Distinctly Jamaican Sounds 2004-2009

When I originally starting doing these mixes I had hopes that those unfamiliar with Jamaican music would grow tired of hearing Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" 200 times in October and would give it a try. I was kinda torn because I felt like I was taking a music genre that means so much to me and cheapening it up by catering to "outsiders" by adding elements completely foreign and possibly strange to those "in the know."

But as the years have gone by I have realized that by doing these Spooktaculars I am in fact doing what I originally started this blog to accomplish. I wanted to show to everyone that Jamaican music is not all the same sounding, one-sided music only discussing topics of oppression and struggle that only appeals to a select few. It is a vibrant well-rounded complex musical genre capable of discussing anything and everything! Bob Marley may be well known by casual reggae fans for "Jammin'" and "3 Little Birds" but I think I have shown that he was just as capable of talking about conquering duppies or retelling the tale of Mr. Brown and the crows riding on his coffin.

I hope I have inspired discovery. I hope I have inspired re-discovery. I hope I have entertained and most of all I hope I have educated. Its been a good run and I'll miss Distinctly Jamaican Sounds but I'll leave here feeling like I've accomplished my mission.

Best Wishes and One Love Always,
John

I think I have finally figured out what my intentions are with DJS... read the comment I left below.

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Twenty Two - Captain Barkey's "Vampire"

Here we are at the final tune and what a long trip it has been! I hope you've been enjoying what you've been hearing and I hope this last song doesn't disappoint. It's another dancehall tune and it comes from the man Captain Barkey and it comes from a 12" on the Joe Frasier label... it's called appropriately "Vampire."

I originally heard this song inside the mix LP released by VP in 1996 called Cool Ragga Mix and had tried for years to locate a copy of Barkey's tune in its entirety. Last year I eventually came across the 12" online and I wouldn't say I overpaid for it but it wasn't exactly dirt cheap... a week after I received it I did a search on Ernie B's Reggae and came across the same single for $.89!! Ugh, it made me sick!

Regardless, I was happy to finally put it in the collection and I'm happy to share it with everyone... besides my expensive copy sounds better than one that costs under a dollar! :)

Well, I guess that means we've got nothing left but the "Big Night." It has been a great month and I've enjoyed presenting this mix to those who have shown their appreciation for what I do here. Enjoy!

Spooktacular Track Twenty Two

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Twenty One - Sancho's "Chase Vampire"

We're dropping the second to last tune in the 2009 Spooktacular inna dancehall style!

And we've got a kick-ass tune by the man Sancho... an artist who as far as I know only had this one hit. Supposedly this riddim, Chase Vampire, was originally created by an unknown producer named Antonio Gilbert and it was versioned by bigger names such as Donovan Germain, King Jammy and Black Scorpio but I can't find any definitive proof to confirm or deny such rumors.

This is a fantastic Halloween/Duppy dancehall tune! Not only does Sancho go on to describe a frightening late night encounter but he rambles off names of some real horror favorites such as Barnabas Collins, Herman Munster, Frankenstein, Werewolf and Dracula.

It comes to us from a 12" on the Ikus label and I'm hoping that you dig this one as much as I do because I've been holding back on using this tune for a couple years now!

I really put a lot of effort into the backing sound effects, it's subtle but extremely involved and I was half tempted just to post the "tapestry" of effects so you could play it at loud volume on Halloween night and scare the trick or treaters.

Spooktacular Track Twenty One

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Twenty - Roland Alphonso's "Devils Disciple"

Roland Alphonso & The Bunny Lee Allstars are up next in the Spooktacular with a tune called "Devils Disciple" taken from the Black Magic Reggae CD set on the Sanctuary label.

Roland Alphonso (born January 12, 1931, Havana, Cuba) moved to Jamaica at the age of 2 and started out in the music business in 1948 when he left school to join Eric Dean's Orchestra and first started recording for Stanley Motta's MRS label in 1952 during the heyday of mento music. He went on to record for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in 1956 but sadly the master tapes were lost and never made it to mastering. In 1959 he joined up with Cluett Johnson and his band Clue J and His Blues Blasters all while recording for producers such as Duke Reid, Lloyd Daley and King Edwards, playing alto, tenor and baritone sax as well as the occasional flute. He went on to become a founding member of the legendary Skatalites, the first session band at Coxsone's newly opened Studio One studio in 1963.

When the Skatalites disbanded in 1965, Alphonso formed his own band The Soul Brothers with Dizzy Moore and Jackie Mittoo and who would later become known as The Soul Vendors in 1967. He continued working throughout the 60's and 70's and received official recognition for his contributions to music in 1977 when Jamaica awarded him the Officer Of The Order Of Distinction.

Amazingly Roland Alphonso continued to record throughout the 80's and the 90's until his death on November 20, 1998.

Spooktacular Track Twenty

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Nineteen - Massive Dread's "Vamps On The Corner"

Tune nineteen comes from the man Massive Dread and it's a song called "Vamps On The Corner" taken from his 1982 album Strictly...Bubbling on the Wailing Souls' own Up Front Organization label.

Massive Dread (born Dennis James, 1960, Trenchtown, Jamaica) started recording in the late 70's for Tappa Zukie and gained notoriety in the 80's while touring with, of all people, Byron Lee & The Dragonaires. To quote from Wikipedia...

"He introduced the "bubbling" style of delivery, which was well received by audiences at events such as Reggae Sunsplash and his album Strictly...Bubbling (produced by Tommy Cowan's wife Velerie) capitalized on his popularity, including Jamaican chart-toppers such as "This Is Massive."

Enjoy!

Spooktacular Track Nineteen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Eighteen - Dub Connection's "Jamaican Hammer Horror"

Back again for more? Well... I've got five more tunes to wrap-up the 2009 Spooktacular and I hope you'll stick with me!

We're jumping back in with a song called "Jamaican Hammer Horror" from the 1982 album called DC Dub Connection on the Tele-Tech label. This album contains work from a veritable who's who of dub and I would assume the Dub Connection name is easier than listing all those involved as the primary artists. That being said, the two key players here are Scientist and Prince Jammy... with recording engineering by Perry, recording at both the Black Ark and King Tubby's and the mixing being done at Tubby's. The musician roster includes... Mikey Boo Richards, Sly Dunbar, Horsemouth Wallace, Bertram Ranchie McLean, Leroy Sibbles, Lloyd Parks, Flabba Holt, Boris Gardiner, Bingy Bunny, Ronnie Bop, Bo Peep, Eric Flater, Willie Lindo, Ansel Collins, Winston Wright, Keith Sterling, David Madden, Bobby Ellis, Headley Bennett, Glen Da Costa, Vin Gordon, Uziah Sticky Thompson and Skully! A dream line-up! It was produced by the man Earl Morgan.

But let's get to the song, "Jamaican Hammer Horror." If you are familiar with horror films you know the name Hammer Studios. If you're not than you ought to be ashamed of yourself! To be honest with you I'd always been familiar with their films and wasn't a real fan until earlier this year. I started off watching their Dracula films starring Christopher Lee and usually served with a helping of Peter Cushing and I got hooked.

Now it would have been easy for me to take one of Hammer's better known productions of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc. and mix it in with the Jamaican flavor but I decided to go a little more obscure.

As the photo at the top of this posting suggests, I went with The Reptile... one of my favorites. Now here's where I slip into my Robert Graves/Turner Classic Movies host persona... An efficient chiller from Hammer, absorbing and atmospheric and directed by John Gilling. Featuring a cast of Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel and Ray Barrett... from 1966... The Reptile Meets The DC Dub Connection Inna Jamaican Hammer Horror Fashion. Enjoy!

Spooktacular Track Eighteen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Seventeen - Levi Williams' "Duppy Jamboree"

Last year I gave you a cover of "Duppy Jamboree" by the man Flip Kay and this year I give you the original hit by Levi Williams!

This comes from a 1974 7" on the Mighty Cloud label produced by George McLean and backed by a studio band who called themselves the Mighty Cloud Band.

Interestingly enough the veteran reggae singer Al Campbell was a one time member of the "Mighty Cloud Band." I found an interview online with Campbell on the website Reggae-vibes.com and this is what he said about Duppy Jamboree...

"Q: What about the bands you used to play with in the seventies, like the Mighty Cloud Band for instance?

A: Yeah, me used to play with Mighty Cloud, me an' Ernest Wilson's bredda, Leonard Wilson.

Q: And the leader for that band was George McLean, also known as Bobby Mack.

A: Yeah. George McLean, 'Bobby Mack', yeh. Me used to sing with the band, vocalist, an' one day we're going to the studio an' I was always bangin' the piano. So when I going to the studio in the morning now, the keyboard player never turn up. So when the keyboard player never turn up, them call me an' seh, "Al, come here. All the while I hear yu bangin' the piano, come now an' ting, see if yu can hold this riddim ya for me". So me say, "Well, me is a one-hand player, yunno, me cyaan play with two hand". So him seh all right. So, him show me the key an' how the intro start an' the firs' song whe we play is a tune like 'If yu waan hear the duppy laugh, come a riverside Sunday morning...'. And the song was a number one in a Jamaica for weeks!

Q: That was this guy called Levi Williams.

A: Yeah."

Spooktacular Track Seventeen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Sixteen - King Horror's "Frankenstein"

Much to our delight, Laurel Aitken assumes his evil alter ego King Horror once again and this time channels Frankenstein.

If you've been following the Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular over the last four years you'll know that the King Horror tunes are some of the best! In years past he's given us his screaming tribute to the "Loch Ness Monster," his foreboding warning from the undead "Dracula Prince Of Darkness" and now his honor to the sinister laboratory created Frankenstein monster!

God, do I wish he had recorded more! All three songs mentioned are fantastic early reggae tunes in a late night horror host stylee and as an added bonus don't require much embellishment to get their point across.

What we're going to hear today is taken from a 1969 7" on the Nu Beat label and is definitely my favorite track in this years Spooktacular! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

If I was Count Dracula I'd sure hate to meet King Horror's Frankenstein in a dark alley... judging by the delivery and intensity of this tune he's gotta serious ass kickin' comin' his way!

Spooktacular Track Sixteen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Fifteen - The Revolutionaries' "Rigor Mortis"

rigor mor·tis (rig ər môr tis; occas. rī' gôr)

the progressive stiffening of the muscles that occurs several hours after death as a result of the coagulation of the muscle protein

The tune for today has a name in common with the morbid definition above and that's where the similarities end. This is an upbeat dub tune by the Revolutionaries from the 1978 Ballistic LP called Rasta Fire (A Channel One Experience) featuring the DJ Errol Scorcher on 8 tunes and the Revolutionaries doing their thing on the following 4 tracks. You're gonna wanna get up and move, stiffness ain't what this tune's about! An excellent early rub-a-dub Joseph Hoo Kim production from the legendary Channel One!

The intro was taken from the trailer of the 1973 Bob Clark (of Porky's and Christmas Story fame) cult classic "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things." One of my favorite low budget horror films and one that is actually succeeds in being scary in parts... must see low brow viewing for Halloween!

Spooktacular Track Fifteen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Fourteen - Boris Gardiner's "Darkness"

Today's tune "Darkness" comes from Boris Gardiner And The Love People and is taken from the crucial 2006 double CD set of "duppy tunes" called Black Magic Reggae on the Castle Pulse label.

Boris Gardiner (born January 13, 1943, Kingston, Jamaica) aside from having an appropriate Halloween sounding name, is a singer, songwriter and bassist started out in the music biz in the 1960's touring with Carlos Malcolm And The Afro Caribs and Byron Lee And The Dragonaires. Later in the decade he became a session musician for The Upsetters, The Crystalites and the Aggrovators.

His first album Reggae Happening was released in 1970 and achieved moderate success by selling relatively well in England. But in 1986 Boris Gardiner had real chart success when the tune "I Want To Wake Up With You," went to number one on the UK charts and remained there for nearly two months!

Boris is straying away from the lovey dovey today and getting a little spooky with this organ driven tune that goes well with the 1950's "spook show"radio ad. Kinda like it was meant to be there!

Spooktacular Track Fourteen

The Spooktaculars From Halloweens Past

Hello all! I've had a lot of requests for re-ups of previous Jamaican and Non-Jamaican Spooktaculars from years past... I have uploaded them all again and am providing the download links you see below. Hope you enjoy them!

The Jamaican Spooktaculars
2006, 2007, 2008

The Non-Jamaican Spooktaculars
2006, 2007, 2008

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Thirteen - Ernie Smith's "Duppy Gunman"

The classic 1974 duppy tune by Ernie Smith and taken from a 7" on the Wild Flower label. Here's a little write-up about the story behind the tune that appeared on the Jamaica Gleaners website on October 28, 2007 and written by Mel Cooke.

"If ever there was a case of a songwriter starting a song with the opposite of the real life situation which inspired it, it is Ernie Smith and Duppy Gunman.

Written one Saturday night in 1974, recorded the following Monday at Federal Studios, released that same mid-week and soaring to the top of the charts ("in those days everything I did went to number one except Power and the Glory. Michael banned that," Smith told The Sunday Gleaner), Duppy Gunman tells the tale of a romantic liaison that could have been. It opens:

I an I man forward

Pon a different scene

I an I man collie weed

I an I man queen

Everything was irie

Getting in the groove

We jus' a come dung to movement

When someone sey don't move

However, while there was a 'queen', there was no getting down to movements.

"I had just played a gig. In those days I had a friend who used to help me lift the equipment. Coming home from the gig I got a girl to go home with. I dropped him home. Me and the girl going on a liaison. I got the feeling like my friend is sitting there," Smith said.

The friend had been in the back of the VW van he was driving.

"I said 'It feels like Robbie is still sitting there. I said 'It must be a duppy'. Then I thought about the violence and I said 'or a gunman'. I said 'It is a song'," a laughing Ernie Smith told The Sunday Gleaner.

Hence the chorus:

It mus be a duppy or a gunman

I man no fin' out yet

I an I did so frighten

All de daughter name I feget

He may or may not have forgotten the 'daughter's' name by now, but he did forget whatever intentions were at hand before the song came. "I never bothered to go home with the girl. I went to my real home and wrote the song. She was very upset," he said.

There is some similarity to that real life anger in the fictional musical tale, as Smith sings "The nex' day de daughter ask me, what happen to yu las' night, jus' when yu ready fi work de show, yu ketch stage fright".

And one line that was definitely taken from something that really happened was when Smith sings "One ting me know fe certain, spread it round the town, it no mek no no sense yu run before yu foot touch the ground".

"There was a guy who described sitting in his living room and watching a thief in his pear tree. All he said was 'hi sah' and the man started running in mid-air. When the man hit the ground his feet were like a car burning rubber. That is where that line came from," Smith said. He was told that story a couple weeks before the song was written.

Sometimes Smith changes the name of the speedster recorded as the point of reference for fleetness of foot in 1974 ("Quarrie was a bway to I man las' night, him coulden falla me") to Asafa Powell and he says no other outstanding Jamaican sprinters have been used in between. And on occasion he adjusts the chorus and sings "I an I did so frighten all me underwear I feget". "Sometimes I sing it like that if there are not too many children around," he said.

The distinctive trombone featured on Duppy Gunman is the work of Trinidadian Jerome Francique and the Now Generation Band supplied the music.

Smith laughs as he says he hopes non-Jamaicans who jam to the song understand the lyrics and adds that "A lot of non-Jamaicans who are into reggae understand the song".

And a song that was "an instant hit" has been a lasting one as well. "These days when I do that song anywhere I ask the audience to join in and sing the chorus. They know every word," Smith said."

Spooktacular Track Thirteen

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Twelve - Aston "Family Man" Barrett's "Duppy Conqueror"

One time Wailers bass player Aston "Family Man" Barrett and his interpretation of Bob's classic. A more modern approach to a timeless tune.

Spooktacular Track Twelve

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Eleven - Pampidoo's "Ghost Buster"

Pampidoo's "Ghost Buster" from his album The Governor General on the Freedom Sounds label and produced by the late great Bertram Brown.

Spooktacular Track Eleven

The (Non-Jamaican) Halloween Spooktacular 2009

Here's the playlist... download links are below!
1. The Creepniks - Zombie Stomp
2. Frankie Stein & His Ghouls - A Hearse Is Not A Home
3. Misfits - Bloodfeast
4. Southern Culture On The Skids - Swamp Thing
5. King Horror - Dracula Prince Of Darkness
6. The Upperclassmen - Cha Cha With The Zombies
7. Don Hinson & The Rigamorticians - Riboflavin Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood
8. Hasil Adkins - Haunted House
9. Satan's Pilgrims - Creature Feature
10. Gene Moss & The Monsters - I Want To Bite Your Hand
11. Contrails - Mummy Walk (Walking Death)
12. The Meteors - Graveyard Stomp
13. Vin Gordon - Red Blood
14. Moontrekkers - Night Of The Vampire
15. Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures - Transylvania Terror Train
16. The Mellowmen - Trick Or Treat
17. Messer Chups - Little Blood Sucker
18. Screaming Lord Sutch - Big Black Coffin
19. The Ghastly Ones - Fuzzy & Wild
20. The Memphis Morticians - Devil's Rain
21. The Ghouls - Shake Rattle & Rot
22. Nightmares - Headless Ghost

http://tinyurl.com/yhgajx9

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Ten - Carlton Livingston's "Are You Afraid"

Carlton Livingston's 7" "Are You Afraid" on the Cookie Jar label.

Carlton Livingston started out in the music biz as a singer, went on to DJ alongside Lone Ranger for a local soundsystem in the early 70's and eventually reverted back to singing by the time the decade came to a close. His first recording was "The Tale Of Two Cities" produced and released on Channel One's Hitbound label. Livingston released hits for Sly & Robbie, Jah Life and Clive Jarrett's Dynamite imprint. He is probably best known for the tune "100 Weight Of Collie Weed," one of the baddest tunes from the rub-a-dub era.

I've read that "Are You Afraid" was recorded and released in the 90's but definitely has a very "old school" minimalistic rub-a-dub approach.

Spooktacular Track Ten

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Nine - Buster's All Stars' "Seven Duppy"

Buster's All Stars with the song "Seven Duppy" from the CD called Rock A Shacka on the Japanese Rock A Shacka label.

Spooktacular Track Nine

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Eight - Bag-O-Wire's "Creeper"

I've bagged the weekend posts but the Halloween Spooktacular rolls on... the next song is called "Creeper" and comes from the band Bag-O-Wire and their self-titled 1975 album on the Klik label.

A real nice dub tune and one that I feel works well to compliment the trailer audio for Italian filmmaker Dario Argento's 1985 film Creepers AKA Phenomena... Creepers is the story of a girl named Jennifer whose ability to communicate with insects gets her enlisted to help solve a series of serial killings. As you can imagine lots of scariness ensues.

Spooktacular Track Eight

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2009 - Track Seven - The Innkeepers' "Duppy Serenade"

Welcome back... as you can see I've got yet another tune up my sleeve for this years Spooktacular and it comes directly from good ol' Jamaican vinyl. Though technically the pic you see on the right over there is not a picture of the record I own it serves its purpose... I would have gladly scanned my copy which features the Supreme label in a vibrant shade of blue but that wonderful piece of technology was left behind in my divorce.

Okay, enough about the picture let's get to the music! What clearly appears as the tune "Duppy Serenade" and credited to the Inn Keepers is actually one of the originators of the early DJ style, Dennis Alcapone. The song touches again on the theme popularized in The Wailers' classic "Mr. Brown."

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Mr. Brown I'll fill you in by quoting from what I wrote about the legend of Mr. Brown in October of 2005...

"...in 1969 or ’70 the Wailers who were working with Lee Perry at the time, caught wind of a strange story involving a crow. This crow was somehow given the name “Mr. Brown” and the story went that he had been observed traveling around Kingston on a coffin on its way to the cemetery. Days later the same crow, wearing a shirt and tie, was seen in a courtroom. The general populace was scared stiff thinking that the evil powers of obeah (or voodoo) had been unleashed and had even gotten to the point that many were afraid to leave their houses at night. The story was even reported in the Jamaican newspaper the Daily Gleaner and added more fuel to the fire."

Now Alcapone goes on to make the story a little more interesting by claiming that three crows are riding around on the coffin now singing in unison, "John Brown, John Brown, John Brown, John Brown" but oddly not everyone can see them. To be honest with you, I don't really get the inside story to what's going on here... every time I listen to this tune I can't help but feeling like I'm missing an important insider piece of information.

Regardless, it's a good "duppy song" and with the crow embellishments I added I think you'll get the gist.

Spooktacular Track Seven