Biography
Winston Fergus, acting as Pablo Gad’s benefactor, arranged an introduction to Joe Sinclair in 1977. Having left Trojan Records, Sinclair established the Klik label specifically to issue genuine Jamaican music. Although both Fergus and Gad resided in Britain, they retained strong resonance inside the roots scene. As lead vocalist of the Equators, Fergus supplied the instrumental support for Gad’s first recordings, which appeared on the Caribbean subsidiary and included the tracks ‘International Dread’ and ‘Kunte Kinte’; these releases solidified his standing as a leading vocalist. The following year Gad released the enduring single ‘Blood Suckers’ via Clement Bushay’s Burning Sounds operation. Its opening measures immediately suggested lasting appeal, further elevated by Gad’s vocals that echoed those of Fred Locks. Bushay also issued subsequent singles such as ‘Natty Loving’, ‘Trafalgar Square’, ‘Throw Your Dreams’ and ‘Riddle I Dis’. The dominance of ‘Blood Suckers’ eclipsed Gad’s intervening work, an imbalance that likely prompted the rhythm’s later reuse on ‘Hard Time’, yielding another major success that revival DJs adopted as an anthem. During 1980 Gad enjoyed a notably productive stretch that produced the hits ‘Guns Fever’, ‘Nursery Rhyme’, ‘Oh Jah’ and ‘Fly Away Home’. He remained active throughout the 1990s, recording the self-written ‘Johnny Reggae’ and the evocative ‘Lash On My Back’, the latter appearing on the Brixton-based Lion Roots compilation.
Albums
Singles
