This interview with Phyllis Dillon, conducted by David Rodigan, was broadcast on Kiss 100fm in 1994.

(Intro music "Don't Stay Away")

Rodigan You could say it's her signature tune, and the first question after all these years, why did you do it to us? Why did you go away? Why did you just pack it all up? Where did you go to? What happened?

Phyllis It's a long story, you sure you wanna hear it?

Rodigan We do wanna hear it, because we've waited so long.

Phyllis Well, recording wasn't working out right for me and...

Rodigan In what sense? You had all these hits.

Phyllis I wasn't getting paid. I had no money, I call it a rip off. And it took me too long to find out what was really going on, so I decided it was time to pull up sticks and go some place else.

Rodigan Where did you go to?

Phyllis I went to New York. I went to New York and I started a whole new life. I stopped singing, I just packed it in.

Rodigan You didn't miss it?

Phyllis I did. I missed it so much. In fact, I did sing in New York. I was singing with a band, the Buccaneers, and we went all over America. But it was the same thing, it wasn't different from being in Jamaica. I got ripped off their too! (laughs)

(Track played: "One Life To Live")

Rodigan Phyllis Dillon! I've just suprised her with a photograph I found at Treasure Isle in 1979 up on the roof. It had slipped behind the counter, and when I discovered it I asked the management if I could take it away as a little memento, and they allowed me too. It's a photograph of you on a ladder inside the studio.

Phyllis Thank you!

Rodigan Posing in your summer shorts, what was that? Were you posing for an album sleeve or something?

Phyllis I think it was in Duke Reid's studio.

Rodigan Was it going to be a publicity shot or something?

Phyllis Yeah, they were trying to take pictures to see which one would look good enough to go on the jacket of the album.Wow!

Rodigan So where did it all begin for you, where were you born?

Phyllis I was born in Linstead, St. Catherine. I'm a country girl at heart, I grew there, I stayed there all my life in Jamaica. And when I left Linstead, I went straight to New York.

Rodigan So how did you, as a country girl, what were you doing down in big, tough Kingston, down at Duke Reid's studio?

Phyllis They didn't have any studios in Linstead, and I wanted to sing. What happened was, growing up, I entered quite a bit of talent parades and stuff like that. I used to sing with a little band in Linstead, so we played all over Kingston, and one night Lynn Tait was in the crowd, he used to play with Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, and he invited me down to Duke Reid's studio, because he was in charge of er... he was the musical arranger for the recording sessions. So he said "why don't you come down and listen, because I like your voice, you might be able to do something.". I went down there, and that's when I met Alton Ellis, and we became friends instantley.

Rodigan Can you remember what year that was?

Phyllis That was late '65, because I did make the record in early '66.

Rodigan So we have Lynn Tait to thank for actually getting you there...

Phyllis Yes! And Alton Ellis for encouraging me.

Rodigan Were you rather nervous...

Phyllis Oh God don't ask! I was born nervous! I was.. forget it. I didnt' think I could hear myself back on a tape, and it sounded good to me. I was in heaven.

Rodigan Can you remember the first song you voiced?

Phyllis You just played it when I came in, Don't Stay Away. I wrote it myself.

Rodigan Yeah?

Phyllis Yeah. And because of not knowing about copyright, not having any copyright, I didn't get a dime for that either.

Rodigan You're seriously saying... obviously you're seriously saying it...were you paid expenses? Did you get frocks and dresses?

Phyllis I got like 5 pounds to do Don't Stay Away. Five pounds. I guess 5 pounds was a lot of money then, but it still was not enough.

Rodigan Did you get royalties?

Phyllis Hell, no. 'Cos when you see Duke Reid, everyday was "oh the record isn't moving, the record isn't moving", but everybody liked the record. But it was moving. I switched instead of fighting. And that's why I took off.

(Track played "Rocksteady")

Rodigan How did it feel last night (at the Easter Rocksteady Gala '94), ful house, capacity house, you couldn't hear yourself when you walked on, the roof went off. Did it feel good?

Phyllis It was such a wonderful feeling. I didn't know that I would get this kind of reception here. I had no idea that so many people still liked to hear me sing, and that's the truth. I can't find a word to describe the feeling. It was great. It was heaven.

Rodigan I know for the past 4 years various promoters have flown over to America and talked to you, and tried to persuade you to come back. Who finally wove a magic spell over you to make you come back to the stage?

Phyliss Michael Barnet.

Rodigan How did that happen? Where was the first show?

Phyllis It was at the National Arena in Jamaica, and it took him a good 3 years to talk me into doing it. He said he'd like me to come back to sing, I said "I'm not singing anymore". He said "why?" I said "I can't sing anymore". He said "no, you can sing", I said "well,I wont sing", he said "why?", I say "have you got time?" he say "well, I have 4 years to convince you to come!" And I went, and I was very happy that I went. I didn't know how much I missed singing until I went.

Rodigan And what...obviously it was a special evening, was it a celebration..rocksteady...

Phyllis It was just, Rocksteady Part 2, y'know. It was a big crowd, we had about 5,000 people. They were all happy to see me, it's like I had come alive again.

Rodigan There was a que outside your dressing room last night for autographs, and men who said "I've waited 18 years to get her to sign this".

(Tracks played "Midnight Confessions" & "Thing Of The Past")

Rodigan How much control did you have over your career then, in terms of which songs to do, how to do them, how did that work?

Phyllis I didn't have any control. Duke Reid had control.

Rodigan So he would say to you "Phyllis I want you to voice..."

Phyllis "...I have this song and I want you to do it. Listen to it and tell me if you like it, and try to see if you can sing it."

Rodigan How did you get on with him?

Phyliss We got on good. You see at that time in my life I didn't know what money was. I wasn't paying rent, I had no responsibilities, my parents were still supporting me.

Rodigan So you were still living with mum and dad in Linstead?

Phyllis Yeah. Maybe that's why he got away with so much. And I loved singing, I still cannot tell you what else I love away from singing. So it was very easy for him to do, and after the first record, everything was, like they say, a piece of cake.

Rodigan What was the biggest hit, I mean how many No.1s, No.2s, No.3s?

Phyllis "Don't Stay Away" was pretty big, Tomato was not too big - well that one never moved at all! Except I went to do a show in the Bahamas, and I almost got lifted off stage because the only song they ever heard, or which was a big hit down there, was the same one Duke Reid told me over and over didn't move! But the big hits were Perfidia, "One Life To Live" "Don't Stay Away", Nice Time. I did over Bob Marley's "Nice Time" but I did it calypso style.

(Track played "We Belong Together")

Rodigan So there you were Phyllis Dillon, with all these records on the Jamaican hit parade, and recording down at Treasure Isle. You must have got the big rush from all the guys, how did you cope with that side of being a star? You were the Queen, you were ruling.

Phyllis No I wasn't a star, I ahd no idea I was a Queen. I had a lot of friends, and I had a lot of people who wanted to know me, and I did meet a lot of people. It was alright. Some I got know better, some I took for brothers, and some were my fathers, and my sisters, it was very nice.

Rodigan Did you eventually marry and settle down, when you came out of the business?

Phyllis Yes. I evetually married, and I settled down, but my husband didn't! We eventually got divorced. It was painful but that's been a while. I'm happy now and I'm very glad that I'm free.

Rodigan And children?

Phyllis Oh my children, they're all grown, they're adults now. I have 2 a boy and a girl. They're OK.

Rodigan I suppose you were being a mum instead of being a singer.

Phyllis Yeah, when I decided to stop singing, and wasn't making any money, I decided I might as well just stay home and raise my children. So that was all part of it.

(Track played "Perfidia")

Rodigan In those sessions, were you involved in the structuring of the rhythms, or where they all made before you (came)?

Phyllis No, no. I was right there when everything was being done. As a matter of fact, they do it much different these days right? Now you go into a studio I think you have the music already. I used to be right there with the musicians, and I have a little cubicle, and I'd have one of these headsets on, and I'd hear the music coming through. The first record I made was one take, the very first take was it, Don't Stay Away. But I've been there already when we have done one song like 5 times and none of it was good, you have to go over and over and over. It's not like that these days. The music is already done, then you go do the voicing. I don't which one, I like the old time way of doing things.

Rodigan So all the guys were there, strung up, ready to play, and it was 1, 2, 3, and off we went.

Phyllis And if they did something wrong everybody had to stop, and if I did something wrong, everybody had to stop.

Rodigan Were you inspired by any particular musician?

Phyllis Yes, I was inspired by a lot of people! A lot of singers, a lot of musicians. Er, name names, Patti Page, Sarah Vaughan, so many people.

Rodigan Who was the chap crooning there in the middle of your song ("Perfidia")?

Phyllis Oh, that was Boris Gardiner, another great singer from Jamaica. He just did that part, he was in the studio to do his own recordings.

Rodigan Now on the back of the sleev notes for your album, it says that you left Jamaica '68, but you were still (recording). Did you leave and (come back), what happened?

Phyllis I left Jamaica in December of '67. But I used to go back to Jamaica, sometimes, 2 times a year, just to make the records.

Rodigan So Duke would 'phone you and say "come on, get on the plane, get down here..."

Phyllis "...I would like you to come down next month, I have a song I would like you to do."

Rodigan Were you working in America? 'Cos I heard you went into banking.

Phyllis Well I have been working at the bank now for about 17 years. But before that I did a lot of odd jobs, because running back and forth to Jamaica, everytime I had to come back and look for a new job.But I went to school and did what I had to do, so now I only do shows on my vacation time. Or if I can get a weekend I go down to Jamaica, and I'm back in New York by Sunday night, to do work on Monday.

(Tracks played "On The Right Track" & "The Love That A Woman")

Rodigan In those days, who did you chill out in Jamaica? What did you do? Did you go to dances?

Phyliss That was very easy, I'd go to dances, I'd go to the beach, I'd party for days. I couldn't dance, I still can't dance, I don't know if you notice on stage I don't move! I'm like a piece of stick up there! I can't dance, I never could dance.

Rodigan I thought you were very graceful.

Phyllis Graceful? Oh that's what you call it, thank you!

Rodigan Well, I don't thnk we were expecting you to do the Mashed Potato or anything.

Phyliss I can't do anything. I couldn't do it when I was young, and now I still can't do it. I'm not saying I'm old, but I can't do it, alright? I used to go to a lot of parties, my friends used to have parties, and I used to go to Kingston to clubs. It was so nice to go to parties then because you didn't have to worry about anyone coming in and shooting up the place. It was so nice we used to hang up 'til 4, 5, 6 o' clock in the morning. And my father used to lock the door on us, me and my sister. He would lock the door and say "no, you have to come in by 12", but the parties didn't start to move until 12, so...

Rodigan So you were in trouble with your dad!

Phyllis And if I didn't go to the parties, I'd be in trouble too! But those were nice days, I'll never forget them, and I'm very glad I had them.

(Track played "Touch Me Tomato")
(Rodigan plays "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons")

Rodigan Well here we are being exposed to some of the things that went on down in Jamaica, I've got 2 copies of this, and they both say "by Phyllis Dillon", and even credit you as the composer. I knew that you didn't compose it, but you're saying that this is what they used to do, they put your name on something, but in fact that wasn't you.

Phyllis That's right. I had no idea that my name was so good.

Rodigan So they'd use your name to sell records.

Phyllis And didn't even have the decency to get in touch with me and say anything, you know? "I feel as if I'm gonna put out this record, the girl who's doing it doesn't have a name, so I'm gonna use your name, when you hear it please say you did it!" I didn't do it! I didn't do it! Never sung it in my life. I did this one...

(Track played "Love The One Your With")

Rodigan Phyllis Dillon it's been a great pleasure having you here tonight, and we do thank you for taking the time out, because I know you've just flown across the Atlantic, 2 big shows, and you're flying back tomorrow morning I believe.

Phyllis Yes I am. And listen the pleasure was all mine, let me tell you, when I saw that crowd down there last night, all those people. And how eagerly and how well I was accepted, I would do anything for them, and I want to say "hi to them again, and hi to everybody who's listening on this program, especially my cousins who were kind enough to put me up. And to you David, may you live forever and always be number one, it was such a pleasure meeting you, and it was all my pleasure being here today. I hope I get a chance to see you after this visit.

Rodigan Well we hope you'll come back, and I know you said on stage last night, and we'll hold you to this, she said "I will come back", and everyone screamed their approval. You're going back on stage again tonight, where are your other stage shows?

Phyllis I leave to Jamaica on Thursday, I have a show to do on Friday, and I have 2 more shows, but I don't know where they will be right now, in Jamaica. Then I come back and I go to work, I'm on vacation.

Rodigan Back to 9 to 5. Your work mates must be really jealous.

Phyllis Most of them don't know, 'cos I lost a job like that. This bank that I was working, and they knew that everytime I took time off was to go make records, and he said well "you have to do one or the other", and I did the other!

Rodigan Well, we won't tell them if you don't! And any plans to finally go back and settle in Jamaica?

Phyllis Oh definately, definately.

Rodigan You've been in America a long time.

Phyllis Yes, 27 years is a long time, and I give myself another 5 years to get everything together, then I'll be back in Jamaica. And one of the main reasons for this is that when I come to London, I don't want to have to be rushing off to go back to work. So once I go to Jamaica to live, I can come here and stay as long as I want, wouldn't that be nice?

Rodigan We'd love that, that would be lovely. It's been a great pleasure, thank you Phyllis Dillon.