THE KID is still alright

As August Darnell, aka Kid Creole, releases his first new album in a decade, Kris Needs charts his extraordinary life in the musical melting pot

The first time this writer encountered Kid Creole’s name was in 1980, courtesy of Island’s press officer, Rob Partridge, now deceased and much missed. After he had secured me what would turn out to be Bob Marley’s last interview, I checked out the label’s new signings, including some affable Irish unknowns called U2 and an idiosyncratic-looking new imprint coming into the Island fold called ZE, which had been founded in New York by Mothercare heir Michael Zilkha and the French underground veteran Michel Esteban.

Ze’s flagship act was led by an individual called August Darnell, whose songwriting, productions and performances he likened to a unique form of genius. Rob predicted that this larger-than-life character would dominate and define the new decade like downtown Manhattan’s answer to George Clinton; a strutting embodiment of New York’s famous melting pot, past and present. He cut his teeth writing lyrics and playing bass for older brother Stony Browder’s big band disco outfit, Dr Buzzard And His Original Savannah Band, before becoming ZE’s production dynamo. The workaholic studio wiz then donned fedora and zoot suit to become his street-hustling, ladykilling alter-ego, a flamboyant cartoon called Kid Creole presiding over his self-created tropical island …

by Kris Needs
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