- Peter tosh
-
- Word, Sound and Power
-
- interview by Chris Boyle
-
- I spoke with Peter Tosh on the telephone several times during
the last
- few months of his life. During our conversations, I found him
to be an
- extremely intense, thoughtful and sincere individual. I liked
him. I was
- looking forward to shaking his hand, looking him in the eye
and
- interviewing him when he reached California on his world tour
which
- was scheduled to begin in November. But one of those "invisible
- vampires" he sings about on his new album and talks about
in this
- interview canceled that meeting. The night Peter Tosh was murdered,
- I called his home in New York, hoping he would answer the phone.
-
- His phone answering machine did and it played this message.
- Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, Peter sang:
- "I am unable to come to the phone right now. But if you
leave your
- name and number, I'll get back to you somehow..."
- These are some of the last Words, Sound and Power of Peter
Tosh.
-
- CHRIS: Could you explain the legal hassle involving the release
of the
- album?
-
- PETER: Well, there's a whole lot of bullshit been goin' on
with the
- record company, because previously my albums that I gave the
same
- company have sold millions and they have not shown me statements
or
- royalties yet, and they're doin' it too on this one. So there's
a whole lot
- of bullshit goin' on. Right now, I'm plannin' on takin' them
back to
- court, because right now, they owe me millions of dollars and
I'm
- going to collect it. My previous four albums they got, including
Mama
- Africa. A whole lot of piracy goin'on.
-
- Q: You weren't trained to be a lawyer when you were growing
up in
- Jamaica. How do you stay on top of all this?
-
- A: I have my lawyer deal with the situation and right now we
plan to
- have them audited.
-
- Q: Why wouldn't they release the new album?
-
- A: Just politics, me brother. The reason for that is the album
was
- mostly held back by me, because of the situation. The record
company
- (EMI) breach my contract about 25 times, if not more. And they
have
- no respect. Until now they have not told me the album has been
- released in South Africa. They still deny the fact. I know,
because I
- have a copy of it. And not only that, they have two albums
that they
- released that they have not told me about. If I didn't go to
Zimbabwe,
- I wouldn't ever see one.
- And the other one was released in South America, which I haven't
seen
- yet, but my musicians have seen. A whole lot of bullshit goin'
on.
- Right now, the record company owes me a backup royalty and
they
- have to pay me. As sure as the sun will shine tomorrow, as
sure they
- will pay me.
-
- Q: You already won the battle to get the record released?
-
- A: Not to get the record released. To get away from the record
- company. I don't want to deal with them. They are in total
association
- with apartheid and their mentalities are apartheid. They have
no respect
- for black artists. I am the only artist that write, record
and even give
- them the album jacket. When you see the album you will see
what I'm
- talking about. All things, everything that makes the whole
album
- concept come from me and yet, they don't want to respect that.
I'm
- sick and tired of that scene.
-
- And they haven't given me an appropriate statement yet and
when I ask
- them for one I see it four years later. And when the statement
come,
- it's madness.
-
- Q: That blows my mind.
-
- A: Can you imagine me? It worries me so much that I would fight
any
- guy who stand in a position against my music in the record
company,
- physically.
-
- Q: Can you talk about any songs on the new album that stand
out?
-
- A: The whole album is a great album. It don't have no weak
side.
- I'll have to play those new songs on the tour. We're goin'
all over the
- world. I haven't been around the earth in four years now, so
there's a
- lot of work to be done. In the meantime, my operation is to
leave my
- record company, EMI. They don't work in the best of my interests.
- The record company owes me millions of dollars, so I'm not
going to
- die, or get hooked on drugs, seen? I'm going to stay sane so
I can get
- what's mine.
-
- Q: What do you view as the current state of reggae music?
-
- A: Well, right now reggae music is not reggae music. It's a
bunch of djs
- talkin' and chattin' and I don't call that reggae. I don't
like it. It's just
- talkin', chattin'. It's not singers and players of musical
instruments.
- They use music and lyrics. A dj don't use music. He just uses
riddim.
- Only riddim and rhyme.
-
- Q: The last Reggae Sunsplash tour came through and they played
a lot
- of pop-like disco or crossover reggae.
-
- A: I don't know what is crossover, 'cause I don't know where
they're
- goin' or how they're crossin' over to what. I hear a lot of
talkin' about
- crossover, but I play reggae music and all the music you hear
out there
- is influenced by reggae music, so how can reggae cross over
when all
- the music out there, they are the ones that crossed over to
reggae. Not
- reggae crossover to them.
-
- Reggae was before them. And that's what history has proven.
- These Western propagandists, the ones who try to make their
shit look
- right, these are the ones who talk this shit. We were playin'
reggae
- music for thousands of years, not just in the 19th or the 20th
century,
- when the blues came around and these things came around.
- And if you listen you will hear a song that was sung hundreds
and
- hundreds of years ago: "By the rivers of Babylon where
we sat down
- and there we wept when we remembered Zion/Where the wicked
put
- us away in captivity and require from us a song." Don't
forget that.
- Yes. It mean a lot. History has proven that we are the original
- musicians of the earth. The heartbeat.
-
- Q: Every time I see a picture of you, you have a pipe or you're
- smoking. The association of herb and reggae music, has it done
- good or bad for reggae?
-
- A: Herb and reggae has done good for me. Those ministers of
- propaganda and I say it again to the public, these are the
ones who try
- to keep us from these things. We are constitutionally, where
I am
- concerned, where the United Nations is concerned, herb for
me is
- legitimate, legal and loyally righteous, seen?
- 'Cause on the first declaration, the U.N. declaration gives
every man
- the right to administer his religion. They know what amendment
that is
- under. The same amendment gives me right to smoke herb.
- In Trinidad, Indians don't go to jail for herb. I am sick and
tired of
- hearin' them talking about ganja and reggae music and tryin'
to classify
- herbs as drugs.
-
- Herb is not drugs. No one ever been hooked on herb. You cannot
be
- hooked on herb. Seen? And herb never done no brain damage to
no
- one who smoke herb. Herb is no steppin' stone to no drugs.
- The reason why people take drugs when they take herb is because
they
- were tryin' to find a solution to what you would say darkens
the light
- of what they seen inside of them.
- They are havin' inner conflict and when that inner conflict
lights up
- within them, they think when they're on this trip of drugs,
assumin'
- herb was drugs they took herb. When they realized that herb
does not
- hide away their inner shit, then they realize that herb amplifies
that shit
- and brings it out more. So when they take crack and all of
those things
- that get you down that's what happens to destroy the earth,
seen?
-
- And I am not going to sit down and let no bureaucratic pirate
tell me I
- am smokin' herb and I'm a junkie and I am influence your children
to
- take drugs. I don't take drugs. And to classify what I take
as drugs is
- dangerous propaganda. And you can be charged for that and the
- charge is death. All the governments of the world have been
using herb
- for scientific experiments. In Jamaica, they have found out
that herb is
- the best cure for glaucoma. So I don't want them tell me a
bag of ras
- clot shit, because it's all over the world.
-
- Q: I haven't got to meet you in person but you seem like an
- intense guy.
-
- A: Every time. I am like lightning, earthquake and thunder,
me brother.
- You have to be this way or else they'll bury you and call you
a fuckin'
- hero.
-
- Q: Why did you write the song "No Nuclear War"?
-
- A: The situation the world is in. The world is being held ransom
by
- what they call two superpowers. Seen?
- Russia and the United States. And as defender of the universe,
- I don't hope to or intend to sit down and play dumb. I am a
spokesman
- for the Almighty. When I speak, it's just a warning, 'cause
He will not
- speak. He will take planes out of the air like the one that
happened last
- night and they don't know what caused it. And lots of tornadoes
and
- disasters that guys cannot investigate.
- So, because of the disaster and destruction that lies ahead
in my
- Father's kingdom and work that has to be done, it is my duty
to let
- them know, irrespective of how destructive they think they
are,
- they are not as destructive as the Almighty.
-
- Q: There's still someone more powerful than them.
-
- A: Seen.
-
- Q: I don't want to make you mad but the song "Fight Apartheid,"
- it seems a lot of musicians and singers sing this, but does
a song really
- fight apartheid?
-
- A: Uh huh. "Fight Apartheid" is the struggle. It's
the ancient,
- traditional black-white struggle. Apartheid is the shitstem.
- Apartheid is here in America. It's all over the fuckin' world.
Seen?
- But for what's goin' on, especially in South Africa, it's I
and I duty to
- let it be known that it's dirty and stinks and obnoxious and
it's time for
- a change.
-
- Q: So, in your opinion, a song does help fight apartheid?
-
- A: Yes. And it help to motivate the mind that fight apartheid.
-
- Q: Keeps people thinking about it.
-
- A: Yes, every time. It is my duty to do that.
-
- Q: In the song "Vampire," who is the vampire?
-
- A: Well, you know of them. These are the ones who suck the
blood of
- the innocent ones. Invisible vampires, because according to
- technology, vampires don't come out and bite your neck anymore.
- They cause a plane to crash or something destructive to happen
that
- blood have to spill and those invisible vampires will still
get their meals.
- It shall be eradicated.
-
- Q: When you come up with the ideas for your songs, how did
you go
- about writing them? Words, melody, or how do you write your
tunes?
-
- A: Them come many ways. I do it a variety of ways.
- Sometimes, I just sing them. Sometimes, the melody comes.
- Sometimes, the song. If the melody comes, I put words to it.
- If the words come, I put a melody to it, because I am the architect.
-
- Q: Each song has a full sound to it. Horns, backup vocals.
- There's a lot of stuff going on.
-
- A: Yeah mon. That's the way reggae music must be made, because
if
- it's not made that way, then it will not get that international
acceptance.
- Seen? This is no influence of nothin'. It's a divine inspiration.
If you
- listen to all the records the people play what they call reggae
music,
- my music is totally different. What I play comes out of me.
Full sound.
- Orchestral.
-
- Q: I can also hear the influence of the church.
-
- A: What do you mean? I am the church. The first church. The
church
- was influenced by I, but because of Western theology and demonology
- and all kinda ology they continue to make it like we have been
- influenced by the church. But we come to turn that around,
'cause the
- church was born out of me.
-
- Q: What are the symbols on your undershirt and armbands on
the
- album cover?
-
- A: Rastafari, Word, Sound and Power. Ethiopian. Amharic.
- Our language.
-
- Q: "in My Song": What's that about?
-
- A: What that song talk about, that song speaks of everything
you want
- to hear, 'cause I tell you why I sing about it, 'cause most
singers just
- sing about "darlin' I love you" and everything they
sing about the
- woman. I sing about the Almighty. First reverence and respect
is due
- unto him. All praises belonging unto Him. And as servant of
Him and
- as a defender of the universe, it is my duty musically to make
music