Here is our trailer for the documentary, “Clarks in Jamaica”, based on the book of the same title by Al Fingers and featuring J Money, “The Shoes Doctor”.
And here is the script narrative outline for the main documentary:
(Copyright Beast Branded Content LTD 2021)
Introduction
Jamaica’s passion for Clarks began all the way back in the 1960’s. Carved into Jamaican culture since that day and worn by everyone on the island from school kids to rude boys, how did this family owned shoe brand achieve its cult status with Jamaicans?…
(Montage of Island life, kids playing football in their Clarks, fishermen, bus drivers etc.)
(Couple of ‘hook’ sound bites – “me love me Clarks so much, from early out, that m enah waan notin else but Clarks”)
(“People rader be paid in Clarks dan monee”)
Back in England during the mid 60’s the Mod’s had claimed the Desert boot as part of their dress code, but for the rest of the nation, Clarks meant Saturday morning’s getting your feet measured and fitted into a shoe your mum was forcing you to wear. (Archive footage of Clarks in the 60’s 70’s England)
Yet, back in Jamaica the Clarks being cleaned with toothbrushes, and kept in the freezer to stay ‘fresh’ were not your ‘ordinary’ Clarks. They were the ‘Clarks Originals’.
(Characters to talk us through the most loved styles/descriptions of each shoe – Sheldon ‘Bank Robber – Lila – L stich, Trinity – Desert Boot, Grizzly – L Stitch)
Preferred styles were the ‘Bank Robber’, the ‘Wallabee’ and the ‘L Stitch’, but it was the Desert boot…..soon to become known as “The rebel shoe” that was King.
Title: Clarks in the beginning
In 1825 Cyrus Clark, left his Quaker farming life behind him and established the Clarks company. In these early days the business specialised sheepskin rug-making, and it wouldn’t be until 1828, with the arrival of his younger brother James that saw the business change into the shoe brand we know today.
(Quote Maestro Don – comments on the two brothers that started the company – people comment and laugh about how he knows that!?)
Fast-forward to the late 1920’s and Clarks was growing around the world with Jamaica becoming a key market. Kings Street in Kingston had established itself as the fashion capital of the Island and Nathan and Co Ltd, was the number one department store, but it was actually only women’s and children’s shoes that were selling at this time. (Archive video and images of Jamaica & Kings Street in the 1920’s)
By 1940 Clarks were becoming so popular on the island that the brand started to make custom ads just for Jamaican press. (Showing archive press ads)
It was the creation of the Desert Boot in 1950 that helped push the brand onto the next level.
(Montage/ archive of original desert boot in 50’s))
The Desert Boot
Nathan Clark, the great grandson of company founder James Clark, was posted out to Burma during the Second World War; he was inspired by the rough suede boots worn by off-duty army officers. He made a pattern out of old newspaper and named it “the Clarks Desert Boot”. (Original sketches/designs/archives)
“I got the idea from crepe-soled rough suede boots which officers in the Eight Army were in the habit of getting made in the Bazaar at Cairo, some of these officers came to Burma, and this is where I saw them”
In the US the style took off, but in the West Indies it didn’t catch on. The Caribbean man was wearing a more pointed shape shoe, and so the desert boot was taken back to the factory.
(Sound bites Sheldon/Dre /Fada – Jamaicans like a certain look, a shape…a gentleman’s toe)
Clarks altered the toe shape, extending it and gentrifying it, and it worked. By 1961 The Desert Boot had LANDED. (Music up)
(Montage of dancing, archive, modern day, quick edit of desert boots – celebration/ 1960’s)
So how did The Desert Boot, created by a family owned English shoe company, become labelled “The rebel Shoe”? (Graphics…. hot tools biker gang…archive footage of rude boys)
Many things were happening socially, politically and culturally in 60’s Jamaica, and the Desert Boot captured the imagination of the youth, musicians and the Rude Boys.
(Jason Panton/Isis comments on the cultural shift in the 60’s)
In 1962 Jamaica achieved independence from British Rule, reggae music and the sound of the dancehall had people standing up and paying attention across the world, and in London punks (Archive punk footage) like Jonny Rotten wanted to work with reggae icons like Big Youth.
(Sound bite from big youth here) (Old archive/photo images)
(Kano comments on this early reggae influence in London)
(Teflon comments on the reggae sound in London at this time)
But Independence bought class divide, and this saw much of the youth starting to become alienated from the system. Music, along with their sense of style, became a way to enforce their own identity and views. These views were passionate and political and quickly became labelled as “Rude”.
(Big Youth comments on the political climate that influenced his music so much – and made the youth drawn to him)
(Quotes from our main characters describing what a Rude Boy was/is? From the ghetto the poorer areas.)
One of the most infamous Rude Boy gangs was also one of the first. The Spangler’s were a biker gang based in East Kingston. They considered themselves to be the pioneers of the ‘Rude Boy’ image.
(Dre /Panton comments on what article means)
(Fada, explains how he was part of the Spangler gang who were considered the first ‘Rude Boys’ – takes us to his mural)
(Cpt Kirk, explains what it meant to be a Spangler back in the day – as his grandfather Fada was) (He then encourages Fada to start to show all of his Clarks shoe collection, they bring them all onto the porch)
The Rude Boy uniform was specific. Sharp suits, arrow shirts, trilby hats and Clarks Desert Boots. This meant that stores like La Parisienne on Kings Street were now selling out every week.
(Sound Bites from Trinity/Fada /Protoje about what the elements were of the original rude boy dress code.)
(Quote about how you stick your foot out when your sitting down to show if your wearing Clarks)
(Big Youth Elaborates explain how his music gave the people from the street, the ghetto a voice – and how he was part of the first Rude Boy ‘originals’ that set the tone and style for street wear)
So why do Jamaican’s love the Desert Boot so much…
(Sound bites about its comfort, cheese bottom, versatility in warm and cold temperatures. The simplicity. Durability) (montage of cheese moments)
(Protoje/Kano comments on why he loves the style)
(Lila explains how their style goes with every outfit)
(Sheldon explains how ‘Clarks Booty’ was everything and still is)
The Higgler
In the mid 60’s the Jamaican government started to tighten regulations on imports, but this only made people want English Clarks even more.
Clarks fever had taken Jamaica by storm. (Old Music track featuring Clark’s lyrics – and dancehall footage)
The import bans only worsened and the demand for Clarks only increased, and this paved the way for “The higgler”.
(Ras Malakot – quote from character describing what a Higgler is)
The influential exchanges between music and style is demonstrated perfectly through the early Higgler. They were initially people working in the music industry Reggae artists and music producers began travelling to London, invited by record labels and promoters who wanted to bring the new reggae and dancehall sound to the UK. Once the artists had been paid, the next stop was Street, Somerset the small village near Glastonbury and the home of Clarks shoes since 1825.
(Sound Bites from Contributors – how people would bring back barrels. Spend all their money on not one pair but 100’d of pairs)
(Weng – talks about all the places he visited in London – Birmingham, wales, etc. – travelling along the M4) – More places than most English people at the time)
Clarks in the Lyrics
The impact of Clarks shoes in reggae and dancehall lyrics is huge. . (Montage of some characters singing snippits from tracks with Clarks in the lyrics…)
The Desert Boot also adopted the name “Clarks Booty” (Fada or BY – Sheldon – sound bite of what ‘Clarks Booty’ meant)
The phrase ‘Clarks Booty’ was embraced by musicians and has featured on in songs by the likes of little John …
(Play Clarks Booty Track) (Everaldo and Sheldon sing Clarks booty)
The love affair with musicians and Clarks spans decades, from the 1950’s up to the present day.
Some of the biggest tracks include.
Ranking Joe 1980 “Clarks Booty Style”
(Character sound bites – commenting on ‘Clarks booty style’ track – Ranking Joe on the mic, and when he dropped the Lyrics such as “lift up your shoes and show us your Clarks”…the crowds went wild…)
DJ Trinity “Clarks shoe skank’ in 1980
(DJ trinity speaks about his track, why he wrote it…)
In 2010, the monster track by Vybz Kartel and Popcaan simply titled ‘Clarks’, saluted the brand yet again, and only last year ‘Clarks Pon Foot’ was released by Jahvillani…. showing the love for the brand is going nowhere.
(Jahvillani talks about why he wrote the track…sings us a bit to camera)
Protoje tells us why musicians continue to sing about Clarks.
People and their Clarks
Back in the day Clarks were mainly part of male culture and fashion but now Jamaican women have embraced the brand.
Isis talks about how she only wears Clarks – owns one other pair of Nike shoes gifted to her)
(Jason Panton elaborates on how Clarks used to be a man’s look, but know is as much part of a women’s style – why?)
(Lila Ike …
(Kano, explains how Clarks now fits in the London scene – is the perception of them different from when he was a kid? What are his memories of when he was a kid?)
(Grizzly – talks about why Clarks are so good for dancing)
(Dr Coombes – talk about how he wears Clarks in surgery, and then his originals for going out)
(Chef – female chef talk about how comfortable her shoes are for working in)
Clarks has always been a male staple in Jamaica, but that too is changing……..and ‘The rebel shoe’ is now taking on new meaning as it finds itself on the feet on young, strong creative women.
(Isis explains how its now ‘rebel women’ who are daring to wear Clarks. Knocking a trend that has been so traditionally male for so long….)
Jamaicans love affair with Clarks runs deep. No longer just a fashion statement, Clarks are part of culture
(Jason Panton/Isis comments on Clarks as a cultural phenomenon).
The Desert Boot was strong, versatile and comfortable. But it was expensive and that meant that most people could only afford one pair, so Jamaicans learnt to take care of their Clarks…
(Character – explains how back in the day people could only afford one pair of shoe, so they took really really good care of them)
(Fada explains how he used a toothbrush to keep them clean)
(Sheldon describes how Jamaicans keep their shoes neat and clean – and why it’s so important)
(Cpt Kirk explains how the hot tools guys have descended from the Spangler’s – but they are not ‘Bad men’ anymore. They work hard)
(Character tells of how people wore shoes sizes to big and small after higglers/family members bought them back. They didn’t care, they just wanted to wear the shoe – have the name)
And of course it wouldn’t be a true pair of Clarks without the ‘cheese bottom’
(Funny upbeat quotes from all characters about why cheese is so good.)
(Grizzly dancehall dancer explains how great they are to dance in – their softness, ) (Montage of people laughing about the cheese bottom – repetition – graphic cheese image) – Grizzly starts to dance, music kicks in…
Dancehalls:
(We cut to Maestro Don, modern day DJ…we are in a dancehall/club, and the party is going off)
(We watch a group of dancers smashing a dance formation…)
Cut to some archive footage of dancehalls in the 70’s….
By the late 60’s Police were using Clarks to try to identify the Rude Boys. The thinking being… how could these ghetto kids afford such an expensive shoe?
(DJ Trinity – ‘they tink everyman is a thief’……)
(Fada – talks about how he was targeted and put in jail more than once for wearing Clarks…..)
After independence in 1962 the political climate was changing, and tensions on the streets continued to rise. The music culture was evolving too, and the era of the sound system was emerging.
(Wee POW explains what a sound system is)
With the sound system came ‘selectors’ or Dj’s, accompanied by MC’s on the mic. Dancehall had arrived. (Footage from dancehall)
(DJ trinity – as a selector MC – talks about the dance hall emergence. How MC’s rallied the crowd)
Dancehall music emerged from reggae, and this DJ-led sound system culture was booming by the early 70’s.
(Wee Pow – founder of Stone Love sound system talks about the emergence of dancehall)
(Protoje comments on how dancehall emerged – and what it reflected in the culture at that time)
THE place to party in the 70’s was Skate land in Portmore, on the outskirts of Kingston.
A mecca for the emerging selectors like DJ Trinity…. it was here that one of the most infamous raids took place….
(Ras Basil….also talks about throwing his Clarks off and jumping over a fence to get away from the police)
(DJ Trinity talks about running from Police, throwing Clarks over fences) (How there is a stigma attached to wearing Clarks – why?)
The stigma attached to wearing a pair of Clarks spans decades, but people were so passionate about the shoe that they would wear them, no matter what….
(Cpt Kirk/DJ Trinity – how they still wear Clarks even with stigma attached)
(Maestro Don/Jahviliani comments on dancehall culture today – is their stigma attached still, with dancehall music and with Clarks?) (Why dancehall is important for the Jamaican culture/community today)
Reggae Revival.
Reggae and dancehall have been around for decades, both originating from Jamaica, but with very different sounds. While the 90’s and 00’s were dominated by dancehall, the last decade has started to see a reggae revival, with artists like Chronixx, Protoje and Koffee returning to the lyrical genre.
(Protoje describes the difference between reggae and dancehall)
(Lila Ike talk to us about reggae music today, and what inspires her as women – and what messages she is looking to make)
(Kano comments on how reggae influences his music today)
What’s exciting about these artists is that they are using their songs characterized by spiritual and positive uplift to help have positive impact on communities in Jamaica and beyond.
The Community:
Clarks has always been an aspirational shoe in Jamaica. Its something that people work towards owning since they were kids. Most people can recall the day when they bought their first pair, and many still own that first pair.
(Character “man when you get that first pair of Clarks – you know you made it….its like driving a Benz……)
But many people in Jamaica cannot afford the luxury, and many communities in Jamaica still suffer from poverty, and the knock-on effect to children is a challenge.
(Teacher from school explains how poverty effects the children)
Today Jamaican artists are using their music to make a difference in these communities.
Artists such as Protoje and Lila Ike spend time in schools, meeting the children and using their music to inspire them.
(Instagram stories of these guys with children and schools)
(Protoje talks about how music helps communities)
(Protoje introduces us to the studio, and comments on how Clarks were supportive in the studio build)
(Protoje walks us around the studio and, tells us about how the space is helping young up and coming musicians. Protoje and lila sing)
(Lila Ike talks to us about how she feels she can help and inspire children)
Music is undoubtedly at the heart of this island in the Caribbean. It’s what brings communities together, but music artists are not the only people reaching out to help make a difference. Raheem Sterling is working with Clarks to give back to Maverly Primary School, in the neighbourhood that he grew up in in Kingston.
(Showing Raheem on video message with kids – we here about how Clarks are supporting the school and donating shoes for the kids – B-roll of kids trying shoes on and playing football.)
The national love for Clarks is also being used for good, to help bring young people together…
Dre talks about how men in Jamaica are required to be perceived as strong, and not to show emotion – and its not a good thing. He has started a new social media movement #yodding to use Clarks as a way to let men share something they love, and talk about creativity – where does he see this going? #Mental health )
(Protoje comments on this #yodding movement as a positive direction)
It’s clear that Jamaicans need to take full credit for where Clarks originals sit today within style and culture.
The global reach of Jamaican culture and music across the globe is unquestionable, and with it they take their unique style, and the Clarks name.
“Jamaica, we owe you one! “ Clarks 2020