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Post by danielisaac on Dec 17, 2013 11:09:19 GMT
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Post by danielisaac on Dec 17, 2013 11:25:16 GMT
Just found the following review of the book on Amazon by the man Brian Keyo...I'm inclined to believe he knows what he's talking about:
"I enjoyed this book and learned from it but was dismayed by errors and too many quotes about Drummond by people who never met him. Such accounts from Lloyd Bradley, Ken Stewart and Laurence Cane-Honeysett needed attribution. Have to take issue with praise for "meticulous research."
Some things were well researched, like Drummond's school and birth records, but others were not. Page 84; "Studio One at 13 Brentford Road…didn't open till 1965." It opened in October, 1963. Page 84;"Duke Reid's recording studio didn't open till 1967." Treasure Isle studio opened in 1966. Page 104; ". . . so many of Drummond's tunes are versions of other songs," Which ones are? None are cited. Page 107; "(W.I.R.L.), which he sold to Byron Lee in 1968." Edward Seaga didn't sell WIRL to Lee in 1968. He'd sold it to George Benson and Clifford Rae in 1962. Page 131; "In 1965, Margarita recorded the song 'Woman A Come' at Treasure Isle." Two mistakes. Margarita was killed January 2, 1965 and she did not record on January 1st. Her song was done in 1964 at Federal Studio. Skatalite accounts of the session at Federal were published in 1997 in notes to Foundation Ska CD/LP. On page 139, the author quotes these notes although she claims the incident happened at "one of the recording studios" rather than Federal. Secondly, the author wrote on page 84, "Duke Reid's recording studio didn't open till 1967." So how could Margarita have recorded there in 1965?
Page 135; "They moved in together at 9 Rusden Road, in the Rockfort area, in August 1965." That can't be correct because Margarita was killed January 2, 1965.
Page 185-186; A lengthy quote is wrongly attributed to Tommy McCook. It's by the poet Robin "Bongo Jerry" Small. The quote is from the 'Requiem for Don Drummond' radio program produced by Dermot Hussey and Lloyd Chuck for RJR in 1969. That credit is not included.
Page 190; Again, a quote is wrongly attributed to Tommy McCook when it's by Robin Small.
There's a bunch of tunes in the discography, by Mike Turner, that don't belong. Either Drummond had nothing to do with them as they were recorded in 1965 or later and/or they don't feature trombone! Such as "Fisherman Sam (Sam The Fisherman)," "Below Zero (Drifting)," "Third Man Ska," "Phoenix City," "Devil's Triangle," etc.
The book would've benefitted from an interview with Drummond's schoolmate, friend and sole surviving Skatalite Lester Sterling. Also by anything on Mickey O'Bryan who played with Drummond and produced the September 9, 1962 benefit concert that raised funds, and a trombone for him."
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Post by reggaefire on Dec 17, 2013 12:55:47 GMT
Overall it has gotten a good reception. Brian's comments caused a bit of kerfluffle over on Pama, mostly because they come off as sour grapes that someone beat him to publishing such a book (his Skatalites book has been in progress for over a decade I think). The high price is due to the fact that it is an academic publisher, who love to rip off the students who typically purchase their products.
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Post by grumpy on Dec 17, 2013 16:09:26 GMT
I think it is academic libraries that buy these books on the students' behalf - hence the high price (based on the notion that most sales are going to be institutional rather than individual). If the publisher expects that the main purchaser will be the library sector and that, say, at least 20 students are likely to read their library's copy of the book during its lifetime on the shelf, then the price, though steep, is quite reasonable. For example, Michael Veal's book on Dub which I bought for our library three years ago for £19.99 (I would have got a supplier's discount which would have made it more like £16) has been borrowed six times since which makes it slightly less than £3 per reader, none of whom I think would have forked out £20 for their own copy. I know it's a pain if you want the book for your own bookshelf, but I understand the reason for the high price. Library/institutional subscriptions to magazines are also usually more expensive than individual subscriptions.
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Post by danielisaac on Dec 18, 2013 14:26:12 GMT
I made my way over to the Pama boards and checked out the somewhat heated exchange between Brian Keyo and the author of the Drummond book...I think the conversation (perhaps that's putting it too kindly) over on Pama is an informative sidebar to whatever information, conjecture, etc. is contained in the book itself. I think, having not yet read the book, the author probably deserves kudos for her efforts, and Brian in his way deserves kudos for attempting to provide additional information that in some instances appears to contradict what the author wrote. After reading the back and forth on Pama I'm actually even more interested in reading the book now! I think it might fit nicely on my bookshelf next to David Katz's bio of Lee Perry, his "Solid Foundation", Stolzoff's "Wake the Town and Tell the People", "Bass Culture", "Young Gifted and Black" about Trojan, etc.
Peace.
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