Back catalogue: Classics/Ska

Review: Only Roots Records continues to delve into the bulging vaults of Randy's Records, an imprint set up by producer Vincent Chin. He's naturally at the controls on this two-tracker by long-serving Jamaican vocal group the Gaylads. Both cuts date from 1970, though for one reason or another they were never given a commercial release. A-side 'Wha Sha Do Now' is a sweet rocksteady number in which the group's harmonic, rhythm & blues-influenced vocals rise above a fine rhythm rich in Hammond organ and deep bass. Arguably even better is flipside 'I Love The Reggae', a fuzzier and more up-tempo celebration of reggae culture that has all the makings of a future scene anthem.

Review: Another Studio One classic reissued by Rock A Shaka. Ken Boothe's 'Can't You See' goes hand-in-hand with The Gaylads' 'Let's Fall In Love'. Both are rocksteady rarities to die for, and belong together on this Japanese 45s reissue.

Review: If you like sensuous and slow motion grooves with hints of dub, reggae and disco all packaged up in super bawdy soul then look no further - this new 12" features a pair of singles that were first put out on 7" by Risco Connection's Otis Gayle. Up first is the glorious 'Sexy Eyes' which was a worldwide charting success and Dr Hook now brings new reggae vibes to his cover version, then on the flip is Domenic Troiano's 'We All Need Love', again with a mix of dubby disco and reggae stylings that have been draw out into extended format to make for a more lasting impact on the dancefloor.

Review: George and Glen Miller are undoubtedly best known for their West End Records released 1982 boogie-soul classic "Touch Your Life". They released plenty of other records that flitted between soca, reggae, disco, and - in the latter stages of their career - electrofunk. "Easing", which appeared at some point at the turn of the '80s on London label Third World, remains one of their most potent releases - and, in its original form at least, formidably hard to find. This Soundway reissue wisely replicates the track list of the original release, beginning with the title track - a deliciously percussive, musically intricate chunk of peak-time disco smothered in sharp, Afro-funk style horns and George and Glen Miller's lilting reggae-soul style vocals. The flipside "Version" strips out the vocals, allowing listeners to hear in greater detail the pair's impeccable arrangements and instrumentations (particularly the fine orchestration and rich groove).

Review: GrandMagnetto, masters of skanking pop reggae covers,
return with 'Everybody's Talkin' by Harry Nilsson, off of
the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. Blundetto transformed
the track into a killer deep dubby hit. Both tracks are storming.

Review: Stone cold classic alert! First released on Studio One back in the late 1970s and a guaranteed reggae floor-filler ever since, 'Feel Like Jumping' is not only one of Coxsone Dodd's most potent productions, but also one of Marcia Griffiths' greatest moments. Now available again on a heavyweight vinyl pressing with extra bass-weight, the track us built around an infectious rhythm, dancing horn riffs, sweet backing vocals and a life-affirming lead vocal from Griffiths' celebrating the sheer joy of dancing. The flipside Dub Specialist revision is superb too - a genuinely bone-shaking, sub-heavy dancefloor dub that places echoing snippets of Griffiths' lead vocal and reverberating horns at the heart of the action.

Review: Blending reggae, disco, soul, funk and roots - comes the reissue of the highly sought-after 7" from 1979 by Gypsy Fari, the first known reggae outfit from Chicago, born in the south side of the city after a chance meeting between St Kitts expat Leroy Webster and local music graduate Kevin Coleman. The pair set out to blur the boundaries of genre with their unique brand of music, spearheaded by Webster's Caribbean roots and fused with the soul and blues of the midwest.On the A-side, 'Chi-Town Reggae' springs out the gate with fast-paced disco-reggae, powered by a relentless rhythm section and Webster's infectious vocal melody. On the flip, 'Hail Jah' is a swaggering, deep roots reggae cut that pays homage to Webster's heritage - which he wrote on the hilltops of the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica.

Review: Nigerian disco-boogie act Galaxy's sole, self-titled album has become a holy grail for Afro-boogie collectors over the last few years, so it's no surprise to see Italian crate diggers Mondo Groove giving it the reissue treatment. It was produced by Jake Sollo - one of Nigeria's premier funk and soul musicians of the '70s and '80s - and recorded in the UK, though it was originally only ever released in his home country. Full of killer grooves (Randy Taylor's bass playing stands out), spacey synths and group vocals from the trio known as the 'Galaxy Girls', the set is packed with highlights. Our picks include a sublime, slow-motion reggae-boogie cover of the Police's 'The Bed's Too Big Without You', the intergalactic, club-ready brilliance of 'Galaxy' and the unbridled, life-affirming sweetness of 'Next To You'.

Review: As the name suggests, this album is a full-on dub and reggae re-rendering of soundtrack themes from nearly every Studio Ghibli film - from 'My Neighbour Totoro', to 'Nausicaa', to 'Princess Mononoke' - courtesy of a mysterious troupe known only as GBL Sound System. Production comes courtesy of Dubforce's Ippei Tatsuyama and features vocals from artist Kyoko Abe, making for ear-piquing foray into Japanese dub reworks.

Review: Long-serving LA pop-punkers Goldfinger never sounded stronger than on this 2008 album, which came 12 years after their debut. It came before an extended hiatus for the band, which finally came to a head with 2017's The Knife and 2020's Never Look Back. While it never got a vinyl release back in the day, now Hello Destiny gets the deluxe treatment, presented in a gatefold sleeve and pressed up on gold wax, sure to get all pop-punk lifers in a lather as they pogo around to the anthemic sound of songs like 'One More Time' and 'War'.

Review: Widely lauded as the greatest female singer in the history of Jamaican music, Griffiths emerged onto the Jamaican music scene during the late 60s. She quickly made her mark with a series of popular singles during that period, building up to eventual international fame in the early 70s, side by side with her long-term friend and regular collaborator, Bob Andy. It was Andy and Griffith's uplifting reggae remake of Nina Simone's inspiring song, '(To Be) Young, Gifted & Black' (featured on the second LP) that really cemented Griffiths' position on the world stage. With a long list of successful hits following this initial emergence into international fame - the best of which can be found on this incredible new two-part LP - this collection is a beautiful homage to one of Jamaica's all time music legends.