Biography
Born circa 1960 in Kingston, Jamaica, Eric Clarke entered the island’s music scene under the nickname Fish, tracing a path already cleared by his sibling Johnny Clarke. Where the elder brother gained recognition as a vocalist, Eric gravitated toward percussion and drumming. In 1978 he crossed to Britain alongside the late Prince Far I, serving in the Arabs’ rhythm section for an extended tour; that ensemble also featured Errol Holt on bass, Earl “Chinna” Smith on lead guitar, and Winston “Bo Peep” Bowen on keyboards. During the same visit he supplied drums for the opening instalment of Prince Far I’s dub-album series and added percussion to several cuts on the Front Line LP Message From A King, among them “Foggy Road” and the title selection. Upon Clarke’s return to Jamaica, Lincoln “Style Scott” took his place in the Arabs, while he himself later linked up with the Roots Radics, playing alongside Errol Holt, Bingi Bunny and Sowell Radics. Around the same period he forged a partnership with Maurice “Blacka” Wellington and realized a longstanding goal by stepping forward as lead vocalist on the solo release “Nice Inna Jamaica,” shaping his phrasing in deliberate homage to his brother.