Henry Stone Talks Breaking Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” with Danny Simms

Johnny_Nash_I_Can_See_Clearly_Now_1973-500x375
Johnny_Nash_I_Can_See_Clearly_Now_1973-500x375
Johnny Nash performing “I Can See Clearly Now”

“Jamaica did have a big hit that I was responsible for: “I Can See Clearly Now,” by Johnny Nash. For whatever reason Johnny Nash was one of my favorite artists before he made it. Some artists just hit ya, man, he was on Chess Records and doin’ okay, and then he hooked up with Danny Simms, a great producer and a buddy of mine, and they went to Jamaica, and they cut “I Can See Clearly Now,” and Danny Simms sent me the record, and I sez, “Man!”

I put the record out with Butterball and my people down here in Miami and “Baboom!” I start gettin’ like millions of calls making orders.

I called Danny Simms up and I sez, “Danny send me 10,000 records.”

He said “What? You gotta send me some money first.”

I said, “I’ll send ya some money first, send me those ten thousand records. I need em’.”

And this wasnt for transshippin, boy, this was for Florida. Cause I broke the record right here, man. So again I was responsible for another hit, right from Danny Simms. He was the guy that owned the record.”

 

©Jacob Katel and HenryStoneMusic USA Inc. All Rights Reserved

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