11. Black UhuruSinsemilla
Sly [Dunbar] and Robbie [Shakespeare] produced it. Back then I used to try to listen to all the pirates, like Caroline, but if you were clever you’d also listen to John Peel because he’d always drop a few gems and then you’d go to a record shop and try and track them down. Black Uhuru were playing at Leeds University in 1983 and me and my friend Vincent went down there. We knew where the dressing room was because we used to hang out there when there were big gigs on and try and get autographs and shit like that. But then we noticed that this window was open that got into the dressing room – so we climbed through it and got right by the stage when Black Uhuru were playing. We were there for a bit but then we got spotted because we were underage and as we got thrown out, one of the band members clocked us, so we stood outside and we waited and waited and waited and then they came out – Michael Rose and Duckie and all them – and they stayed and chatted to us. When they found out we just lived down the road they let us to get on their tour bus and they dropped us home. We told all our friends but nobody would believe us! Musically it’s an important record, but also historically for me it’s an important record. I’m a music fan first and foremost!
