Mel Cooke, STAR Writer

Marcia Griffiths

The 'Black Prince Sunday' free oldies jam is a laid-back affair, the many tables in the courtyard at 24 Half-Way Tree Road testament to its 'sit-down' facilities. And when The STAR visited the latest edition, the bottles on those tables, most empty, showed that they were being used.

Gong past midnight, from the gate the music and inside were not the only signs of life on one of Kingston's busier roadways. The lights of the 24-hour Texaco and Esso gas stations shone to one side, a bit further beyond the Colonel beamed over his bowtie, inviting a fill-up of a different kind. Looking the other way the rear lights of the occasional motor vehicle shone as drivers made their way towards Half-Way Tree.

Parked for the party was an interesting range of motor vehicles, from a 1970s VW van to a Pajero.

Black Prince's speakers were turned away from the road, keeping the music relatively contained, the controls set up on one in one room and a cheerful bar setting in another. And although there was not much dancing, the laid-back mood did not mean that the music was not highly appreciated, Black Prince going off the well-beaten oldies track to play songs outside of those regularly heard at retro parties.

So after the disco of Stephanie Mills' Never Knew Love Like This Before, Sugar Minott sang in his appropriately laid-back style about "the women in my life", the song getting a restart at a relatively late stage. Then Minott encouraged all to Buy Out The Bar and Slim Smith led the Uniques in advising "stop children, watch this sound", the selection causing whoops of delight.

Sugar Minott

Outside the VW's driver needed to move, but he was bracketed by a pair of Hondas. No stress. He went back inside and was released very quickly. While he was pulling out to the rockers of 'got to move' a bevy of lasses was pulling up in a taxi, four stepping out briskly enough, while one in large

earrings remained inside applying a final touch of lotion.

"Long time Jah Jah waan dem but dem jus' feel fe come," Brigadier Jerry chortled on the sound

system. The 'feel fe come' attitude of the woman still sitting in the car did not go down well with one of her pals. "Gwaan wait pon har like she a Queen a Sheba!" she said. "Me an oonu a go noweh?" the now well greased lady said as she stepped out of the taxi with attitude plus.

The rockers of Icho Candy's 'Captain Selassie' hit hard and there was a smooth mix to Tristan Palmer's Entertainment. But it was the rub-a-dub of Dennis Brown's Your Love Got a Hold on Me which the Black Prince Sunday fans whooped for, Lady Ann following with Informer.

Junior Byles' Fade Away was also greeted with cheers; outside vintage manners were displayed as an older gentleman opened the passenger side door for a younger woman.

Marcia Griffiths mused musically on the days when "U-Roy used to rock it" and, at close o 1:30 a.m., a pair of Gleaner trucks rocked their way up Half-Way Tree Road. The STAR decided it was time to pull out too, Richie Stephens singing Trying To Get To You as Black Prince brought their Sunday night party into early 1990s.