Uziah Thompson
Encyclopedia
Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (born August 1, 1936) is a Jamaican percussionist, vocalist and deejay
active since the late 1950s. He has worked with some of the best known performers of Jamaican music and played on hundreds of albums.
at the age of 15 in search of work. He found employment with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, assisting him with running his sound system, in time becoming a deejay
with the system under the name 'Cool Sticky'. He became one of the earliest men to record in the new deejay style, using his mouth to make clicks and other percussive sounds. As a deejay he recorded with The Skatalites
and can be heard on the tracks "Ball Of Fire", "El Pussy Cat Ska", "Guns of Navarone", as well as others. While working for Dodd he began a friendship with Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Thompson recorded as a deejay for Perry, and for Joe Gibbs
in the late 1960s, on tracks such as "Train to Soulsville".
Thompson rose to prominence as an instrumentalist in the early 1970s, beginning with a session by The Wailers for Perry in 1970, soon becoming one of Jamaica's top percussionists. He became a regular session musician in several studios, including playing as a member of Gibbs' house band The Revolutionaries
, recording prolifically throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and appearing on recordings by artists including Big Youth
, Dennis Brown
, The Congos
, Culture
(including Two Sevens Clash
), Peter Tosh
, Burning Spear
(Dry and Heavy
), Yabby You
(Beware Dub), and The Wailing Souls
. He also performed as part of the live bands of several artists including Jimmy Cliff
(playing on the 1976 album In Concert and playing in his Oneness band). In the 1980s, Thompson was a regular member of Black Uhuru
, playing on their early 1980s albums Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out, and Dub Factor. Thompson continued to play regularly on studio sessions for artists such as Bunny Wailer
, Grace Jones
(as a member of the Compass Point All Stars
), Gregory Isaacs
, and Ziggy Marley
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. More recently he has recorded with Stephen Marley
(the Grammy-winning Mind Control
), Sinéad O'Connor
, and Michael Franti
.
Sticky has remained active in the Jamaican music industry. In the 2000s he moved into production, and toured the world with Ziggy Marley's band.
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
active since the late 1950s. He has worked with some of the best known performers of Jamaican music and played on hundreds of albums.
Biography
Thompson was born the third of five children in the rural Mannings Mountain district of Jamaica. Due to his family's poverty he was unable to complete his education and moved to KingstonKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
at the age of 15 in search of work. He found employment with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, assisting him with running his sound system, in time becoming a deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
with the system under the name 'Cool Sticky'. He became one of the earliest men to record in the new deejay style, using his mouth to make clicks and other percussive sounds. As a deejay he recorded with The Skatalites
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
and can be heard on the tracks "Ball Of Fire", "El Pussy Cat Ska", "Guns of Navarone", as well as others. While working for Dodd he began a friendship with Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Thompson recorded as a deejay for Perry, and for Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs (record producer)
Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...
in the late 1960s, on tracks such as "Train to Soulsville".
Thompson rose to prominence as an instrumentalist in the early 1970s, beginning with a session by The Wailers for Perry in 1970, soon becoming one of Jamaica's top percussionists. He became a regular session musician in several studios, including playing as a member of Gibbs' house band The Revolutionaries
The Revolutionaries
The Revolutionaries is a Jamaican reggae band.-Career:Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, created the new "rockers" style that would change the whole Jamaican sound The...
, recording prolifically throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and appearing on recordings by artists including Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
, Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
, The Congos
The Congos
The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.-History:...
, Culture
Culture (band)
Culture was a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976. Originally they were known as the African Disciples.The members of the trio were Joseph Hill , Albert Walker and Kenneth Dayes ....
(including Two Sevens Clash
Two Sevens Clash
Two Sevens Clash is the debut album by roots reggae band Culture, recorded with producer Joe Gibbs at his own Joe Gibbs Recording Studio in Kingston in 1976, and released on Gibbs' eponymous label in 1977...
), Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
(Dry and Heavy
Dry & Heavy (album)
Dry & Heavy is an album by reggae artist Burning Spear. It was released in 1977 on Island Records.-Track listing:#"Any River" - 3:19#"The Sun" - 3:42#"It's A Long Way Around" - 3:06#"I W.I.N." - 3:47#"Throw Down Your Arms" - 4:05...
), Yabby You
Yabby You
Vivian Jackson , better known as Yabby You , was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.-Biography:...
(Beware Dub), and The Wailing Souls
The Wailing Souls
The Wailing Souls are a Jamaican reggae vocal group still recording and performing live, whose origins date back to the 1960s.-Career:They have recorded with many top Jamaican record producers including Coxsone Dodd of Studio One, Lloyd "King Jammy" James, Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Delroy Wilson and...
. He also performed as part of the live bands of several artists including Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
(playing on the 1976 album In Concert and playing in his Oneness band). In the 1980s, Thompson was a regular member of Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
, playing on their early 1980s albums Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out, and Dub Factor. Thompson continued to play regularly on studio sessions for artists such as Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
, Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
(as a member of the Compass Point All Stars
Compass Point All Stars
The Compass Point phenomenon was designed to be to reggae-based pop/rock music of the 80s, what Nashville was to country music, or the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was to soul and R&B in the 60s: a recording facility animated by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers and engineers, all...
), Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, and Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. More recently he has recorded with Stephen Marley
Stephen Marley (musician)
Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
(the Grammy-winning Mind Control
Mind Control (Stephen Marley album)
Mind Control is the debut album of Stephen Marley, released on 20 March, 2007. The album won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Reggae Album.- Track listing :# "Mind Control"# "Hey Baby" # "Officer Jimmy"...
), Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, and Michael Franti
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
.
Sticky has remained active in the Jamaican music industry. In the 2000s he moved into production, and toured the world with Ziggy Marley's band.
External links
- Uziah Sticky Thompson at Roots Archives