Stranger Cole: "I love the harmony of multiple voices and I love to sing with people, so whenever the chance presented itself, I paired up with someone!"

Stranger, for starters, could you take us back to the beginnings of your musical career?
Stranger Cole: “I came from a musical family. My uncle, Gilbert Cole, used to play with Ernest Ranglin, he was a guitarist. My father was a cabinet maker, but he also made great guitars. And my brother, Leroy ‘Cuttings’ Cole, was the number one selector for Duke Reid Sound System. Mr. Reed was interested to hear what his little brother had to say, and that’s how I got started.”

Still, on that very first audition, Mr. Reid, he wasn’t too impressed.
Stranger Cole: “No, he wasn’t… He was impressed with the songs that I wrote, but felt my vocal performance wasn’t quite there yet. He told me that he wanted to let another artist voice my songs and that’s how I was introduced to Monty Morris. I’d written a song called ‘In And Out The Window’ (Duke Reid’s, 1961, red.), and with Monty voicing it, it went straight to number one. When that happened, Mr. Reid called me into his office and said: “If you can write a song like that, you can sing it too!”, and offered me another chance behind the microphone. He also sent me to meet this lady called Patsy (Millicent ‘Patsy’ Todd, red.), who used to sing with Derrick Morgan. That first session, we sang ‘Ruff And Tuff’ (sometimes ‘Rough And Tough’ or ‘Rough & Tough’, red.) and ‘When I Call Your Name’, which both went to number one as well! After that, there was no looking back!”

Patsy, was really just the first of quite a few musical partners that you’ve had during your career. 
Stranger Cole: “I love the harmony of multiple voices and I love to sing with people, so whenever the chance presented itself, I paired up with someone.”

One of those musical partners we definitely have to mention is Ken Boothe. When you started collaborating with Ken, he was really still a nobody, when you were already an established artist.
Stranger Cole: ‘I’m simply the kind of guy who loves to help out. Ken Boothe lived in the same area where I was living, Denham Town, and used to pass my home to hang around when we were rehearsing. Sometimes he’d come in and sing, and when I discovered his voice, I knew his talent had to be heard. So I took him to Treasure Isle and told Mr. Reid I wanted to voice with Ken. and he said it was okay. One of the first tunes we did together was ‘Unos - Dos - Tres’ (released as ‘Eunodos’ on Duke Reid’s Dutchess label in 1963, red.). From there we didn’t look back! Our biggest tune, of course, was ‘Artibella’ (released in 1965 on Coxsone Dodd’s Coxsone Records label, red.)!”

You started in the ska era and proved a prolific rocksteady artist, but you’re also credited with recording one of the very first reggae songs, a tune called ‘Bangarang’.
Stranger Cole: “I never planned it, but I’m happy it turned out that way. Big Jamaican producers like Lee Perry, Bunny Lee and Joe Gibbs, all claim it was the first reggae tune, but in that same period you also had Larry Marshall’s ‘Nanny Goat’ for example.”

At one point, you decided to leave Jamaica for Canada. What brought that about?
Stranger Cole: “Well, I was invited by a relative of mine who asked me if I would love to come to Canada. I accepted his invitation, and eventually, ended up live there for 12 years!”

Something not all of your fans will know, is that while you were in Canada, you worked in quite a famous toy factory for a while.
Stranger Cole: “Yeah, I worked in a toy factory called Tonka Toys as a machine operator. But I also worked at Snap-on (American designer, manufacturer, and marketer of high-end tools and equipment for professional use in the transportation industry, red.) and Eaton’s (defunct Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country, red.), and even had my own record store at Kensington Market in downtown Toronto for a while.”

A few years back you were asked to star in and narrate the ‘Rocksteady, The Roots Of Reggae’ documentary.
Stranger Cole: “That documentary was done by some people from Montreal, who came to Jamaica. I’m happy to have gotten the part that I played in it, it was very well done.”

From the ‘Rocksteady, The Roots Of Reggae’ documentary, a project called Kingston All-Stars also evolved.
Stranger Cole: “Yes, Moss ‘Mossman’ Raxlen from Montreal, who was the producer of ‘Rocksteady, The Roots Of Reggae’ documentary, is also behind Kingston All-Stars.”

The period when rocksteady ruled supreme in Jamaica was all too brief, but none the less it produced many hits that are still popular today. Why do you think the genre was so short-lived when it was so successful at the same time?
Stranger Cole: “That’s not such an easy question to answer, but people change. When it comes to rocksteady and reggae, there are much similarities and only a few difference, really.”

In a way, you also passed on your legacy, as your son is none other than renowned reggae drummer Squidly Cole.
Stranger Cole: “It think the legacy I’ve passed on to him is spiritually more than anything else. Life is just like a relay race, and at some point you have to pass on the baton. Squidly started playing the drums from when he was about 12 years old. Things really took off when he joined Jimmy Cliff But for a world tour age 14!”

There was a time when you used to dread up. So, I have to ask, that whole tradition of Rastafari in Jamaica, what does that represent to you?
Stranger Cole: “To me it represents more life and more love! I grew up Rasta. You said I used to dread up, but now that I’ve grown older, I feel as if I carry my dreads in my heart!”

Foto: © Fabrice De Smedt