EXILE ONE STORY: Part IV The consolidation of the Cadence-Lypso genre. The record sleeve/jacket used to illustrate Part III of this series, shows a picture of the six persons who began the Cadence-Lypso genre in Paris, France. On drums the late Oliver Crookie Cruickshank, Vivian Wallace on bass guitar, Julien Mourillon on lead guitar, Fitzroy Williams on keyboards, Kremlin Fingal on cornet/trumpet and Gordon Henderson on lead vocals. Every one of the six contributed what they were capable of contributing. Not all musicians are blessed with creative talent. Some can execute and a few have what it takes to create a concept and promote it. The album featured in Part III was quickly released and became an instant hit in the French Antilles. The song Ah TaTa became a carnival anthem for many years. Jamais voir ça has become a part of the Creole music patrimony. Most of the songs have remained in the collective memory of the Antilleans. Although the songs are simple, the topics spoke to issues of the day using figures of speech that even some of the members to this day may not know the true meanings. Upon the groups return to Guadeloupe, Debs the first producer changed his mind about not having Gordon sing Creole and ordered an immediate ALL CREOLE album. This is when Edouard Labor the man who had made Gordon make his first recording before the song love, turned down Gordons request to join the group and suggested his younger brother: PIERRE LABOR. The other musicians saw Pierre Labor for the first time at the studio. After a few trials Pierre was deemed a perfect match. Pierre is an exceptional saxophonist. A wah wah effect was placed on his recording unknowing to him. When he heard it, he was angry but he relunctantly agreed to keep it. This became his signature... Importantly, it most be noted that Fitzroy Williams recorded only one song on that album which was hit me with music. Fitzroy was ill and all keyboards were done by Gordon Henderson. The pic featured on the cover of the album featured here shows Gordon on keys because the band performed as such when Fitzroy was absent. That album had a phonomenal world wide success. Billboard Magazine had a special article speaking of the tremendous sales of the then distributor Sonodisc in France and cited that Exile One had already sold over 70,000 copies in France. The Debs company licensed the album for manufacture and distribution in Barbaados, Jamaica and many other countries. At the time a gold record was 100,000 in France. This was the first Creole music group to exceed 100, 000 records sold. Demand for the group was at an all time high and promoters were so happy after performances that they requested other Dominican bands not knowing that this new musical style was an Exile One creation. The Grammaks group was the first follow up in a long list... Groups arrived in Guadeloupe and Martinique in droves and they were all asked to play like Exile One and a movement was born. NEXT PART V: The introduction of a horn section and an offer to sign with a major recording company.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:54:25 +0000
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