Lynford Anderson aka Andy Capp (born 1941) is a Jamaican studio engineer, p… Read Full Bio ↴Lynford Anderson aka Andy Capp (born 1941) is a Jamaican studio engineer, producer, and vocalist, best known for his 1968 hit "Pop a Top".
Anderson was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica in 1941, and gained his early studio experience working for the RJR radio station, after initially being employed there as a log keeper, having studied accountancy. From there he moved on to Ronnie Nasrullah's recently-created WIRL studio, where he gained experience with a two-track mixer, under the guidance of Australian engineer Graeme Goodall. His engineering skills were used extensively by producer Leslie Kong, and he eventually moved into production himself, using an Ampex two-track mixing board to create remixes of tracks and to combine several tracks into a single song. He also founded the Upset record label in 1967 along with Lee "Scratch" Perry and trainee engineer Barrington Lambert. His self-productions included "Pop a Top", which he described as the first ever Jamaican "talking" record (although a handful of deejay records had been released earlier), which at the time of its release in early 1968 was unusual in that its rhythm was noticeably faster than the prevailing rocksteady beat. "Pop a Top"'s rhythm track was based on Dave Bartholomew's "South Parkway Mambo", and its lyric was based on a Canada Dry commercial; The song was later used by Canada Dry in an advertising campaign in the 1970s. The line "taste the tits, taste the tits" caused controversy when it was played by John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show, with the BBC receiving a number of complaints. He further contributed to the development of reggae later in 1968 when he worked with Perry on "People Funny Boy", which had a rhythm based on music that Anderson and Perry had heard at a Pocomania church service the night before.
Anderson has been described as one of the most gifted recording engineers ever to work in Jamaica, and was described by Winston Holness as "the greatest engineer at those times...a genius in the business". He worked for several years for Byron Lee at his Dynamic Sounds studio, working on recordings including the backing track to Robert Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and on recordings by The Wailers. He stated in the 1990s that during that period he would record or master up to 100 songs a day. He also recorded for Lee himself, including the 1970 single "The Law". In 1970, Anderson mixed the first truly multitrack dubs at Dynamic Sounds. He also co-produced the Byron Lee & the Dragonaires album Reggay Blast Off the same year.
By 2003, Anderson had relocated to New York, where he worked as a sound engineer for the United Nations.
Anderson was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica in 1941, and gained his early studio experience working for the RJR radio station, after initially being employed there as a log keeper, having studied accountancy. From there he moved on to Ronnie Nasrullah's recently-created WIRL studio, where he gained experience with a two-track mixer, under the guidance of Australian engineer Graeme Goodall. His engineering skills were used extensively by producer Leslie Kong, and he eventually moved into production himself, using an Ampex two-track mixing board to create remixes of tracks and to combine several tracks into a single song. He also founded the Upset record label in 1967 along with Lee "Scratch" Perry and trainee engineer Barrington Lambert. His self-productions included "Pop a Top", which he described as the first ever Jamaican "talking" record (although a handful of deejay records had been released earlier), which at the time of its release in early 1968 was unusual in that its rhythm was noticeably faster than the prevailing rocksteady beat. "Pop a Top"'s rhythm track was based on Dave Bartholomew's "South Parkway Mambo", and its lyric was based on a Canada Dry commercial; The song was later used by Canada Dry in an advertising campaign in the 1970s. The line "taste the tits, taste the tits" caused controversy when it was played by John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show, with the BBC receiving a number of complaints. He further contributed to the development of reggae later in 1968 when he worked with Perry on "People Funny Boy", which had a rhythm based on music that Anderson and Perry had heard at a Pocomania church service the night before.
Anderson has been described as one of the most gifted recording engineers ever to work in Jamaica, and was described by Winston Holness as "the greatest engineer at those times...a genius in the business". He worked for several years for Byron Lee at his Dynamic Sounds studio, working on recordings including the backing track to Robert Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and on recordings by The Wailers. He stated in the 1990s that during that period he would record or master up to 100 songs a day. He also recorded for Lee himself, including the 1970 single "The Law". In 1970, Anderson mixed the first truly multitrack dubs at Dynamic Sounds. He also co-produced the Byron Lee & the Dragonaires album Reggay Blast Off the same year.
By 2003, Anderson had relocated to New York, where he worked as a sound engineer for the United Nations.
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Top the Pop
Andy Capp Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
Brian A
One of the true pioneers of early Reggae roots. Linford “Andy Capp” Anderson, my dad. RIP March 2020.
Good Life
A true pioneer.
Ackee Eater
That news missed me. So sorry to hear. I never met him but knew of his side work in the music business while he was at RJR (or maybe RJR was his side work? LOL). I was then at JBC. Lately I loosely had plans to interview him for some work I'm planning to do. I'm truly sad. May he RIP.
--Æ.
MediaGrope
A pioneer. I fell in love with his music as soon as the needle touched the record - literally
999bluesandtwos
There is nothing in this world like a true skinhead I'm in my 70s and still keep the faith and will till the day I die..
pollythewasp
It's not the intro to Pop A Top, but the music's all Andy Capp.
DIL LONGSTAFF
One from John peels box of his most treasured 45's
Graham Larkbey
This isn't Pop a Top, but a version using a mash-up of the backing track (Fat Man by Derrick Morgan). Same producer though - RIP Linval Anderson (died March 2020).
Brian A
One of the true pioneers of early reggae roots. RIP Linford Anderson, my dad—March 2020
1DoctorFromTheDevil
This song isn't "Andy Capp - Pop a Top". This song is "Derrick Morgan - Top the Pop" -> youtube.com/watch?v=KtwZvCfktiQ Andy Capp - Pop a Top -> youtube.com/watch?v=4UxXlmJtrG0 Excelent channel mate!