Max Romeo was born Maxie Smith in a lttle town in St Dacre, in the parish of St Ann's, in the north of Jamaica. From an early age, Maxie was blessed with the gift of music, and it surprised no-one when little Maxie grew to become the internationally-famous Reggae star Max Romeo.
At the age of 14, Young Maxie ran away from home, and drifted around for some time before getting involved in the music business. His first job was not exactly the stuff of dreams - cleaning out irrigation ditches on a sugar plantation. But life sometimes throws up new opportunities, and in 1965, Max was advised by his Mentor, a Mr Denham to enter a talent contest in the district of Clarendon. His success spurred him into leaving for the city, and Max set out on the road to Kingston in search of stardom.
In 1967, at the tail-end of the Ska era Max cut his first record. On I'LL BUY YOU A RAINBOW for the Caltone label, he featured as lead singer of a group called The Emotions. The other members were Lloyd Shakespeare (brother of Robbie) and Kenneth Knight. The single made #2 on the Jamaican charts and placed Max firmly on the map. Before long, Maxie hooked up with another producer, Bunny "Striker" Lee, who was experimenting with a new sound he called "Reggae."
Max recalled: "he kind of invigorated me to go solo. And I went solo, and Bunny Lee came up with the name Max Romeo."
In fact, "Romeo" was a nickname Max already had. At 8 o'clock one morning, He was chatting to a girl outside her house when her father came out to go to work.
"He came back home at 5," says Max. "I was standing in the same position, at the same post!" The guy decided Max was a bit of a "Romeo" - and the name stuck.
It was of course at this time that Max cut his most famous, and infamous single - WET DREAM. Was it Max the "Romeo", showing his true feelings? Far from it - in fact, Max didn't want to record it at all.
"I was forced to do that song by Bunny Lee. I was actually threatened, if you don't do that song you can't stay around me!"
The risqué lyrics were cut over a Derrick Morgan rhythm track, and in the process, Max unknowingly cut himself a major hit. WET DREAM was released in England on the Unity label, and astounded everyone - including Maxie - by storming up the pop charts to #2. The song's suggestive lyrics ensured it had no radio exposure, but deejays in the discotheques and dance halls played it constantly. On the strength of the hit, Max toured the UK and Europe, and cut his first album, A DREAM.
A young and lean Max Romeo in 1969 contemplates his success Max's first album cost about two pounds on its release.
Now it's a highly-prized collectors' item
Max's follow-up singles like MINI SKIRT VISION failed to chart, the fickle 45-buying public having moved off in search of other novelties. After a heavy schedule of touring, Max finally returned to Jamaica, not defeated, but fired with new ideas.
Realising the power of music, he began to infuse his lyrics with a new consciousness and political awareness. Social injustice, the gulf between the rich and the poor, the oppressor and the oppressed, and mounting unease in his native island fired his music to new levels of feeling.
PRAY FOR ME, PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE and EVERY MAN OUGHT TO KNOW showed there was a deeper side to Max's music, beyond love and girl-chasing. His devotion to Rastafarian beliefs also became apparent in his music. Also, Max's composition LET THE POWER FALL was adopted by the People's National Party in the Jamaican General Elections of 1972. At a time when increasing numbers of singers were including Rastafarian themes in their songs, Max accused many of climbing onto a RASTA BANDWAGON. His REVELATION TIME was acclaimed as one of the best albums of 1975.
It was a little earlier in the seventies that Max connected with Lee "Scratch" Perry, maverick producer and renowned eccentric.
"I think Lee Perry is one of the greatest producers who ever walk the land in Jamaica. He did a lot of things, we've been together for years, before I even start recording on the label we were friends."
The pair collaborated on a set of new songs, which eventually culminated in the classic Jamaican album IT SIPPLE OUT DEH. Recorded at Perry's now-legendary Black Ark studio, the Upsetters' rhythms were as deep and intense as the songs' lyrics. Incidentally, the Upsetters were no strangers to Max. As the Hippy Boys, they used to be his backing group! The "Sipple" tracks were picked up for international release and sporting a new cover and new title, the album was re-launched as WAR INA BABYLON.
However, with Lee Perry's tendency to mood-swings and strange perceptions of reality, Max suddenly found himself out of favour.
"Where his eccentricism came in, I don't know," comments Max. "It was just a sudden 90 degree turn in the middle of everything."
At this time Scratch was also claiming he had written most of Bob Marley's classic songs, and that Chris Blackwell was a devil-worshipper. More disastrously, the Black Ark suddenly burned to the ground - torched by Scratch himself. While others may have been devastated, Max was made of firmer stuff, and simply moved on, ever searching for pastures new. With political turmoil in Jamaica, and Lee Perry calling him all the names under the sun, Max upped and left for New York in 1978.
In the US, he collaborated with Broadway producer Michael Butler on a play named "Reggae", in which he starred, though the production closed early due to its controversial nature. Max then appeared on the Rolling Stones' EMOTIONAL RESCUE album, and in return, Keith Richards guested on Max's HOLDING OUT MY LOVE TO YOU, with rhythms by Sly and Robbie.
As the 20th Century approached its close, Max was still busy touring and recording. The FARI CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP album saw Max working with producer Jah Shaka, and once again producing highly-acclaimed material. SELASSIE I FOREVER, recorded with Mafia & Fluxy continued the Maxie-inna-digital-style trend.
Quite the reverse was his 1999 recording, IN THIS TIME, cut in Italy with Tribù Acustica, and using virtually no electric instruments. Known to hardcore Roots Reggae followers as "the Satta album" it stands as a brand new classic from Max, with songs old and new performed in a totally unique environment.
"Everybody is involved in Europe" says Max. "It's nice to listen to reggae with a different language, different culture. I mean, the music is what reggae is about, uniting the world. And I think we're doing a good job of it."
In the year 2002 Max Romeo is alive and well, looking back on a recording and performing history which spans four decades, and looking ahead to carry his vision into the future.
The future...? "Matter of fact," he says "I'm giving 15 more years of my time to the music business!" So, Max continues to tour internationally - to the delight of audiences everywhere, and earlier this year released the album COLLISION, a collection of vocals and dubs specially requested by his fans.
Max's record label Charmax continues to release new and classic albums and singles, and recently struck a deal with a British company to produce limited-edition CDs of a number of his albums. All are digitally remastered for optimum sound quality, and a total of 17 are now available, with new titles being added to the catalogue all the time.
