Andy Capp

Andy Capp (real name: Lynford Anderson, born 1941) is a Jamaican studio engineer, producer, and vocalist. Anderson gained his early studio experience working for the RJR radio station, after initially being employed there as a log keeper, having studied accountancy. From there he moved on to Ronnie Nasrullah's recently created WIRL studio, where he gained experience with a two-track mixer, under the guidance of Australian engineer Graeme Goodall. His engineering skills were used extensively by producer Leslie Kong, and he eventually moved into production himself, using an Ampex two-track mixing board to create remixes of tracks and to combine several tracks into a single song. He also founded the Upset record label in 1967 along with Lee Perry and trainee engineer Barrington Lambert. His self-productions included "Pop A Top", which he described as the first ever Jamaican "talking" record (although a handful of deejay records had been released earlier), which at the time of its release in early 1969 was unusual in that its rhythm was noticeably faster than the prevailing rocksteady beat. "Pop A Top"'s rhythm track was based on Dave Bartholomew's "South Parkway Mambo", and its lyric was based on a Canada Dry commercial; The song was later used by Canada Dry in an advertising campaign in the 1970s.

Links To Peel
The first reggae record Peel played was 'Pop A Top' in 1969, which gained controversy when the lyrics "taste the tits, taste the tits" led to the BBC recieving complaints from listeners. Also many listeners at that time felt Peel betrayed them by playing black music. On Peeling Back The Years 3 (Transcript) broadcast on BBC Radio One in 1987, Peel mentioned the response when he played the record:


 * "I remember taking it home and playing it to my wife, and we both thought really, “This is just such a wonderful record.” And I played it on the radio – and the response was not very positive. I mean, people wrote in letters of the, “Why have you turned your back on us” after all these years, or after all this year, or however long it was. Because people saw this as being the enemy’s music being played within their little sacrosanct area."

Peel made 'Pop A Top' his Peelenium 1969 on his 09 November 1999 show and after his death, the record was found in John Peel's Record Box.

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1969: Pop A Top

Shows Played
1970 1979 1980 1983 1991 1997 1999 2002 Others
 * 25 April 1970: Popatop (single) Treasure Isle
 * 19 December 1979: Popatop (single) Treasure Isle
 * 02 January 1980: Popatop (7") Treasure Island
 * 30 November 1983: Popatop (single) Treasure Isle
 * 19 July 1991 (BFBS): Popatop (single) Treasure Isle
 * 01 October 1997: 'Popatop (7")' (Treasure Isle)
 * 09 November 1999: 'Popatop (7")' (Treasure Isle) Peelenium 1969
 * 14 December 1999: 'Popatop (7")' (Treasure Isle)
 * 15 October 2002: 'Pop A Top (LP - Various - Flashing Echo) Trojan
 * Peeling Back The Years: Popatop (single) Treasure Isle