1. Love Not To Brag (alternate take) – featuring Patsy Todd

2. Oh Joyce (previously unreleased.)

3. Leave Her Alone

4. It’s You I Love – featuring Patsy Todd

5. She Makes Me Sad

6. You’ll Never Know

Welcome to another installment in the Reggae Retro Derrick Morgan program. I’m pleased to be your host for this six song EP-isode. As time is brief, we’ll get right into it with Mr. Morgan.

BK: You told me in Toronto that you came to meet Millicent “Patsy” Todd when you were approached by her mother while walking up Orange Street?

DM: Yes, that’s right. She think say her daughter can sing and want to know what I can do for her if she can sing. So, I say where is she, take me to her. I follow her to Drummond Street where they live across from Penny Lodging and I meet Patsy and ask her to sing. I liked what I heard and told her I’d be back for her later when I was going to record. Later that day, I carry her to Duke Reid and that night we recorded ‘Love Not To Brag’, which I wrote off of how Monty was boasy as his family was a likkle better off than my own. So yes, first day I meet her, I record with Patsy.

Thirty nine years after their last appearance together, at Kingston’s Ward Theatre, Morgan reunited with Todd in Toronto Canada during rehearsals for the Legends of Ska concerts in 2002.

“You’re a champion Brian” exclaimed Derrick Morgan when I played his song ‘Oh Joyce’ for him on August 4, 2003. “Is long time I search for that one. But I don’t think it ever get released…”.

Morgan was right about that. The previously unreleased song was recorded for Arthur “Duke” Reid on September 7, 1962. Assuming the persona of an old friend, “Lukie from the West,” Morgan questions the girl who left Lukie to marry someone else.

The song “Leave Her Alone” is based around Morgan’s priceless assertion that, “I fell in love with that girl 1953”. The mournful harp solo, and the intro, are by Charlie “Organaire” Cameron. Cameron is also known as Royal Charley, a song title that’s inspired a line of clothing in Japan.

“You I Love” is the second duet here featuring Morgan and Patsy Todd. Ably kicked off by drummer Lloyd Knibb, after a brass intro, the song is decorated by the soloing of Tommy McCook on tenor saxophone. [Lester Sterling made same identification as I.] The deep voice intoning the title is none other than John “Pluggy” Peck, whom Morgan identified for me. This is one of the songs which got folks thinking Morgan and Todd were a real life couple. Another is, “Are You Gonna Marry Me”.

Derrick gives a great showing on “She Makes Me Sad” and the band is right with him. Kicked off with verve by Knibb and replete with soaring trumpet solo by Baba Brooks, the song builds to a crescendo. Morgan, nearly losing his composure, warns “Don’t believe her”, while contemplating “her baby face”. Recorded for Prince Bluster, it boasts a locomotive like Ska rhythm which qualifies it to be played in public settings at high volume. So, until the next installment, get to it!

Thanks to Derrick Morgan, Lester Sterling, Roy Panton and Brad Klein.