Junior Byles Style

2010-03-30 by The Mighty Alboy

Junior Byles- “Pretty Fe True/Pretty Dub”

A beaut of a tune from the man Kerrie “Junior” Byles (also known as “King Chubby”, apparently).

Junior Byles was Bob Marley’s successor in receiving the production talents of Lee Perry, and a bunch of other top ranking producers. He had a string of solo hits thanks to his sweet vocal tones and many buckets of talent, but Byles sadly suffered from a depressive condition. He was badly effected by the death of Haile Selassie in 1975, and his depression grew worse resulting in a huge decline in fortunes, numerous personal set backs and very little recording output over the next ten years.

He has recovered enough to put out some work in more recent years, but his output in the early-mid seventies stands as testament to the talent of the man, and all that could have been.

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Barbed wire style

2009-06-26 by The Mighty Alboy

Major Lazer- “Can’t stop now [feat. Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell]”

Halfway through posting this up, the screen on my PC went purple and all crashed out…”the blue screen of death” I’d heard of, but the “deep purple” was a new one on me!

is kind of similar to what’s been happening to me this week- came down with some flu over the weekend, and cos I’ve recently been out the country (holidays in Turkey), the NHS had a nurse come round and swab me for swine flu yesterday, which is even less fun than it might sound…

Will be able to let you know whether or not I’m a disease vector in a global pandemic tomorrow, apparently (I’ve been called worse things!)

Anyway- has given me a chance to put some overdue tracks on the blog at least, assuming nothing melts down this time…

This is a fine fine track from the long awaited Major Lazer project LP- the irresponsibly titled Gun’s don’t kill people, lazers do- a collaboration between two producers who need no introduction at DC- Diplo, Switch- and a whole host of shining dancehall stars- and Ms Thing whose auto-tuned nonsense spoils every track she guests on- but glass half full- there are a lot of belters. Or “heaters” as I believe the young people of today term them.

This one has obvious appeal from the outset- a chopped up, stepped on break from the VD-themed rocksteady classic Barbed Wire in his underpants provides the heavy riddim track- with sweet vocals from Jovi Rockwell and perennial fave Mr Vegas bringing the lovin’ flavour.

Sounds of the summer time, sounds of the summer time!

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'Me Chat 'Dem In The Bookie Shop'

2009-01-20 by P Rice

Mad Professor & Pato Banton – King Step

Back in the early 90’s, when I was a wastrel student, there was a time when the album ‘Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton’ was never far from the record deck in the houses of myself and my friends. I hadn’t listened to it for years until a few months ago, when I discovered that the intervening years had not diminished my affections.

Some years after recording this album Pato Banton went on to top the charts with UB40, but I don’t begrudge him his later pop endeavours. As this tune quickly shows, the man can really ride a tune. What’s more, his lyrics are both conscious (‘you know that slackness is a thing I man do not respect’) and fun in a cheeky kind of way. As for the Mad Professor, he can always be relied upon to provide a heavy and spaced out rhythm track.

I’m not sure what the King Step is though. Answers on a postcard please.

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RIP Alton Ellis pt 2

2008-10-14 by P Rice

Alton Ellis – Live & Learn

Part 2 of my own small tribute. Alton Ellis’ smooth vocal tones grace another classic Studio One rhythm. A killer combination.

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RIP Alton Ellis

2008-10-14 by P Rice

Alton Ellis – I’m Just A Guy

Tommy Squeaker told me today that reggae singer Alton Ellis died last week. I missed this news at the time but couldn’t let his death pass without posting a couple of his tunes as I’ve long been a big fan.

Alton Ellis’ career lasted a long time. In the days when the ska beat slowed down and rocksteady was king in Jamaica, Alton Ellis was the man. So much so that he became known as ‘the Rocksteady Godfather’. He recorded with both Studio 1 and Treasure Isle, the two biggest labels in Jamaica at that time, and both studios gave him some of their best loved rhythms to sing over. Until recently he was appearing to big crowds at the ever popular Soul Jazz 100% Dynamite nights.

This one comes with the ubiquitous Studio 1 crackle.

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Final crafty hols post

2008-08-22 by Kevvy K

Steel An Skin – Afro Punk Reggae (dub)

The last in the trio of unlikely bed fellows, as of tomorrow I will be off in the Catalan Pyrenees for a week of not very challenging hiking and lounging around lakes and green spaces. Probably without very good net access.

This has been getting a lot of understandable love of late, and has now been re-issued by Honest Jon’s. Five nightclub musicians based in West London in the late 70s turn out a wonderful disco dub number of echoey steel drum goodness… uber-danceable and effortlessly genre-straddling, and well worth picking up a copy of the vinyl while you can. According to the publicity, “coming on like the lost Slits/ESG/Liquid Liquid cut that you never heard.” According to another website (apologies for the lazy cut and paste.. I hear the beach a callin’), “The group were first brought together as something of an educational effort—a way to school kids on the post-colonial scene about the rich heritage of rhythms from the West Indies. But given the 70s London setting of their work, the group quickly picked up other influences too—bits of funk and reggae that really helped change their sound—and which makes the music here from being a simple rehash of older Caribbean modes.”

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RIP The Dread At The Control

2008-04-03 by P Rice

Mikey Dread – Everybody Needs A Proper Education

Apologies for a brief interruption to the piano anthems madness, but this one is a quick dedication to Mikey Dread, who died a few days ago. Mikey Dread was the DJ for the JBC’s (the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation) weekly reggae show, which was the popular show in Jamaica in the mid-70’s and which spawned a number of jingles that have been heavily used ever since. You may think you’ve never heard one, but I bet you have.

As well as holding down his radio show Mikey Dread released a number of fine albums, and also famously teamed up with the Clash to produce some of their material, including the tune ‘Bank Robber’. My favourite Mikey Dread album is ‘African Anthems’, but this tune is taken from his ‘Dread At The Control’ album. The vocal fades into a nice long dub, featuring some lovely organ work.

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RIP Joe Gibbs pt2

2008-02-28 by P Rice

Junior Mervin – Cool Out Son/Joe Gibbs & the Professionals – Cooling Out

At some point during my working day today I remembered this Joe Gibbs production, which I hadn’t played in too long. There can’t have been too many reggae rhythms that have been versioned more than this one (the original Studio One rhythm is called Real Rock).

This version finds Junior Mervin delivering a number of different proverbs and sayings, in Curtis-esque falsetto style. As a small added bonus, I’ve popped the dub version on too.

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RIP Joe Gibbs

2008-02-27 by P Rice

Glen Washignton – Rockers Nu Crackers

Until Kevvy K told me today, I was not aware that reggae producer Joe Gibbs died last week, so this is a slightly belated tribute. Joe Gibbs was a pioneering producer from the late 60’s rocksteady era and throughout 70’s reggae. As well as producing ‘uptown Top Ranking’, one of reggae’s biggest hits, he produced great tunes with a whole host of other reggae artists. He made some great dubs too. What’s more, he’s said to have been a very nice chap.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure when this tune was released. As a ball park, I’d say mid 1970’s.

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Do It Again Baby

2007-12-14 by P Rice

Susan Cadogan – Do It Baby

Reggae cover versions week happened quite some time ago at Dilated Choonz, but given my last post this one was a must. Jamaican producers have a long history of versioning popular American tunes, back from r&b and Ska through rocksteady, reggae and beyond. Lee Perry, who produced this tune, is quoted as saying that he hates the term ‘reggae’, but sees himself as someone who produces soul. Albeit Jamaican style.

This tune has the classic mid 70’s Lee Perry production style and I love Susan Cadogan’s vocal too, and that’s not even mentioning the ‘aah waps’. Such a shame that she later got poached by Pete Waterman and sunk without a trace. Thankfully Lee Perry never saw fit to approach Kylie Minogue.

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