Dub / Reggae: An Idiot's Guide

Oh yeah Burning Spear good choice. Also Yabby You or Dadawah.

Hm don't have marcus garvey or ghettoology. Dont have any proper sugar minnott lps actually

Wait you don't have Marcus Garvey?!?!?!

Plenty of good Sugar Minott but because he recorded for so many different labels the quality of the reissues has been variable.

Both Wackies albums I have and the Studio One stuff is very strong.

It's a compilation but Johnny Clarke - A Rougher Version fits the bill pretty well and you get some of King Tubby's best mixes. http://www.discogs.com/Johnny-Clarke-A-Ruffer-Version-Johnny-Clarke-At-King-Tubbys-1974-78/release/3334942

oooh .. i've got that, but not added it to the digital archive.
ta for the nudge.
picked up an unmarked jackie mitto recently.
no label detail, nothing.
clearly a vinyl rip, but still, its rather good.

http://www.discogs.com/Jackie-Mitto-Show-Case-Volume-3/release/4204078

other discoveries that no-one really mentions that i have enjoyed recently :
compilations by the gladiators, a band i had never heard of, zap pow.

some of its 70s radio reggae (zap pow were supposedly known for their horn section)
.. but there are some gorgeous deeper sounds.

I forget the name of the original album, but the blood & fire reissue of Max Romeo's "Open the Iron Gate" also has a blood running down the streets vibe.
Sugar Minott's/Wackie's "A Wicked Ago Feel It" was super cheap on Ernie B's the other day.

the Gladiators' Studio One Singles set on Heartbeat is a personal favorite. Zap Pow's Lee Perry-produced "River" would be on my shortlist of favorite reggae songs, though I've not heard much else by them.

xpost That was mostly "Revelation Time", and is a good choice.

"Madness" by the Maytones, probably my top choice for reggae LP which deserves a reissue is another.

ah right "Revelation Time" which makes it even more obviously of this genre.

AMG review of madness is intriguing.

Not to be confused with the 1963 Prince Buster hit of the same name, The Maytones's "Madness" dwelt on a very
different theme than the Prince's ironic Rastafarian classic. The duo's insanity refers to the state of the world, not how others viewed the religion. And 1976 Jamaica did indeed seem to be in the grip of madness, as election year violence blooded the land, times were tough, and the island was being drained of the best and brightest as they left in search of work abroad.

Writers Vern Buckley, Gladstone "Son" Grant and Alvin Ranglin try to make sense of the situation. Is the state of
affairs due to too much drink, too much collie, too much grudgefulness, or those with skills turning their backs on their own country? They're not sure, but they've no doubt that there's a madness upon the land, and reach out to Jah to lift its curse.

Buckley delivers up the lyrics from his heart, beautifully echoed by Grant's high harmonies. Behind their impassioned
confusion, the backing G.G. All Star's (aka the defunct Zap Pow Band offer a steadying hand, laying down a sturdy rhythm. Its crisp beats and taut riffs, are offset by the more flowery keyboard riffs and an evocative synth line that gives the piece a rootsier depth. Ranglin keeps the production clean and straight-forward, allowing the beats to drive the song, whilst highlighting the pair's vocals.

"Madness" was a huge hit at home, and proved to be their break-out in a Britain that was also in turmoil, where the song rampaged through the reggae underground and beyond. Appropriately, the song would title the Maytones's UK album that was released this same year.

grudgefulness? anyway, there's only one album by this band on itunes, called solid gold showcase, but the song titles on that album are totally different from the song titles on madness (doesn't mean they aren't the same, tho; lots of recycling in roots-reggae music). title track has intriguingly direct lyrics.

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

intriguing/intriguing. i guess i found this album intriguing. mostly cuz i never heard of the band before.

Had a quick scooch through that LP on iTunes - it's a very different sound from "Madness". I found a copy not too long ago, having been looking for a decent copy for years. No idea why it has never been reissued, it's a pretty well-known and well-liked record, in the UK at least.

Some of those lyrics are a bit questionable, btw: I'm pretty sure he's saying "it dread inna earth" not "if dread enough hurt", for example.

It's not as apocalyptic-*sounding* as "Dreadlocks Dread" or something though. But he's singing with that country-style reggae voice (like him out of the Starlights) and I'm not really used to that kind of voice singing "Madness" style songs, so it adds to the sense of something being wrong.

the vocals sound so much deeper/more gruff on that itunes disc. they sound a lot older (if it's even the same group?)

Haha yeah a cursory google suggests that something like 32 years separates the two LPs.

always interesting to hear of an album that (a) may be worthwhile and (b) has been almost totally lost in the passage of time. makes me think there's still a treasure-trove of lost gems from the roots-reggae/dub heyday, and a continuing place for reissue labels like pressure sound (not the fly-by-night, sketchy labels that seem to dominate the market for reggae/dub reissues nowadays). also reminds me of how great a loss it was to have the blood & fire label cease operations a few years ago. has it been five years or more? time flies.

anyone dig garvey's ghost, the dub version of marcus garvey, almost as much as the album proper? i've been listening to it a little bit, and it's pretty mind-blowing at the moment.

I've never been able to fall for Burning Spear so Garveys Ghost is my fav BS album. Don't love his voice do the dubs are the best way in for me. His scene in Rockers was all-time classic though.

i soo need to get marveys ghost.

because its always available, i have never felt the urge ..

have to say for an easy sunday morning, the jackie mitto set is really hitting the spot.

apparently, the cd issue was licensed from jackie, so legit.

still, its clearly a vinyl rip.

i soo need to get marveys ghost.

because its always available, i have never felt the urge ..

― mark e, Sunday, February 23, 2014

funny you say this. for the past few years, especially since a label reissued marcus garvey and garvey's ghost as a double-set, it's been easy to get either or both. but not very long ago, at least in my experience, it was almost impossible to get your hands on either album. neither itunes, emusic, 7digital, nor any of the other big digital music stores carried it. i felt like i had stumbled on buried-treasure when it finally turned up on emusic (at least i think it was emusic).

Beyond that, a personal semi-obscuro favorite of mine is Junior Byles' retrospective _Curlylocks_, on Heartbeat.

― Douglas Wolk, Tuesday, October 30, 2001

there's also a trojan records' disc, from 1996, called beat down babylon. at least some common tracks, with a common purpose (a career retrospective). anyone know which is better? fwiw, the trojan disc is a couple of dollars more, but that's not the issue.

re marcus garvey :

but i have seen the 2 albums on one cd island edition in hmv every single time i have been there for years.

just assumed it was part of the never deleted catalogue

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marcus-Garvey-Garveys-Ghost-Burning/dp/B00002635E/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1393167677&sr=1-1&keywords=burning+spear

ahh .. cd vs digital download ..

will probably order it after a glass of wine later on now that i am in the mood to hear !

really, marcus garvey is one of the best albums ever recorded. holy trinity of reggae albums is marcus garvey; heart of the congos; and the harder they come OST? maybe instead of holy trinity -- in honor of all the ruckus lebron james' answer caused about a week ago -- we can go with the mt. rushmore of reggae albums. that way you'd get one more selection.

I have the Trojan Byles collections. There is only a small overlap so I don't think there is any harm in getting both.

since we're on the subject, the AMG review of the marcus garvey/garvey's ghost reissue says that the band was very upset with the way the album was mixed for an international audience, and this problem continued on the reissue set. the AMG review said the way to experience this album, and it's "haunting atmospheres," is via the original album, from a jamaican label called "fox." i found what purports to be a soulseek download of the original album.

anyone know if soulseek is a dangerous source from which to download something? i've never used it before, and i'm worried about viruses and related problems. i've bought this album maybe three times, in various formats, but always the "international mix," i guess.

despite not having heard MG i always knew of it being on the true greats ..
it will be mine within a few days:-)
this thread has totally got me back on the reggae tip.
been struggling re a soundtrack for a while, so this thread revival has been well timed.
how damn good is 'screaming target' by big youth.
the trojan reissue has sooo much more on it ..
sanctuary + trojan vs universal + trojan ... hmmm
the remastering, the packaging, and the extras currently seems to indicate that sanctuary wins.
not picked up any of the universal compilations that sit in the racks, as i fear a lot of duplication with my sanctuary sets.
(also, the default packaging of the universal sets is very boring)

xpost : damn !
i always thought the island version to be to genuine article.
guess they did to this what they did to a lot of trojan material for the euro pop market.
and no, have never used soulseek. sorry

damn.

santuary comps hitting the 'wtf' level :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gazs-Rockin-Blues-Club-Classics/dp/B0009HL1AC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393176978&sr=8-2&keywords=gaz+rocking+blues

Seen the screaming target reissue everywhere lately. Havent been able to afford it yet tho

I've used Soulseek many times without issue. I doubt the difference in the mixes makes too much difference in this case though.

what struck me is the idea that the mix for int'l audiences sped-up the tempos, and emphasized the arguably brighter, sunnier elements of the music (e.g., the horns).

However supposedly the old Jamaican dubs of the various classic Spear albums are way way better than the Heartbeat dubs from the 90s.

Yeah but if you've heard the Spear albums before and after you won't find yourself listening to Marcus Garvey and thinking OMG TOTAL MERSH SELL OUT. It's maybe slightly brighter but not hugely so.

that's probably right. still, the band and producer apparently went berserk because of the alterations.

what struck me is the idea that the mix for int'l audiences sped-up the tempos, and emphasized the arguably brighter, sunnier elements of the music (e.g., the horns).

surely the most famous example of this (other than marly of course !) has to be john holts, 1000 volts of holt.

thankfully, sanctuary released a reissue that had both versions on, and a ton of extras as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1000-Volts-Holt-John/dp/B00006JJ3P/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1393183389&sr=1-3&keywords=john+holt+1000+volts

and yes, the difference = a lighter mood with radio friendly string sections and horns

of course, both are still wonderful.

Erin MacLeod ‏@touchofallright Feb 18 -- VP relaunching Blood and Fire. Interesting. Is Steve Barrow on twitter?

______________________________________________

Erik Magni ‏@Reggaemani Feb 17 -- Thanks to Steve Barrow and @VPRecords the mighty Blood & Fire Records rises again this spring. This is stated by Barrow on Linkedin.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

bet its digital only.

not sure why, unless VP is a digital-only service, but even that would be okay. blood & fire's magic wasn't only in remastering music in high-fidelity formats, but cherry-picking the best albums to reissue and songs to include on compilations. to me, this is highly welcome news, if it's true and if it all comes about (big "ifs").

Seen the screaming target reissue everywhere lately. Havent been able to afford it yet tho

ouch ! just checked.

these reissues are kinda the FAX of the reggae world ..

i am old school .. give me a shiny silver disc for a well compiled reissue any day.

(and yes, in the world of reggae i realise this makes me a heretic - but so be it .. )

understood, but beggars can't be choosers when it comes to something like this (i.e., i'd rather have a digital-only blood & fire label than none at all). steve barrow is, indeed, on linkedin, and his resume does suggest a blood & fire resurrection:

A&R Consultant
Blood & Fire
February 2014 – Present (1 month)Care of VP Records, NY & London

you are correct of course, i am being an arse.

steve barrow is man of deep knowledge and love of the genre.

its great to see him having a new outlet for reissues that he believes to be worthy of love.

fingers x'd it goes to plan

(i assume mick h is no longer funding the party !?)

not a digital-only revival.

Queens, New York-based reggae independent VP Records has relaunched UK reggae label Blood and Fire, known primarily for its quality reissues of Jamaican recordings from the 1970s and ’80s, many of which were overlooked upon their initial release.

Founded in Manchester, England in 1993 by Elliot Rashman, Andy Dodd, Bob Harding (management of the multi-platinum 1980s soul-pop group Simply Red), Mick Hucknall (Simply Red’s lead singer) and authoritative reggae collector Steve Barrow, the label’s A&R and co-author of “The Rough Guide to Reggae” (which has reportedly sold nearly 50,000 copies), Blood and Fire sought to highlight the reggae narrative beyond the genre’s crossover stars through promotion of beautifully packaged reissues that include extensive booklets detailing the featured artists’ career trajectories, annotated song listings, rare photographs and vivid graphics.

Blood and Fire commenced its release schedule in 1994 with “If Deejay Was Your Trade – The Dreads at King Tubby’s 1974-1977”, which compiled tracks produced by Bunny “Striker” Lee, featuring popular toasters of the mid-’70s including Dr. Alimantado, Dillinger and Tappa Zukie. The label reaped accolades for their re-release of ethereal vocal duo the Congos’ “Heart of the Congos,” produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, introduced a new generation of fans to the pioneering Rastafarian deejay Big Youth with the three CD set “Natty Universal Dread 1973-1979” and restored the availability of iconic singer Horace Andy’s “In The Light/In The Light Dub” more than 10 years after those titles were out of print.

Blood and Fire also released two one-riddim albums: “Tree of Satta” (2003) utilizing the majestic “Satta Massagana” rhythm as featured on the hit song by vocal trio the Abyssians and “Fisherman Style: (2006) adapted from The Congos’ timeless “Fisherman” rhythm, both releases offering new material from a cross generational representation of singers and deejays.

The steep decline in CD sales, the bankruptcies of the label’s distributors in the US and France, and “a catastrophic decision by my co-director in Manchester to stop trading,” as Barrow declared in a 2013 interview on the Midnight Raver blog, forced Blood and Fire out of business in 2007. Thus, their relaunching through VP, with Barrow overseeing the mastering, packaging and compiling of a dozen Blood and Fire titles in various formats, with additional content and updated packaging, is welcome news to music fans.

The initial VP/Blood and Fire collaboration will be a (vinyl only) limited edition 12″ of Gregory Isaacs’ 1978 single “Mr. Know It All,” scheduled for release on Record Store Day (Apr. 19). In a company press release sent out on Feb. 18, VP Records CEO Chris Chin stated: “Blood and Fire presented reggae with premium quality and care as well as revived the careers of many unsung producers and performers. We respect and admire the Blood and Fire brand and are delighted to be working together.”

hopefully barrow (and maybe the original blood & fire team) gets complete control over the venture. my vague memory says that VP is an okay, but hardly-sublime, reissue label.

Thus, their relaunching through VP, with Barrow overseeing the mastering, packaging and compiling of a dozen Blood and Fire titles in various formats, with additional content and updated packaging, is welcome news to music fans.

a dozen new blood & fire titles forthcoming!

have to say that reads really well.

game on !

as even pressure sounds are all about limited press 7" that i cant be arsed with ..

well, now i'm not really sure if these are new blood & fire title, or just expanded versions of the existing titles, which fell out-of-circulation when the label shuttered seven years ago. either way, welcome news.