Rasta At Di Kontrol - Music

Watty Burnett Also Known As King Burnett Born Derrick Burnett In Port Antonio Jamaica Early 1950s Is A Reggae Artist Who Had A Long Association With Lee "Scratch" Perry. Burnett Grew Up In Port Antonio The Eldest Of Nine Children And Learned To Sing In The Baptist Church His Family Attended. His Nickname Of "Watty" Was Given To Him By Childhood Friend Murvin Smith Jr Aka Junior Soul In Reference To Burnett's Prominent Stutter As A Child. Burnett Formed A Duo With Jimmy Nelson In The Late 1960s Known Alternately As The Soul Twins And Jimmy & Derrick And They Travelled To Kingston On Sundays Hoping To Get A Recording Session. Although They Were Rejected By Several Producers Including Duke Reid Who Told Them "You're Too Young Come Back In Five Years" Lee Perry Saw Potential In Their Song "Pound Get A Blow" A Commentary On The Attempts Of Canada And The United States To Replace The Island's Currency. The Song Was A Moderate Success In Jamaica In 1968 And Placed In The Festival Song Contest. They Recorded Several More Tracks For Perry Although Their Tracks Were Often Miscredited To Other Artists Such As The Bleechers. Burnett Moved To The Allman Town District Of Kingston Living With His Brother Fitzy And Also Recorded As "King Burnett" For Perry In Late 1974 Releasing "I Man Free" And "Babylon A Fall" Under That Name. Burnett Became A Regular Session Vocalist And Instrumentalist Drums Percussion And Bass Guitar For Perry At His Black Ark Studio And Recorded Singles In His Own Right For The Producer With "Rise And Shine" "Open The Gate" Which Became The Title Track Of A Trojan Records Collection Of Perry Productions And His Biggest Hit "Rainy Night In Portland" A Version Of Brook Benton's "Rainy Night In Georgia" . When The Congos Began Working With Perry He Added Burnett To The Group In 1977 To Add Baritone To The Harmonies As He Was Aiming To Record A Classic Falsetto-Tenor-Baritone Group. Burnett Sang On Seven Tracks On The Heart Of The Congos Album And Also Contributed Mooing Noises Recorded Earlier By Perry Who Got Burnett To Moo Down A Cardboard Tube From A Roll Of Tin Foil And These Sounds Were Also Used On Other Black Ark Recordings. The Congos Left Perry After A Dispute Over The Release Of The Heart Of The Congos Album But After Recording Another Congos Album Burnett Returned To Perry. He Continued Working As A Session Vocalist Providing Baritone On Jimmy Cliff's Reworking Of "Bongo Man" On The Give Thanx Album And Backing Vocals On Bob Marley's Exodus Album. Burnett Rejoined Cedric Myton In The Congos In The 1990s Releasing The Revival Album. Burnett Released His First Solo Album Proper To Hell And Back In 2002. Discography Studio Albums Megawatt Dub 1997 Shanachie Dubs Of Burnett Tracks Credited To Lee Perry & King Tubby To Hell And Back 2002 Wajesskow Music Connection Singles "Dash It Pon Him" 1974 Steady
"I Man Free" 1974 As King Burnett "Babylon A Fall" 1974 As King Burnett "Rise And Shine" 197? With Clinton Fearon "What A War" 1975 Micron Watty And Tony "Open The Gate" 197? "Rainy Night In Portland" 197? "Perfidia" 1978 Watty Burnett & Cultured Stars "Come By Yah" Rhythm Force
"Dancin' Shoes" 1982 Appears On A Live Injection Produced By Lee Perry Song Rainy Night In Portland read less