Cambodia

Annotation

Blake Boy aka: Winston Blake, born 19 November 1940 in Morant Bay, Saint Thomas, Jamaica, and died 27 February 2016 in Kingston, Jamaica, was especially well-known as a Jamaican sound system operator and record producer. He also recorded a few Reggae tracks, such as this anti-war song "Cambodia" (Harry J Records # HJ 1856), released in Jamaica, and the UK, which opposed the US incursion into Cambodia, and called for peace on all-sides of the conflict: "it's time the American and Vietcong...to unite". It called on them to "find a solution", and expressed anti-war sentiment: "war ain't no go". The B-side "Cambodia Version", by The Jay Boys, aka Harry J All Stars, was an instrumental of the A-side. The group formed in Jamaica in 1968, led by Winston Wright (organ, keyboards), and Val Bennett (saxophone).This song focussed on the US incursion into Cambodia as part of the Vietnam War. Soon after Richard Nixon’s inauguration in January 1969 he implemented a strategy of "Vietnamisation" - the gradual withdrawal of American forces and the strengthening of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), an element of the Nixon ‘Guam’ Doctrine, announced to reporters at Guam on 25 July 1969. However, Nixon’s strategy also involved the expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos, and extensive bombing campaigns throughout Indochina and many people in the anti-war movement and in the Congress wanted an immediate and unilateral withdrawal. Nixon publicly announced his Cambodia incursion on 30 April 1970.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music

Blake Boy aka: Winston Blake, born 19 November 1940 in Morant Bay, Saint Thomas, Jamaica, and died 27 February 2016 in Kingston, Jamaica, was especially well-known as a Jamaican sound system operator and record producer. He also recorded a few Reggae tracks, such as this anti-war song "Cambodia" (Harry J Records # HJ 1856), released in Jamaica, and the UK, which opposed the US incursion into Cambodia, and called for peace on all-sides of the conflict: "it's time the American and Vietcong...to unite". It called on them to "find a solution", and expressed anti-war sentiment: "war ain't no go". The B-side "Cambodia Version", by The Jay Boys, aka Harry J All Stars, was an instrumental of the A-side. The group formed in Jamaica in 1968, led by Winston Wright (organ, keyboards), and Val Bennett (saxophone). This song focussed on the US incursion into Cambodia as part of the Vietnam War. Soon after Richard Nixon’s inauguration in January 1969 he implemented a strategy of "Vietnamisation" - the gradual withdrawal of American forces and the strengthening of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), an element of the Nixon ‘Guam’ Doctrine, announced to reporters at Guam on 25 July 1969. However, Nixon’s strategy also involved the expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos, and extensive bombing campaigns throughout Indochina and many people in the anti-war movement and in the Congress wanted an immediate and unilateral withdrawal. Nixon publicly announced his Cambodia incursion on 30 April 1970.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs

Blake Boy aka: Winston Blake, born 19 November 1940 in Morant Bay, Saint Thomas, Jamaica, and died 27 February 2016 in Kingston, Jamaica, was especially well-known as a Jamaican sound system operator and record producer. He also recorded a few Reggae tracks, such as this anti-war song "Cambodia" (Harry J Records # HJ 1856), released in Jamaica, and the UK, which opposed the US incursion into Cambodia, and called for peace on all-sides of the conflict: "it's time the American and Vietcong...to unite". It called on them to "find a solution", and expressed anti-war sentiment: "war ain't no go". The B-side "Cambodia Version", by The Jay Boys, aka Harry J All Stars, was an instrumental of the A-side. The group formed in Jamaica in 1968, led by Winston Wright (organ, keyboards), and Val Bennett (saxophone).This song focussed on the US incursion into Cambodia as part of the Vietnam War. Soon after Richard Nixon’s inauguration in January 1969 he implemented a strategy of "Vietnamisation" - the gradual withdrawal of American forces and the strengthening of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), an element of the Nixon ‘Guam’ Doctrine, announced to reporters at Guam on 25 July 1969. However, Nixon’s strategy also involved the expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos, and extensive bombing campaigns throughout Indochina and many people in the anti-war movement and in the Congress wanted an immediate and unilateral withdrawal. Nixon publicly announced his Cambodia incursion on 30 April 1970. /note

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Hit the spot with all you got / Cambodia, another brand new shot, can you dig it / Sound oft he play boy giving joy to the girl and boy / Right on time, and doing fine / War ain't no good for the brotherhood / It's time the American and Vietcong understood / It's only right for men to unite / To find a solution so they don't have to fight / Cambodia, the name of my thing.... / Carry you in my corner, exactly where I want you... / If I can't reach you, how can I teach you / Swing and sway, the playboy today / Bad, bad, working on a groovy thing, in the name of swing / If I can't do it to you, it can't be done / If I can't win your soul, it can't be done"[ Hit the spot with all you got / Cambodia, another brand new shot, can you dig it / Sound oft he play boy giving joy to the girl and boy / Right on time, and doing fine / War ain't no good for the brotherhood / It's time the American and Vietcong understood / It's only right for men to unite / To find a solution so they don't have to fight / Cambodia, the name of my thing.... / Carry you in my corner, exactly where I want you... / If I can't reach you, how can I teach you / Swing and sway, the playboy today / Bad, bad, working on a groovy thing, in the name of swing / If I can't do it to you, it can't be done / If I can't win your soul, it can't be done

About the artist

Blake Boy aka: Winston Blake, born 19 November 1940 in Morant Bay, Saint Thomas, Jamaica, and died 27 February 2016 in Kingston, Jamaica,

Themes

Anti-War · Cambodia · VC · Nixon

In collections

Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]