Prince Far I - Under Heavy Manners
Under Heavy Manners
Michael James Williams (c. 1944 – 15 September 1983), known as Prince Far I, was a Jamaican reggae deejay, producer and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track 'Heavy Manners' used lyrics against measures initiated towards violent crime.
His first album, Psalms For I, featuring the Lord's Prayer and various psalms, was dedicated to the illiterate who could not read the Bible for themselves. He then worked with Joe Gibbs on the second album, Under Heavy Manners, before being signed by Virgin Records for their Frontline label. Twelve albums followed between 1978 and 1981, including the highly regarded Cry Tuff Dub Encounter series of dub albums, produced by Williams and released on his Cry Tuff label, and featuring the Roots Radics under the pseudonym The Arabs. Spending an increasing amount of time in England, he also collaborated with UK On-U Sound Records including providing vocals in the reggae collective Singers & Players and may be considered a mentor figure to Adrian Sherwood.
In 1983, he was recording the album Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) with producer Roy Cousins in Kingston. Before the album was finished he was shot at his home in Kingston, Jamaica, during a robbery, allegedly relating to a dispute over money, and died later in hospital ... (read more at Wikipedia)
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Festive Fifty Entries[]
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Sessions[]
Prince Far-I & Creation Rebel - Peel Session 1978
One session only (with Creation Rebel). No known commercial release.
1. Recorded: 1978-06-07. First Broadcast: 16 June 1978. Repeated: 04 July 1978, 18 October 1978, 28 May 1980, 11 September 1993, 22 December 1995,
- Spoken Introduction / Black Man's Land / No More War / The Dream / Foggy Road / Front Line
Other Shows Played[]
(This list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is almost certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)
- 1970s
- 02 May 1978: No More War (7") Front Line
- 05 June 1978: No More War (Version) (7") Front Line / Virgin FLS 112 used instead of Grinderswitch
- 29 June 1978: I Had A Talk (shared 7" with Burning Spear - I Had A Talk / Zion Higher) Banana (as King Cry Cry)
- 29 June 1978: Moses, Moses (LP - Message From The King) Front Line
- 29 June 1978: Blackman Land (LP - Message From The King) Front Line
- 29 June 1978: Concrete Column (LP - Message From The King) Front Line
- 21 August 1978: Front Line Speech () Cry Tuff
- 25 October 1978: You Have Eyes To See (LP – Long Life) Front Line
- 31 October 1978: So Long (LP – Long Life) Virgin
- 20 December 1978: Long Life (LP – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) Hitrun
- Peel March 1979 (01 March 1979 or 05 March 1979): Mansion Of The Almighty (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) Hitrun AP LP 9002
- 14 May 1979: Gongola Dub (LP - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Part 2) Front Line
- 17 May 1979: Anambra Dub (LP - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Part 2) Front Line
- 25 June 1979: Ogun Dub (LP-Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Part 2) Front Line
- 02 July 1979: Gongola Dub (Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Part 2) Virgin
- 18 October 1979: Call On I In Trouble (LP-Free From Sin) Trojan
- 20 October 1979 (BFBS): When Jah Ready You Got To Move (album - Free From Sin) Trojan TRLS 175
- 03 December 1979: Red Sea (7") Cry Tuff
- 10 December 1979 (& Errol Holt): Musical History () Cry Tuff
- 15 December 1979 (BFBS): Red Sea (7") Cry Tuff
- 1980s
- 02 January 1980: I And I Are The Chosen One (LP - Creation Rockers Volume 1) Trojan
- 09 January 1980 (BFBS): Red Sea (7") Cry Tuff
- 04 March 1980: Plant Up (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III) Daddy Kool DKLP 15
- 07 August 1980: Low Gravity (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III) Daddy Kool DKLP 15
- 09 August 1980 (BFBS): Low Gravity (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III) Daddy Kool DKLP 15
- 16 August 1980 (BFBS) (& Ashantie Roy): 83 Struggle (7") Cry Tuff TUFF 001
- 23 August 1980 (BFBS) (& Ashantie Roy): 83 Struggle (7") Cry Tuff TUFF 001
- 26 August 1980 (& Ashantie Roy): 83 Struggle (7") Cry Tuff TUFF 001
- 10 May 1981 (BFBS) (& Ashantie Roy): 83 Struggle (7") Cry Tuff TUFF 001
- 22 June 1981: Put It Out (single) Free
- 28 July 1981: Ghetto Living (album - Livity) PRE PREX 7
- 03 August 1981: Marble Stone (album - Livity) PRE PRE X 7
- 11 August 1981: King of Kings (album - Livity) PRE PRE X 7
- 13 August 1981 (BFBS): Marble Stone (album - Livity) PRE PRE X 7
- 06 October 1981 (with Singers & Players): Quanté Jubila (album - War Of Words) On-U Sound
- 17 December 1981: Big Fight () Cry Tuff
- 06 February 1983 (BFBS): Message From The King (album - Message From The King)
- 13 July 1983 (with Singers & Players): Bedward The Flying Preacher (album - Staggering Heights) On-U Sounds
- 08 August 1983 (BBC World Service) (with Singers & Players): Bedward The Flying Preacher (album - Staggering Heights) On-U Sound
- 07 September 1983 (with Singers & Players): Bedward The Flying Preacher (album - Staggering Heights) On-U Sound ON-U
- 01 October 1983 (BFBS): Prophecy Fullfil (7") Music-Mate
- 10 December 1983 (BFBS): Tribute To Bob Marley (album - Voice Of Thunder) Trojan TRLS 204
- 22 February 1984: 354 Skank (7") Cry Tuff
- 29 February 1984 (BFBS): 354 Skank (7") Cry Tuff
- Peel April May 1984: Ask Ask (album - Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear Of The Nation)) Kingdom KVL 9016
- 16 May 1984 (BFBS): Ask Ask (album - Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear Of The Nation)) Kingdom KVL 9016
- 20 June 1984 (BFBS) (& Black Skin): Army Gideon (7")
- 04 July 1984 (as Arabs): Ghardaia Dub (album - Crytuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) ROIR A-129
- 07 July 1984 (BFBS) (as Arabs): Long Life (album - Crytuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) ROIR A-129
- 07 July 1984 (BFBS) (as Arabs): A Message (album - Crytuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) ROIR A-129
- 17 June 1986: Survival (v/a LP - Roy Cousins - Wambesi Allstars) Heartbeat
- 28 June 1986 (BFBS): Survival (v/a LP - Roy Cousins - Wambesi Allstars) Heartbeat
- 07 July 1984 (BFBS): Long Life (LP – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1) Hitrun
- 31 July 1987 (BFBS): A Message
- 04 October 1987 (BFBS): Heavy Manners (album - Under Heavy Manners)
- 11 January 1988: Everytime I Hear The Word (LP - Voice Of Thunder) Trojan
- 23 July 1988 (BFBS): Hairdressing Salon
- 06 January 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 096 (BFBS)) (& I-Roy): Jazzbo Have Fe Run (7") Student
- 04 January 1989 (& Singers & Players): Water The Garden (v/a compilation album - Pay It All Back Volume 2) On-U Sound ON-U LP 42
- 1990s
- 06 October 1990: Message From the King (Compilation CD-Beyond The Front Line) Front Line / Virgin
- 11 November 1990: Armageddon (CD - Black Man Land) Virgin
- 24 November 1990: Armageddon (album - Black Man Land) Virgin CDFL 9005
- 12 January 1991: No More War (single) white label
- 16 June 1991: (& Dub Syndicate): Wadada (compilation album - Give Peace A Dance) CND
- 27 March 1993: The Right Way (v/a album - Dub Or Die) ROIR Europe RE099CD
- 09 April 1994 (BFBS): Long Life (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1)
- 30 April 1994 (BFBS): A Message (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter One) Hitrun
- 03 May 1994 (BBC World Service): The Encounter (album - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter One) Hitrun
- 26 November 1997 (with Singers & Players): Bedward The Flying Preacher (v/a LP - Pay It All Back Vol.1) On-U Sound
- 26 August 1998 (& Culture): Message From The King (Cry Tough Records)
- 30 November 1999: No More War (7") Virgin Front Line
- 2000s
- 10 February 2000: Show Me Mine Enemy (LP - Under Heavy Manners) Joe Gibbs
- 29 March 2000: Psalm 24 (LP - Psalms For I) Carib Gems
- 02 April 2000 (BFBS): Psalm 24 (LP - Psalms For I) Carib Gems
- 13 April 2000: Psalm 1 (LP - Psalms For I) Carib Gems
- 23 April 2002: Psalm 49 (LP – Psalms For I) Pressure Sounds
- 08 May 2002: Psalm 49 (LP 'Psalms For I') Carib Gems
- 23 May 2002 (Radio Eins):Psalm 49 (album - Psalms For I) Carib Gems CGLP 1002 possibly from 2002 rerelease on Pressure Sounds
- 23 May 2002 (BBC World Service): Psalm 49 (CD - Psalms For I) Pressure Sounds
- 28 May 2002: The Lord’s Prayer (LP – Pslams For I) Pressure Sounds
- 20 June 2002 (Radio Eins): The Lord's Prayer (album - Psalms For I) Pressure Sounds
- 03 July 2002: Stop The War (7") Wambesi
- 08 October 2002: Stop the War (7 inch) Wambesi
- 17 October 2002 (Radio Eins): Stop The War (7") Wambesi
- 31 October 2002 (Radio Mafia): Stop The War (7 inch) Wambesi
- 29 April 2003: Bedward, the Flying Preacher (7") Sound Boy
- May 2003 (FSK): Bedward The Flying Preacher (7") Sound Boy
- 08 May 2003 (Radio Eins): Bedward, The Flying Preacher (7") Sound Boy
- 09 May 2003 (BBC World Service): Bedward, the Flying Preacher (7") Sound Boy
- 26 August 2003: (& Ghetto Priest) Dungeon (7") Sound Boy
- 05 September 2003 (BBC World Service): (& Ghetto Priest) Dungeon (7") Sound Boy
- 16 September 2004: Psalm 2 (LP - Psalms For I) Carib Gems
- 14 October 2004: (JP: "Wonder what made me think that Prince Far-I was sampled on this? [ref: Klute: Time 4 Change] ...It's called Time For Change, and there's gonna be a bit of a change over the next couple of weeks while I'm away. I hope you listen to and enjoy those programmes. I'll be back in your midst at the beginning of November, refreshed I hope, and with loads of your requests to play too, and a session from Lali Puna on Tuesday. Thanks as always for listening, and coming up now, it's Anne Nightingale.")