Revisiting -- Pelham Goddard speaks on Pan and Steelband Panorama Music

[Pan Times]

Global - Veteran songwriter, recording artist, composer and performer Pelham Goddard has long been associated with the steelpan instrument. Having won several steelband competitions with Exodus Steel Orchestra, Mr. Goddard is part of a very elite class of steelband arrangers on the planet. Pelham Goddard has penned or and/arranged some of the most memorable Caribbean music pieces ever.

For the year 2010 Mr. Goddard has again contributed some material to the growing list of songs for the annual Trinidad and Tobago National Steelband Panorama competition. In an exclusive with When Steel Talks, Pelham Goddard shares some of his thoughts on pan music and more.

Sample of songs written by P. Goddard:
“The Hammer, “Savannah Party,” “Happy Song,” “Panama,” “Dedication,” “Play My Music,” “The Unknown Band,” “The Band Plays On,” “Jungle Fever,” “Calalloo” and “Calabash,” - all flowed from the musical pen of Pelham Goddard. His synthesizer solo on “Woman On The Bass” is just a ‘sample’ of his synth work, being the first musician to use the synthesizer in calypso music.

Other distinguished music works from Pelham Goddard:
“Is Mas,” “Family Affair,” “Tribute to the Old,” “Mister Robbie,” “Trini Prance,” “The Plan,” “Suck Finger Baby,” “Non-stop Fete,” “The Case of Disappearing Panyards,” “Olympic Mas,” “Sunshine and You,” “Latin Soca,” “Outta Hand,” “Soca Tassa Festival,” “Winer Girl,” “The Power and the Glory,” “Jump Up,” “The Iron Band,” “Dust in Dey Face,” “Rat Race,” “Simple Thing,” “Raise Yuh Foot,” “Jump for Joy,” “Voodoo Soca Man,” “Jump Up,” “Honky Tonk Soca” and “Parade.

Sample of songs arranged/produced in studio by P. Goddard

• 1977 - Tempo (Calypso Rose)

• 1978 - Soca Jam (Calypso Rose)

• 1980 - Soca Baptist (Superblue)

• 1981 - Ethel (Superblue)

• 1983 - Rebecca (Superblue)

• 1988 - Dis Party is It (Chris ‘Tambu’ Herbert)

• 1989 - Free Up, Free Up (Chris ‘Tambu’ Herbert)

• 1989 - The Journey (Chris ‘Tambu’ Herbert)

• 1990 - No, No, We Eh Goin’ Home (Chris ‘Tambu’ Herbert)

• 1986 - Bahia Girl (David Rudder)

• 1992 - Wine on Something (Superblue)

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[wayne walcott]

Pelham Goddard . . P. G . . is simply one of de Greatest Arrangers , Composres . .Producers an Muzicians commin out ah TnT . . From his days .  . . in Esquires . . wid Clive Bradely . . den on to Sensational Roots . . den to 3rd World  . . den on tuh Exodus . . an de many . Panorama Winning Performances . . .doe not enuff . . due tuh de  " Bad Judgin " . . an all de Many  many  Kaisonians . . Entertainers . an Artistes  in general . . who make dey names . . an Livin . .wid he muzic . . even his contribushun tuh de Tassa [ Hosay ] in St.James . . wid Balma [ Clarence St  ]. . who were de Baddest . . Sweetest  Jam on de Main . . de Man has de Midas Touch. . .as everyting he put dem Majical fingers on . . turns tuh Gold . . Much tanks tuh de Ancestors . . an Ma..an Pa  Goddard . .  fuh  sendin . . an bringin . hin bac in dis rongs . .  tuh de Gentle . . Humble  Giant of we Muzic . . de records speak loudly . . buh really only scratch de surface . . keep on keppin on Bro . . wid ah long ..Healthy . . Productive an Enduring time ahead . . Much Luv . . Yuh views R always on point an should alWays b taken Seriously . . seems like some people like new-tings . . buh fraid change . . 

[Sweet Eustace]

thanks for bringing back this discussion, I used to have a lot of respect for pellam, his solo on woman on the bass was the template for All Stars winning version they copied it exact and needed to very little else to finish their song, Rebbecca was a super duper piece, the Hammer nice motivic development of Theolonius Monk's criss cross as the opening hook was hardly recoginisible and sounded like his own creation, made hammer "THE HAMMER" Pellam was the next Soca man after Ed Watson and is almost a pioneer of soca music is certainly a pioneer of the soca revoulution, got back into pan, and was scrambling to be pelam Goddard and meeting the needs of Exodus who wanted to dictate to their arrangers what they wanted "Savannah party" a  somewhat abstract piece won even surprising Exodus themselves, he got a chance to have his way a little next year and came up with a real block buster even though very technical piece "dus in your face" he redeemed himself, though it was not close to Maestro's "Gold" arrangement for 3rd world steel orchestra, exodus Pelam  were becoming a perfect combination then came the early y2ks and exodus had the formula execution wise, it seems Pellam got lazy the band itself were so crystal clear and stood out in a crowd, I played a CD for an American non pan person and when they heard Exodus they said "yes" that was more like it, some where in the mid 2000's the band wanted more speed and Pelam got abstract again and the over quick tempos made it sound like a ball of confusion, I would like to hear the slower version, I heard some slower versions on the street and the songs sounded so much better and different, will some body please tell Exodus to slow down and ask pellam to loose the abstract art, thanks 

[Ken Archer]

Best wishes to Pelham with his future projects, Thanks for all the music; keep it flowing.

[Nicholas D Mohan]

Thanks for sharing the music and all the best.

[Sweet Eustace]

Nuff respect to Maestro Pelham Goddard ever since he did "Gold" for third world which was a classic he has not gotten back to that height, I know he can do it, for the last few years he seems to be obsessed with speed, and to quote a good friend of mine an unknown music brain and phenominal mathematician Mr Charles Barry "speed just for the share hell of it is not the all of it all", all music has its correct tempo which completes the best delivery of its statement, there is no such thing as bad music, just bad performances, some of the worst sounding panorama tunes played slower J'Ourvert morning sounds pretty decent, when you hear some players coasting parts you know most pan people are very creative, in music, but the ideas get lost in the delivery, some songs need to be played faster some slower, I know the players like speed if so then design the song for speed, that is what Ray Holman did in 1992 with "Steelband Paradise" in Humming birds and almost won till he slipped and counted the song too slow final night, an advise to Pelham is either slow down or change the style, it worked for Eric Clapton who did at least 4 versions of "Layla" using 4 different tempos, Bob did the same with some of his songs, I am at a complete lost these last few years with the Maestros offerings, we need more than two (now possibly 3) mega bands, same advise for Robbie G

[Bugs]

Here is a man that is often overlooked in musical discussions but is truly one of the giants of this era. Thanks for all great music Mr. Goddard.

bugs