Recommend Me Some Rocksteady, por favor

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So far I have these cds:
John Holt--"Holt Like a Bolt" (Westside)
Pat Kelly--"Ultimate Collection"
Slim Smith--"A Unique Technique"
Heptones--"On Top"
Ken Boothe--"A Man and His Hits"
The Gaylads--"Over the Rainbow's End"

I have dial-up and can't really download anything, so please point me towards some albums and comps. (although all info on the genre is welcome)

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I ask you: is there a more sublime moment in a pop song t han the violin solo in The Paragons' "The Tide Is High"? (a.k.a. the rocksteady thread)

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Any of the Reid "Treasure Isle" sets will suit you fine.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

and then if anyone wants to do a little breakdown between all the genres like Lover's Rock and Rocksteady and Reggae (any others that aren't completely distinguishable like dub, ska, or dancehall??)

is it years recorded, tempo, instrumentation, lyrical content?

― JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always liked this Sonia Pottinger comp of her High Note/ Gay Feet label. Some Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis, Maytals, etc.

― abeta (abeta), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Peter Tosh - The Toughest
Carlton and the Shoes - Love Me Forever
Desmong Dekker - Rudy Got Soul
Alton Ellis - Cry Tough
Derrick Harriott - Riding the Roots Chariot*
The Melodians - Rivers of Babylon
The Paragons - On the Beach*
Jackie Mitoo - Evening Time
Duck Reid's Treasure Chest*
Bob Andy - Song Book
Delroy Wilson - Once upon a Time
Coxsone Dodd & Others -- Musical Fever 1967-1968
The Sensational Maytals*
Trojan Rocksteady and Rude Boy boxes
Jamaican Memories comp

*super duper recommended

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Rocksteady is pretty much '67-'68. Mostly '67. It has a generally slower pace than ska, a more subdued use of horns, a lot of group harmony (much of it is very Chicago Soul inspired).

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Derrick Harriott - Riding the Roots Chariot

I can't find this anywhere, but I did locate "Riding the Musical Chariot". You heard it, am?

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 31 July 2003 06:21 (twenty-two years ago)

"Riding The Musical Chariot" is (from what I know of it - I have about two thirds of it on difft records) completely fantastic. D. Harriott is recommended to anyone who likes the smoother end of rocksteady. The version of (the Inkspots?) "Do I Worry" is one of my very top points of recksteady and the Scotty toast of thayt is trivvic. (Actually the whole Scotty LP which Trojan put out in expanded form in the mid-80s is busting with amazing toasts on Harriott rhythms and is tremendous too.

I would choose the Trojan Paragons comp "My Best Girl Wears My Crown" over "On the Beach" because there's more of it and it's unstoppable. "Riding On A High And Windy Day": cor!

A decent comp of Joe Gibbs / Amalgamated stuff from 67 / 68 is recommended , too, to see rocksteady change again into the earliest reggae. Trojan's "The Reggae Train" and Heartbeat's "Explosive Rock Steady" are well worth it I think.

Otherwise Amsts list seems pretty good, though I could live without D. Dekker.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

the trojan ska boxset is great too (i don't really know what the difference is between ska and rocksteady, but they both sound great to me)

the peter tosh compilation (is this what you mean amateurist, or are you talking about the song 'the toughest'?) is wonderful beyond belief - sinner man!

― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 31 July 2003 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

difference between ska and rocksteady is as amateurist described - additionally there's an extra emphasis on the third beat (the 'one drop') usually using the kick drum.

Tim is OTM about the hero Harriott (also fantastic are many of the Crystallites dubs from the 70's)

For an easy to find primer across different artists, the Trojan Rocksteady Box is fantastic - Harriott's 'Do I Worry?', 'Walk The Streets' and 'Born to Love You' are there IIRC. Also the Melodians 'Swing and Dine', Paragons 'Riding On a...' Honey Boy Martin's fantastic 'Dreader Than Dread' and loads of Gaylads, Alton Ellis, Pat Kelly et al. One of the best Trojan boxes!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

what? no prince buster? u r all gay!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 31 July 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr C: I bought "Scrub A Dub" the ohter day because Rough Trade had some cheap copies and I was amazed at thow good it was / is. Do you know the Kingstonians LP, "Sufferer", (also a Harriott production)? It's dynamite.

Abeta's Mrs Pottinger rrecommendation = OTM also, that "Put On Your Best Dress" comp is magic (and still knocks around cheaply if you look carefully). Couple of good comps of Mrs. P on Heartbeat too, incl. "Reggae Songbirds", all female singers and amazing material.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh oh oh and a couple more unmissable records not (I think) mentioned so far: move heaven and earth to hear "Weather Report" by the Tennors; "Rockfort Rock" by whichever of the Studio 1 house bands it was at the time (Sound Dimension I think).

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I do not have Scrub A Dub but I reckon I have at least half of the tracks around the place on comps. Also I haven't got Sufferer - you are a fount of crucial knowledge, Tim.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 31 July 2003 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It's very good. I'd copy it for you but mine is in a rentacupboard on the Old Kent Road at the moment.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 31 July 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The Trojan Rocksteady Box Set is fantastic (as previously mentioned). It 's what started my love for Derrick Harriott way back when. Musical Fever" - Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd. (also mentioned previously) is fantastic. There's a superb version of "Norwegian Wood" that I cannot help put think of whenever I hear the song mentioned.

There's also "Mojo Rocksteady" which is mainly Studio One artists. Favorite track on the whole thing is "Secretly" by Hortenese Ellis. Brilliant!

Also, there's the genius of Jackie Mittoo that shouldn't be missed. You can find "tribute to Jackie" for a collection of his works. Instrumental but killer, nonetheless.

As usual, my mind draws a blank when asked for recommendations.

*Tim: "Psychedelic Rock (Rockfort Rock)" is by Sound Dimension. ;D

― beatbox (beatbox), Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Blimey! Me being right without recorse to internet brain substitute shocker! I can't bear to call it Psychedelic Rock, I'm not sure why (actually I am sure and it's called Jimi).

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 31 July 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I did mean the Tosh comp, not just the song. It's good innit?

Prince Buster is more ska I thought, although he's kind of a genre unto himself. I just sold an old P.B. comp on eBay for a somewhat larger-than-expected sum.

Two awesome songs to watch out for:

Johnny Clarke, "Pretty Africa" (lovely Van Morrison-esque horn lines in the chorus)
The Gaylads, "Here Comes That Feeling"

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 31 July 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Speaking of Prince Buster his covers of "Dark Side of the Street" and "Nothing Takes the Place Of You" are fantastic. (From the "Judge Dread feat. Prince Buster" album)

― beatbox (beatbox), Thursday, 31 July 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Eek, I meant *Dark End Of the Street.

― beatbox (beatbox), Thursday, 31 July 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I feel like the calvary has finally arrived--thought this thread was gonna die a lonely death.
Much thanks for all the recommendations. Good thing many of them are difficult to find, otherwise I'd be flat broke.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 31 July 2003 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I aim to please.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 31 July 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard a comp of Ken Boothe's rocksteady moments recently and can thoroughly recommend it.

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 1 August 2003 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Was it the "A Man and his Hits" one I listed up top? Love that cd--the riddims are fucking ridiculous.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 1 August 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

although I think the majority of the cuts on there would be classified as reggae.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 1 August 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

Alton Ellis

― Retrato Em Redd E Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 October 2008 18:13 (seventeen years ago)

The version of (the Inkspots?) "Do I Worry" is one of my very top points of recksteady

^cosign

― Granny Dainger, Friday, 17 October 2008 18:24 (seventeen years ago)

seven years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTrGxTxSsPk

― just sayin, Monday, 25 July 2016 10:14 (nine years ago)

listening to a lot of rocksteady these days

― just sayin, Monday, 25 July 2016 10:14 (nine years ago)

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