Born Cecil Bustamente Campbell on Orange Street in Kingston, Jamaica, his middle name was given to him by his family in honour of the Labour activist and first post-Independence Prime Minister William Alexander Clarke Bustamante, in the early 1940s Campbell was sent to live with his grandmother in rural Jamaica where his family's commitment to the Christian faith gave him his earliest musical experiences in the form of church singing as well as private family prayer and hymn meetings. Returning to live at Orange Street while still a young boy; Campbell attended the Central Branch School and St. Anne's School. While at school Campbell performed three or four times a week at the Glass Bucket Club as part of Frankie Lymon's Sing and Dance Troupe; rock 'n' roll themed shows were popular during the 1950s with the Glass Bucket Club establishing a reputation as the premier music venue and social club for Jamaican teenagers at that time. Upon leaving school Campbell found himself drawn to the ranks of followers that supported the sound system of Tom the Great Sebastian. Jamaican sound systems at that time were playing American rhythm 'n' blues and Campbell credits Tom the Great Sebastian with his first introduction to the songs and artists that would later influence his own music: The Clovers' "Middle of the Night", Fats Domino's "Mardi Gras in New Orleans", the Griffin Brothers featuring Margie Day, and Shirley & Lee.
Campbell became more actively involved in the operational side of running a sound system after he was introduced to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd; a musically-inclined businessman who operated one of Kingston's most popular sound systems. Campbell found himself fulfilling a variety of roles for Coxsone: providing security, handling ticket receipts, identifying and sourcing music as well as working in the essential role of selector. The knowledge he gained about the financial and logistical aspects of staging a sound system dance was put to good use when Campbell made the decision to start his own sound system called 'Voice of the People'. Campbell approached his family and a radio shop owner called Mr Wong for financial backing; both parties agreed. Campbell's 'Voice of the People' sound system was soon operational and within a short time had established itself as a rival to the sound systems of Coxsone and Reid. Campbell applied to the Farm Work Program (guest worker scheme for the US agricultural sector) with the intention of buying music for his sound system but on the day of departure was refused entry into the scheme. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to personally source records from the US Campbell decided to record his own music. He approached Arkland "Drumbago" Parks; a professional drummer at the Baby Grand Club who had arranged and recorded a special (exclusive recording) for the Count Boysie sound system. Drumbago agreed to help and Campbell immediately began rehearsing with the musicians at the Baby Grand Club including the guitarist Jah Jerry who played on Campbell's first recording session.
In 1961 Campbell released his first single "Little Honey/Luke Lane Shuffle" featuring Jah Jerry, Drumbago and Rico Rodriquez recording under the name of Buster's Group. In that same year he produced "Oh Carolina" by the Folkes Brothers which was released on his Wild Bells label. The drumming on the record was provided by members of the Count Ossie Group; nyabinghi drummers from the rastafarian community, Camp David, situated on the Wareika Hill above Kingston. After becoming a hit in Jamaica "Oh Carolina" was licensed to Melodisc; a UK label owned by Emil Shalet. Melodisc released the track on their subsidiary label Blue Beat; the label would go on to become synonymous with 1960s ska releases for the UK market.
Campbell recorded prolifically throughout the 1960s; notable early ska releases include: "Madness" (1963), "Wash Wash" (1963 with Ernest Ranglin on bass), "One Step Beyond" (1964) and "Al Capone" (1964). The documentary This is Ska (1964), hosted by Edward Seaga and filmed at the Sombrero Club, includes Campbell performing his Jamaican hit "Wash Wash". In 1964 Campbell met World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali who invited him to attend a Nation of Islam talk at Mosque 29 in Miami. That year Campbell joined the Nation of Islam and also started to release material on his own imprint label called "Islam". In 1965 he appeared in Millie in Jamaica (a film short about Millie Small's return to Jamaica after the world-wide success of "My Boy Lollipop") which was broadcast on Rediffusion's Friday evening pop show Ready, Steady, Go!. Campbell had a Top Twenty hit in the UK with the track "Al Capone" (#18, February 1967). He toured the UK in spring 1967 appearing at the Marquee club in May and later toured America to promote the RCA Victor LP release The Ten Commandments (From Man To Woman). By the late 1960s Campbell was once again at the forefront of a musical change in Jamaica; the new music would be called rocksteady. Campbell tracks like "Shaking Up Orange Street" (1967) were arranged with the slower more soulful rocksteady template as used by Alton Ellis ("Rock Steady") and many others. The album Judge Dread Rock Steady was released in 1967 and the title track "Judge Dread" with its satirical theme and vocal style proved to be popular to the point of parody. In 1968 the compilation album FABulous was released; opening with the track "Earthquake" (which revisited the theme of Orange Street) and including earlier hits the album has regularly been reissued in the UK.
In 1972 the movie The Harder They Come was released which features Campbell in a cameo role as a DJ.
The UK ska revival at the end of the 1970s that started with the 2-Tone label from Coventry introduced Campbell's music to a new generation of listeners. In 1979 the band Madness released their first single on 2-Tone, a tribute to Campbell called "The Prince". The B-side was a cover of the Campbell song "Madness" from which they took their name. Their second single, released on the Stiff label ("The Prince" would be the only single released by Madness on the 2-Tone label), was a cover of Campbell's "One Step Beyond", which reached the UK Top 10. On their self-titled debut album, The Specials covered "Too Hot" as well as borrowing elements from Campbell's "Judge Dread" (in the song "Stupid Marriage") and "Al Capone" (in the song "Gangsters"). The Specials also included a cover of "Enjoy Yourself" on their second album More Specials. The Beat covered "Rough Rider" and "Whine & Grine" on their album I Just Can't Stop It. Campbell's song "Hard Man Fe Dead" was covered by the U.S. ska band The Toasters on their 1996 album 2 Tone Army.
In 1994 a UK court ruled in favour of John Folkes and Greensleeves after they brought a lawsuit against Campbell and Melodisc (CampbelI by this time had acquired Melodisc) concerning authorship of "Oh Carolina". Campbell had a Top Thirty hit in the UK with the track "Whine and Grine" (#21, April 1998) after the song had been used in an advert for Levi's.
In 2001 Campbell was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government for his contribution to music.
He performed at the 2002 Legends Of Ska festival in Toronto. Other appearances include: Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2003; the 2006 Boss Sounds Reggae Festival in Newcastle upon Tyne,[16] the 40th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with the Delroy Williams Junction Band, and the 2007 UK Rhythm Festival.
Black Head Chinaman
Prince Buster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God in heaven knows, he knows that you are wrong
Are you a Chinaman, are you a black man?
You don't need no eyeglass to see that your skin is black
Do you prefer your Chinaman to your fellow black man?
Speak up, friend, it's plain to understand
To use you, use you and use you, then refuse you
Because you're the first blackhead Chinaman
I did not know your foreparents were from Hong Kong
Every man has a right to where he belongs
So declare yourself and tell me where you are from
Because you're the first blackhead Chinaman
I did not know your foreparents were from Hong Kong
Every man has a right to where he belongs
So declare yourself and tell me where you are from
So declare yourself and tell me where you are from
Prince Buster's song "Black Head Chinaman" is a commentary on a complex issue of identity crisis among black individuals in Jamaica. The song explores the conflict within the black community about embracing their own cultural heritage or adopting the practices of Chinese immigrants to the island. The lyrics are provocative and pose questions about self-identity, cultural appropriation, and the struggle for acceptance.
The opening lines of the song refer to someone stealing the belongings of the singer and giving them to a Chinaman. This act is symbolic of the appropriation of black culture by Chinese immigrants who have come to Jamaica. The lyrics go on to question the identity of the person in question, as the singer wonders if they are a Chinaman or a black man. This highlights the confusion among some individuals in Jamaica who try to adopt different cultural practices and reject their own.
The song might seem racist or derogatory at first glance, but it is really a commentary on identity confusion and cultural appropriation. It is a call for black individuals to embrace their own cultural heritage and to stop trying to adopt Chinese practices. The lyric "because you're the first blackhead Chinaman" is a reminder that no matter how much someone tries to adopt another culture, they cannot change their natural identity.
Line by Line Meaning
You done stole my belongings and give to your Chinaman
You have stolen my belongings and given them to someone of Chinese descent.
God in heaven knows, he knows that you are wrong
A higher power knows that you are in the wrong.
Are you a Chinaman, are you a black man?
Do you identify as Chinese or Black?
You don't need no eyeglass to see that your skin is black
It is clear to see that you have dark skin without the aid of glasses.
Do you prefer your Chinaman to your fellow black man?
Do you favor someone of Chinese descent over someone who is Black?
Speak up, friend, it's plain to understand
Say something, it's easy to comprehend.
It won't be very long, they'll have a change of plan
It won't take very long for them to have a different agenda.
To use you, use you and use you, then refuse you
They will exploit you multiple times and then reject you.
Because you're the first blackhead Chinaman
Due to your Black and Chinese background, you are unique.
I did not know your foreparents were from Hong Kong
I was not aware that your ancestors originated from Hong Kong.
Every man has a right to where he belongs
Everyone deserves to identify with their ancestry and cultural background.
So declare yourself and tell me where you are from
Identify your heritage and tell me your place of origin.
Because you're the first blackhead Chinaman
Due to your Black and Chinese background, you are unique.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@goldbl03
Derrick Morgan clapped back with ‘blazing fire’ 🔥
@Pylliwigins
This song was for his friend Derrick Morgan, when he signed with the chinese jamaican producer Leslie Kong.
@thereverendjones6110
I never knew that, thanks
@andythemod1968
... best music you can hear on a scooter tour! 😎🛵🇬🇧
@johnnygolaub8577
Love ❤️ the tunes papa give me more
@portes1991
lord have mercy!
@denzylebenjamin8089
We done know the score regarding Derrick Morgan & Prince Buster.
@ForgottenFaces001
would you happen to know who is the publisher of this song? i know prince buster released it way back when on his own label but who owns the rights now?
@gewglesux
@SoundOut260 Hey, thanks for the reply. I was not sure of what was going on here, but i knew it was some kind of feud. I never knew such"beautiful" music could come from a war between 2 people. I think i might have heard of the photo shoot but i cannot be sure.. thanks for the explanation! Cheers
@donhue4546
lee perry also responded to busters attack on morgan,but with more venom