I never really got into the whole My Space thing so when I first starting hearing about Youtube I thought it too was going to be another site that required too much effort to enjoy... boy was I wrong. I've discovered so many cool reggae clips over the last couple weeks that I've been obsessed with finding more. But as I've been known to do, I'm not merely satisfied with getting to view it for free, I want to own these pieces of history on a more substantial format! But I digress...
This clip I came across last Friday was one that I never knew existed and after a bit of research I found that it was snatched from the 1977 documentary "Roots Rock Reggae" which is now readily available on DVD! I was absolutely floored when I saw this footage from inside the Black Ark! I was always under the impression that Lee Perry's studio was not photographically documented and therefore lost to time but getting to see this mythical/legendary interior in relatively vivid color finally completed the mental picture I had made in my mind when I was first intrigued by that unbelievable sound many years ago.
Have a look...
Of note... the song that's being recorded "Play On Mr. Music" was never released. I've been told the footage we get to see was staged to illustrate how reggae was recorded and not an actual recording session. Finally, the song was supposedly written in response to the attempted assassination of Bob Marley on December 3rd, 1976.
Also - after the Black Ark footage is some nice stuff with The Gladiators recording at Joe Gibbs Studio with Errol Thompson and Prince Tony at the controls and some awesome video of Joe Gibbs' record pressing operation - amazing!
Good stuff! I've also got plenty of cool reggae videos on my blog. Feel free to drop by!
ReplyDeleteThanks Reggaexx, I've never really investigated youtube in any depth either, mainly because I didn't think anything of a reggae interest would be found there - you've just proved me wrong!
ReplyDeleteJust had to give thanks and praise for the life and work of the great Joseph Hill who has passed away today at age 57.
I know that Culture played a big part in your roots education, and it was the same for me...he will be so badly missed.
May he be in a better place....
Hearwax - thanks for tipping me off to Joseph Hill's passing. You're completely correct about his importance in my roots education and like you, I will really miss him. To me, no matter how much modern reggae had changed and how things started sounding so foreign - you could always count on Culture to release something that sounded new but oddly familiar and comforting.
ReplyDeletethe never released song "play on mr. music" was covered in 91 by the band "the mad lighters" featuring rico rodriguez.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.madlighters.ch/
big up anytime