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| Tenor Saw |
b. Clive Bright, 1966, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, d. August 1988, Houston, Texas, USA. One of the most influential singers of the early digital era, Tenor Saw's eerie, hypnotic wail was imbued with an almost religious fervour. He was raised in the Payne Avenue district of west Kingston, recording his debut, "Roll Call", in 1984 for George Phang's Powerhouse label after an introduction by Nitty Gritty. During 1985 he sang with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion sound system and label, recording "Lots Of Sign" and "Pumpkin Belly" (also versioned for King Jammy's). "Run Come Call Me" and "Fever" were also sizeable hits. None, however, could compare to "Ring The Alarm", which Tenor Saw voiced magnificently over Winston Riley's "Stalag" rhythm for the Techniques label.
There was no bigger record that year and it continues to be regarded as an anthem in today's dancehalls. "Golden Hen" for Uptempo continued the sequence of consecutive hits into 1986, when Minott released his debut album, Fever. Tenor had already left for Miami and the Skengdon crew, where "Dancehall Feeling" and the posthumously released "Bad Boys" was recorded. After a trip to England and the successful "Never Work On A Sunday" for Donovan Germain, Tenor journeyed to New York in 1987. There he recorded the epic "Victory Train" with Freddie McGregor's Studio One Band, and further singles for Witty, Robert Livingston ("Come Me Just A Come"), and Jah Life. His duet with General Doggie on "Chill Out Chill Out', for Digital English, was the most enigmatic of singers" swan-songs. In August 1988 he was killed by a speeding car in Houston, Texas.
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