the original 3/// (Three Stripe) Posse (1982)
1982年頃に撮影された、オリジナル3/// (Three Stripe) Posseの写真。セント・ポールズ周辺では知られた“顔”たちで、ここに写っているのは、Michael Nebblet、Tony Horton、Clive Edward、Paul Van Meir、Raymond Mighty。RayとCliveがアディダス(3本線!!)を履いているのが判る。1982年はRayとRob Smithが出会う前。全員が20歳前後。
当時のThree Stripeでは、彼らの他にTaps 3///、Wax、Froggy、Steve Nebblet、Ivan Nebblet、Karl Hoznyak、Lennox Gayle、Quattie、Vernon Lawerance、George Ellesらがメンバーとして活動。他にもJoe Peng(後にMCとして活躍)、Kev Rogers(後にサウンドシステムWhite Lionを所有)、Saul Hooper(Henry & LouisのAndy ScholesやKev Rogersと1981年からシステムRed Eye Hi Powerで活動)らと多くの交流があった。
Activities within St Paul's itself were also less liable to disruption by the police for a while, and the development of what was known as the Three Stripe Posse, out of which the producers Smith and Mighty emerged (themselves the first of the Bristol-sound artists to get a national reputation), began (or so it is said by their contemporaries) as a St Paul's-based street gang whose activities allegedly financed the purchase of the equipment to first start up a sound system and then begin recording.
—— Phil Johnon "Straight Outa Bristol"
Top photo is back left: Paul Van-Meir, Karl Hosznyak, Steven Neblett, Michael Neblett, Clifton Mighty, Quattie Francis, Froggy, Vernon Lawrence in the middle, then Tony Horton, Claude Williams in front not sure who is behind Andy Whittle? and Raymond Mighty x下の写真は1988年頃のThree Stripe Studio。サウンドシステムで使っていたと思われるスピーカーには3本のストライイプが入っている。
When I was around 20 years old I moved to the St Pauls district of Bristol to live with my (then) girlfriend. We lived on Gwyn St., just opposite Gwyn St. Blues (a ‘blues’ is an illegal drinking club often in the basement of a house) – we would go there most nights… it was dark & smoky with a great soundsystem that rattled and thumped to the heavy bass. I realised then that reggae/dub music sounds different on a soundsystem. When we (Smith & Mighty) set up our first studio we used soundsystem boxes as monitors as we wanted to re-create that ‘sound’.
Soundsystem culture is still very important in Bristol (and in many other cities) especially to the young up-and-coming artists and listeners. It’s deep and essential and offers a sense of belonging.
—— Rob Smith from RSD interview (Jan 2018)
thanks to Taps 3/// for permitting to use the top picture and additional information!
