blew him away! That was 'Everybody Needs Love' and that was Slim Smith's biggest hit up to date. It was awesome, man. Coxsone was around the board and he couldn't move! Slim really did sing him away." Bunny 'Striker' Lee

Slim's solo career with Striker continued from strength to strength...

"After a few years Slim left The Uniques and went solo and the hits continued, 'Everybody Needs Love', 'Blinded By Love', and he was off on tour of Canada. He appeared in places like Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, Wales and all over London. In London he was regarded as the best Jamaican singer and was hailed wherever he appeared." Tony Mack

Never one to hold back on his emotions and often "blinded by love" Slim wore his heart on his sleeve in his music and his sometimes fragile mental state led him to a period in Kingston's Belle Vue Sanatorium and tragedy struck in 1973 when Slim met with a fatal accident. Jimmy Riley recalled the sad circumstances of Slim's untimely death.

"I was in New York when I heard about the tragedy and I did not believe it at first... only when I heard it from several sources did I believe it. Slim had returned home to his parent's house after smoking ganja with some friends and could not get into the house. He broke a window to get in and badly cut his arm. His injuries were so severe that he bled to death before he could get treatment..."Jimmy Riley

During his short and tragically curtailed career Slim Smith, first as a Technique, a Unique and a solo artist, sang numerous passionate, soulful songs that have become acknowledged Jamaican classics. The posthumous comprehensive collections of his work have ensured his enduring popularity not only with long time devotees of his music but also with a new, younger audience.

"Slim is an incomparable singer even though he's been dead thirty odd, coming on for forty years. Slim was the nearest thing to Curtis Mayfield and he could also play instruments... look how long Slim Smith dead and you hear his music still. Do you know of another singer who's come up like Slim Smith? You've never had another singer who's made that impact on Jamaican music like Slim Smith." Bunny 'Striker' Lee

Sources:

Noel Hawks & Jah Floyd: Reggae Going International 1967 to 1976 The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story
Jamaican Recordings Publishing 2012
Timothy White: Catch A Fire The Life Of Bob Marley Omnibus Press 2000

Harry Hawke: Liner Notes Watch This Sound The Uniques Pressure Sounds PSCD/LP 21 1998
Tony Mack: Liner Notes Early Days Slim Smith Total Sounds (Jamaica) LP circa 1972

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May 24, 2016 Text by Harry Hawks
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