JACK RADICS The man and his music

JACK RADICS - "As we try to find solutions, equations don't compete. It's a journey of deception to the moment of truth." Jack Radics, 1996

By C Danielle McNish, Observer writer

Rarely seen and sometimes rarely heard, Radics, a prominent voice arising from Jamaica's Reggae music arena, with mega hits like This Time I'll Be Sweeter, Affairs Of The Heart, Josephine and Twist And Shout in collaboration with Supercat and Chaka Demus and Pliers respectively, is the quintessential, passionate crooner with a recording career spanning more than 20 years.

His voice is a jaunty mixture of Isaac Hayes, Peter Tosh and Barry White, with the pep of Louis Armstrong and soulfulness of Otis Redding, who happens to be one of his greatest musical influences.

For Radics, 'singing is [often] easier than breathing'. The 46 year-old who was not at all apprehensive about sharing his age, claiming that "numbers are for licence plates, interest rates and dates", was born December 31, 1957 - "when the world was having a party, so what other business could I be in?" He has always remembered himself being around music and singing through his early piano lessons and years as a member on various school and church choirs.

Radics soon decided to pursue his passion and ultimate source of contentment in a more meaningful way. This would take him on touring stints with the likes of Freddy McGregor, UB40, Tiger, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Joe Cocker and disco denizen, Blondie, to places like Japan, Australia, New Zealand and various parts of Europe where he has established strong fan bases.

His first studio recording, which became fairly popular, was a cover of Kool and the Gang's hit Get Down On It, produced and released by the late Valerie Cowan as a 45 single on her UFO label. That was 1980. However, before that, he had begun heating up the sound system circuit with a number of specials, covers and dubs and even did a stint with a band in the Bahamas.

Notwithstanding his minor success with Get Down On It, Radics has formed a number of bands on his trek to stardom.

Firstly, Roots, Rock Radics (not to be confused with Roots Radics) including drummer Nicky Henry of Mystic Revealers fame. This band was dismantled following the flight of the keyboardist. Next was Cool And Dreadful, formed around 1983, which included guitarist Kim Shaw and for a while Billy Mystic of Mystic Revealers. Another was Jalan, named after a town in Singapore. Though it showed obvious potential in the act of almost being signed to UB40's label, the band split.

Radics then migrated to Europe in 1984 and worked as an administrator in a music co-op in England. He was and still is inspired and moved by the concept of a school, which integratively taught all aspects of the music and the music business, and yearns for such an establishment here at home.

As is typical of most artistes, Radics soon grew tired of the nine-to-five desk job and moved on. He formed yet another band, Jack and the Herb Stalk, which was also short-lived. That was 1985.

In that same year, while moonlighting as a cab driver in London, Radics happened one day to pick up the then A & R of Island Records, who heard Radics' voice coming through the speakers at him and asked Radics who the singer was and if he knew him. Shortly after, Radics was signed to Island Records only to have to negotiate his release from the label because of the tug-of- war takeover of the company by Polygram, which left the prospects of his album release hanging. So it was back to the drawing board for Jack Radics.

By 1990, he released a cover of Jerry Butler's Dream Merchant which had the distinction of being one of the first tunes played on IRIE-FM, which signed on to the airwaves that same year. Later this single was negotiated on to the 1993 album, What About Me. Around the same time came the release of the popular dancehall hit, Set My Heart On Fire.

However that year proved even more profound as it was the year of Jack Radics' debut album, Radical on Castro Brown's New Name Records. This was followed by releases of the singles Moving Away, produced by Bobby Digital and a cover of Stacy Lattisaw's (This Time) I'll Be Sweeter which was released on an album of the same title by Penthouse in 1992.

In 1993 Jack Radics experienced true chart-topping ecstasy with the release of the ever-popular Twist And Shout recorded with Chaka Demus and Pliers. What is interesting to note about this single are the important facts of its release.

It went to the Top of the Pops, held the #1 chart position in 15 different countries and was the most successful cover of that particular song which first went number one on December 31, 1957 - Jack Radics' exact birth date! He also collaborated with Frisco Kid and Bounty Killer to release the tune Good Girls Need Good Loving. He would work with Bounty Killer again on his solo project, Next Millennium, on a track which also featured Anthony Red Rose.

By 1994 Jack Radics had five albums under his belt and was releasing Open Rebuke, which featured cameo spots for Yami Bolo and Kulcha Knox. This album further cemented Radics as a songwriter and earned him a Grammy nomination in the reggae category.

His 1995 deal with Sony, Germany saw the release of the album, Affairs Of The Heart which spawned the hits Affairs Of The Heart and It's In Her Kiss featuring Red Dragon and Gwen Dickey of the band Rolls Royce. Also that year was the release of Supercat's Wild Apache production, Josephine on which Radics was featured.

Since then, Radics has been signed to EMI, with whom he has released Love And Laughter (1999) and Always Around (2001). Love And Laughter produced another big hit for Jack Radics - No Matter which led the airplay charts for weeks in South Africa and was a big tune in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Currently Radics spends most of his time songwriting and has written songs for President Brown and the inspiring newcomer out of Germany, Gentleman. He is also working on his next solo project, Motive Free and is awaiting the official release of the already completed Sycology Of The Soul, the title track of which is receiving some rotation on radio. The album also features a cover of Miriam Makeba's Ring Bell and Accordion Girl.

But for right now Radics is psyched to be performing on Rock Away, which is scheduled for February 28 at the scenic Norbrook Mountains in St Andrew.

"This is the first time in a very long time that I will be doing a full set in Kingston. I am looking forward to performing for the folks in Kingston and they can expect the best from me," Radics said.