There's no mistaking the gruff vocal chords of Mr. M. Williams, better known to the world as Prince Far I. His distinctive voice sounds like the result of chewing hot gravel for breakfast then going out and smoking eight dozen spliffs. It's the ultimate frog in the throat.
   Far I is still something of a mystery here in England. He's only become really popular in the last eighteen months with his Joe Gibbs/Errol.T. recordings, 'Heavy Manners', 'Zion Call' and of course the album 'Under Heavy Manners'.
   He has also been the victim of some pretty strange rumours, particularly concerning his age. One ridiculous claim was that he was at least sixty! Well, while the Prince is a good deal older than his contemporary D.J's, he's long way off being old, and at a guess I'd say he was in his mid-thirties.
   Last summer I met Prince Far I down on the North Parade, his day-time hang-out when he's not in the studio. He'd just been caught smoking a spliff by an elderly plain clothes detective who'd given him a stern lecture on how he should be setting a better example to the youths. He kept quiet, head hung in mock shame as the old man's words went in one ear and out the other -- the old and new image of Jamaica clash.
   Afterwards Far I sat over the road in Victoria Park and talked about his career. In the background the sound of Joe Gibbs Record Globe blasting countless versions of I'm Still In Love/Three Piece Suit cuts through the noise of the downtown traffic and eventually drowns it.
   "I started back in 1970. The first tune I did was for Bunny Lee, named 'Great Mooga Booga'. It was a version to John Holt's 'Just Out Of Reach'. I recorded for Bunny as King Cry Cry through playing sound system and working as a carrier (helping to set up the massive speaker boxes), sounds like El Toro and Sir Mike The Musical Dragon."
   "Well I have the music business after Bunny bring me in first, allthough I also recorded with Coxsone. He would be the second producer I worked with only he didn't put out the music."

Prince Far I, on North Parade, Kingston

I didn't have the courage to tell Prince Far I that the old Coxsone tune was in fact released not in J.A. but here in England on the 1971 Banana issue of 'I Had A Talk' with Burning Spear's 'Zion Higher' on the B side. Anyway the Prince continued his story.    "I come back to the music scene around 1974 and I do a tune for Winston Riley of The Techniques, as well as one for Enos McCloud called 'Let Jah Arise', a version of 'Foggy Road'. Then after I do that I produce myself, first with '354 Skank' -- then on 'Silver and Gold', 'Moses' and 'Army Gideon' as Prince Far I and Black Skin."    "I produced Gregory Isaacs with a song named 'Something Nice' -- I did a tune with Errol Holt 'Gimme Gimme' which I write and we do a D.J. version of that song called 'Talking Rights'. Well then I do just one more tune for Coxsone 'Natty Farmyard', this time he actually put it out."    "In 1976 I started to record with Joe Gibbs. We did a tune called 'Heavy Manners', then a version to 'Gimme Gimme' named 'Zion Call' -- after that came 'Tribute To Michael Holding' then of course we do the album."    I asked him whether he thought Joe Gibbs had treated him fair?    "Well, it's like you're not hearing the truth from the producer -- most of the album goes to Foreign, y'know, England, America, Bermuda and Canada -- and like everyone says the album is doing well but it's the same old story of no money."    "I don't get the right and proper attention from him personally,

knowing to the fact that I am entitled to certain things as the artist. But I'd record for Joe again because he was the first one to put me out there on an album, knowing to the fact that many D.J's and singers pass through Joe Gibbs studio and is like it's now a very big industry."    "But Joe choose me to do an album although he has singers and D.J's that are really bigger names than Prince Far I, so it sort of surprise everyone that he choose."    Then the subject changed to Far I's own production plans.    "I want to produce one or two tunes myself -- y'know -- but the fact is that I'm suffering from being financially embarrassed -- y'understand."    Was he still doing any D.J. work with sound systems? "Yeh, well sound system playing nowadays is like too much embarrassment -- y'know -- too much war -- too much fight go on when you're playing sound system y'understand -- But really sound system has put me where I am at the present moment, it put me in the limelight and show me to the people. It give me stage appearance y'know, like dejaying a sound in front of a great big crowd is good experience."    Prince Far I now gave his views on the current D.J. scene in J.A.    "I don't really check the gimmicks y'know, like some of the lyrics you find a man talking on records now -- is like I appreciate a man who do chanting, for instance Big Youth and U.Roy, they are chanters, though I feel at this time none of the D.J's can chant like I personally, but I really appreciate Big Youth as a great chanter.

Currently residing in our green and pleasant island are the likes of Prince Far I, Errol Holt, Dillinger, Dennis Brown and back on his second trip Dr. Alimantado -- Leroy Smart is now out of Brixton nick and is alive and well in Woodford, so much for the deportation stories. -- Island Records have recently carted out a party of specially selected journalist's to J.A. for the purpose of drooling over the latest antic's of the Blackwell/Marley/Perry axis. The package tour is also a neat softening-up tactic in view of the company's planned media blitz-krieg on the forth coming Ijahman Levi album.
   Last of all many thanks to Ice Records for sending me a copy of Black Echoes -- kindly pointing out that the publication carried no less than three features on their artists while I still remain hopelessly ignorant, unable to appreciate the pathetic nursery rhymes of the Mexicano and the pretentious third rate Wailers effort of Eddy Grant -- Thanks chaps! (Dave Hendley)