The Reggae Girls/ The Soul Mates

Another double "A" side on the Nu Beat label from 1969.   Great version of a Fontella Bass classic soul tune.  Not much to be found on internet about either artist.

The Reggae Girls  -  Rescue Me 

The Soul Mates  -  Unity Is Strength

The Royals

A scratchy 45 on the Duke label from 1969.   Rita gave this record a right bashing it seems!  Pretty run -of-the-mill reggae/ rock steady sound  produced by L. Edwards.

Wikipedia says  - " The earliest line-up of the group featured Cousins along with Bertram Johnson and Errol Green, initially under the name The Tempests.^[2] Green had been the lead vocalist, but departed to be replaced by Errol Wilson, who worked with Cousins at the Jamaican Post Office. They recorded in the mid-1960s for producers including Duke Reid, Lloyd Daley, and Coxsone Dodd (the original version of "Pick Up the Pieces" (1967), which Dodd rejected at the time),^[3] but their first release was not until 1968, with "Never See Come See" for Joe Gibbs.^[1] After a few more well-received singles, Cousins disbanded the group and took a 2-year break, saving money from his Post Office job.^[1] Cousins then set up his own Tamoki, Wambesi, and Uhuru labels, issuing "Down Comes The Rain". In 1971, The Royals re-recorded "Pick Up the Pieces", with Lloyd Forest temporarily replacing Wilson, its success prompting Dodd to issue the original version (still credited to The Tempests),^[3] which was also popular, its rhythm being used by several other artists since.^[1] More releases in a similar vein followed during the 1970s, these later collected on the album Pick Up the Pieces in 1978, released by Mo Claridge's newly formed Mojo distribution.^[2] The line-up changed again in 1975, with Cousins recruiting new members to replace his former colleagues who moved to Channel One Studios and recorded as The Jays. The success of Pick Up the Pieces led to a deal with United Artists,^[2] with two more studio albums (Ten Years After and Israel Be Wise) following, but Cousins then increasingly concentrated on producing other artists. Pick Up the Pieces was reissued in 2002 byPressure Sounds."

The Royals  -  Never Gonna Give You Up

The Royals  -  Don't Mix Me Up

Reggae Girl

Compilation on the Big Shot label from 1968 of various ska and rock steady artistes including The Tennors, Monty Morris , Harmonians etc. Wikipedia says of The Tennors - "The group was formed in Kingston in the mid-1960s by singer George "Clive" Murphy who formed a duo with Maurice "Professor" Johnson. They called themselves the Tennor Twins. They auditioned a song called "Pressure and Slide" in 1967 while sitting in the back of a taxicab for arranger Jackie Mittoo of Studio One. Murphy and Johnson were then joined by Norman Davis, and the trio recorded the song backed by Mittoo. This, their first single, was one of the major Jamaican hits for the year 1967,. The Tennors then went on to form their own label that grew its own stable of artists. The accidental death of Johnson reduced the trio back to a duo, and Murphy and Davis continued as songwriters. They offered their song, "Ride Yu Donkey", to many artists, but ended up recording it themselves after it was turned down. The song was released in 1968 and was a huge hit. Other songs by the Tennors included "Cleopatra (I've Got to Get You Off My Mind)", "Grandpa", Massi Massa", "Girl You Hold Me" and "Rub Me Khaki", "Sufferer", "Sign of the Times", "Biff Baff" (aka "Traitor"), "Bow Legged Girl", "Little Things", "Cherry" and "Oh My Baby". The group became a trio again with the addition of Ronnie Davis in 1968. Other singers who were in the Tennors included Nehemiah Davis, George Dekker, Howard Spencer, and Hilton Wilson. The trio backed singer Jackie Bernard on "Another Scorcher", and moved towards reggae with the song "Reggae Girl"." Tracks are as follows - 1. Reggae Girl - The Tennors 2. Oh My Baby - The Harmonians 3. Khaki - Tennors 4. The Stage - The Tennors 5. Donkey Trot - Clive All Stars 6. While I Was Talking - Romeo Stewart Various - Side One

Desmond Dekker/ The Maytals

More greats from the reggae pile. Another double "A" side with Desmond Dekker and The Maytals sharing the honours on this 1968 single on the Pyramid label.

Wikipedia says of Desmond Dekker -

"He was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in St. Andrew, Jamaica and grew up in Kingston, where he attended the Alpha Boys' School. After his mother took ill and died, his father moved him to St. Mary, and then to St. Thomas, where he apprenticed as a tailor before returning to Kingston and taking a job as a welder, singing around his workplace while his co-workers encouraged him. In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle). Neither was impressed by his talents, and the young man moved on to Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label, where he auditioned before Derrick Morgan, then the label's biggest star.

With Morgan's support, Dekker was signed but did not record until 1963 because Kong wanted to wait for the perfect song, which "Honour Your Mother and Father" was felt to be. "Honour Your Mother and Father" was a hit and was followed by "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning", and at this time Desmond Dacres became Desmond Dekker. His fourth hit made him into one of the island's biggest stars. It was "King of Ska", a rowdy and jubilant song on which Dekker was backed by The Cherrypies (also known as The Maytals). Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry who became his backing band, The Four Aces.
Dekker and the Howards recorded a number of hits including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". Until 1967 Dekker's songs were polite and conveyed respectable, mainstream messages. In that year, however, he appeared on Derrick Morgan's "Tougher Than Tough", which helped begin a trend of popular songs glamorizing the violent rude boy culture. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular tunes, though he did introduce lyrics that resonated with the rude boys starting with one of his best-known songs, "007 (Shanty Town)". The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon and he also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene.[citation needed] "007 (Shanty Town)" was a Top 15 hit in the UK, and Dekker toured that country with a posse of mods following him."

Wikipedia says of The Maytals -

"Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the frontman of the group, was born in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica in 1945, the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, and moved to Kingston in 1958 at the age of thirteen.
In Kingston, Hibbert met Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" Mathias, forming in 1961 a group whose early recordings were incorrectly attributed to 'The Flames' and 'The Vikings' in the UK by Island Records. The Maytals first had chart success recording for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One. With musical backing from Dodd's house band, The Skatalites, the Maytals' close-harmony gospel singing ensured success, overshadowing Dodd's other up-and-coming vocal group, The Wailers. After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster before recording with Byron Lee in 1966. With Lee, the Maytals won the first-ever Jamaican Independence Festival Popular Song Competition with their original song "Bam Bam" (later covered in a Dancehall style by Sister Nancy, and also by Yellowman in 1982). However, the group's musical career was interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months. He stated that he was not arrested for ganja, but whilst bailing a friend. He also stated that he made up the number 54-46 when writing "54-46 That's My Number" about his time in jail.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the Maytals began working with the Chinese Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration which yielded a string of hits throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. These included "Do the Reggay", one of several songs released in 1968 to first use the word 'reggae' (spelled 'reggay') in a Jamaican recording; "Pressure Drop"; "54-46 That's My Number" the 1969 Jamaica festival's popular song winner; "Sweet and Dandy"; and "Monkey Man", the group's first international hit in 1970."


Desmond Dekker - Foo Manchu

The Maytals - We Shall Overcome

Winston Jarrett

More reggae from 1974 - this time Winston Jarrett on the Atra label.

Wikipedia says -

"Born in 1940 in Lime Tree Gardens, Saint Ann Parish, Jarrett grew up in the Jones Town area of Kingston after moving there with his mother at the age of five. There, he was taught to play guitar by Jimmy Cliff and Alton Ellis. Jarrett's introduction to the music industry was as a member of Alton Ellis's backing band The Flames in the early 1960s, formed when Ellis's original singing partner Eddie Perkins emigrated to the US, singing on hits such as "Dancecrasher", "Cry Tough", "Rocksteady" and "Girl I've Got a Date". While with Ellis he wrote songs such as "Sunday Coming" and "True Born African". In 1967, Jarrett parted ways with the UK-bound Ellis and with fellow Flame Edgar "Egga" Gardner formed The Righteous Flames with Junior Green, and the trio recorded for Arthur "Duke" Reid's Treasure Isle label and then for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label. In 1969 they also recorded for Lee "Scratch" Perry ("Zion I Love You"). In the 1970s, they were generally billed as 'Winston Jarrett and the Righteous Flames'. Among the members of The Righteous Flames was Danny Clarke, who left to form The Meditations in 1974.
In the 1970s, tired of recording for others without receiving adequate payment, Jarrett self-produced much of his output, releasing it on his own Attra, Human Rights and Humble labels. Jarrett recorded as a solo artist in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing the Wise Man album in 1979 and Rocking Vibration in 1984. He re-formed the Flames, releasing the album Jonestown in the late 1980s, and in the early 1990s recorded a tribute album to Bob Marley, also featuring Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer."


Winston Jarrett - No Time To Waste

Winston Jarrett - Time Dub

Sweet Confusion

Another reggae single on the Escort label from 1969.
Again very hard to find anything about them on the internet. Any info. greatfully received.

Sweet Confusion - Conquer Lion

Sweet Confusion - Hotter Scorcher

Alton Ellis

A rock steady single on the New Beat label from 1971. La La Means I Love You was originally a hit for The Delphonics in 1968. Todd Rungren did a passable version on his Wizard- A True Star album in the 70's or perhaps the early 80's? I think I prefer the original though this has a certain charm.

Wikipedia says -

"Ellis was born in 1938 and grew up in Kingston's Trench Town district. Born into a musical family, he learned to play piano at a young age. He attended Ebeneezer and Boys' Town schools, where he excelled in both music and sport. He initially sought fame as a dancer, competing on Vere Johns' Opportunity Hour. After winning a couple of competitions, he switched to singing, starting his career in 1959 as part of the duo Alton & Eddy with Eddy Perkins. Ellis and Perkins recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, initially in the R&B style, having a massive hit with "Muriel" (from Dodd's first commercially-oriented recording session at Federal studios), a song Ellis had written whilst working as a labourer on a building site and recording follow-ups with "My Heaven", "Lullabye Angel", "I Know It All", "I'm Never Gonna Cry" and "Yours". The duo also recorded a few tracks for Vincent Chin's Randy's label, but came to an end when after winning a major talent contest, Perkins moved to the United States. Ellis remained in Kingston, working as a printer and after losing his job, he restarted his music career, initially forming a new duo with John Holt. When Holt joined The Paragons, Ellis formed a new group, The Flames. Ellis continued to work for Dodd and also recorded for his arch-rival, Duke Reid on his Treasure Isle label. By the mid 1960s, ska was moving on and the beat was slowing down to rocksteady and becoming associated with the violent rude boy subculture in Jamaican dancehalls. Many artists made records referring to the rude boys, including Ellis, although his records were consistently anti-rudie, including "Don't Trouble People", "Dance Crasher", and "Cry Tough", in contrast to artists such as Bob Marley, whom Ellis blamed for glorifiying the rudies. Recording with The Flames (the varying line-up of which included his brother Leslie Ellis, David "Baby G" Gordon and Winston Jarrett), Ellis scored big with the hits "Girl I've Got a Date", "Cry Tough" and "Rock Steady", which was the first song to refer to the name of the newer genre. As rocksteady dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the next two years, Ellis continued to score hits for Treasure Isle, working with artists such as Lloyd Charmers, Phyllis Dillon and The Heptones. His Mr Soul of Jamaica album is regarded as one of the definitive rocksteady albums."


Alton Ellis - La La (Means I Love You)

Alton Ellis - Give Me Your Love

Ken Parker

A reggae single from 1972 on the Duke Reid label. I think this was a small hit at the time - certainly in the reggae charts. The original was done by The Browns back in 1959.

Wikipedia says -

"Like many of Jamaica's singers of the era, Parker began by singing in church, where his father was a preacher. He formed a group called the Blues Benders in the mid-1960s, and their first recording was "Honeymoon by the Sea". The group arranged to audition for Coxsone Dodd, but due to a misunderstanding, Parker was the only member to turn up, so he auditioned as a soloist, impressing Dodd sufficiently to launch his solo career. While at Studio One, he recorded singles such as "Choking Kind", "Run Come", and "My Whole World is Falling Down", and an album, Keep Your Eyes on Jesus, followed in 1968. He moved on to work with Duke Reid, who produced hits including "Jimmy Brown", "Help Me Make it Through the Night", and "Kiss an Angel Good Morning". His popularity continued to grow and he recorded for other producers including Bunny Lee ("Guilty"), Rupie Edwards ("Talk About Love"), Byron Lee ("Will the Circle be Unbroken"), Lloyd Charmers ("Queen Majesty"), and Joe Gibbs ("Only yesterday"). By 1972, however, Parker had become disillusioned with the recording industry and ceased recording, relocating to England in 1973 after spending two years in New York City. He continued to perform occasionally but did not return to recording until the early 1980s, setting up his own record label and production company, releasing Gospel records. He later moved to Florida."


Ken Parker - Jimmy Brown

Ken Parker - Jimmy Brown (Version)

Ken Lazarus

A single on the London label's Reggae Series from 1970. Ken Lazarus does a passable enough version of he Maytals "Monkey Man" and the more interesting "Bongo Nyah" on the flip.Not much about Ken on the internet but did find this -

"Jamaican ska and reggea singer. Probably best known for his work as a lead singer in Byron Lee's Dragonaires band. In the early 60s the band toured extensively in the Caribbean which made Ken Lazarus a popular singer on the island. He also became famous as a highly commercial cover artist. Later on he changed his style, recording roots and culture sides."


Ken Lazarus - Bongo Nyah

Ken Lazarus - Monkey Man

The Clique/Lester Sterling

More ska on the Unity label from 1968. Uninspired and rather monotonous "A" side by The Clique but nice instrumental by Lester Sterling on the "B" side. The "Reggie" On Broadway made me laugh too! A missprint I presume!

Wikipedia says -

"Like many Jamaican musicians of his generation, Sterling attended the Alpha Boys School. A founding member of The Skatalites (playing alto saxophone),] he is commonly overshadowed by well-known band members such as Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo or Don Drummond. After The Skatalites originally disbanded in 1965, Sterling recorded several solo singles for the London-based producer "Sir" Clancy Collins. Sterling rejioned the Skatalites when they reformed in 1975. The band have continued on and off with a varying line-up since, and Sterling is the only founding members still with the band."



The Clique - Love Can Be Wonderful

Lester Stirling - Reggie On Broadway

Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari

I think I found this three record boxed set at a remaindered record shop in Barking in the 80's. It was released in the Vulcan label in 1974. It's called "Grounation" and by Count Ossie and The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari.

"The foundations of reggae and its association with Rastafarianism were established by drummer, percussionist and vocalist Count Ossie (born: Oswald Williams). Together with his band, the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Count Ossie combined African-influenced music with the European hymnal tradition to create a unique sound that inspired everyone from Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus and the Skatalites to Bob Marley & the Wailers and Toots & the Maytals.

Count Ossie's earliest inspiration came from rasta elder Brother Job, who introduced him to the philosophies of Rastafarianism. A Nyabinghi drummer from the hills of Jamaica, Count Ossie cut his first singles, including "O'Carolina" and "Chubby," for Prince Buster at the studios of RJR radio. Beginning in 1959, Count Ossie recorded for Sir Coxsone Dodd at Studio One.

Together with music director, tenor saxophone, flute and clarinet player Cedric "I-m" Brooks, Count Ossie formed the Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari. Heavily percussive, the group featured philosopher orator Samuel Clayton, double bass player, poet and vocalist Ras Jose, Ras Jose, Little Bop and Count Ossie's son, Time, on fundae drum, bass drummer and percussionist King Rayo, percussionist and vocalist Bunny, percussionist Moses, baritone saxophone and clarinet player Ras Sam II and trombonist Nambo.

There has been some debate as to the cause of Count Ossie's death in 1976. While some sources claim that he was in an auto accident, others say that he was trampled to death when a crowd panicked at the National Arena."

Read more about Count Ossie HERE.

Tracks are as follows -

1. Ethiopian Serenade
2. Oh Carolina
3. So Long


Count Ossie - Record Two/Side 2

Rupie Edwards/The Mediators

Another rather scratched and battered ska single from the 60's, this time on the Success label distributed by Pama Records. I think the labels are on the wrong way round as the instrumental track says it features Rupie Edwards who is a singer.

Wikipedia says -

"Rupie Edwards, an only child, moved to Kingston in 1958, where he set up his first band while still at school. His first recording was "Guilty Convict" b/w "Just Because", for L.S. 'Little Wonder' Smith in 1962, released on Melodisc's Blue Beat label in the UK, and was paid £15 for the session. After recording a few singles, he became involved with the Virtues and, from 1968, started to focus only on his own productions.

By the beginning of the 1970s, apart from releasing singles as a singer, he had recorded artists like The Heptones, Bob Andy, Johnny Clarke, Joe Higgs, Gregory Isaacs and The Ethiopians on his own record labels 'Success' and 'Opportunity'. He also worked with DJs such as U-Roy and I-Roy, and released some instrumental versions with his studio band, The Rupie Edwards All Stars. The group included musicians such as saxophonist Tommy McCook, trombone player Vin Gordon, drummer Carlton 'Santa' Davis, guitarist Hux Brown, pianist Gladstone Anderson, bassist Clifton 'Jackie' Jackson and organist Winston Wright."




Rupie Edwards - Look Who A Bust Style

The Mediators - Look Who A Bust Style

Reggae Boys/Upsetters

Another single from the dusty ska and reggae box. This time on the Punch label from Pama Records in London. Produced by Lee Perry? Late 60's again I imagine. Not sure which is the "A" side- not that it matters. Both are good.

Wikipedia says -

"Perry's musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for Clement Coxsone Dodd's sound system. As his sometimes turbulent relationship with Dodd developed, he found himself performing a variety of important tasks at Dodd's Studio One hit factory, going on to record nearly thirty songs for the label. Disagreements between the pair due to personality and financial conflicts, a recurring theme throughout Perry's career, led him to leave the studio and seek new musical outlets. He soon found a new home at Joe Gibbs's Amalgamated Records.

Working with Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career but, once again, financial problems caused conflict. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, Upsetter, in 1968. His first single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold well with 60,000 copies sold in Jamaica alone. It is notable for its innovative use of a sample (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae" (the new kind of sound which was given the name "Steppers"). From 1968 until 1972 he worked with his studio band The Upsetters. During the 1970s, Perry released numerous recordings on a variety of record labels that he controlled, and many of his songs were popular in both Jamaica and the UK. He soon became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his eccentric character.

In the early 1970s, Perry was one of the producers whose mixing board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. In 1973, Perry built a studio in his back yard, The Black Ark, to have more control over his productions and continued to produce notable musicians such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, Junior Murvin, The Heptones, The Congos and Max Romeo. With his own studio at his disposal, Perry's productions became more lavish, as the energetic producer was able to spend as much time as he wanted on the music he produced. Virtually everything Perry recorded in The Black Ark was done using basic recording equipment; through sonic sleight-of-hand, Perry made it sound unique. Perry remained behind the mixing desk for many years, producing songs and albums that stand out as a high point in reggae history."





Reggae Boys - Selassie

The Upsetters - Dry Acid

Jackie Mittoo

An LP on the Coxone label from Jamaica from 1968. Ska and Rock Steady instrumentals with an infectious shuffling beat.

Wikipedia says -

"He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, and began learning to play the piano when he was four under the tutelage of his grandmother.

In the 1960s he was a member of The Skatalites, The Rivals, The Sheiks, The Soul Brothers and The Soul Vendors. Among Mittoo's contributions in the mid to late 1960s were "Darker Shade of Black" (the basis for Frankie Paul's "Pass the Tu Sheng Peng"), Freddie McGregor's "Bobby Babylon", Alton Ellis' "I'm Still in Love with You", The Cables' rocksteady anthem "Baby Why" and Marcia Griffiths' first hit, "Feel Like Jumping". He played for Lloyd "Matador" Daley in 1968 and 1969.

He emigrated to Toronto, Canada at the end of the 1960s. There he recorded three albums, Wishbone (Summus), Reggae Magic (CTL) and Let's Put It All Together (CTL). He also set up the Stine-Jac record label, as well as running a record store.

In 1970, his song "Peanie Wallie" was versioned by The Wailers, becoming the hit "Duppy Conqueror". He had a hit with Wishbone in 1971. He performed in local Toronto lounges throughout the 1970s. Mittoo assisted Toronto-area reggae musicians, including Earth, Roots and Water, Esso Jaxxon (R. Zee Jackson), Carl Harvey, Lord Tanamo, Boyo Hammond, Carl Otway, The Sattalites, Jackie James and Jason Wilson. Mittoo continued to record for Jamaican producers in the 1970s, mostly Bunny Lee.

In the 1980s, he worked regularly with Sugar Minott. In 1989, Mittoo joined the reunited Skatalites, but health problems soon forced him to bow out. In 1989 and 1990 he recorded Wild Jockey for Lloyd Barnes’ Wackies label.

Mittoo entered a hospital on 12 December 1990 and died of cancer on 16 December at the age of 42. His funeral was held at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica, on 2 January 1991. Hortense Ellis, Neville 'Tinga' Stewart, Desmond "Desi Roots" Young, Ruddy Thomas, Tommy Cowan, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd were among the attendees. A memorial concert was held around the same time, with performances by Vin Gordon, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Glen 'Bagga' Fagan, Pablo Black, Robert Lynn, Michael "Ibo" Cooper, Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson, Carlene Davis, Tinga Stewart and others."


Jackie Mittoo - Hot Milk

Jackie Mittoo - Autumn Sound

Jackie Mittoo - Full Charge

Jackie Mittoo - Hot Shot

Jackie Mittoo - Rock Steady Wedding

Jackie Mittoo - Drum Song

Gregory Isaacs 1951 - 2010

Greatly underrated reggae singer who died a couple of weeks ago. This LP on the Taxi label was produced in the 80's by Sly and Robbie.

Wikipedia says -

"In his teens, Isaacs became a veteran of the talent contests that regularly took place in Jamaica. In 1968, he made his recording debut with a duet with Winston Sinclair, "Another Heartache", recorded for producer Byron Lee. The single sold poorly and Isaacs went on to team up with two other vocalists (Penroe and Bramwell) in the short-lived trio The Concords, recording for Rupie Edwards and Prince Buster. The trio split up in 1970 and Isaacs launched his solo career, initially self-producing recordings and also recording further for Edwards. In 1973 he teamed up with another young singer, Errol Dunkley to start the African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a massive hit with "My Only Lover", credited as the first lovers rock record ever made. He recorded for other producers to finance further African Museum recordings, having a string of hits in the three years that followed, ranging from ballads to roots reggae, including "All I Have Is Love", "Lonely Soldier", "Black a Kill Black", "Extra Classic" and his cover version of Dobby Dobson's "Loving Pauper". In 1974 he began working with producer Alvin Ranglin, and that year he had his first Jamaican number one single with "Love Is Overdue". Isaacs recorded for many of Jamaica's top producers during the 1970s, including Winston "Niney" Holness, Gussie Clarke ("My Time"), Lloyd Campbell ("Slavemaster"), Glen Brown ("One One Cocoa Fill Basket"), Harry Mudie, Roy Cousins, Sidney Crooks and Lee "Scratch" Perry ("Mr. Cop"). By the late 1970s, Isaacs was one of the biggest reggae performers in the world, regularly touring the US and the UK, and only challenged by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley. Between 1977 and 1978, Isaacs again teamed up with Alvin Ranglin, recording a string of hits including "Border" and "Number One" for Ranglin's GG's label.

International stardom seemed assured in 1978 when Isaacs signed to the Virgin Records offshoot Front Line Records, and appeared in the film Rockers, in which he performed "Slavemaster". The Cool Ruler (which became one of his nicknames) and Soon Forward albums, however, failed to sell as well as expected, although they are now considered among his best work. In 1981, he made his first appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival (returning annually until 1991), and he moved on to the Charisma Records offshoot Pre, who released his The Lonely Lover (another nickname that stuck) and More Gregory albums along with a string of increasingly successful singles including "Tune In", "Permanent Lover", "Wailing Rudy" and "Tribute to Waddy". He signed to Island Records and released the record that finally saw him break through to a wider audience, "Night Nurse", the title track from his first album for the label (Night Nurse (1982)). Although "Night Nurse" was not a chart hit in either the UK or US, it was hugely popular in clubs and received heavy radio play, and the album reached #32 in the UK."


Gregory Isaacs - Soon Forward

Gregory Isaacs - You'll Never Know

Gregory Isaacs - Motherless Children

Solid Gold

I had rather a soft spot for old reggae, ska etc. back in the 70's and this was picked up then for 20p , probably from Cheshire Street flea market when I lived nearby in Stepney. It has no sleeve and has been used as a frisbee at some point but still sounds good despite the scratches and pops. I particularly love the Abyssinians "Declaration Of Rights" which reminds me of those times and listening to the great Reggae show on Radio London just before Charlie Gillett came on Sunday mornings.

Wikipedia says of the Abyssinians -

"The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their first song was "Satta Massagana", which was strongly influenced by Carlton Manning's "Happy Land". "Satta Massagana" is a Rastafarian hymn sung partly in the ancient Ethiopian Amharic language. They recruited a third vocalist, who was still at school and often unable to attend rehearsals; He was soon replaced by Donald's brother Lynford Manning, who had previously been a member of their brother Carlton Manning's group Carlton and The Shoes.
"Satta Massagana" was first recorded for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in March 1969, but he decided against releasing it, seeing no commercial potential for what he saw as a song constituting cultural subversion. In 1971, the group purchased the master tapes from Dodd for 90 pounds and released it on their own Clinch label, the single becoming a massive success, prompting Dodd to release his own instrumental and deejay versions. The group released further takes on the song on Clinch by Tommy McCook, Big Youth, and Dillinger, as well as their own "Mabrak", featuring the group reciting passages from the Old Testament. It has since been recorded by dozens of artists. The group's second release, "Declaration of Rights", featured Leroy Sibbles on backing vocals, and like their first was a huge hit in Jamaica, (and subsequently in the international market) and has been covered several times since. Their 1973 single "Y Mas Gan" was similar to "Satta" in its use of Amharic."


Delroy Wilson - I Love You Madly

Ernest Ranglin - Surfing

Wayne McGhie - How Does It Feel

Abyssinians - Declaration Of Rights

John Holt - I Don't Want To See You Cry

Beltones - Let Him Live

Bingy Bunny & The Morwells

A 45 from the ska box which also contains some later reggae including this one probably bought because I liked the sound of the name.

"The Morwells were originally formed by Maurice 'Blacka' Wellington and Eric 'Bingy Bunny' Lamont in 1973. Later friend Errol "Flabba" Holt was brought in. During the mid to late 1970's the Morwells released a string of singles on their own "Mor-Well-Esq" label with Bingy Bunny usually singing lead vocals. Their first album "Presenting the Morwells" is a cult classic and its companion dub album "Dub Me" has been reissued by Blood and Fire. The Morwells released a total of four vocal albums: "Presenting the Morwells", "Crab Race", "Cool Runnings", and "Kingston 12 Toughie". During this period Bingy and Flabba were also working in the Kingston studios as session musicians. Bingy on Guitar and Flabba on Bass. The Jamaican studios of the late 1970's were a bee hive of musical creativity. Bingy and Flabba joined forces with Dwight Pickney on guitar, Style Scott on drums and Gladstone Anderson on piano and began laying down tracks for some of the great Jamaican artist of the day; Gregory Isaacs, The Wailing Souls, Isreal Vibration, Bunny Wailer, Prince Far I... Prince Far I called them the "The Arabs" but it was Bunny Wailer who gave them the name that the world would come to know them by: "The Roots Radics." The rest, as they say, is history. Sadly, the world lost Bingy Bunny in 1993."


The Morwells - Greenwich Road Skank

Bingy Bunny & The Morwells - Swing & Dine

Lester Sterlin

Whilst I am in the ska mood I might as well upload some tracks from this Pama LP from Lester Sterlin who had a hit on the reggae charts back in the late 60's with a tune called "Bangarang" - the title track of this record of mostly chugging instrumentals.

Not much gleaned from the internet about Lester but this is what the sleeve notes say-

"In December a new sound hit the music scene and this new sound was called Reggae. Among the most outstanding in this field of music, was a tune called BANGARANG performed by Lester Sterlin with narration and singing by the sophisticated "Stranger Cole". The number was the Reggae Number One Hit for quite a few months and still quite a favoutite. the gret Joe Loss Band wasted not time in including this number in their repertoire and feature it quite a lot, to the thrill and entheastification of their thousands of followers."

The young lady on the sleeve is Miss Unity Records, Eunice Cooke.


Lester Sterlin - Bangarang

Lester Sterlin - Reggae In The Wind

Lester Sterlin - Spoogy

Lester Sterlin - 1,000,000 Tones Of TNT

Lester Sterlin - Man At The Door

Lester Sterlin - Man About Town


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Pama

"The label was set up by the Palmer Brothers - Harry, Jeff, and Carl - initially as a soul label, but later concentrating on Jamaican music, releasing rocksteady singles from 1967. Much of the label's output was licenced from Jamaican producers such as Clancy Eccles, Alton Ellis, Bunny Lee, and Lee "Scratch" Perry, although they also released music by local talents such as Junior English and Delroy Washington. Derrick Morgan became one of Pama's biggest stars, having a UK chart hit with "Moon Hop". Pama's biggest hit came with Max Romeo's "Wet Dream", which reached #10 in the UK singles chart (despite lack of airplay, in part due to its risqué lyric), and sold over 250,000 copies.

The rivalry between Pama and their main UK reggae competitor, Trojan Records, was clear, with Trojan's Tighten Up series of compilations and Pama's similarly-titled Straighten Up series going head to head. The rivalry had been fuelled by Bunny Lee's earlier licencing of Derrick Morgan's "Seven Letters" to both Pama and Trojan.

Pama introduced a number of subsidiary labels, often associated with individual producers, including Pama Supreme, Supreme, Crab, Bullet, Gas, Nu Beat/New Beat (Laurel Aitken), Success (Rupie Edwards), Camel, Escort, Unity (Bunny Lee), and Punch (Lee "Scratch" Perry)."


Tiger - Guilty

The Charmers - Just My Imagination

Eugene Paul - Farewell My Darling

Max Romeo - Don't You Weep

Derrick Morgan - Black Crow Skank


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Loch Ness Monster

An oldie which has been useful for various Halloween comps. over the years. Some dubious lyrics on here too from the likes of Lee Perry and Laurel Aitken
Not much is known about King Horror despite browsing various search engines. This very worn and scratchy LP on the Trojan label is an old favourite of mine featuring twelve "ska" and "rock steady" stomping tunes from the late 60's and early 70's. Other tracks include The Upsetters, Nora Dean and the Prophets. I have uploaded the King Horror tracks before but here is side one of the record complete with pops and crackles.

Discover more about Lee "Scratch" Perry HERE.


King Horror - Loch Ness Monster

Upsetters - Live Injection

Nora Dean - Barbwire

Upsetters - Self Control

Des All Stars - Night Food Reggae

King Horror - The Hole


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.