Today I want to take a look at another person who, like a few of the names we've covered thus far, has very much gone through his career with the tags of being underrated and underappreciated; but I'm not entirely sure that it's the case. Of course, you could say that others (like similarly vibed Luciano, in particular) have gone onto enjoy a level of success that he has not and will not but for people who truly know the music of Bushman, I don't think he's suffering in the category of ratings and appreciation. Over the course of the past three decades +, the BEAUTIFUL voice of the St. Thomas (Jamaica) born singer has delighted fans around the world and, hopefully, he will continue to do so for the next three decades. Today we take a look at someone who, whether you've realized it or not, has firmly cemented his place amongst some of the greatest of his era. Signatures: Bushman
#1. 'Sanctuary'
I praise HIM everyday! 'Sanctuary', most likely, is my absolute favourite Bushman song ever. There's one more tune in the question but if I had to pick between the two, here's my choice. I can almost remember hearing this thing for the first time as it sits atop the "Signs" set and, literally, being BLOWN THE FUCK AWAY. What am I listening to?! What is this??? Let's start at the riddim, first of all. That entire album was billed as being a "live" album; not LIVE in the sense of it was recorded in a concert/live performance but in the sense that there was an actual band playing a riddim behind an actual singer at all times. It wasn't a track playing behind someone in a booth with headphones on. There were players of instruments (including Sly & Robbie and Chinna Smith) backing singers (like Pam Hall) an engineer (Fatta Pottinger) and all of that good stuff so from a purely sonic perspective, 'Sanctuary' was divine. Oh! The riddim! The actual music here had such a powerful vibes to it. It was emotional but not overdone and it was chilled but not frosty.
"I'm singing songs of redemption
Repatriation
THE BLACK MONARCHY MUST STAND
You're sitting down in babylon
It is a strange land
Ethiopia awaits with open hands
WHILE IN MY SANCTUARY
I PRAISE JAH EVERYDAY!"
What Bushman would do with it is to put on a praise for The Almighty for the ages. What really stands out in his case for me is how much of himself he puts into 'Sanctuary'. It's one of the best usages of his awesome vocals that I've heard and it almost seems that the Bushman... loses himself in this one. Particularly as it progresses, he finds his 'happy place' and is THRILLED at the prospects of giving thanks to His Majesty. Like I said, most likely this is the best song I've ever heard from Bushman and it's also one of the best that I've ever heard, PERIOD. BOOM!
#2. 'Mr. Gunis'
Gun chemist. The time Bushman spent singing for the legendary King Jammy's would open him up to a variety of different sounds and you'd have an establishing ROOTS singer taking on some of the heaviest Dancehall tracks of the time. The scathing 'Mr. Gunis' was an example of this as the Bushman sat his foot all over the Ward's Da Joint Riddim. This tune, like a later one I'm going to tell you about at least partially stands out because of how COMPLETE it is. The song is kind of a social commentary but also an anti-violence piece where Bushman tells the story of someone chose the wrong path in life. He tells why such a choice might be attractive to people and how much respect and fear this man may get but then he tears it down. He deals with the negative effects on the individual and others and does it in a way that you only generally hear on much heavier traditional Roots records. 'Mr. Gunis' was DARK and it was HEAVY and, again, still fit so damn perfectly in the Dancehall.
#3. 'Fire Pon A Deadas'
Haffi live clean. Turbulence once had a decent sized hit on his hands with a tune called 'Run Away' (that man LOVED singing that song in live performance and the audience loved hearing him do it). It was about animals, literally, running away from people who were coming to eat them. It was a serious topic, basically, but it was also put together in an almost funny way. I bring 'Run Away' up because I've always gotten a similar, though less enthused for obvious reasons, feeling about Bushman's 'Fire Pon A Deadas'. Just listen to it casually and you get what he's saying and it's all good. You can enjoy it and have a nice time, finding a nice level of respect for what goes on in here. Yet, when you really dig into 'Fire Pon A Deadas'.... something kinda funny happens.
"I & I ah bun all bone-sucker
Wi go against 'tucky and dung a King Burger"
Bushman shines, lyrically, on the track if you gave him the opportunity to and though it is as simple as it could be, the sonics here were SUPER SWEET. We also remember 'Fire Pon A Deadas' as being somewhat of a response to another Bushman tune that I'll tell you about right now.
#4. 'Fire Bun A Weak Heart'
Coulda never get me down. One of the Bushman's biggest hits (arguably his single biggest, actually) remains the nearly three decades old 'Fire Bun A Weak Heart' for King Jammy's. CONFIDENCE is what I take from 'Fire Bun A Weak Heart'. He goes through several different instances and situations but only seems to do so to say, ".... but I don't have time for all of that shit"; and he does this with what has to be one of the finest written tracks that Bushman has ever turned in.
"You and yuh crew can go to hell
Cause after wi no under yuh colonial spell
And all those false doctrine that you compel
HEY!
And all those books you stole away
All those kids you ld astray
Wait on yuh judgment day"
He is more than solid on this one, with the remaining sentiment (at least for me) being the idea that though all of these things do exist, you don't have to pay them any mind. They can be inconsequential if you make them... and they are WEAK.
#5. 'Call The Hearse'
No easy. Bushman's well respected anti-violence piece, 'Call The Hearse', has always been a favourite of mine and a lock for this list. Some of that credit goes to Steely & Clevie who lent the singer their funky Skettel Riddim and to them he returned, arguably, the track's single biggest moment and a somewhat unlikely nice-sized hit for its time. The tune has also aged quite well and remains one of Bushman's more popular efforts. Something else that I've always appreciated about 'Call The Hearse' is just how DARK it is. It's ghoulish at times:
"Somebody call the hearse
Cause a body's getting stink
It needs to leave the turf
Make it quick because it's getting rather worse"
But despite this quality, it remains fairly open and ACCESSIBLE as well; it's still pleasing to hear. Bushman also personalizes it and places himself in the same context of being a potential gunman and walking that route in life but saying that he also put the gun down (or never decided to actually pick it up), which could sit in the heads of others faced with a similar choice to make. 'Call The Hearse' is essential Bushman. One of the very few pieces here that I think is without question.
#6. 'Send Dem Come' featuring I Lue
Slew dem. Chances are fairly decent that if you are a fan of the semi-reclusive I Lue, you are such because of the work he's done alongside Bushman over the years. While they've done a number of tunes together, my personal favourite has always been 'Send Dem Come', their cut of the Bada Bada Riddim for King Jammy's (via vintage Ward 21) (damn, it used to be so much fun back then). 'Send Dem Come' is a fairly AGGRESSIVE praising tune.
"Send dem come
Mi seh one-by-one
Selassie I ahgo slew dem wid di sceptre inna him hand"
It never gets to the point of offense (as if painting The Almighty as.... a hunter, for example) but 'Send Dem Come' was a warning that if you're not living right and you're doing dirty deeds, there will come a point when you will face a foe against Whom -- no matter how bad you are -- your chance of victory simply does not exist.
#7. 'Yadd Away Home'
That's where I belong. Along with 'Sanctuary', STUNNING repatriation anthem 'Yadd Away' is one of the two finest pieces I have ever heard from the Bushman. The tune, which topped his opus "Higher Ground", is wholly flawless. It is without a hint of blemish as it goes about its way in such a cool manner. There is a definite emotion behind it and it comes through but, around it, is such a SWEET laidback and serene type of vibes. This tune sounds like Bushman is laying around his yard and just singing what's on his mind but, at the same time, it's well produced and refined. 'Yadd Away Home' is a tremendous display of a talent so delightfully natural that it cannot be ignored! When the world gets too crazy for you and you need moments to yourself, know that you always have a refuge and a place of piece but physically and mentally.
#8. 'Robbery Aggravation'
Only one solution.
"Robbery with aggravation
Shooting with intent
The ghetto youths are not comfortable cause the dollars don't worth a cent
Inflation in the economy is making my people paranoid
AND THERE'S ONLY ONE SOLUTION: TO BE GOVERNED BY RASTAFARI"
By far one of the most COMPREHENSIVE and COMPLETE social commentaries that I have ever come across, 'Robbery Aggravation' was one of MANY highlights from an album of highlights, "Higher Ground". The song finds the singer breaking down concerns of the masses to a fine, powder-like substance and then grinding it down even further for the sake of delivering one mighty moment.
"The people are tired of working from nine to five and still find it hard to find food
And the only survival is parchment paper with dead bones lying around
And police and soldiers, from the queen they take orders, to shoot the people down
BABYLON SYSTEM IS JUST ONE BIG CIRCUS THAT'S SEARCHING FOR SOME CLOWNS"
Furthermore, this thing is PRISTINE! It sounds damn glorious and you end up with a song which is highly proficient while simultaneously being one of the sweetest vibes on this list altogether.
#9. 'Creatures of The Night'
Parasites. Like 'Sanctuary, the downright GLORIOUS 'Creatures of The Night' was a product of the exquisite "Signs" album, and it has also remained with me from the very first time I heard it and if you pressed play on the video, you know precisely why that is. 'Creatures of The Night' is EASILY one of the best songs that Bushman has ever done and if it were to have come from the catalogues of Natty King, even Luciano or anyone else people claim he sounds like, it would still be the case (biggup Prince Theo). This song was ENTERTAINING modern Roots music. There was a beautiful and significant message, the sound behind it was lovely and Bushman, himself, even adopted a very interesting delivery which found him almost deejaying at times and doing so masterfully. What resulted was as fine of a display of his capabilities that I have ever heard.
"Every morning as mi rise, mi haffi greet flesh
Man a vegetarian and a wi no eat flesh
HAIL SELASSIE I BECAUSE HIM A DI SWEETEST"
#10. 'Arms of A Woman'
You are on my mind. When the most unfortunately late Calibud got his hands on the riddim for Gregory Isaacs' Tune In, it became the Slow Down The Pace Riddim and both he and the vocalists (most of them, anyway) did a fine job in honouring the classic. The new track would spawn a couple of nice sized hits in the way of 'Mr. Nine' & 'Keep Your Joy' from Buju Banton & Jah Mason, respectively. You also got solid sets from the likes of Junior Kelly, Capleton, George Nooks, Glen Washington and others. FORTUNATELY, Calibud also placed a call to Bushman as he would go on to bless the riddim with the SUGARY SWEET lover's set, 'Arms of A Woman'. Here's all (most of) you need to know: 'Arms of A Woman' is one of the best love songs I've ever heard. I'm not a connoisseur on the subgenre but, just like you, I've probably heard literally thousands of love songs and here is, EASILY, a top ten entrant of them all. Furthermore, I should also say that 'Arms of A Woman' has been "on my mind" from the first time that I heard it - which would be over twenty years at this point. I was much younger back then and such songs didn't really catch my attention. Here was a GLARING exception.
#11. 'Herb Field'
Where I wanna be. I had to make sure I included this loooooooong forgotten gem from nearly thirty years ago, the Mac Dada produced (truly HORRID name but they did some really good work in their time. BEAUTIFUL tune called 'Mountain Song' by Norris Man being amongst the standouts) 'Herb Field'. You look at the title and you can come away thinking one thing about this song and you wouldn't be incorrect in presuming that 'HERB FIELD' is kind of an herb song. It is. HOWEVER, in general, Bushman deals with establishing a more natural and peaceful existence and seeking refuge there from the crazy world around him. You'll find another, far more popular, similarly themed track in these ranks and it's always seemed to be something that the singer has focused on prominently throughout his career. He mined gold when he set out with 'Herb Field'... even if no one remembers it.
{Note: There're two versions of this song that I know of. I THINK this is the older one and it is my favourite}
#12. 'Hear Wah Mi Ah Seh'
It haffi seh. Finally is the most recent entry on this list as, a few years ago, the Bushman teamed up with another great of production, Don Corleon to give us the BRILLIANT 'Hear Wah Mi Ah Seh'. The tune, which I enjoyed from the first time I heard it, has grown CONSIDERABLY on me over the past few years to the point where it not only makes this list but I'd probably put it in the top half of songs on it as well. The tune found a very opinionated Bushman with somethings on his mind that he had to get off and work out and, fortunately, he chose us all to be his audience... whether you like it or not (....and you do. You do like it).
"I bun social media
Pure follower and a very few leader
Likkle juvenile, dem ah box dung teacher
And the granny posting her personal life everyday"
"It's a disgrace-
The Black race ah bleach dem face
And di juvenile dem nah keep dem pants pon dem waist"
"Seh weh mi ah seh because mi haffi seh weh mi ah seh
But nuff no waan fi hear wah mi ah seh"
And that comes on top of a damn CRYSTAL of a riddim. Swinging, euphoric and just GOLDEN is Don's track... making you wish that these two had teamed up earlier than they did (like when Corleon was burning everything in sight with Reggae riddim after riddim... Seasons, Drop Leaf, Heavenly). To some degree, I suppose, you could use the route of this one to sum up the entire list (or Bushman's entire career, even) as he has spent his time getting certain things off of his chest and, when at his best, the results have been unforgettable.
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