Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats - "Keep On Pushing" (with Lloyd & Glen) (2:54)
Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats - "Soul Special" (2:39)
Review: The BA label is back with more super essential, late-60s rocksteady goodness here. this one finds the one and only Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats doing their thing on a mega rework of Curtis Mayfield's classic 'Keep On Pushing' which features Lloyd Robinson and Glen Brown on vocals. The beats are raw and the guitars earthy with falsetto vocals soaring up top. On the flip is 'Soul Special' which is more laidback and chilled with spoken word musings and whimsical flute.
Review: High Note and Dub Store Japan delve into the 1977 album "One Essence" by Cedric "Im" Brooks for their next tasty 7". The saxophonist, composer and musical arranger who fused reggae with jazz, sometimes under the watchful eye of the legendary Coxsone Dodd, was a pioneering force in the evolution of reggae away from its more traditional roots. A-side "Blackness Of Darkness" is a gorgeous cut with a sombre lead trumpet line hanging above bubbly, earthy drums and embellished with golden chords and funky bass that will surely find favour with fans of parties like You're A Melody. "Africa Calling" is a slower, deeper lament with more recognisable reggae rhythms.
Review: During the 1970s, Cornell Campbell made some fantastic records with producer Bunny Lee. 'My Baby Just Care For Me', a favourite amongst the lovers rock-powered 1970s blues party scene in London, is undoubtedly one of their best joint efforts. The riddim is loose and languid, the added piano solos pleasingly expressive and jangling, and Campbell soulful lead vocal tterly beguiling. Chunkier, more dancefloor-friendly roots reggae vibes are the order of the day on flipside cut 'Jah Jah He Morn Ya', where Campbell's vocal improvisation between verses add even more energy to an already heavyweight jam. In a word: essential.
Review: Cheeba's Reggae Sound Boys kicks off the Reggae 45 Series with a serious nod to Jamaica's golden era, reworking those unmistakable 60s and 70s vibes with a fresh, inventive spin. Think skanking rhythms and basslines so deep they'll rattle your bones, all layered with clever samples and a dash of FX magic. It's a perfect blend of old-school roots and new-school flair, guaranteed to light up the dance. Pressed on limited green vinyl, this one's pure fire for reggae heads and beat lovers alike.
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - "Golden River" (3:33)
Review: Whether or not it is a coincidence that we are fast approaching 420 and ever more weed-related 7"s are dropping we do not know, but nor do we care. Culture's 'Callie Weed Song' is going to bang whatever day of the year you drop it, so long as you play it loud. It's got carefree keys and ganglier guitars accompanying the traditional reggae groove and some super stoned-sounding vocal musings on top. Joe Gibbs & The Professionals then appear on the flip with something just as summer, laid back and seductive in the form of the great 'Golden River.' Let's not get into what that title may or may not refer to.
Review: UK favourites Dub Pistols are back with the second release in their Version excursion series. The original is a great cover an Edie Brickell classic which brings this outfit's usual blend of ska, 2-tone and dub to the fore. The drums are mid-tempo and have a real swagger while the sub-bass adds serious weight, gentle wood block hits and rim shots pepper the mix and the lovely vocal from Prince Fatty regular Shniece brings seductive and smoky soul. On their 'What I Am Manasseh Dub' things get more laden with echo and reverb and mixing desk effects twist the low ends into perfect stoner territory.
Review: First released way back in 1982 on Greensleeves, Eek-A-Mouse's 'Ganja Smuggling' is a towering example of early 80s "singjaying", a style of reggae vocal improv made popular by its combination of toasting and singing. Here we open with an asphyxial, spitballing steppers sound, as 'Mouse is heard scatting and bidi-bonging in his signature opening style, shortly before launching into a cautionary tale about working as a border lines marijuana smuggler. The track deals in a stoic, forborne whimsy, comically scatting and riff-licking through what is implicitly portrayed as an otherwise thankless and unforgiving task. This 7" reissue marks an important milestone in Greensleeves' release catalogue, harking back to one of Eek's earliest cuts laid down with kingpin producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, the association with whom helped fuel Eek's early celebrity.
Bobby Ellis & The Upsetters - "Ska Version" (3:10)
Review: Bobby Ellis is behind 'Ska Baby', which was produced and directed by the Upsetter and now comes backed with a lush dub and a custom bag. It's actually one of the more subtle instrumentals to come from the famous Black Ark studio founded by Lee "Scratch" Perry and epitomises a warm day, beer in hand, dusty dry earth beneath your feet as you saunter though downtown Jamaica. Well, we assume this is how it must feel, never having been there during the 70s or 80s ourselves. Whatever, it's a perfectly organic and authentic vibe that is perfectly transportative.
Review: A new school roots tune from Bruges, Belgium that draws on a rich heritage of reggae and dub and adds some fresh modern twists. The vocalist Emma delivers a nice and airy, breezy vocal that floats up top over the rumbling rhythm and fine production by Dub Traveller. It's got plenty of natty chords, organic percussive textures and neat melodies and on the flipside, Dub Traveller & Roots Explosion hook up for 'Free Dub' which is a cavernous dub with lots of room for you to get lost in as you marvel at the studio desk magic unfolding around you.
Review: The 7" release of 'Free Ma'n by the Ethiopians and 'Shanty Town' by Soul Brothers on Studio 1 is a must-have classic for reggae lovers. These two heavy hitters are beautiful standout from the early days of the legendary Studio One in Jamaica, and were first related back in 1966. The tunes perfectly embody the raw, soulful sound of Jamaican ska and rocksteady of the era with vocal depth and effortless dub warmth. The Ethiopians are known for their socially conscious lyrics and deliver a powerful performance on 'Free Man', while the Soul Brothers back them with Studio 1's signature mix of jazzy brass, syncopated rhythms and laid-back bass.
Review: A rare gem from the golden age of early reggae, this 1970 cut by Justin Hinds was originally released on a Duke Reid 7". It gets a welcome reissue here but still has plenty of lo-fi aesthetics, vinyl crackle and dusty sound that keeps it authentic rather than overly polished. Hinds' soulful vocal delivery and signature rhythm style shine as they capture the spirit of the era with subtle flair. On the flip side, a slinky, instrumental organ version by Gus McIntyre adds serious depth and makes this an irresistible double-sider or cracking up nice and loud through some towering speaker stacks.
Review: Rocksteady revivalists Inosikira Rangers have built a long and successful career out of unlikely cover versions, delivering killer reggae style interpretations of everything from 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Anarchy In The UK' and 'Creep', to 'Born Slippy', 'Like a Virgin' and 'Happy'. Here, two of their most popular and potent covers are brought together for the first time on one "45". On side A they handle New Order's 'Blue Monday', re-casting it as a Hammond-heavy slab instrumental rocksteady, with Bernard Sumner's vocals being replaced by extended organ solos. Over on the flip, they slow down and skank out Kraftwerk's 'Autobahn', throwing in nods to krautrock and a dash of robotic vocoder to keep things fresh.
Review: Japan's best covers outfit, Inokasira Rangers, once again scores another knockout in dub. This time the instrumental group have procured a jaunty Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong ballad and a Glen Campbell re-blend respectively. Both songs have been lent a warm, clear-cut rocksteady flavour, substituting trademark vocal lines for instrumental renderings (both originals contain bittersweet legatos and leaping intervals, and deal in themes of gratitude and nostalgia, making it an extra challenge for the Hammond and electric piano to replicate them). But the task is nonetheless won, and pristine clarity achieved!
Review: From the nebulaic dusts of 1960s Kingston came the Kingstonians, a tight-knit vocal trio built around the songwriting of Cebert "Jackie" Bernard, joined by his brother Lloyd "Footy" Bernard and Lloyd Kerr. Their early work with producer J.J. Johnson yielded the breakout hit 'Winey Winey', but it was under the guidance of Derrick Harriott that they reached wider acclaim. Before their dissolution in the early 70s, and a later solo spit by Bernard which included a striking collaboration with Lee “Scratch” Perry as Jack Lord, ‘I’m Gonna Make It’ appeared as a mid-tempo rocksteady salve, with tightly-buoyed, gospel-inflected harmonies backing a core lyric line about perseverance and self-belief in the face of adversity.
Review: First released in 2007 and here reissued for the first time since, Jennifer Lara's inspired reggae cover of Marlena Shaw's 1968 soul classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" was reportedly one of the last recordings made by both Lara and producer Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd. It remains a stunning version, with Lara's weary, heartfelt vocal working perfectly with the chunky, dub-wise riddim provided by the Jackie Mittoo-fronted Sound Dimension backing band. The trippy, flipside "Side Walk Doctor Version" revision is arguably even better, with snippets of Lara's vocal echoing across Dodd's formidably dubbed-out soundscape.
Review: Federal and Dubstore Japan reissue highly sought after gem, Willie Lindo's cover of Love Unlimited Orchestra's 'Midnight And You'. 'Midnight' is a louche, smooth-as-sin nocturne punctuated by hammond wobbles, whispered nothings and surely one of the most in-the-pocket basslines in reggae history and the legendary Lloyd Charmers gives it a sparse, small hours dubbing on the B-side, removing all fat and showcasing the unparalleled rhythm section. Absolutely essential stuff.
Review: Night Owls return with a second wave of 7"s, delivering a fresh take on two classics by Aaron Neville under the featherlight sway of infamous record producer Allen Touissant. Reimagining 'Hercules' alongside 'Tell It Like It Is', the duo once again poke at the seams of the cine-funk sound, enlisting powerhouse collaborators - Alex Desert & The Lions, and vocalist Asdru Sierra - on both sides of this blistering 45. The B especially brims with a busty bonhomie on 'Tell It Like It Is', rewiring the OG song's current flows to a throughput of smooth reggae and cumbia.
Review: Stop us if you've heard this one before. Lee "Scratch" Perry walks into a Quasi Dub Development recording session somewhere in New York. He begins to freestyle in that surrealist, escapist, hallucinogenic kind of way we still love him for, and the results eventually make their way onto 2014's record, Little Twister. The rest, as they say, is history. Or maybe not quite. Four years after the world lost Perry's enigmatic poetry and pioneering contributions to dub, Pingipung, the label that carried that aforementioned LP, unearths the tape of one track from the collection the bosses clearly feel deserves more attention. 'Let's Communicate' is as intoxicating now as it was back then. Then contemporary UK dub don Elijah Minnelli steps up to deliver an alternative version that stands up on its own. No mean feat.
Queen Omega, Chezidek & U-Brown - "Three The Hard Way" (4:13)
Lone Ark - "Inity Riddim" (4:11)
Review: Next up for the Irie Ites label, which is a real favourite for reggae heads, is this dynamic collaboration featuring Queen Omega, Chezidek and U Brown with production by Irie Ites. This original A-side track 'Three The Hard Way' brings together powerful reggae and dancehall vibes while blending each artist's unique style into a compelling anthem. Queen Omega's soulful voice, Chezidek's conscious lyrics, and U Brown's classic dancehall delivery create great synergy and the production means the track pulses with heavy rhythms. The flipside is Lone Ark's dubbed-out and nicely horizontal 'Inity Riddim.'
Everyone Has Got To Go (Super Bionic version!) (4:22)
Review: 'Everyone Has Got to Go' is a powerful 1976 roots stepper by Jamaican-Canadian singer Prince Robinson aka R. Man Prince. Born in Rockfort, Kingston, Robinson auditioned at Studio One in his teens but didn't record until a decade later. After moving to New York and Canada, he returned to Kingston in 1976 to record two iconic roots anthems at Joe Gibbs studio: this one and the rare 'Funny Dream.' Joined by The Soul Foundation and top session musicians like Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, the track's mix by Ernest Hookim and Barnabas features a haunting dub version.
Review: Spanish label Base Lee Music has tapped up hometown hero Roberto Sanchez for this great new rockers roots single. 'Words Of My Mouth' really has it all - the smooth flowing bassline that undulates and rumbles with cavernous warmth, the acoustic guitar plucks up top to hint at the old school reggae sound and a vocal that is pure and soulful. The Message band come through with a dub version on the flip that layers in tons of echo and reverb and gets those snaking hi-hats hissing as they melt away to nothing.
Review: A slice of Daft Punk covers levity from Sokabe Keiichi & Inokasira Rangers for Park Tone Records on 7" vinyl. Here the Japanese rocker and his fellow band the Inokasira Rangers lay down an unheard-of instrumental rocksteady rollick, against which the vocal core of Daft Punk's 'One More Time' is overlaid, as seamless in feel as a freshly fined cloth on a varnished coffee table. The track also comes backed by the original Hammond triller 'Boku No Siawase', a ploddier reggae treat in stereo, against whose offbeat rummage Keiichi's voice glides in the manner of a beautiful bird's call.
U-Roy, The Jamaicans, Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - "Peace & Love" (2:37)
Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - "The World Needs Love" (2:08)
Review: Both tracks on this crucial new drop from Duke share a common theme of love and harmony, which were of course the cornerstones of reggae and part of the reason it has such an enduring appeal as the universal need for compassion and unity has never diminished. In fact, it might be more needed now than ever. First, 'Peace & Love' by U-Roy, The Jamaicans, and Tommy McCook & The Supersonics is a timeless cut with U-Roy's toasting sat next to horn-driven rhythms that were first released in the 1970s. Similarly, Tommy McCook & The Supersonics' "The World Needs Love" captures the essence of70s reggae, with McCook's smooth saxophone leading the instrumental arrangement.
Review: Appearing here for the very first time on 7", this track from Vivian Jackson, aka Yabby You, was originally released as the title cut off the Jah Jah Way LP back in 1980. It was later pressed on a 12" by Yabby You some 20 years after its initial release and is one of those heavy, fat-bottomed dub cuts that demands to be played loud from a towering speaker stack while the sun is blazing. The bassline does most of the heavy lifting with dusty tambourines and passionate vocals adding the soul. The dub version on the flip gets some serious mixing desk treatment and tons of echo for even more mind-melting brilliance.
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