- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Bunny Brown

Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Joel 'Bunny' Brown, one of the big names of the '70s, is seeking to make a comeback by revamping his solo career in Jamaica.

Brown, as lead singer for The Chosen Few, was once managed by Derrick Harriott and had hits including, Shaft, You're A Big Girl Now, Ebony Eyes, Psychedelic Train, Drift Away, Everybody Plays The Fool, and many others.

Chosen Few was formed in Jamaica in 1969, following the disbandment of another group, the Federals, when former Federal members, Spence and Scotty, along with Bunny Brown and Richard MacDonald, pooled their talents together.

According to Brown, with his 35 years experience in music, he is now ready to steer his musical career in another dimension.

"I recently put a new band together called 'Bunny Brown Experience' which will be going on the road with me and we also lining up some tours around the island, which will include other acts. Places such as Negril, Mandeville, Montego Bay, Westmoreland, Santa Cruz, these dates are already set. The tour should start around the first week in November and after that we will be heading down into the Caribbean," Brown said.

European market

Brown and the rest of the group (Chosen Few) have been making a big impact on the European and U.S. markets as he says, 'my album, Ready For The World, was the last Studio One album; it was the very last album that Sir Coxsone worked on before he died. That album has been doing well in Europe. Chosen Few also has a single called, Hard To Say I'm Sorry, from our Lovers album that is number one on the New York Top Ten Chart and we had done some promotional tours for the single. Our U.S. tour took us from Atlanta to Tennessee, Alabama, New York and New Jersey."

Brown said he had worked with many big international names and has toured extensively with them as back-up vocalist, performing many of their big hits in Europe.

"I used to work with a U.S. group called Heat Wave that was known for songs like Always And Forever. I was the background vocalist for that song," Brown said, as he listed a string of other popular songs and artistes whom he had worked with.

The list includes Joan Armatrading, Luther Vandross, Yoko Ono, Pete Bellotte and George Moroder, who used to produce Donna Summer, Culture Club, Main Ingredients, Delmar Brown and Kenwood Denard from The Manhattan Transfer, Kevin 'K.K' Kendricks from the group Cameo, Billy Joel, Evelyn Champagne King and Amy Stewart.

Where tours are concerned, Brown has rubbed shoulders with big names such as Billy Ocean, Hot Chocolate, Eddie Grant, Sylvesta and Queen. "We tour Europe like for six months out of the year," Brown said.

Seeking to rebuild ties

After living in the U.S. for more than a decade, Brown is seeking to rebuild his ties in Jamaica, as he is now getting ready to release his new album entitled Anthem.

"This new album coming out is produced by me and the single from it is called Sending Out A Song (SOS), which has been doing well. Send Your Love and My People are the other two singles that have also been released," Brown said.

An array of musical talent is behind the album, as Brown said "wi a bring back di original reggae music to di people and what better way to ensure that by using the originals, the very best in music?"

Names such as Sly and Robbie, Glenn Browne (bass guitar), Robbie Lyn (keyboards), Chris Meredith (guitarist), Sticky (percussionist), Dean Fraser (saxophonist), Dwight Pickney (guitarist), Pam Hall (background vocals), Dalton Browne, Bulby and Fatta (engineers) and Bongo Herman will all be credited on the final product.

Brown is one of the founding members of the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes (JAVA), along with Michael Barnett, Keith Brown and Trinity, and currently serves as entertainment and membership director of the organisation.