by Howard Campbell
BOSTON – Though he did the odd recording, bouts of inactivity made singer Michael Palmer one of dancehall’s forgotten heroes. Recently, he got back in the groove to cut Good Man, a song produced by Jah Rich of Strictly Yard Music from Boston.
Palmer, best known for the 1984 anthem, Lick Shot, said he jumped at the chance to record again, adding that Good Man was inspired by the positive vibes at Strictly Yard.
“The impact that the Good Man song had on both of us, we decided we are gonna go ahead and release it. This my first time working with Jah Rich but I’ve done shows for him and trust me, he’s a good man so that’s how I end up recording for Strictly Yard,” Palmer explained.
Good Man was released in April and has done the rounds on West Indian radio in New York where 59-year-old Palmer has lived for over 30 years. Due to vocal challenges, he rarely recorded during the last two decades.
“It would be like every now and then I would pass by the studios and should I hear a rhythm I like, I would had my vocals to it,” he recalled.
Palmer was born in Whitfield Town, a tough inner-city neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up near the famed Channel One recording studio and one of his neighbors was singer Leroy Smart, an early influence.
While his career started in the late 1970s, Palmer hit his stride in the 1980s when the dancehall genre exploded with songs like Lick Shot, produced by George Phang.
His contemporaries included Junior Reid, Half Pint, Tenor Saw, Robert Ffrench and Yami Bolo.
“The ‘80s was solid as a rock, with a combination of young vocalist like Frankie Paul, Cocoa Tea, Half Pint, Junior Reid, Robert Ffrench and myself. Crazy list, right?! They all had their own input and distinctive sound that the fans could identify with up until this very day,” said Palmer.
Michael Palmer, who has nine solo albums to his name, hopes his current sessions with Strictly Yard Music will lead to a new collection of songs in 2020.
