A new friend played me a record that changed my life. Much to the displeasure of his neighbors, this guy cranked up his stereo as loud as it could go and introduced me to Third World. Six little notes and I was losing my mind in short order. Prisoner in the Street, their first live record was what I was hearing. "1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade)" was the song and the singer was William "Bunny Rugs" Clark.

Never had I heard a voice that contained so much feeling and soul. Certain notes just went through me like a (steppin') razor. And the songs…."African Woman" is undoubtedly a career highlight --- absolute perfection and where Rugs shines brightest. "Now That We Found Love" breezes through with a slick veneer that just sparkles. From top to bottom, this record is just amazing and was the starting point for me to find out about the band's previous work and the other gems that would follow in the years to come.

What sets Third World apart from most other reggae bands is that they don't just find a groove that they can lock onto and ride it all the way through --- they concentrate on the actual songs. I mean these guys have it all. First and foremost, they have the songs, their blend of reggae is often infused with R&B/soul; some sprinkled with a slight pop flavor. Stephen "Cat" Coore is a wicked guitarist who can throw in a sizzling solo that really elevates a song, broadening the horizons of the band's career, and careens against the parameters of reggae music. He is matched by the inventive bass lines of Richard Daley. Completing the package is the golden vocals of Bunny Rugs. To these ears, he has the finest voice in reggae for sure, but also has few peers beyond those borders.

Third World has an excellent new record out called Patriots and it's the first one on their own label Third World Music Group, distributed by VP Records. In addition, Bunny Rugs is releasing a solo record (Raw Edge Productions) called Time later this year but three songs from the record are available now. (Look for my review on both coming soon.)

It was an absolute thrill to speak with someone I've waited 29 years to talk to: Bunny Rugs. Here's our conversation:

antiMusic: Mr. Bunny Rugs. How are you?

Rugs: I'm wonderful, my friend. And you?

antiMusic: Wow this is such an honor to get to talk to you. In April 1982, my life changed. I was at a friend's place and he put this record on and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the Prisoner in the Street version of "96 Degrees…" and I had never heard anything like your voice. Then it went into "African Woman" and I was just sitting with my mouth open. You sound so phenomenal on there. This was my introduction to reggae. And I've been a fan ever since.

Rugs: Since '82….

antiMusic: Yeah, so this is just a real thrill and an honor.

Rugs: It's a pleasure, my brother.

antiMusic: Congratulations on the new record. I love it. But it's a bit different for you. You've collaborated with other people before but where did the idea come from for you to work on a whole record with so many different people?

Rugs: Yeah, it's like a stage show, huh? (laughs) Well, we wanted to do something for Paul Bogle, who we had written "96 Degrees…" about. And since this was our 37th year in the business, we felt we should probably tell the story again. So we had Stephen and Damian Marley re-record the song with us. And we decided to do a tribute to not only Paul Bogle who was a veteran patriot but we wanted to pay some respect to the younger patriots like the Tessanne Chins, the Tarrus Rileys, the Dean Fraziers, and the Capletons. And it just kept coming together. We did "Front Door" and Gregory decided to join us on that one. I wrote "Island Girl" a few years ago in Australia and when I thought of a rhythm and it was almost something like Toots would do. It just had a Toots vibe in the music. And he's my buddy. So we got him. And it just kept rolling. It kept happening like that you know? And we were just really happy with the results. We really liked the direction it took and we're enjoying the benefits of our labor at the moment, sir.

antiMusic: You've got reggae royalty on the record with Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths, Toots, Inner Circle, Sly & Robbie and the Marley boys. How did you go about deciding who would play on which song?

Rugs: Each song just had its own characteristics, like the Marcia Griffiths one. We did our own version and it just sounded like something that Marcia would handle very well. Because it's from her time. She was very familiar with the tune because it was very popular in Jamaica from the version by Blood Sweat & Tears and then Alton Ellis. It was amazing really. Some were planned. Some just happened.

antiMusic: Tell us about a couple of the songs. First off "Spirit Lives", which is an excellent song and sounds like it could have been written about Japan or Haiti like you mention in that great live version.

Rugs: "Spirit Lives" is a very old song that was written for us by Kenny Gamble from Gamble and Huff of Philadelphia who wrote all those songs, right? We had it on our Hold On to Love record. We decided to start playing it again live, you know? And basically the message is you know, stay strong and don't give up. Just move on, kind of thing. And we decided to dedicate it to the people of Haiti and it just turned out really well. It's a great song.

antiMusic: Possibly my favorite song on here is "Revolutionary People". What were you thinking about when you wrote this?

Rugs: Well, that song was written by one of the greatest songwriters in Jamaican music history, a gentleman by the name of Richard Bell. He used to do all the Anthony B stuff. He's an excellent songwriter and he wrote two songs for us on our album "Generation Coming".

antiMusic: "By My Side" is an absolutely beautiful song. How did you come to work with Tessanne Chin?

Rugs: She's an up and coming Jamaican star. She comes from a long list of musicians. Her grandfather had a band. Her parents also had a band and her sister is Tami Chynn. I just love her voice and actually she just got married last week…regrettably for quite a few men because…. (laughs)

antiMusic: Yeah I know. I saw the video (laughs)

Rugs: (laughs) Yeah, so you know too. (laughs) She's a very nice girl. A great voice and she has a very bright future. And I think one of the youngest that we've ever worked with. I don't think she's even 26 yet. So the band was born before she was born.

antiMusic: It must make it more special when you listen to "Front Door" knowing that you were able to record with Gregory before he passed.

Rugs: You know, I've thought about that a lot lately and I could be wrong but I think that may have been his last recording. I haven't heard about him doing anything after he voiced that one. So that is indeed very special and he was a very good friend of ours and we miss him dearly.

antiMusic: I notice in the credits that "Always Around" is written by I. Jarrett. Is that Carrot? You've kept in contact with him over the years?

Rugs: Yes. He has always kept in contact. (laughs)

antiMusic: I'm always interested in why people do cover versions. What made you want to do "You Make Me So Very Happy"?

Rugs: It happened before Alton Ellis died. We got word that he was ill and in a very gravely way. We wanted to do something that he was involved with, to remind us of him. Because he really made that song popular, you know? Especially in Jamaica. So when we heard he was sick, we decided that we should do that song.

antiMusic: You're down to a five-piece now. You must find a bit more room on stage? Any particular reason you didn't opt for a full-time percussionist and full-time keyboardist?

Rugs: We would love to have as big a band as possible on stage but wanting it is one thing. It is not easy to keep a band together. It hasn't been difficult for us in the inner circle because we've known each other since….I've known Cat since he was 12 or 13. That was when I met him first. And we've developed a family kind of relationship with Cat, Richie and myself. And it's very hard to bring new people into the family because it takes time to get used to us and how we operate. Sometimes I don't have to say anything to Richie or Cat. It's just done. It just happens. It's just a thing that we have between us…something that doesn't even need a spoken word. That's very hard for other musicians to come into Third World and really understand what is going down. I also like a small band with a big sound. To me, it's less distracting. Just small and attractive (laughs).

antiMusic: Plus, you've got more room to move around on stage.

Rugs: Yeah ….to go goof off and whatever. (laughs) So we've got the two "new" guys. We've got Ruption, who has been with us for what…12 years. He's cooking nicely. I think he's one of the greatest reggae drummers out there right now. He's so talented. And we have Norris Webb on keyboards. He's a genius. He plays with Diana King and other groups. So we have all the musicianship we need along with Cat, Richie and myself. I think the band actually sounds better than it did quite a few years back.

antiMusic: As illustrated by the new record (laughs)

Rugs: Exactly (laughs)

antiMusic: At this point, you've been together longer than a lot of marriages. Do you hang out with Stephen and Richie and write or socialize when you're off tour or do you make a point to keep to yourselves since you spend a lot of time together when you're doing shows?

Rugs: We're all friends and yes we do spend a lot of time together on the road. But when we're not on the road, I talk to Richie about 12 times per day. And Cat, maybe a little less just because of his schedule. But we're all buddies. And when we're together we just laugh all the time. We don't fuss and we don't fight, you know?

People are always asking me when was the last time I took a vacation and I tell them that when I'm at work, I'm on vacation. (laughs) Apart from the hassles of traveling and leaving your family behind --- those are the hardest parts. But I always look forward to our tours because it should be fun and it IS fun.

antiMusic: How do you write when you sit down with the idea for a song? Are you one of those Pro-Tools guys or do you have a studio?

Rugs: It happens in various ways you know? You might be driving and you get an idea. You might get a title or just a word or a name or something. You might be waiting to start a show and you get an idea. You may be getting ready for bed and just as you're starting to fall asleep, two lines come to you. So you have to jump up and try to either write it down or remember it some way. And then you bring it in to the other guys and all five of us might start to shape it one way or the other.

But my favorite way of writing is just by jamming --- when we're all in a room together with instruments and we're not even playing anything in particular. Just playing anything. Songs like "Girl from Hiroshima". That came out of a jam. "Now That We Found Love"….well we didn't write it but the arrangement….that came out of jamming. And I really like doing it that way. But it comes all different kind of ways, my friend.

antiMusic: If I understand right, you've lived in the States for a long time. Especially with the New York area there is more of a hip-hop vibe and R&B/soul in places like nearby Philadelphia. Do you find writing reggae songs when you're home is different than when you're in the Islands?

Rugs: Recently, I've spent a few months in Jamaica, on and off and I get a better vibration for writing there. It's just that the surroundings have an influence; the mountains, the sea…the smell, the fruits. The attitude of the people. The colors. The sounds. It's amazing, you could blindfold me and take me to places like Los Angeles, Japan, London, Nigeria, Kingston, New York and just by the smell, I can tell you where I'm at. So those kinds of things are very important when creating. And the Caribbean, and Jamaica especially, I get really good vibes. But then again, songs like "Hooked on Love" and "African Woman" were actually written in Central Park. (laughs)

antiMusic: What? Really?

Rugs: When I lived in New York, I used to go and write in Central Park. They have those row boats, you know? And I used to go with my acoustic guitar, my cassette recorder and writing pad and paper. It's kind of a long story. At the time, I was married to my first wife. And also at that time, I was really trying to carve a career out of music because I realized that it was what I wanted to do. I was in a band called Hugh Hendricks & the Buccaneers and I would rehearse in Brooklyn on Tuesday and Wednesday. You probably played on Friday and Saturday or we'd play Friday and Saturday. On Monday morning, I'd have something like $42 in my pocket (laughs) and I'd be gone Tuesday and Wednesday and maybe Sunday because we used to play on Saturday for weddings, functions, birthday parties and that kind of stuff. And it was really difficult for me at that time because this was what I honestly wanted to do.

So my wife would make arrangements for me to go to an employment office at this steamship company and set up an interview for me to be maybe assistant freight person or work in the mailroom. And she would get dressed and take the train and before she would go, she would give me money for the train and money for lunch. Cuz I was just working with the band, you know? And so I would take the train with her and get off at the right stop but then I'd hop on the train again and go back home. And I would get out of my jacket and tie and put my street clothes back on and take the train back to Central Park, using the same money she gave me to go find a job. (laughs) To this day, I don't think she realized what was going on. (laughs)

But when she got home, she'd ask me how the interview went. And I would say that the interview went well but the salary was so small after taxes that at the end of the week, I would make like $65 so it didn't make any sense. But another office said there would be another job opening up in about a week and a half that paid more. And it went on for months like that. (laughs)

I finally got a job with, strangely enough, UPS. That and I also worked at a hospital where I would be transferring blood samples and that kind of thing. Two weeks after I got the job, I ended up staying in Jamaica for 10 months (laughs). No offense to UPS but I much more enjoyed my time in Jamaica.

antiMusic: You've been a part of some pretty memorable shows in your time. What do you remember about the first Reggae Sunsplash in 1978?

Rugs: For me, it was a mess. (laughs) Well, eventually everything was fine. We did a great performance and everything but at that time, we were supposed to go on at like 10:30 or 11 at night. So I got dressed in my black leather trousers and my white long-sleeved shirt and we didn't end up going on until about 7:30 the next morning. Now at that time in Jamaica, you don't want to be found in leather pants (laughs) with the sun arriving from the East directly onto the stage. 96 degrees in the shade, for sure!!! (laughs) I nearly fainted.

The one I enjoyed more was the one that Bob Marley played. And I was so sick. Cuz we were coming from England. I had caught Hepatitis B and I went to the doctor in England because my eyes were so yellow. And I had to fill out so much stuff that it was crazy. I ended up saying I had jaundice or something like that. I went to Jamaica about four days before the show and I spent the entire four days in bed. And the guys kept asking me "Are you sure you're OK? Are you sure you can do the show?" And I said yes because, I mean, we'd be playing alongside the King. And while I was playing that show, I felt no form of sickness. And I think it was one of the best performed "African Woman" that I've ever done. And the newspaper said the next day "Is the King threatened?" (laughs)

antiMusic: Wow. That's amazing. One of my favorite songs is "Try Jah Love". How did you come to work with Stevie Wonder? I guess he had just released "MasterBlaster"?

Rugs: That's another strange one because I think I heard at that time that Stevie was making arrangements to record with Bob Marley. And I think that was what brought his visit to Jamaica. I'm not sure why they didn't connect. I don't know if that was when Bob Marley died…I'm not sure. Anyway Stevie ended up coming to Reggae Sunsplash again. And he came on stage with us and set up his keyboards and microphone and we did "Masterblaster". And then he invited us to California after that.

That is definitely one of my most treasured experiences working with him. It was a hell of a trip. One of the things I learned from that whole thing was how to be patient. Cuz with Stevie you have to be patient. (laughs) But to sit there and watch how he creates….how he searches for the next line. It was a learning process for us, my man. And I really give thanks for that.

antiMusic: It would be a great experience, I'm sure, to work with somebody of that stature but when it was all said and done, were you happy with the final outcome?

Rugs: I thought it was better. Not only did we get "Try Jah Love", he also wrote "You're Playing Us Too Close". I don't think anybody can do a better version of that song than what we got. I mean, it's just such a powerful song. It's amazing and I think if you listen to it, it's so current to what's happening now. Only Third World could have made that statement especially in that period of time. Nobody would have been brave enough to do it. It was a great, great experience and a really good album, "You've Got the Power".

antiMusic: I just heard the first few cuts from your upcoming solo record yesterday and they're excellent. Rugs, man I love "Just Can't Deny" and "Kurfew". You sound so amazing on both.

Rugs: I'm glad you like the songs, my friend. You know, it's funny. "Love is Blind" is actually the first single and that was produced by Sly & Robbie. "Just Can't Deny" was written also by Richard Bell. Dean Frazier and his band did the music. I love that track also. Sometimes we feel less than a man if we express some of our inner most feelings towards relationships, you know? But I think it's necessary because we DO hurt sometimes and that's what I'm trying to say here. It was reversed this time because I did the music first and then sent it to Richard and he sent me the lyrics back and I went "this man is a genius."

So those two, along with "Kurfew" are the first few songs from the record. "Kurfew" takes you to where it's going on right now --- all over the world. It's amazing. I sit in front of my television and go "haven't we already been through this?" We were singing about Nelson Mandela before anybody else in the world knew who he was. Our music reflects what's going on around the world and sometimes we call names and it's actually happened there. It's a little disturbing but I'm happy and sad to be able to see this happening because the people who are rebelling now are the people who really need to rebel because they have been denied for such a long time. But when you look at things like Facebook and Twitter….all the technology today…I love it because it really shows what's going on across the road. And I know what's going on. We've just got to keep up the fight.

The album will be called Time and I think I have a really nice product here. Because the three songs you heard here are good but there are other songs on the record that are (laughs) gooder, if I can use that term (laughs). And I have a team with me who are working on this record who really know how to tap into the new music industry. Because it is new. It's changed dramatically from 20 years ago….from 10 years ago. There are so many outlets now. There are so many ways that you can put your stuff out there to be seen and to be heard. But you have to know where and to spend time to find these outlets.

I have Heather and Susan and we're on a campaign now. And one important thing I like about the people I'm working with now is that it's all planned on each step. All the music is registered and it's copyrighted and everything is in place before even one single goes out. Stuff like that…making sure your website is up and the Facebook is running. All of those kinds of things that are so very important.

antiMusic: Do you know yet when the record will come out?

Rugs: It's finished but we are in no hurry to put out an album. Because you can't take an album to the radio station and tell the disc jockey to play it anymore. So what we've decided to do is have a campaign for about three months with the three songs we've just put out. Actually it'll probably be about September or so….just in time for the Grammys (laughs). How's that, my friend? (laughs)

I think you're going to be very pleasantly surprised. You know, I love dancehall but I can't go there as a singer. I have to go in other directions. I love the one-drop. With the one-drop, you can swing it anywhere you want and even color it with r&b….whatever you want. I really found that on this record. We really used all the music. It's basically roots rocka-reggae music but for different moods.

antiMusic: Third World is known for your humanitarian work. Are you currently involved in projects that you would encourage your audience to support?

Rugs: Yes man. One of the most important things I've ever connected myself to is the Jamaica Children's Heart Fund (http://www.jamaicanchildrensheartfund.org/). I'm a spokesperson for them. It's a team of doctors out of Joe DiMaggio Hospital in Miami. For about 15 years now, they've put a team together --- doctors and nurses --- about four or five of them. They take their vacation time and get medicine and operating equipment…whatever they need and will operate on Jamaican children's hearts for free. They'll do about five or six or seven a year and the only reason they can't do more is because of funds. So I would encourage people to check out the organization because these doctors and nurses….they use their own time and money….you can't imagine what it means to these children and their mothers and families. And the doctors don't just go to the hospitals. They also go into the schools and test the children and they always find at least four or five who need heart attention. This is an organization that is very close to my heart. Half of the proceeds from my last solo record (which will be re-released soon) go to the Fund. And I'm going to do the same thing with Time so I'm hoping that I'll have a reasonable amount of sales so I can put a sizeable contribution to them.

antiMusic: How did you come up with the name Bunny Rugs?

Rugs: In Jamaica, everybody has a nickname. My grandmother gave me the name Bunny, I think because I can't stay in one place for too long. I was always jumping around like a damn rabbit. When I first went into Third World, they found out I liked to sleep on the floor. Even in hotels, I would go on the carpet and go to sleep. And I love oriental rugs. So they started called me Bunny Rugs. Not drugs, my friend. Just Rugs (laughs).

But that's how Jamaicans are. Everybody's got another name. One guy went to court for making off with some eggs. The judge asked him, "What did you do?" The guy replied, "I fried a few. I boiled a few. Scrambled a few. Sold a few and I sucked a few." From that moment on, he was known as Suckafew, you know? (laughs)

antiMusic: I know you put out a soul record a few years back. To me, that's the sweet spot right there. Your voice fits this stuff perfectly.

Rugs: Well, thank you. I love that kind of music. Yeah, I did put out a record of soul music, Bunny Rugs on Soul. All hits of yesterday and it was put out by a company in Germany. I just formed a new production company called Raw Edge Productions and I'm going to re-release all of that stuff. What I'm doing now is I'm gathering all that stuff back to me, and I'm going to put it all out.

I used to sing that stuff all the time when I was younger. I would go and practice it between the train cars. Cuz when the train was moving, you can't even hear yourself. So it didn't matter if I was terrible or whatever. (laughs) I'd ride the trains back and forth just going nowhere. And when I got home, I was so sore (laughs). But I guess that's how I got my start singing really. Just practicing. Practicing and playing are really important.

I was in Jamaica recently during Black History Month and I was at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and it was just amazing. The students there held a performance and it was excellent. The man told me they had over 40 drummers there, guitar players…keyboard players. Most of the musicians coming out of Jamaica now are young people who came from the School of Music. Ibo Cooper is a teacher there. And the teachers do a good job with these young children. And the thing about these kids is that they don't just play one instrument. They know about Pro-Tools and they're actually engineers. And they really need to find an outlet because they're making so much music that nobody will hear all of it. Yes, there are some good musicians coming out of Jamaica, man.

antiMusic: Third World is known for producing all these great songs and I know that's an important part but for me Third World is your voice. Nobody could ever take your place. Obviously music is your life, it's what you do. But are there ever some times when you go on stage and maybe you're not feeling 100%...do you ever feel that expectation from the audience and that burden from everybody weighing on you?

Rugs: (long pause) That's a good question. Yeah, sometimes. But you just have to manage yourself and let it be what is. I try to look after myself to give the best show I can. Like sometimes I don't go to soundcheck. I'll stay resting in my hotel. But I'm not really resting cuz I'll run through the show like a million times. Then you get that nervous kind of feeling in your stomach. Any time you don't feel that, then it's time to pack up and go. And I get that every time. I look forward to that feeling --- to the challenge and the task. I'm leaving in a few days for a show in Jamaica and I'm already packed. And it's not that I don't love my house. I live with my wife and my children. And it's fun being home. I enjoy being home. But I also love going to my work.

I remember when we were really tearing up the charts, our manager at the time called me and said if I wanted to go solo, he would be ready to go with me. But I kept saying to him, "If I'm going to go solo, then I'm going to need a band. And I have a band already. I have the greatest band." Nobody in reggae music can play the guitar like Cat Coore. No one. The scales that he plays and the notes he plays…I don't hear anybody else in reggae music make that kind of statement. Richard Daley --- the kinds of bass patterns he plays…it would take me years to find another bass player who can fit to the way that I sing and the way that Cat plays so well. Maybe someone could play the notes that Richie and Cat play but there's no way they could create the kind of music that would fit what I do on it. That is why we've been together for so long.

I mean, I enjoy playing with other musicians. I just did a solo performance with Davy Jones and his band. They were fantastic --- just professional. But at some point I turned and was looking for Cat to step out and for Richie to be on my left. So I said, I'm going to have to get two life-size statues to take out with me. (laughs)

But I've never felt happier than what I'm experiencing right now. Our new record Patriots and my new record Time and the kind of acceptance and reception that they're getting is satisfying. Cuz when I sit back and think of all the effort and time that was put into both projects….at one point I was doing both at the same time. I was in two studios and going back and forth….in fact, in Jamaica, I had three studios working at the same time. One was mixing. One was mastering. One was transferring. And there was graphics and all that…all at the same time! But it is an exciting time.

But I think the quality of my voice is much better than it was years back because it takes time to find exactly where your centre is, you know? It takes a little time. I listen to some of the earlier stuff and it sounds fresh but I should have taken it a different way. That's one of my problems as a singer. I'll do it over and over and over. That's why I need a producer to say OK this is it. But I think I sound better now. I think I sound richer and cleaner. Experience is a hell of a thing. No, I'm very happy where I am right now. I just wish I was younger (laughs). Cuz I still have so much more to learn (laughs). No, I'm really, really happy.

antiMusic: How does the business of Third World work? Do you have a three or five year plan kind of thing or do you take it album by album?

Rugs: Right now, we're just looking to attract some attention for this record and hopefully to generate some live performances for us. Because that is what we love most. I enjoy working in the studio and all that stuff but I love live shows because you get one shot. When we recorded "Now That We Found Love", we did it in one take. We didn't change anything. We just started…3 and a half minutes and that was it. (Laughs)

antiMusic: Wow. That's amazing. Well, you've been awesome with your time. I appreciate this so much and Rugs, this has been one of the highlights of my life getting to talk to you. I can't say what your music means to me. This has just been a real thrill so thank you very much.

Rugs: God Bless my friend. Thank you very much.

Morley and antiMusic thank Bunny Rugs for taking the time to speak with us.