Ghost shares recipe for timeless love songs
Published:Tuesday | February 14, 2023 | 12:33 AMAaliyah Cunningham/Gleaner Writer
When it comes to Jamaican music that makes you want to fall in love, it is hard to ignore the body of work that reggae singer Carlton ‘Ghost’ Hylton has created over the years. His covers of classic R&B, pop, or soul music as well as his original lover’s rock tunes have stood the test of time and are still widely played and loved from generation to generation. Speaking with The Gleaner, Ghost, who tends to have back-to-back bookings around Valentine’s Day, says the perfect recipe for his timeless love songs and renditions comes from making music from his soul.
“Back then when I made those hits, when I heard a song and it pass my ears and it goes to my soul me seh, ‘No. Mi affi sing da song here’. So it’s like the inspiration wah me woulda love Father God fi put in my brain. Him give it to somebody already and Him mek me a listen to it. So all I can do about it is listen to it and sing it in my own way, how Ghost wants to do it and try to put my own reggae and dancehall spin to it,” he said of creating the many covers that have helped to make him a household name.
“When I did Nothing at All, I was on the road somewhere in America and hear the song and say, ‘Okay. Me love that.’ and come back and tell Patrick (Roberts) to call the musicians dem and mi mek dem listen to the song. But I stayed with them through it and guide dem to play the beat the way how I want it. I want them to put soul and feeling to it, and like the rest, it was gold,” he continued.
Some of the more popular remakes from him include Body Guard, I Wanna Know What Love Is, Waiting for You, Believe, and If Walls Could Talk. But interestingly, though, many believe the hit track, Love You, was a cover. It was actually his own production, of which to this day, he is extremely proud.
“I have the song long time in my brain before me even voice it. Reason why? Because me really go through the hurt wah me did a sing bout .... in real life me go through it. I made a deal with Danny Brownie back in the day when Red Rat was hot. Brownie was Red Rat’s manager at that time, and they wanted me to sing a song with him for his album. Me have the song in my head, and I want the rhythm to do. I made a deal with Danny Brownie to make the rhythm for the song and give it to me, and in exchange, I will sing the song for Red Rat. I directed the whole thing, and they (the band) followed till they got the thing right, and it got to the saxophone part, and he did it, and that is the way that one came about,” he recalled.
The artiste, who has been in the industry for over 30 years, also told The Gleaner that before he was able to voice the tunes that popularised him, he faced many setbacks because some labels never thought his voice was right.
“The person wah really send me a road make people know me was Patrick Roberts from Shocking Vibes. When I auditioned for Penthouse, dem seh mi sound like girl, so me go to Patrick Roberts and him seh him like how me sound. The first song I sang for Patrick Roberts was Killing Me Softly before Fugees even do it, and it gwaan bad,” he shared.
From then, the rest is history. This year, Ghost plans to release his 14-track album tiled Underrated, which is set to feature only original music. But this week, he has upcoming performances in the UK and Lovers and Friends in St Ann, Jamaica on the weekend.
He has manged to maintain his distinct voice over the years with lots of rest and natural Jamaican remedies and hopes that just like his classic sound, his music will live on beyond him.
“I just want to leave behind music that continues on after I leave. I want them to still be resonating with people after I leave.”