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An entertainer for more than 50 years, Count Prince Miller, best known for his cover of Frankie Laine's 1949 country and western hit, Mule Train, <span style="font-weight: bold">has not collected a cent from the sale of what is to date the most popular version of that song</span>.
But, unlike the many instances when artistes have been ripped off by unscrupulous producers, Count Prince Miller admitted that he did not sign a contract for the recording done at Federal Recording Studio for producer Bunny Lee. Notwithstanding, the veteran entertainer is not bitter about it as he was quick to point out that Mule Train has taken him all over the world.
In fact, his involvement in the 1972 recording session was somewhat impromptu. "I came down here with, Millie Small, Charles Hyatt and Jackie Edwards to do a show...and Jackie was recording for Bunny Lee at Federal. I was leaving the following day and Jackie said, 'come with us down the studio nuh Prince'. When I went down there I saw Familyman....Aston (Barrett), Chamers and a couple of others guys from the Wailers. And they were so glad to see me and right away dem sey 'gi mi a piece a di Mule Train man a long time we nuh hear dat yu nuh Prince,' and they start to play Mule Train. And I just go behind the mike and Blurr!!!!.....and sing Mule Train and leave the studio," recalled Count Prince Miller who returns to England tomorrow (Monday) after a six-week holiday in his native Jamaica.
"Me nuh ah no contract wid nobody. I just went in there and the guys dem ask mi fi sing and a just sing it. I'm telling yu exactly what happen," he told Yesterday Notes about how he came to record the song introduced to him by Bim, of the comedian duo Bim and Bam fame.
Because of Count Prince Miller's satirical treatment of the novelty cowboy song written by Johnny Lange, Hy Heath and Fred Glickman, that chance recording session he stumbled on, has etched his name permanently in the annals of recorded music. Not only did it top the charts in Jamaica, but sold several thousand copies per day in England where it made the Top 40. It was a hit on Trojan Records featuring Sly and Robbie in the early 1980s.
"That's the story of Mule Train, mi neva get a penny because mi neva sign nutten. I was doing a television show and the people love Mule Train, producers and ting and they sey, can you sing Mule Train. I said yeah man. When they check it, I had to check with who owns the right before I coulda sing it. That was Bunny Lee. I didn't get any money to record it, but it has taken me all over the world," said Count Prince Miller who as an actor his credits include the role of Vince in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond's and Marcus Garvey in the musical, Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame.
Even though his version of the song which was also re-recorded by Bing Crosby, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Vaughn Monroe, came out 37 years ago, he had been a part of his repertoire during stage performances from the early 1960s as a member of the Downbeat quartet.
As a solo artiste, Count Prince Miller in later years has also done other recordings such as Members Only, Come to Me Softly, Mr Bojangles, Rainy Night In Georgia as well as his only album so far in the process of being released titled, Yesterday, Today and Forever.