Derrick Morgan - Blazing Fire

Prince Buster vs. Derrick Morgan ('62)

One of the first feuds to be heard on vinyl in the Jamaican music industry was between Prince Buster and Derrick Morgan. 1961 saw the rise of Leslie Kong, one of Busters main rivals. When Derrick Morgan left Buster for recording with Kong the producer felt quite betrayed - especially as he felt that many of the songs Derrick recorded for Kong where composed and evolved by Buster, Morgan and Eric Morris at the backyard of Busters Record Shack. More specifically he was offended that on Morgans song "Forward March" there was a solo by Headly Bennett that he felt sounded like one Lester Sterling had taken for him on the song "They Got To Come". So Buster recorded the song "Black Head Chinaman" (Prince Buster VOP 7", '63) in which he accused Derrick Morgan of stealing his possession and giving them to a Chinese man (Kong). Derricks response was the song "Blazing Fire" and thus had the musical feud begun. Buster recorded "Thirty Pieces of Silver" and Morgan responded with "No Raise No Praise".

The feud lead to to supporters of both artists getting aggravated with the result that prime minister Shearer stepped in and had pictures of the artists feature in magazines where they showed that the feud was nothing more than a friendly affair. Even this didn't stop the feud entirely as more people where drawn in such as Chenley Duffus. The feud is thought to have been a set-up to attract attention to the artists and boost sales.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Derrick
• Morgan
• Blazing
• Fire
• Prince
• Buster
• Ska
• Feuds
• Reggae
• Revival
• Laurel
• Aitken
• Lester
• Sterling
• Owen
• Gray
• Kentrick
• Patrick
• King
• Horror

[123gogary]

Pround owner of this single in the UK

Island Records Wi -051 - 1963

Beverleys - Jamacia

B-side I'm In a Jam - Derrick & Patsy

Big up lardsah

Apparently snipet of this tune featured in the film Quadrophenia.

[lardsah]

Treasure it Gary for real bredrin. Tuf tune.

I didn't know that about that film Quadrophenia. Seen it years ago though.

[tawnyforever]

Brill track lardsah :-)

Thanks for all the info....Makes interesting reading!!

Respect

ReggaeD :-)

[lardsah]

Yes ReggaeD. I heard about the feud some years ago but didn't know why until I did some diggin.

Nuff love sis.

[DollyMat]

Like father like Daughter - Big ups to Queen I-frica!! Faada Derrick is a master.  Listen to and loved all his and Busters tunes coming up as a young girl thanks to my parents, loved the rivalry.

[therdbd]

1. And the reason Derrick Morgan went to record for

Beverleys ??

Because they offered him better money than he was getting

with Buster.

There is a good bit in a book on the history of Jamaican

music (cannot recall the title) where one protagonist said

people were arguing over what they were going to do about

"de chineman' , when not even considering how they were

all screwing each other over money.

2. And a nice reference to "Be still" in the lyrics (know who that song was a ref to ?? ) .

[TroijanSkinhead]

callin me a black n chineez

[1jaq]

See, the same type of feuding, like whats goin on today, ie, merciless vs ninjaman for example, all hype to sell music, very good marketing however and wicked music! Tune!