UNCONVENTION22: Basil Gabbidon: Musician

“Before 'Catch a Fire' album came out, when I was a little kid, I used to listen to reggae music. I used to like reggae music to an extent but it was mainly kind of your normal stuff you know ' I love you ..blah blah type of thing. And then I was in Handsworth Park - I was talking to my friend earlier about this, 

I was in Handsworth Park, I was probably about thirteen .. fourteen, fourteen maybe and I heard a track called “Blood and Fire” by a guy called Niney and it just blew my mind because it was different, it was hard core .. it was strong ..it was talking about something positive, you know. As you know reggae is always talking about daily life and the struggles and the fights, you know, that you have to go through to make it in life, you know. And that just summed it up you know. 

And it kind of, in a sense got me into music, into going 'ooh yeah .. I think I'm going to start a band'.  

But then when 'Catch a Fire' album came out I thought - ooh they're taking reggae serious. Because before you didn't have guitars, cause I play guitar, they didn't have guitars - rocky solos you know ..cause I like a bit of rock. I used to be into a band called Isley Brothers, simply because of the guitar playing on it. 

So anything with guitars used to just blow my mind. And it's like this particular “Catch a Fire' album I was like I couldn't believe it - I must have worn out at least two copies of it. Because they had guitars on it, they were talking about consciousness. It was well produced, it had attitude and it made me start Steel Pulse, you know. If it wasn't for this album there probably wouldn't be a Steel Pulse. So that's the importance it has for me.” 

Basil Gabbidon: Edwardian Tearooms, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 28th January 2019 

Basil Gabbidon: Producer - Reggae Rockz - the story of Reggae music, a journey from Africa to the U.K. 

The Wailers: “Catch a Fire" released 1973 

Basil Gabbidon