New protege

MIKEY John is credited with playing an important role in the current success of Warrior King. His Lion Paw label is responsible for the single, Virtuous Woman on the "Zion Gate" rhythm, which has been number one for the past 10 weeks.

John confirmed, however, last week that Warrior King had exited the camp. John says, though, that he is currently concentrating on another singer he expects to become at least as big as Warrior King. This is Ultimate Shines (Mark Anthony James), who also appears on the wicked "Zion Gate" rhythm, doing Call On Jah.

A West Kingston native, Ultimate Shines actually grew up in George's Plain, Westmoreland, where he started singing at age 11.

"I spent eight years there, singing at all sorts of functions, including school concerts, before I came back to Kingston at 13 years-old," the articulate Shines told us.

Formerly known as Blacka Shines, he worked at King Tubby's Waterhouse Studio in the mid-80s, where he recorded Mobbing Killing on the Foreigner label.

He later moved to Junior Reid's JR Productions label where he spent five years and joined John in recording message songs for Reid. When John switched to producing last December ( his first hit was Capleton's Look Good in Her Clothes), he invited Shines to record a song for him. It turned out to be Call On Jah.

John said he never expected Virtuous Woman to grow so big, but he is not surprised at the success of the rhythm. Originally created by Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's Studio One label featuring John Holt's Satisfaction, it was covered by Joe Gibbs years later featuring George Nooks' Zion Gate.

John is now working on a compilation CD featuring all the songs on the rhythm.

Nelly's/Yogie's remix release expected

Singer Yogie plans to release vinyl copies of his reggae remix of Nelly Furtado's Turn Off The Lights from her multi-platinum album, Whoa Nelly.

The remix has been named the Sunshine Mix and was produced by Yogie and Tuff Riddims.

The rhythm also boasts two other singles, Yogie's Love's Gonna Lead The Way and promising new act Brahyhan's When Your Eyes Speak. All three songs have been rotating on radio over the past few weeks, creating a whole lot of interest among music fans, and will be released on vinyl this week on Yogie's FiWi Music label.

Yogie explained that after hearing his That Was Then, Furtado expressed an interest in a reggae mix, which materialised with support from her management team. He feels that the remix will re-introduce reggae to a new generation of pop audiences and at the same time introduce Furtado to grass root reggae audiences.

The Sunshine Mix has already released in the United Kingdom and the United States. R&B/hip-hop producer Timbaland also produced a mix of the song.

Breaking out 'It's Life'

SINGER Zack-I-We says he is coming out with an eight-track CD which he plans to name It's Life.

Zack-I-We has actually been recording since 1976. He started out as Howard Isaac (his real name is Isaac Mendez), with the help of the late Free-I (Jeff Dixon): "Eventually, I took the Zac from Isaac, the I from Rastafari and the We for the people, hence my new name Zack-I-We," he explained.

He has since started his own Rising Son Production & Promotion. His first album on the label, Jah Jah Children, was well received in Europe, but he feels that he has not been getting enough attention from local radio.

Apart from singing, Zack is an autobody repairman and exports records to Europe. It's Life will be in the shops by next month.

Misinformed couple?

CAN anybody tell us how they came to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Bob Marley's death in Colombia in September?

According to an AFP report carried in one local newspaper last week, "A Colombian couple marked the 20th anniversary of Reggae legend Bob Marley's death with a kiss that lasted more than 38 hours, organisers of a kissing contest in Bogota told AFP Monday."

Marley died on May 11, 1981.

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