Keith Poppin recalls making of ‘Envious’ in Channel One studio

For five weeks in 1975, Keith Poppin went to Channel One studio in Kingston to record songs for his second album. That set,

Envious

, was produced by Phil Pratt and released late that year. On September 10, the 10-song album was re-issued by Aggrobeat Records, an independent company based in the Netherlands. It is available digitally and on vinyl. Poppin, who lives in North Carolina, recalls the lively recording sessions which took place in the evenings. Some of the musicians who backed him were bass guitarists Aston “Familyman” Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare; drummers Carlton Barrett and Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace; keyboardist Ansel Collins and guitarists Earl “Chinna” Smith and Rad Bryan. “Everyone was in one harmony; it was a good work environment. Channel One was always like dat,” he said in an interview with

Observer Online

.

Envious

produced two singles — the title track and Mother-In-Law. Poppin says the re-issue gives fans another opportunity to listen to music from an era considered reggae’s most creative. “This is good for them to hear where the music is coming from,” he stated. Pratt, who died in the United Kingdom last February, was one of many grassroots producers who emerged in Jamaica during the 1970s. His productions included Strange Things by John Holt, Artibella by Ken Boothe and Talk About Love by Pat Kelly. Born Keith Smith in Westmoreland, Poppin moved to Kingston as a teenager. He was raised in Allman Town, a community that produced acts like BB Seaton of The Gaylads, Carl Dawkins and Horace Andy. His breakthrough came in 1973 with

Same Thing For Breakfast

, a song produced by Lloyd Campbell. Poppin has lived in the United States since the early 1990s. He continues to record songs, with his most recent releases being Africa Calling and Rocking. — Howard Campbell