Justin Hinds and the Revivers By Papa Pilgrim I was somewhat skeptical when I saw a flyer announcing that Justin Hinds and the Revivers would be headlining the Ninth Annual Labor Day in the Park Celebration in Moab, Utah. Surely this was not the Justin Hinds of Dominoes fame. And who in the heck were the Revivers? Moab, 4 1/2 hours south by southeast from Salt Lake City, is far off the beaten track according to most Reggae maps. Live Reggae music in Moab is infrequently provided by Salt Lake City groups with an occasional appearance by John Bailey, the Intermountain West's own one-man Reggae band. However, curiosity prevailed, calling us to "celebrate in the desert," and the Labor Day Sunrise found us on the road, again. The following is based on an interview with Justin Hinds conducted at the Old City Park, Moab Utah, Labor Day, 1991. Born and raised in the village of Steertown, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, Justin Hinds seldom ventures from his birth roots and this farming community near Ocho Rios is still home. During his mid-teens, Justin and his friend Dennis Sinclair worked for a water sports concessionaire on various local cruise ships. They were encouraged to sing for pay when tourists began throwing money to them for doing so. The cruise ship clients often included the rich and famous, and during one shipboard party Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fischer suggested that "to I that you should go to Kingston and get yourself in to the recording industry." In Kingston, Justin was quickly discovered by Treasure Isle owner Duke Reid and taken into the studio. With seemingly little effort, reportedly singing only one take, Justin Hinds, instrumentally backed by the Skatalites, first recorded the mid-sixties hit "Carry Go Bring Come." "It was like seven weeks that it was Number One in Jamaica." With such a jumpstart the first time out, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes (Dennis Sinclair and Junior Dixon) quickly went on to record more hits such as "Once A Man, Twice A Child," "The Stone That the Builder Refused," "King Samuel," and "so many, many more. Then I walk away from the music 'cause the music was getting out of control. It wasn't there with the spiritual vibration. So I stayed off for a while." In 1974 Hinds recorded "Prophecy Must Fulfill" for producer Jack Ruby. Chris Blackwell heard the song "so he asked Jack Ruby if I'm still around. So I went in and do this album they call Jezebel for the Island label. So it went on and on and I wasn't getting no promotion and I was making no money either. It was like I was singing 'cause I was born to do this thing; because I have a message to deliver to the nation." Again, not wanting to bother with the contentions of "Reggae business" Justin again "laid off for a while. I stayed away from working the music industry for about seven years. I was still writing and singing but it wasn't coming out." In 1981 American producer Bob Schoenfeld journeyed to Justin's home. The result of that journey was Travel With Love released on Nighthawk in 1984. "I didn't get promotion because Nighthawk was a small company and the Gladiators and Itals came before me." Justin saw that "the music was rat races like Bob Marley was saying, so I stay away from the rat race. I love to do my farming in a peaceful place," and with that in mind Justin again returned to his beloved Steertown. 1989 saw the release of "Picking Up Chips in the Morning" on the Wonder label. "Picking Up Chips" refers to gathering wood chips for the cookstove. "What that song is really saying is that children are crying for hunger and each and every child got to be fed. We are the children of the Israelites and we have to have that food." Such strong spiritual values, handed down from his father, are today as much a part of Justin's life and lyrics, as they were when "Carry Go Bring Come" was topping the charts. The Revivers, so named because "I need to revive the music which seems to be dying out. This younger generation they're rap deejays and they're not moving the music in the right direction. The spiritual vibration and message is not there anymore. This Reggae music is reality music, music with a heartbeat, a message and it is the voice of the Rastaman. That's what we have to offer. We're coming back to revive the music as Justin Hinds and the Revivers. It is something I have to do!" The Revivers, including Justin's son Jerome Sebastin Hinds on drums, are not shy on talent. With Justin are two of Reggae's legendary hornsmen, "Deadly" Headley Bennett on saxophone and Vin Gordon (aka Don Drummond, Junior) on the trombone. American-born Jonathan Arthur rounds out the brass threesome and is presently producing Justin Hinds next album tentatively entitled One Day. On stage the Revivers educate and entertain as they showcase thirty years of Reggae history through the unparalleled artistry of Justin Hinds, reminding fans that "though they haven't heard from me for a while, I'm still going strong and you are going to love what I have to offer." -- ____ _____ _. __. Papa Pilgrim pilgrim@xmission.com 1000 / __ \ / _ /// _ / / Forwarding the Reggae Vibe...Everytime! X / _.' // _' ///_//_// Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide! c96 /_/ |_|/_//_/ \__/__/ http://www.xmission.com/~turq/RAW/home.html