Stephen Marley ADD
Stephen Marley - The 'Old Soul' Interview
12/01/2023 by Munchy
On September 15th, 2023 he unveiled his enchanting, soothing, and poignant new album Old Soul across digital platforms. Covering classics from various genres and weaving them seamlessly with original compositions, this captivating acoustic symphony emerged from the hands of a small circle of musicians in the intimate setting of a remote family farm in Florida. Today, on December 1st, the vinyl and the CD releases follow. It’s a momentous occasion to talk to the man behind this masterpiece, Stephen “Ragga” Marley, delving into the depths of his latest musical creation.
Stephen, the cover of Old Soul shows you as a youth, a photo by Lindsay Donald. Do you recall how old you were in this picture and where it was taken?
I think the picture was taken in Blue Mountains. I was maybe like eight or nine years old.
In the video for Old Soul we see more old photographs by Lindsay Donald of you as a kid, for example with the swimming goggles… Tell me a bit, how was this young Stephen like?
I just live a youthful life. I grew up around great musicians and great people in that aspect. As a youth, I just do youthful things. I see a pool, I swim… with the goggles… (laughs)
On the cover we can also see the house at 56 Hope Road, your dad’s BMW, a bird-of-paradise flower, speaker boxes… can you tell me what these symbols mean to you or why they were chosen for this cover?
You know, ah Cedella really do them thing deh, you know. I never get to involved in that part of the thing. I see it and I like it and it’s good to go.
On Old Soul you take us on a time travel starting in 1972 with your birth on April 20. In the chorus you sing “I’m an old soul, Living in the body of a 9/12 year old, I guess I’ve been here before”. Can you explain these lines to me? What makes you an old soul and on the other hand, how does this 9 or 12 year old Stephen move around?
Alright, let me just clarify. Before I said “I’m an old soul”, the line before that is “so THEY say”. It’s not really me saying that, it’s what people say. (sings the chorus) Do you follow me?
Yes man, I follow you!
So, it’s not really me saying that I’m an old soul is what they’re saying at me at nine “old soul, me see your father in you”.
Did you feel that way about yourself, too? Them time when you were young, that you were an old soul?
Me couldn’t say me did feel that about myself consciously but I know that I was always around the elders entertaining them. Talking about the Wailers now, me and Seeco, which was the oldest member of the Wailers, were very close. And then me myself see other ones, other people, and me know seh da one deh he been here before. That’s a saying in Jamaica. It was never really consciously me saying “yeah, me is a old soul” but me know seh old people love me… (laughs)
Seen. You know, young people love you, too.
Alright, you see it deh, yeah.
In the song you mention quite a few fellow artists’ names that you apparently listened to as a youth and you also sing “Tribute to the ones who made it all possible”. Who – most likely aside from your dad – has inspired, influenced, motivated you musically throughout your career?
It’s a very vast list, you know. All the ones weh come before we. We don’t want to leave out any names but you have Toots Hibbert, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, you have Third World, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Aswad, and the list goes on… you have a whole heap ah the ones weh come before I’n’I. And when things did rougher dem time deh, too. All the ones weh carry it… Big Youth… any angle you want to take it from, all of them I am speaking about.
Obviously, you listen to a lot of music, also outside of Reggae, because you chose to cover some songs on Old Soul that are originally from other genres. Why did you pick The Beatles’ Don’t Let Me Down and classics such as Georgia On My Mind and These Foolish Things (Reminds Me Of You) for the album?
(Laughs) Ah through me like dem! The funny thing is that Don’t Let Me Down, I know that song from sister Marcia. She did two versions. She did a update version but the first version that she did back inna dem time deh, that’s how I know the song. I never really know that it’s a Beatles song. So, really originally sister Marcia make me know that song. And then the other songs… As me say, I’m an old soul in that aspect, cause me love them, dem thing deh me gravitate to: Ray Charles and all of them old school sound, just everything about it. The conviction weh dem put inna the music whether it’s a love song or a social justice song but just everything about dem era deh still to me was like “Wow”. Dem music me listen to.
And your version of Georgia On My Mind was not originally Georgia, wasn’t it? Would you give me a little piece of your yaad version?!
Oh yeah, so I had it as (sings) “Jamdung, Jamdung, the whole day through, old sweet song, it’s Jamdung on my mind, old sweet song, Jamdung on my mind”. That’s how I did it originally and then the man dem, the writer dem say “Bwoy, no, you can’t change the Georgia, you can’t change that word.” Which I understand still. And then me did still love the song so much, that me never mind, never mind really.
Obviously, you really love the song.
Yeah, yeah, me love Ray Charles. Ah Ray Charles make me know this song.
The album was created in a new studio on a remote family farm in the Florida countryside, a place you set up during the Covid lockdown. Tell me a bit about how you experienced this period, how you ended up in country and how this studio in a garage is like?
Maybe I won’t go so much into that part of it, you know, as far as how me end up there. But you know the Covid time for me and many others was just a very unsure time in that sense of a normal way of going about life and ting, this whole virus there. Everything, like what’s true and what… all of those things. So, it was just a unsure time weh we kinda fi put up we guard more than fi say “alright, run go fight”, more watch and observe wha’ gwaan likkle bit.
So, one time the food get scarce because the truck dem couldn’t deliver the food and my uncle said “Bwoy, we haffi go find a likkle farm.” And so it happened. We say “alright”, look round and find a little spot where we say “alright, this is cool”. When we go pon the farm with the whole nature and space…
It’s not a new studio really. We put up a makeshift studio. We just carried some equipment and put it in a garage and jammed until the record started to shape out. Because originally I had another record that I was going to record. A next roots style record. But Jah changed da plan deh and Old Soul we get. Hopefully we move on to the next one but ah so it come ‘bout.
Did you fix up this garage acousticwise?
Yeah, little bit.
Because the record doesn’t sound like it was made in a garage, you know.
No, no, I mean, we still have the Lions Den, which is where we reside really. We would still kinda get the spirit from there because one time in the midst of this thing weh dem call the pandemic, one time me and my bredda ah talk and me ah tell dem seh “Bwoy, I take up the guitar a couple of times and nothing comes up” and him say “Bwoy, it similar with me, too”. Him say, it’s like we can’t listen and speak at the same time. Which, as I said, was really more like observing wha’ gwaan with mankind. We never face this inna we lifetime, neither our parents. It was kinda heavy in that aspect… ah just, wow, let’s just keep everybody protected in the meantime and Jah guide! So, when we go out in the nature now, inspiration kinda come. I started even jam back some old tune or whatever but it feel little more free up. Ah deh so the farm come in but we still have the studio. We would get the inspiration from there and then come down in the city, come in the studio and fix up two things. It’s just the same three people, that’s what it was. Ranoy, myself and the engineer. That’s why you see Ranoy played bass and guitar and me play the kette drum and them thing. Then Riff Raff came in when things kinda open up back little bit, when he could travel, when travelling was allowed. So it came together piece piece like that, but we still have access to my studio.
How was the actual process of production like? Was there more a vibe and a series of jams or did you take those ideas from the farm and go to the studio structured saying “alright, let’s record this, this, this”?
Once it sounds good, it sounds good. Even whatever we were doing at the farm was compatible anywhere. Cause we had the equipment and knowledge of recording, a good engineer… So, it did crispy from the farm in that aspect of the acoustics and so forth. The production still was just, as we say, we ah jam out some tune and when we listen back to them, them sound good. And we say “alright then, make we just complete a project like this”. I have more songs, some of them never make it. Nice ones, too… but can’t give you everything at once…
You already mentioned men like Ranoy Gordon on bass and guitar, Llamar Brown on the piano, Adiambo Riley at the controls… Those are people that you know for years, that you par with a lot, that you been on the road with and play with for years and years. How was the atmosphere in the studio like when you recorded for this project?
Just cool vibes, man. We are brothers, you know. Me ah just dem big bredda but dem ah mi bredda dem still. Good vibes! We’re cool and do our thing.
For Let The Children Play you went back to the archives and incorporated a piece of the lyrics of Children Playing In The Streets by the Melody Makers that was originally written by your father. Why did you choose to cover Ernie Smith’s track, that already your grandmother covered, and these lines from the Melody Makers to put them in there?
Alright, that song now (sings part of the song)… My grandmother I know it from. I never know it from Ernie. When I did my research now, then I find out, it’s a Ernie Smith tune. When you’d ask me “yeah, ah grandma’s tune me sing”. You know, I always wanted to incorporate those words somehow. From that time… “Let the children play, no child should ever be so lonely, so hungry, for the love of Jah. Love will find a way.” I always wanted to incorporate those words somehow… it come, when I sing it myself. Ah so it go.
And as far as Let The Children Play now… after I finished the first verse and sing the chorus, ah just that come out of me (sings): children playing, in the streets… it was never really planned but it was worthy, from where it comes from because as you say the Gong give we these lyrics as little youth and the topic ah di ting was a children we ah talk ‘bout. That’s how it reach in there.
Did your grandmother actually sing it to you or did you hear it on record?
Yeah man, yes man, she sing it right on the piano over at her house.
Cast The First Stone, the track with your brother Damian is a thought-provoking track with a lot of metaphors… can you reveal to me what inspired and motivated that track, who those “Gods and devils” are that “throw rocks and pebbles at each other’s mosaic glass”?
Ah nuh me say that, ah Jr. Gong line dem that. You have to talk to Jr. Gong about that.
It’s a combination though…
If you ask me who are the Gods and devils… whoever it fit. Them man them know themselves. Good and evil.
And there was no particular incident or any such thing that motivated that song?
You know that song been around for a while. You can go pon YouTube and see me ah sing it couple years ago, without Damian, just my part weh me did have and which I never really had recorded. I asked "Who cast the first stone?" No man no worthy fi judge a next man, unless you’re without fault – and everyone have a fault. Ah deh so it ah come from. That’s why when you check Damian’s verse now it bring in even more relevance to what I am saying. That is the beautiful thing with me and him: me will give you the vibes of the thing and he would just explain exactly wha’ me ah deal with.
Thanks We Get (Do Fi Dem) is a Reggae classic produced by Lee Perry, sung by Junior Byles you covered for Old Soul. Your version features your brother Buju Banton and there is a long list of collabs with you and Buju Banton… Feel A Way, Yes Mi Friend, My Conclusion, Jah Army, Traffic Jam… just to name some of the works you did together over the years. Plus, even when we don’t get to hear Buju, he has even co-written more tracks on Old Soul: Don’t You Believe and This Time. Have the two of you ever considered doing a whole album together?
Oh (chuckles)… Yeah man, sometimes we talk about it, yes, “wha’ we a go do…”… I mean, anytime, you know… It’s just a great thing to have a brother like that amongst we. He is a very talented person and a very wise man, a good heart still. I cherish the relationship that we have. When it fi come, anything, we nuh oppose to nothing as far as Buju is concerned.
Because I asked Buju Banton the same question recently when we spoke about his new album Born For Greatness and he replied: “We talked about it and we thought about it and we have a lot of songs together but because of our busy schedule… but we’re going to get it on. It’s something that we have to do. It’s a necessity.” You dare to disagree?!
(Laughs) Eeeeeeh…. Yes! I say what he said. Exactly!
Alright, I’ll look out for the album. So, when you’re ready just message me the release date.
Alright!
Speaking of collaborations. For your version of I Shot The Sheriff Eric Clapton laid down the guitar. His cover version of the song was a huge success in 1974. How did you meet him, who came up with the idea of doing a next interpretation of the track and featuring him on it, and how did the recording session go down actually?
I met him when we were doing Slogans. At the time Slogans was an unreleased Bob song and he played the guitar. He come to overdub some guitar on the song. So, in the session, he loved the version and we got to talk and he asked me fi play percussion on two of his songs that he was working on at the time. So, I played some percussion, me and Paul Fakhourie. From there we have good vibes together. But me always respect dem musicians deh still, musicians and ones weh inspired by the Gong, fi even cover one ah him tune and it be such a powerful song in dem time and still today. I always have respect for him.
I Shot The Sheriff now, my version weh me give you now ah jam we ah jam it. I liked the vibes and so I say “alright, make we do it on the record”. So, we record it on the record and said let’s send it go give him and see if him like it. Him hear it and like it and so… easy as that.
Winding Roads is a song that has been in the pipeline for quite some time. It already appeared on the track list for Got Music?, an album you wanted to release in 2005 that eventually turned into Mind Control without Winding Road on it. Why did you release this song now, 18 years later?
Just the time… it was the time now, it wasn’t the time then. It just manifested to be the time now.
And how did Jack Johnson and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead got to join on this one?
I met Bob Weir in his studio, we jam a couple songs and Winding Roads was the one he gravitate to. Same with Jack Johnson. He heard the song from my management, because my management has a relationship with them. Jack Johnson hear the song, him like the song and him just come in. You know, it’s just… not complicated when you deh pon a certain level with the music. Through the music grow, ah nuh nutt’n. We’re just ready, you know what I mean?! You can try with some people and then their ego get in front of the thing. These musicians are no real musicians, not real about the music.
You presented the works live, too, in an intimate acoustic setting. How was sharing the vibes and music with the people eye to eye like?
We do the acoustic thing since Mind Control Acoustic, so ah nuh nothing new really. We have matured more and more, as we mature every day. So, the level of maturity that we’re on now and the music that is new, but the presentation in itself is nothing new. And the vibe… as you say, it has a more intimate vibe. It carries a more spiritual element ‘bout it and definitely has a healing about it, from the Nyabinghi, the bass drum and the kette drum, the guitar and the things dem weh complement that. It has a different spirit about it, more than the full band show. Full band shows are more like fire and energy, this one is more of a calming. It gives you space to think.
Can we expect to see and hear this experience in Europe also? You haven’t been over here in over a decade! We need to see you.
(Laughs) Tell the promoter dem fi just get dem thing together, so we can come, because we love to be there. Just set it, and we’ll be there.
Right now, you are currently involved in another project. The music for the One Love film. What exactly are you taking care of in this project and what can you reveal about the movie at this point in time?
What do you mean by reveal about it? (laughs)
It done editing for example?
They still work on some little parts, some touch ups here and there. Me just supervise the music part of it. Overseeing it, in that sense. You still have the producers. So, I’m just there to make sure that it sounds good and the music is right.
Have you gotten a chance to watch the entire movie as yet?
Maybe… why?
(Laughter) Maybe… ok... we’ll talk about this hopefully another time then.
Yes, it’s a good movie, a very interesting movie. You see Bob beyond the music still. His journey and the personal part, when he is not in the public, not on stage. You see him and the Wailers, the creation of some of the music. It’s a lovely story, very interesting.
I am definitely looking forward to seeing it. But whether you watched the whole thing as yet, or parts of it, how does that make you feel watching a movie basically also about your own history?
It takes you back in time. Watching the movie, still I had to get past someone depicting Bob. And that’s what it is. It’s really someone depicting Bob. He did a very good job. It’s on point, man. And Ziggy was there as the oracle to make sure everything is alright. Look forward to it! All is well.
You spoke of taking you back in time… if time travel was possible now. Would you use and where would you want to be taken to?
Yes… I would travel and correct certain things. If we could fly over time, me woulda travel and fix things. Why? You can travel?
No, Sir, no.
So, why you asking me?
Because I was curious to find out whether you would do it?
Travel in time? Of course! Yes man! Sure, sure, wha’ yah say man?
So, to what point would you go first?
If you think about the question, then you can think about wha’ me a think ‘bout. But not everything has to be said or talked about. As I said, I would go back in time and fix things. So, make that be my answer.
Okay… so, I am not able to travel as yet but if I’m able, should I link you?
(Laughs) Yes, first, link me first!
Thank you, Stephen, for this conversation. Since I have no more questions is there anything you want to add that I didn’t ask you for or that you want to address to the Reggaeville family?
Reggaeville, just keep up the good work, spread the word. Spread the message and the love, all the good vibrations that we always need and the world always needs, but now more than bloodclaat ever. But yeah, everything cool. We’ll talk again! Save some things for later.
