King Rizla came into being sometime in 1986, in the sleepy North Hertfordshire village of Aston End: an unlikely location for the creation of a reggae band! The original line up comprised Marcus Downbeat (Studio 6, Dub Factory, The Upsetters), Tim Fisher, Rob and Jo Hill, and the poet, Aron B (Aron Lake). The band were joined on stage by Dennis Daly on lead guitar and backing vocals, and dreadlock-flailing, bongo-wielding Kwesi Zebediah Genesis.When Aron left the band he was replaced by half-human, half-drum machine Mick Simmons.
Marcus recalls that King Rizla actually began life when Aron - a monitor engineer he had met on the local gigging circuit - approached him and said that he and some friends were thinking of getting a band together and wanted him to teach them how to play reggae. Marcus had recently been working with Lee 'Scratch' Perry and was between bands so the timing couldn’t have been better.
Marcus: “Aron took me to Tim Fisher's house in Aston End and we jammed a few tunes in Tim's bedroom. Aron was playing penny whistle but intended to play drums; Tim played bass, Rob and Jo played guitar and keyboards, respectively, and I was on melodica and vocals. I remember jamming “Highwood Soldier” and “One Day Soon” – originally poems by Aron, pictured below.
“I wrote the next song around the same two chords, giving Tim a new bass line. I told the boys to sing, repeatedly, "Everybody wants to skin up, everybody wants to pipe it up, everybody wants to toke it up, everybody wants to smoke it up" over which I sang the lyrics to my original song, 'Skin Up'".
‘Skin Up’, in fact, was first recorded on a reel to reel in Jo’s front room in Hitchin, where she lived just round the corner from Marcus. Jo remembers singing the chant but no one could get it right! “We kept giggling,” she recalls, “and on the original recording you can still hear Aron holding back his laughter as he gets it wrong!” This simple but infectious song was destined to become a concert staple and audience favourite throughout the band’s illustrious career.
Marcus had set up a little four track recording studio in his living room and over the next few weeks the band recorded a number of songs, incorporating Tim’s bass lines and Marcus’ lyrics. Aron also had some lyrics which were set to music. Those early recordings included the first takes of ‘King Rizla’, ‘Mountain Thunder’, ‘Long Walk’, and Aron's ‘One Day Soon’ and ‘Highwood Soldier’. These home-spun recordings formed the origins of the first set. A handful of rehearsals later and a gigging unit had been formed.
King Rizla came into being.
Marcus later took the band to an eight track recording studio where a number of new songs were recorded. Some of those songs (Skin Up, Create A Storm, Mountain Thunder, City Woman , Slippin' Away) were transferred to cassette and used in the production of the 'on location' videos featured on Marcus' You Tube channel: MrDubMaster Those recordings can also be heard on Rob Hill’s You Tube channel - Robert Hill
King Rizla certainly seemed to be 'creating a storm' in the late 80s. They even attracted the attention of BBC Radio Bedfordshire DJ, The Man Ezeke , who invited them to appear on his 'Sunshine Show'. Somewhere, I am sure, there exists a recording of King Rizla's appearance on The Man Ezeke's Sunshine Show. Watch this space!
By the time the 1990s had arrived the line up had changed dramatically. Marcus, Jo and Mick had departed and Tim, Rob and Dennis had been joined by Geoff and Pete (on drums and guitar, respectively) and a former band mate of Marcus from Studio 6, Dub Factory and The Upsetters, Russ, on keyboards:
Russ: "I clearly recall turning up to 'audition' for the band during a midweek rehearsal. My keyboard of choice at that time was the Ensoniq Esq 1. In all the other bands I'd played in the keyboard parts were always strictly defined. These guys let me do what ever I wanted. On one song, 'Clacaig', they even let me use a bagpipe sound - this was definitely the band for me!"
The band’s repertoire was brash, lively and largely undeveloped. Nonetheless, the spontaneity and humour with which their performances would later become associated was unmistakably present, even then.
In March 1991, during a performance at a typical village Pub in Hertfordshire, the band held a raffle. Prizes included King Rizla Tee-shirts and several bottles of vodka, generously donated by a gullible but good-natured landlord. After the prizes had been claimed dozens of packs of King Size Rizlas were flung from the stage as the band lurched dramatically into the second half of the show.
The following year the band gave just two performances. Both were at the Klub Wiv No Name and both featured the more than capable support of sub-pop heroes, Scum of Toytown , and at least one featured Mark 'Nuzz' Nussey and his indescribable band, Drug Prowling Wolves. The first concert, a tribute to former drummer and songwriter, Aron Lake, whose recent death had shocked and saddened us all, showcased guest appearances by original Rizlas Marcus and Jo, and concluded with a thirty minute rendition of ‘Skin Up’.
During this epic, intoxicating finale the band were joined on stage by a motley collection of friends and lunatics culled from the ranks of the supporting acts and the somewhat less self-conscious members of the ecstatic capacity audience.
The second and final event in 1992 was the ‘King Rizla Christmas Spectacular’, in which a developing sense of self-confidence and a mood of experimentation found expression in a crisper, more coherent sound. The on-stage antics, meanwhile, plummeted to new depths of inspired lunacy. Happy days!
By early 1993, founder member Rob Hill had left the band and had taken with him his Arthur Askey-esque, music-hall, "Fank you very much" with which he closed each rendition of every song the band played on stage. The remaining Rizlas – Geoff, Tim, Russ, Pete and Dennis - decided to go to the pub to plan the next step. ("Don't worry, Pete, I'll stand you the price of a round" was an oft heard utterance back in those days). Several pints of Guiness Extra Cold later and they had reached a decision: it was time to go home and sleep.
Over the following months, however, they became a creative, tightly-knit unit, and the music they produced, a viable commodity. (Or so they imagined!) It was captured and skilfully produced by Andy Davies at Damajive Studios, Hitchin, and promised to be a precocious and original debut release. Alas, the money ran out, heralding the onset of a series of personal and financial crises. A limited number of CDs were made available but, eventually, The “TimeForANewDay” project was shelved. (Happily, today, those recordings are available for all to enjoy on The King Rizla Channel on You Tube).
A year or two later, the band re-convened. A trimmed-down, four-piece version of the band, yes, but unmistakably Rizla! A Rizla for the 1990s – eclectic, energetic and enigmatic, producing music you could dance to and really listen to!
Returning to Damajive Studios, Hugh, Tim, Russ and Dennis recorded a dozen new songs, engineered and produced by Fields of The Nephilim bass guitarist, Tony Pettitt. Four of those songs, featuring backing vocalist Georgie Fisher, were released on an EP – Hole in My Soul – and, like TimeForANewDay, can be found on The King Rizla You Tube Channel.
Some commentators have suggested that during this period the band had somehow lost direction. For the band, though, this was a period of experimentation, exploration and, yes, sometimes even excess. They seemed to be saying: this is where we're going. You can come with us or stay behind. And off they went...
They never owned a van and didn’t even have a mike-stand to call their own. They smoked too much and drank too much because they liked to and made music for much the same reason. This is not to say their love of music was superficial; on the contrary, they took music very seriously indeed – it was themselves they refused to take seriously and this was an endearing and important part of their appeal...
2010 saw the King Rizla Reunion Concert, at Club 85 in Hitchin. Mick played the drums, Tim played the bass guitar, Lee played the keyboards, Rob played guitar, Dennis played guitar and sang. The band performed songs from the 1990s live set before being joined on stage by Mark to perform the original 80s reggae material. It was emotional! It was awesome! The audience – including former members Jo, Geoff and Russ – loved every minute.
From left to right: Mick, Tim, Marcus, Rob, Dennis, and Lee.
Epilogue
After King Rizla, Marcus went on to play with The Cosmics, The Agitators, Prince Buster, Rico's Allstar Ska Band, and The Trojans. He toured the world with Lee Perry and the Mad Professor, and eventually formed No.1 Station.
Russ became a teacher and occasionally writes blogs. He still has a keyboard but doesn't play it much these days.
You can read about the contribution made to Anglo-Caribbean music (pre King Rizla) by Marcus and Russ in People Funny Boy by David Katz.
Rob took a degree in Fine Art and is now an acclaimed artist. Jo is a physiotherapist.
Geoff is now an accredited practitioner of Ayur Vedic medicine.
Sadly, Pete died of cancer in 2011. Rest in Peace, buddy.
Pete Dimmock
(Optional Extras, Chron Gen, Chelsea, King Rizla)
Hugh, Tim and Dennis are currently recording new material, soon to be available on digital download.
King Rizla is Dead. Long Live King Rizla.
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