Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Day 318 of 365 Day Jamaican Music Challenge - Michael Scotland - Love Is A Treasure

According to sources I've read online, today's featured track, and more importantly the man doing the singing on said track, Michael Scotland, is the stage-name used by Carlton Patterson.  Now if you're not particularly versed in reggae history you may be asking yourself, who is Carlton Patterson?  Mr. Patterson was the producer and driving force behind a little label out of Jamaica called Black & White (who unlike the name would suggest print their labels in bold yellow, red, white and blue) that put out one fantastic tune after another in the late 70s, each with an equally fantastic dub cut by King Tubby on the flip.  It is an absolute travesty that Patterson is not as well known as his contemporaries in roots-era reggae because the guy had a hell of an ear for quality music.  Years ago I came across a Black & White single at a record fair in New York, "Mr. Music Man" by U-Brown to be specific, and though the condition was fairly rough, when I got home and gave it a listen through the scratches and pops I could hear something great.  The next year when I attended the same record fair I enlisted my girlfriend to dig alongside me in the boxes offered up by Deadly Dragon and to keep her eye open for anything on Black & White, with their trademark yellow, red, white and blue labels.  But I'm getting off track here... let's get to today's tune by Michael Scotland.  This one is "Love Is A Treasure," a cover of the rocksteady tune originally recorded by Freddie McKay in 1967 on an updated pure-reggae instrumental track.  I am going to come right out and admit it... this is my favorite version of "Love Is A Treasure" and Tubby's dub on the reverse doesn't hurt matters much either.  Nuff respect to Carlton Patterson, King Tubby and Black & White - this is great reggae music!

 

No comments:

Post a Comment