Bunny 'Striker' Lee acknowledged by the Reggae Awards, 2007

'Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee (born 23 August 1941) is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.

Lee began his career working as a record plugger for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label in 1962, later performing the same duties for Leslie Kong. He then moved on to work with Ken Lack, initially in an administrative role, before taking on engineering duties. Lee then moved into producing (i.e. financing) records himself, his first hit record coming with Roy Shirley's "Music Field" on WIRL in 1967. Lee then set up his own Lee's label, the first release being Lloyd Jackson's "Listen to the Beat". He produced further hits during 1967-68 by Lester Sterling and Stranger Cole, Derrick Morgan, Slim Smith and The Uniques ("My Conversation"), Pat Kelly, and The Sensations, establishing him as one of Jamaica's top producers. Between 1969 and 1972 he produced classic hits including Slim Smith's "Everybody Needs Love", Delroy Wilson's "Better Must Come", Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby", and John Holt's "Stick By Me".

Lee was a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to the Palmer Brothers (Pama) and Trojan Records in the early 1970s.

The mid-1970s saw Lee work with his most successful singer, Johnny Clarke, as well as Owen Gray and Cornell Campbell, and along with Lee "Scratch" Perry, he broke the dominance of Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid. This era also saw the emergence of the "flying cymbal" sound on Lee's productions, developed by drummer Carlton 'Santa' Davis, with Lee's session band, The Aggrovators.

Lee was instrumental in producing early dub music, working with his friend and dub pioneer King Tubby in the early 1970s. Lee and Tubby were experimenting with new production techniques, which they called "Implements of sound."[citation needed] Working with equipment that today would be considered primitive and limiting, they produced tracks that consisted of mostly the rhythm parts mixed with distorted or altered versions of a song.

With all the bass and drum ting now, dem ting just start by accident, a man sing off key, an when you a reach a dat you drop out everything an leave the drum, an lick in the bass, an cause a confusion an people like it...

Lee encouraged Tubby to mix increasingly wild dubs, sometimes including sound effects such as thunder claps and gunshots. In addition to King Tubby, dub mixers Prince Jammy and Philip Smart also worked extensively on Lee's productions, with most of Lee's dubs from 1976 onwards mixed by Jammy.

In addition to dub sides and instrumentals, Lee would be one of the first producers to realize the potential of reusing the same rhythm tracks time and time again with different singers and deejays, partly out of necessity - unlike some of the other major producers Lee did not have his own studio and had to make the most of the studio time he paid for.

The latter half of the 1970s saw Lee work with some of Jamaica's top new talent, including Linval Thompson, Leroy Smart, and Barry Brown.

By 1977 Joe Gibbs and Channel One Studios with the Hookim Brothers became "the place to be", reducing Lee's prominence. However, during the late 1970s Lee produced almost every deejay, notably Dennis Alcapone, U-Roy, I-Roy, Prince Jazzbo, U Brown, Dr Alimantado, Jah Stitch, Trinity, and Tapper Zukie. Most of these were quick productions, usually to classic Studio One or Treasure Isle riddims. The aim was to get deejay versions on the street quickly and were usually voiced at Tubby's studio in the Waterhouse district of Kingston. In the early 1980s, Lee purchased Gibbs' studio, and continued producing, albeit on a less prolific basis than in the 1970s.

In 1982 an episode of the Channel 4 documentary series Deep Roots was dedicated to Lee. Filmed in in the control room of King Tubby's studio it included a lengthy conversation with him and some of the musicians he has worked with over the years including Delroy Wilson, Johnny Clarke, Prince Jazzbo and Jackie Edwards. It then shows Lee producing a dub while Prince Jammy mixes. The program has been released on DVD in January 2008.' wikipedia

This book is crucial reading. Really easy and interesting. Also comes with a handy CD of Bunny's biggest hits and classics! Good value, especially with the CD, this book comes as hard-cover!

Noel Hawks & Jah Floyd / Bunny 'Striker' Lee
Reggae Going International 1967-1976: The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story
Pubished 2012: Jamaican Recordings
http://boomkat.com/books/556568-noel-hawks-jah-floyd-bunny-striker-lee-reggae-going-international-1967-1976-the-bunny-striker-lee-story

This was the most amazing show to do. To be able to play Bunny Lee records and ask him questions about his recollections of making them, the artists and other characters in the busniness in the late 60s and through the 70s was a great privilage. A dream to work with, we gave him the mic and turned the music low and he was very willing to share so much from his amazing experiences. I hope this show will be viewed as a valuable document as well as very enjoyable listenning.

I have to give many thank yous to my co-presenters for this show- Ringo and Mr Swingeasy.
Also big thanks Maz and Ringo for welcoming us to broadcast from their house. It would have been a real squish in my living room too full of records.
Thanks Frank, from Jamaican Recordings and Kingston Sounds, for driving Bunny over from Battersea and for putting out the wonderful new book. Check CDs and 45s on Frank's labels for Bunny Lee productions!
Thanks to Terrence Lo for taking photos of the event (photos not with me yet but I'll post some here when I get them).
Thanks a lot to great 80s producer Ossie 'Black Solidarity' Thomas for joining us and expressing a wish to come again and be the guest on a show. We will make sure that happens. It'll probably be a Cry Tuff show for that (Ringo's show on purple-radio.co.uk Wednesdays 6.30-8.00).
Thanks to all the listenners and shoutbox posters. Obviously a lot more of that going on for this show. I can't have a superstar guest on all my shows but when people take time to listen and post enthusiastic comments it inspires me.
[size=1050]Of course biggest thanks to great man himself Bunny Lee for his valuable time and for writing an amazing book![/size]


Ringo, Toby 'Mister Swing Easy', Bunny 'Striker' Lee, Ossie 'Black Solidarity' Thomas, Maria, Frank (Jamaican Recordings), and myself Stephen 'Mister Soundtapes' Taw (soundtapes.co.uk & mrsoundtapes.com)








Bunny in 1967 when he started as a independent producer making records for release on labels such as Beverly's, Caltone and Wirl

Stephen T's Funky People Bunny Lee Special ~
6th September 2012

Musical War - Roy Shirley (Lees 7")
Revelation - Alva Lewis (Lees Revive 7")
Run Come Dance - Glen Adams (Lees 7")
You're No Good - Cornell Campbell (Jackpot 7")
You're No Good - Ken Boothe (Attack 12")
The Beatitude - Slim Smith (Pama LP)
My Conversation - Slim Smith (Kingston Sounds LP)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Slim Smith (Pama LP)
Cool Cool Rocksteady - Don T Lee (Carifta 7")
The Look Of Love - Dennis Brown (Lee's 7")
Mr Chatterbox - Bob Marley (Striker Lee 7")
No Woman No Cry - Johnny Clarke (Grounation 7")
Play Fool Fe Get Wise - Johnny Clarke (Jackpot 7")
Taking Over Orange Street - Glen Adams & Roy Shirley (Dr Buster LP)
Shh (I'm Shocking) - Glen Adams & Alva Lewis (Dr Buster LP)
The Russians Are Coming - Val Bennett (Jamaican Sounds LP)
Press On Version - King Tubbys (Striker Lee 7")
Stop Them Jah Version - King Tubbys (Striker Lee 7")
King Of The Arena - Jah Stitch (Jackpot 7")
Invasion - Jackie Edwards (Jackpot 7")
Power Of Love - Ronnie Davis (Jackpot 7")
Dance In Greenwich Farm - Cornell Campbell (Jamaican Sounds LP)
Please Be True - Cornell Campbell (Jackpot 7")
Sharon - Jackie Edwards (Striker Lee 7")
It Must Come - Dennis Alcapone (Striker Lee 7")
I'm Still Waiting - Delroy Wilson (Third World 7")
You Are My Angel - Horace Andy (Clocktower 7")
Bongo Natty - Owen Grey (Clocktower 7")
Everybody Needs Love - Slim Smith (Pama LP)
Please Don't Leave Me - Beverley Simmons (Island 7")
I'm In The Mood For Love - Pat Kelly (Neville Sounds 7")
The Time Has Come - Slim Smith (Jackpot 7")

Listen- http://www.mixcloud.com/StephenT/stephen-ts-funky-people-bunny-lee-special-6th-september-2012-purple-radiocouk-history-show/
Download- http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/YK5E96WE/Stephen_T__s_Funky_People_Bunny_Lee_Special___6_Sept___12_(purple-radio.co.uk).mp3_links

Bunny worked with all the great artists of the 60s and 70s! Here are some of those that we played. To do Bunny's body of work full justice we would need five shows like this.

Roy Shirley

Pat Kelly Slim Smith

Jackie Edwards

Delroy Wilson

Cornell Campbell

King Tubby

The next Stephen's Funky People will be a Hip Hop Special featuring Stockwell rapper Silas Zephania who will be spitting in the sudio over some classic beats, and Streatham turntablist DJ Mase who will do a short set in the last half an hour or so. Don't miss this one- Thursday 20th September!

Check out Silas' wicked videos on youtube https://www.youtube.com/results?um=1&hl=en&q=silas%20zephania&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1440&bih=742&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=i1&gl=GB

Don't forget my other wicked show is every Saturday purple-radio.co.uk 12-2! Stephen's Saturday Soul Soup for the best selection of 1960s-80s rare soul, funk and rare groove.