Lord Composer’s family talks ‘Hill and Gully Ride’ - No royalties collected for 72 years   

Seventy two years later, and the rhythm of one of Jamaica’s first recordings, in what was then a fledgling music industry, is a hit all over again. But, unlike 1954 when Omri Mundle, aka Lord Composer, along with his Silver Seas Hotel Orchestra, recorded Hill and Gully Ride at Stanley Motta’s studio at 93 Hanover Street in Kingston, this time, there’s a whole lot of goings-on.

Producer Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor, true to his alias, has brought traditional Jamaican mento to mainstream dancehall in a big way, giving the music industry one of the biggest riddims, and he deserves credit.

But the lyrical content of some of the songs on the riddim has drawn criticism from several persons, even while lovers of dancehall music defend every word and revel in the creative genius of the recording. Veteran broadcaster Fae Ellington and radio disc jockey Ron Muschett are among those who have criticised the lyrical contents of songs recorded on the riddim, even while praising McGregor’s musical brilliance in producing the track.

Ellington commended McGregor for taking the classic folk song and repositioning it in today’s popular culture.

“But yuh gone pon it with yuh nastiness; dunce yuh dunce!” Ellington said in a post addressing vocalists whose X-rated lyrics are on the track. Muschett used his radio show to hit out at the “dirty mouth DJs” for their lyrics. 

Lord Composer was born in Clarendon and relocated to Ocho Rios, St Ann, where he worked at the Silver Seas Hotel with his Silver Seas Hotel Orchestra for several years before recording the song with his band. When he eventually passed in 1990, he left a largely unheralded legacy, with ska, rock steady, reggae and now dancehall placing mento into an almost forgotten realm, limited to festival performances on a yearly basis. But that legacy also includes a daughter, Valerie Mundle, who lives in Ocho Rios, and a grandson (Valerie’s son), Raheem Betty, who has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and has ventured into the music business.

Going by the stage name, Raybetz, Betty twice entered the Digicel Rising Stars competition some years ago before getting his glory by winning last year’s JCDC Jamaica Gospel Star competition with a rendition of I Must Tell Jesus. 

The Sunday Gleaner recently caught up with both of them in Ocho Rios, where they live, and they willingly shared their thoughts.

“I’m with Fae on this one,” Betty said. “While the initial thought was for it to be a good thing where we want to say, ‘alright, we’re going to use wi culture and so on’, the outcome of it is not what we would want. My grandfather would probably not approve. He’s probably rolling in his grave right now,” he added with a laugh.

As for Valerie: “I heard the song, and I was like, ‘How him do dat deh song outta order suh?’ Then I hear Fae Ellington come out and was talking about it and I do agree with her. But the young people them probably like the new version.” 

Betty said he knows there are people who listen to the type of songs in question but believes the Hill and Gully Ride riddim wasn’t the appropriate platform to record them.

 Asked if he would be willing to record a song with inspirational or even gospel lyrics, Betty responded: “Yes I would be willing to do something positive on it, but it’s just that sometimes you just leave certain things alone. But, really and truly, we, as the family of the mastermind behind the music, we are not benefitting at all, no royalties, no nothing.

He added: “We’re talking about a man who performed at the White House for John F. Kennedy, it made the newspaper; we’re talking about a man who travelled the world and sang calypso and folk music. That’s why he was Lord Composer; he would write a song on the spot and sing it. His music is all over the world, selling, and there’s no legacy, there’s nothing.”

COLLECTION SOCIETIES

McGregor wouldn’t have anything to do with royalties for the family, as this would be the responsibility of whoever has had control of Lord Composer’s music over the decades, and the collection societies. And, yes, Lord Composer’s records still sell. His daughter, Valerie Mundle, recounted an incident some years ago while she was at work at a hotel.

“I was packing out some CDs and, when I looked, I saw one of his CDs, and me create excitement inna di place, mi seh ‘This is my father!’” Valerie recounted. “An’ one of the lady even seh to me seh, ‘Guh weh, a rich father yuh a look?’ An’ mi seh ‘no, that’s my father fi true’.”

Valerie said she bought the CD, paying the Jamaican equivalent of US$10 for it. “On the back of the CD, I saw that it was done in New York.” She said she had the CD for a while until it went missing from her home.

She was asked what she wants to happen now.

“I don’t know. We don’t know anything about royalties or who controls his music. We’re not even getting any benefits and his music is playing and now Hill and Gully Ride gets so popular. I personally don’t know where to even start.”

But collecting royalties has not necessarily been an easy road where Jamaican artistes are concerned. British journalist Orantes Moore, in a series of exclusive special reports published in the now-defunct New Nation newspaper, back in July 2004, made some stunning revelations.

In an article titled, ‘The Great Reggae Robbery? – Big Stars ‘Are Still Waiting To Be Paid’,  Moore mentioned that noted French lawyer Andre Bertrand was spearheading a campaign for reggae artistes to recoup up to £100m of unpaid royalty payments, dating back some 30 years. Bertrand’s client list over the years has included Max Romeo, Marcia Griffiths, Bunny Wailer, Buju Banton, and Sly and Robbie.  

It stated that, over the past 40 years, dating back to 1964 at the time, reggae albums had sold hundreds of millions of units throughout the world, but only a handful of artistes have benefited financially. It noted that two of the biggest money losers were Jimmy Cliff and Max Romeo. Both artistes have since passed.

But, despite how daunting the task may seem to collect royalties, noted Jamaican entertainment lawyer and creative industries consultant Lloyd Stanbury believes that, definitely, Lord Composer’s family should seek to collect royalties. Stanbury explained that the lifetime of copyright in Jamaica for musical compositions is 95 years after the death of the author. Mundle died in 1990.

“So, it is still alive basically. He, and therefore his estate, are entitled to be compensated,” Stanbury said. “If there’s a will, there’s one way you proceed; if there’s no will there’s another way to proceed; but the estate has to be administered, and someone has to have a document coming out of the administration that says they’re authorised to go ahead and do whatever is necessary on behalf of the estate.

“Then, after the administration, there will be need for an attorney.

“It is the kind of case that is going to require a whole lot of work so I know it’s hardly likely that an attorney is going to take it up without some kind of a significant retainer.  It (Hill and Gully) has been copied and adapted and re-recorded many times over the years; it’s a huge case,” he said.

Stanbury is advising that collection societies be contacted and this can be done without a lawyer. He noted that the UK-based Performing Right Society was operating in Jamaica around that time when Lord Composer was active, and also suggested that the family speak with the local collection society, the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers.