Everyone knows about Stingray Records. The authentic 'yard' sound, the famous wood panelled studio, a home from home for Jamaican artists, the Reggae chart hits and the iconic spinning record logo. But what would the vibes be like when I got to the Big House?

On the way there I passed through Wembley as England prepared to face Russia in a European Championship qualifier. The police were out in numbers, vans on every corner, local youths stopped and searched. The message was clear - stay off the street. The reception at the home of Stingray couldn't have been more different from the home of English football. He may operate within the hyped up orbit of Jamaican Reggae stars and have a most single minded approach to the music he releases, but Carl 'Dillie' McLeod couldn't be more accommodating.

 

The Big House is situated in the North West London suburb of Perivale, but Dillie was brought up in nearby Willesden and Harlesden. He says it was a hot spot for Reggae.

"Now you hear them saying Brixton, but in the seventies when artists were coming from Jamaica, Harlesden was the main point. My friend Father Lord Koos used to be on Fortunegate Road. When Johnny Clarke, Bunny Lee and all a them used to be around, that's where they would be. Reggae music was a big link in Harlesden."

I began by asking Dillie how Stingray get that so called yard sound in the London Borough of Ealing and how he feels about the description.

"It's a compliment that people are rating me against the Jamaican producers and the sound that they're getting out of their production. In England a lot of the studios that are doing Reggae don't get it right. It never seems to have 'that' sound. But I don't think I'm doing anything different from anyone else... I'm an engineer and everyone thinks different about how they want to sound. I like my drum and bass heavy, but not all my tunes are heavy...Another thing I guess is that I use a lot of sounds. I always want guitar. Then you have your keyboardist ; probably put on a trombone or a trumpet or a sax. You add to the ingredients. Back in the day when you used to listen to Lovers Rock or English Reggae it wouldn't have enough guitar, horns, piano or other stuff to give it a groovy kind of feeling. It is to do with cost, but if you're doing a production you've got to be creative haven't you? Everyone uses sax; so try a muted sax or a muted trumpet. Something that's apart from the regular. We've had guys come and play violin. It's different from the norm. Add singers and wow!"

 

Dillie photographs every artist that passes by the Big House studio and they all feature on the huge and constantly evolving collage that dominates the place. it's an extraordinary who's who of Reggae music and includes several characters that you'd imagine would be accompanied by plenty of 'attitude'.

"Some come in here with an attitude, but it doesn't mean you react in the same way. Jamaican artists have grown up different, but I come from a family of ten and five were born in Jamaica. I do a lot of travelling backwards and forwards between here and there. It's a bit rougher there, it's a bit tougher there. They've grown up in that environment. You have to be there yourself to get to understand. People think they've got some kind of attitude, but it's not as bad as you think. It's how you handle people. I really get on with everyone."

In fact Dillie goes on to explain that it has often been home-grown artists who have had the most difficulty in getting with the Stingray programme.

"I get British singers saying "Bwoy Stingray don't work with no British artists". But music should be teamwork. My door is open and they should come in the studio, hear a riddim and say "let's try to get something going" because there's not much else happening for them. Out of all the UK artists, Prince Malachi has been the only one to do that. We're on a second album project with him because he sees what we see. He likes what we like. We work together."

 

With the Big House twenty four track desk in front of him, Dillie was leaning back in his chair. Totally at ease in his own space and looking every inch the archetypal Reggae producer. It's the total opposite of the home studio set-ups that are now so common. However Dillie has a modest demeanor and seems to be a natural diplomat. He's generous with information, talks freely and openly, but sticks to personal experiences and observations. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who tells other people how to run their business or claims to know everything. When he talks about "what we see", that's literally what he means.

Stingray have been releasing records since the early nineties and in that time the market has changed. The British scene has contracted and the lucrative licensing deals that reflected Stingray's popularity in the U.S are coming around less often. The latest album from the camp to see release here will be Lukie D's 'Here I Am' which has been licensed through Japanese label Laxis and has already been out in Japan for some time. As Dillie explains.

"We're moving at a slower pace, because of how the music business is going in the UK right now. It's kinda slow here. The vinyl is not selling as much because of piracy and digital downloads. When you put singles out now you get all these sharks putting it on CD and downloading it. They're selling your stuff. So we're trying to find a way to consolidate whilst all this is going on."

It's the ever expanding European demand for Reggae that could well have the biggest influence on how Stingray progress from now on.

"We used to do more Lovers in my early days, but when I started to travel I realised what they wanted more of out there. You don't just want it to be an England ting. You've got to try and make your stuff reach out as much as possible. I found that the Roots music reached a lot more. That was why we started to go for more Roots singers, rather than the Lovers Rock singers we had locally. In Europe they liked our Roots tunes like the 'Lava' riddim or 'My Meditation' riddim. Some of the Lovers Rock songs wouldn't really do too well there. The Roots ones do particularly well in Sweden and France. We have a lot of followers who like the Roots."

 

The next rhythm from Stingray to hit the streets will be adding further to the Roots catalogue. It will be an update of Junior Delgado's 'Fort Augustus'. Dillie delivers the good news.

"It's one of my favourite riddims and will hopefully be released in November. We're linking up with the French label Irie-ites at the moment. They'll be using the riddim track as well. I'll release some on my label and I've given them the go ahead to use the riddim for some of the artists that they're working with. Although we did end up voicing one of their artists, Ras Mac Bean, on the riddim and I'm going to include him in the package along with Bushman, Frankie Paul, Lukie D, Freddie Macgregor, Tony Curtis, Chukki Starr and John Junior."

This is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to hear. High expectations are justified I feel, but Dillie admits that there will be some long-time Stingray supporters who aren't entirely happy that Roots rhythms will be sitting front and centre for the time being. He also assumes that pirate radio will be even less supportive than they are at present. However, Stingray's direction isn't in any way just a commercial one. Dillie's music is also a response to the daily life in London; as a father and as part of his community.

"I do like Lovers Rock but times have changed. It's not as easy and relaxed as it was. There's a rougher edge out there. You've got to be singing songs that are going to wise up the youth."

If you love the Stingray style, I don't think you need to worry. The message is clear. Times change, and as the guardian of a family business Dillie has to respond, but the vision remains the same. Stingray will always be making what he calls "classical Reggae".

"I've got a lot of favourite Studio One and Bunny Lee tunes. I want them for myself, so I make my version of a classic. In each album project I have at least three or four nice do-over songs. The rest of the tracks are original rhythms."

Who could possibly argue with Roots productions following on from where 'My Meditation' left off. It was a rhythm that had long time Stingray supporter David Rodigan raving about its classic sound. I had to know more and Dillie was happy to oblige.

"OK let me tell you about that. The idea was to think about Bob Marley's 'Sun Is Shining'. I was saying that I didn't want it to sound like Bob Marley though; let's create something similar. Without some of the instrumentation you'd think it was 'Sun Is Shining' but we re-arranged the elements in there and brought it away from the original. Still, if you really listen you'll hear it because its close."

'My Meditation' was one of Stingray's sound system hits, but this is not a priority for Dillie.

"I used to play sound but I think my stuff is more for home use. At home relaxing, you put one of my albums on. My stuff's more kinda steady, but I wouldn't say its 'Big People' music. You should hear the greetings I get from the young people when I go a Europe! I'm shocked myself. They're not big people."

The influence that Stingray have in Europe is demonstrated by some of the labels that have emerged on the scene comparatively recently. Dillie generously provides advice, information and makes introductions for up-coming labels like Special Delivery and Pow Pow. The music business might be precarious at present but Dillie takes heart from the success of new labels who have taken inspiration from his.

 

Stingray's slower pace has given Dillie the time to hire the studio out more often in the last couple of years. It has added to the 'Yard style' credentials of the Big House.

"When Jamaican artists come to London, they always come here. Rather than moving to different studios just to voice a tune they say "I'm at Stingray, just come down here." Sometimes I end up mixing it, other times they just voice and take their stuff to other places."

You don't feel locked away in the studio when you're there. Our conversation casually moved outside, and the opportunity to just hang out is said to to be something that reminds Jamaican artists of home. It was a balmy September evening and I could almost conjure up an image of Kingston in my mind. But then it was time to face Wembley again on the way home. Still, I had the 'Fort Augustus' riddim to look forward to and England had won three nil. Everyone was happy.

 

September 2007

Stingray Myspace: www.myspace.com/stingraymusic

Carl "Dillie" McLeod photographed by www.rainbowconsulting.co.uk