Freddie McKay - Going - Track of the Week - NiceUp

Freddie McKay was born on 1 January 1947 in St. Catherine, Jamaica. The details of his early life are scarce.

McKay was a much loved and respected deejay, singer and songwriter whose career spanned the rocksteady and reggae eras. His first recording “Red Eye Girl and Giving You A Try” (Blue Beat) was for Prince Buster in 1967. That 7″ now sells for a pretty penny. In the same year his first major hit came with “Love is a Treasure” for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle.

His success continued at Studio One with Sir Coxsone backed by the Soul Defenders, with hits such as “High School Dance”, “Sweet You Sour You” and “Picture On The Wall”, the latter being title of his 1971 debut album. McKay went on to produce seven more albums and over a hundred singles in his relatively short but fruitful career.

At the peak of the 1970’s roots movement was his 1974 hit song “Going”. A King Tubby’s infused drum and bass masterpiece with big instrumental backing from the greats. The track is essentially a call to freedom for all black people. Freddie naturally is the champion of the people and a hero in the great history of Jamaican roots reggae. Yet he is somewhat overlooked.

“Why can’t black man be free,
like the bird in the tree,
like the flowers in the garden….
going, going”

It’s an incredibly deep track in many ways, with a powerful message toward peace, emancipation and faith. Complemented with a super deep, room shaking bassline, skanking gats and wicked drum combination all with King Tubby’s massive effects. And importantly Freddy is a passionate voice of hope in perilous times.

Freddie changed realms and joined the ancestors unexpectedly on 19 October 1986, from a reported heart attack. Gone but not forgotten, he was considered among the best.

My copy of this track is on the album Kingston Allstars Meet Downtown At King Tubbys 1972-1975 on Kingston Sounds (KSLP002). The LP also features Freddie’s contemporaries Horace Andy, Cornell Campbell, Johnny Clarke, Linval Thompson, Yabby-U, Jimmy Riley, Ronnie Davis and more. The quality of the press is top notch, loud and clear. All gems, seriously.