Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 6 - Vampire Rockin' With The GG All Stars

We're on to the next tune in our round-up of creepy tunes from the "loudest island in the world" and its another good one and actually one I never even knew existed until late last month. I was online doing some research and trying to dig up some more "duppy tunes" for this years mix when I came across an Ebay listing for the 1978 12" of Lone Ranger's "Barnabas Collins." Now I've got multiple copies of Ranger's tune on various formats but I didn't have the 12" on the GG Hits label. On the flip side was a song I had never heard and one that I initially believed was probably only a retitled instrumental version which oftentimes occupies the B-side on most Jamaican vinyl but I soon found out that I was very wrong.

I found a shared copy of the 12" online posted by a real nice guy who goes my the name of Willyguttz and he was kind enough to re-upload it for me. I was blown away by what was improperly credited to the GG All Stars because it's a completely independent spooky themed reggae tune on the classic "My Conversation" riddim (just like Dillinger's tune from yesterday). I immediately sought out and bought the record because it had everything I love about a Halloween appropriate reggae track... straightforward supernatural subject matter discussing haunted houses, vampires and even Frankenstein and a great riddim that I never tire of.

I hope you can appreciate and enjoy this one as much as I do because to me, its been like uncovering a long-lost treasure. And though the real vocalist's identity may have been lost to time or Earnest Ranglin's shoddy record keeping, this is a near perfect reggae tune for the Halloween season!

Track 6

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 5 - Dillinger And His Unquenchable Thirst

Next up in the mix is Dillinger with a tune called "I Thirst" which is taken from his album Cup Of Tea orginally released in 1980 on the Jamaica Sound label. If you're a regular reader and this ain't your first time here at the annual October Spookshow, you'll immediately recognize the My Conversation riddim. Even with the added synthesized alterations at the beginning it will immediately put you in mind of the classic reggae Halloween staple "Barnabas Collins" by Lone Ranger... now if you suddenly find yourself thinking of Ol' Barnabas and dark, spooky Collinwood estate then you should probably just remain in that mindset because Dillinger revisits the familiar Dark Shadows subject matter. Maybe this tune was an effort to perhaps capitalize on Ranger's success by making a follow-up on the same riddim with similar "gothic" subject matters or perhaps back in 1979-80 Jamaica was in the midst of a Dark Shadows frenzy... I really can't tell. Dillinger even goes so far as to recite a couple lines from Yellowman's "Mi Kill Barnie." It doesn't really matter because all in all, this an enjoyably creepy reggae tune!

After the mention of Barnabas Collins, I imagine some long-time readers were wondering if he was going to surface again this year. But I can confidently say that Ol' Barnie has finally met his doom and will not be haunting us again this year with another version....... or is he? Mwuhahahahahahaha!

Track 5

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 4 - Dark Shadows

Welcome back to the first full week of Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular tunes for this October, and we're starting off this Monday with a great one by Charles Hanna & The Graduates. The song is called "Dark Shadows," was released as a 7" on the Graduates label in 1973 and is in fact a reggae cover of ABC's daytime soap opera Dark Shadows' theme song. And after a 4 year search for this tune it is with great pleasure that I finally present it here in this year's Spooktacular!

I haven't been able to find out any background information on Charles Hanna other than the fact that a couple artists have stated that they performed with the band in the early 1970's. Now here's where it gets weird... I did a search for Charles Hanna & The Graduates and up popped this website called Band Mix with a listing for the group now based in Lenexa Kansas of all places! I looked at the accompanying photo and grew even more intrigued... could this be the same person? How did a band that was cutting records in Jamaica, on their own label no less, during the early years of reggae, wind up in Kansas of all places? I signed up for a free account on the site in hopes that I would be able to get an e-mail address and get the story from Charles Hanna himself, but they of course wanted me to pay $9.99 just to contact anyone... so unlike American Express, I guess the free membership has absolutely no privileges. And don't get me wrong, I would have paid the ten bucks just in hopes of getting a chance to learn some more but the Band Mix website looked a little sketchy with no secure server to properly handle my credit card number... oh well.

Well let's get to the music... I have embellished "Dark Shadows" with audio borrowed from the 1973 kiddie record Scary Spooky Stories on Troll Records. I used the piece called "Dark, Dark, Dark" and I think it goes great with the spooky organ driven reggae rhythm!

I'll leave you with one question... is this the same Charles Hanna?? The world may never know...

Track 4

Distinctly Non-Jamaican Halloween Mix Re-up!

In the spirit of this festive holiday season I've re-upped last year's Distinctly Non-Jamaican Halloween Mix for your listening pleasure! So much for not posting anything on the weekends...

Here's the track listing...

1. The Ghastly Ones – Dr. Diablo
2. Big Bee Kornegay – At The House Of Frankenstein
3. Billy Strange – Theme From The Munsters
4. Gein & The Graverobbers – The Haunted House
5. The Surfaris – Jack The Ripper
6. Harvey Midnight - Denny Vs. Disney – Grim Grinning Ghostly Voodoo Dreams
7. Gene Moss & The Monsters – Drac The Knife
8. Big Ray & The Futuras – Horrorscope
9. Griz Green – Jam At The Mortuary
10. The Gravestone Four – Rigor Mortis
11. Southern Culture On The Skids – Werewolf
12. The Upsetters – The Wolfman
13. Fifty Foot Combo – It’s Alive
14. Los Plantronics – Evil Tiki
15. Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos – Hearse With A Curse
16. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – Monster Motion
17. HorrorPops – Walk Like A Zombie
18. The Krontjong Devils – Twilight Zone
19. Cult Of The Psychic Fetus – Zombie Waltz
20. The Gravediggers – The Witch
21. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Frankenstein Ska
22. Leroy Bowman – Graveyard
23. Zacherle – Happy Halloween

Download here!

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 3 - Cower In Fear When You Hear The Duppy Bawl

The third song up in our mix is "Duppy Bawl" by the man called Flip Kay and it was pressed on the UK based Doctor label in 1976. The content of the song, describing the strange duppy (or ghost) funeral taking place along the riverside and witnessed by an innocent bystander just looking to cool off in the water. "Duppy Bawl" is a pretty nice cover of Levi Williams' "Duppy Jamboree" originally recorded and released on the Mighty Cloud label sometime earlier in the decade. Unfortunately, I can't tell you any more about Flip Kay because I came up empty on any background information in any of my books or online ... all I discovered was that he released two other tunes in 1975; "Jane, Ann" and "Back In My Arms," both on the UK based Grounation record label.

Well... since we don't have any more musical ground to cover today I figured I could give you something really useful! Something that you can stow away in the recesses of you mind and pull back out when its needed. Just think about it... when the time comes and you need to use the information I'm about to share with you, you'll feel a lot less guilty for the time spent here, probably while on the company's clock, reading my usual nonsensical ramblings.

Are you ready? Get a pen and paper ready in case you need to take notes! Here are 6 simple things to remember when dealing with duppies according to Jamaican superstition... and to an excellent Pieces Of The Past - Deadly Superstitions article appearing on the Jamaica Gleaner's web page that you can read in its entirety here.

If you are followed by a duppy, stop and mark an X on the ground and since they can only count to nine they will spend the night trying to count to X

Do not speak to a duppy immediately or it will hurt you. If he is wearing black, he is harmless. But if he is wearing white, he is dangerous

Use your left hand to strike a duppy

Do not kill any green lizards in a graveyard as they are believed to be duppies

If you are in the bushes and hear a stick break, it is a warning from a dead relative that the area is unsafe

If you feel a sudden gust of warm air, it means that a duppy is present

Now if you just commit those six important tips to memory you should be fine! If you can't remember them then write 'em down and put them in a safe place so you can reference them the next time you should encounter a duppy! Have a great weekend... see you on Monday! Oh... by the way, the image above of the duppies at night was borrowed from one of my favorite books of Jamaican ghost stories, Duppy Stories - Jamaica's Ghosts, Gremlins and Rolling Calves by David Brailsford. Check it out here!

Track 3

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 2 - A Real Nightmare

So you're back for more? Well good because track two in our distinguished anthology of spooky tunes is ready for your ears and it's another good one! As you may have already guessed by either looking at the title of today's post or by immediately looking at the photo on the right... today's tune is called "Nightmare" and it comes to us from the group known as Herman's All Stars.

"Nightmare" was produced by Herman Chin-Loy and originally released in 1971 as the B-side to Herman's "El Fishy" single on the Big Shot label. Interestingly enough, Chin-Loy was Leslie Kong's cousin and he spent time working at Beverley's until 1969 when he started his own Aquarius Record Store and a couple years later his own label and studio. Of note... Herman Chin-Loy has been credited with first recording Horace Swaby AKA Augustus Pablo, producing the album Aquarius Dub; one of the first dub albums ever released and for building the first 24 track studio in Jamaica. Not too shabby huh?

The slightly deranged organ helps give Herman's All Stars' "Nightmare" a real Halloween appropriate vibe... if that doesn't scare you, I'm sure Dr. Satan's announcer will have you cowering in the nearest available corner or under the closest large piece of furniture that you deem appropriate. I of course am exaggerating but if you listen to "Nightmare" you'll get a better idea about this mysterious Dr. Satan.

Track 2

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 1 - Dracula Prince Of Darkness

And away we go!! Starting off the Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 in a particularly scorching fashion is the man King Horror and his tune from 1969 called "Dracula Prince Of Darkness" produced by Joe "The Boss" Mansano and originally released as a 7" on the appropriately titled Joe label. As we discussed in 2006, King Horror was the alter-ego of ska pioneer Laurel Aitken and this gruff voiced threatening impersonation of the Prince Of Darkness is one of my favorites! When King Horror says, "Runnnn! I'm coming to destroy you!," you definitely feel as if you should heed his warning!

Obviously Aitken/Horror was inspired by the 1966 Hammer Film Productions film of the same name. In Dracula Prince Of Darkness, Christopher Lee reprises his role as the bloodthirsty Count; a role he originally played in 1958 when he starred alongside ongoing screen nemesis Peter Cushing in director Terence Fisher's original production of Stoker's Dracula called The Horror Of Dracula.

I first saw this one on Chiller Theatre when I was a kid. I know I probably still have the edited for late night television version, complete with all the period correct commercials from 1983, on a moldy VHS somewhere. I remember fighting off sleep like a champ just to make it until 1:30 AM with the absolute intention of using the hard wired remote to pause recording whenever they went to a commercial break. Now either one of two things happened... I would stay awake just long enough for the movie to start getting too scary and would then just leave the VCR to do its work without me. That way I could therefore pick up where I left off the next day when the sun was shining outside and the family room didn't feel so menacing. Or, if I knew there was no chance of me making it to Chiller Theatre's time slot, I would just put the VCR on its lowest speed and hit record before passing out on the sofa. Now... if I remember correctly, Dracula Prince Of Darkness was one that required a mid-movie autopilot.

Track 1

Halloween Spooktacular 2008... The Prologue

At the offset of the upcoming festivities I wanted to provide to those of you who are either new here or have stumbled across this blog looking for "seasonal entertainment" an explanation of what I've got going on this month. For the third year in a row, I have prepared a Halloween mix containing 23 individual spooky themed Jamaican tunes from various eras complete with creepy sound effects, horror movie trailers and other obscure sound bytes. The mix is prepared as one seamless track and my goal is to provide a completely enjoyable and unique listening experience not just a bunch of songs thrown together haphazardly. I hope the "Spooktacular 2008" reaches that goal!

Now here's the catch... once I got the entire 1 hour and 26 minute mix complete I chopped them back into individual tracks for you to download and enjoy throughout the month of October. If you download them all and put them together in order, either on your computer or MP3 player, it'll play like one uninterrupted mix.

Honestly, I blog more for this then I do all year and it makes my life a little harder than it needs to be but, I have loved Halloween and horror movies forever and this project gives me the opportunity to combine that with my other passion which is obviously Jamaican music. By doing it this way I don't just throw up the mix on the 1st and be done until November, I have the opportunity to add a little anticipation on a daily basis as we countdown to the 31st.

Now you might be thinking, "A reggae Halloween mix? How is that possible?" The answer is relatively simple... there are a large amount of Jamaican tunes that go beyond the stereotypically perceived themes of reggae; peace, love and ganja smoke. There is also another reason I do this every year... I enjoy an odd juxtaposition. To add familiar sounding vintage American horror movie trailers to something so distinctly Jamaican, and for the most part unfamiliar to those who don't listen to this music on a regular basis, it creates an in-point and hopefully it can lead to developing an appreciation of a genre that is definitely not given the proper credit it is due. This is a vibrant, living, all-encompassing music and to typecast it as one dimensional, repetitive or inferior to any other artform is close-minded and ridiculous... okay I'll hop off my soapbox now. It was actually in response to that perception that inspired me to start this blog 4 years ago, right around the same time... I had spent a lot of time listening to and enjoying the wealth of obscure Halloween music outside the genre and took it upon myself to focus the attention to the equally scary subject matters coming from Jamaica.

In 2006, I came across the Scarstuff blog and was thoroughly inspired by 2 mixes that Jason had lovingly created in 2000 and 2001 called "Spook Party" and "Ghoul-Arama." Jason had used a multitude of Halloween related audio, either from his massive collection of vintage scary records and VHS movie clips and trailers, and gave a compilation of tunes a spectacular sound-bed that went way beyond what I had thought was actually do-able. I wanted to take this space to thank him for the inspiration and for sharing his Halloween record collection which makes this project so much fun to compile and mix! Thanks Jason!

See you tomorrow!

Coming... October 1st!

Hurricane Gilbert... 20 Years Later

While we're in the midst of a very active and deadly hurricane season this year I figured we'd discuss one of the most destructive storms to ever hit the Caribbean. It was twenty years ago this month that Hurricane Gilbert took a direct hit on Jamaica...

Quoting from Wikipedia here…

“On September 3, 1988, a tropical wave emerged off the African coast. Over the next several days, low pressure areas slowly developed from this wave, going on to develop an organized circulation center on September 8. Early on September 9 the storm was designated Tropical Depression Twelve, near the Windward Island about 400 miles east of Barbados. It quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gilbert that afternoon, becoming the seventh named storm of the season while crossing the Lesser Antilles.

With no inhibiting factors to strengthening, Gilbert quickly became a hurricane late on September 10 and then a major (Category 3) hurricane on the 11th. It moved consistently west-northwest influenced by a strong high pressure system to its north. This movement led to the hurricane’s first landfall in Jamaica. The eye passed completely over Jamaica on September 12 with 125mph winds…”

Aside from the 4 billion dollars in damage, Gilbert also soaked the island with 27 inches of rain and claimed 45 lives. It was the most costly hurricane to directly hit Jamaica since Hurricane Charlie in 1951 – the same hurricane immortalized by Captain Sinbad and Little John in their 1979 hit “51 Storm.” Now some may think it would be wrong of me to try and make light of the serious and deadly circumstances of a hurricane by mentioning something as “trivial” as a reggae record but actually that’s the point of this post. Read on…

Aid organizations came to the island in an effort to provide assistance to the approximately half million people effected by the storm. An estimated 100,000 homes were damaged by Gilbert as it tore off roofs and flooded nearly every inch of the island. Many of Jamaica’s industries, including farming and tourism, were left in total disarray and the resulting damages to hospitals in particular made it difficult for those who were injured to be cared for properly. Simply put, Jamaica was suffering.

In 1988, reggae music was in the midst of the digital heyday, and assuming when the electricity was eventually restored to Kingston, the producers, singers and DJs got to work creating songs that told of the hardships and despair left behind by the storm; many hoping to call attention to Jamaica’s plight to the outside world and some to light-heartedly lift the spirits of those left in Gilbert’s wake. Just like reggae artists have always done, they latched on to the devastating and timely topic and made it into music. Even though I feel the output was a tad bit limited by the restraints required in making immediate timely music and the minimal digitized productions of the era, the music was as socially and culturally conscious as any in Jamaica’s history. In fact, the music industry had pulled together to fight this battle and whether they were successful in raising awareness or monetary support for relief and rebuilding efforts from elsewhere on the globe remains to be seen… there is no documentation or evidence to prove one way or another. But because these songs they recorded were able to raise smiles and their fellow countrymen’s spirits in a time of absolute despair, their hurried efforts were a complete success.

We start off the mix with a Version take from the B-side of the Juney Star 12" and segue into the lyrics with Mikey Melody's tune "Gilbert Make Yuh Bad So." We then slip into a bit of juggling with 5 songs lifted from the A-side of the King Jammy/Steelie & Clevie produced LP Gilbert Is A Disaster on the Live & Love label. The first tune is by Major Mackrel and Anthony Redrose and it's called "Rough & Tuff Jamaican Way" sung to the tune of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now (Bright Sunshiny Day)." Woody Noble gives us "Disaster Gilbert" followed by Pad Anthony's "What A Thing." The DJ Bingy gives us his take on the hurricane's aftermath with the track called "Flood Out," and we wrap up the "riddim ride" with the Chuck Turner song called "Rough Neck Gilbert." Up next in the mix is the tune I've heard from various sources was the biggest selling single in Jamaican history by the man Lloyd Lovindeer and it's the hilarious tune called, "Wild Gilbert." This was originally released as a 7" on the TSOJ label and the version in our mix is lifted from the TSOJ CD The Best Of Lovindeer. Gregory Isaacs and Josey Wales, from the 1989 Carl "Fitzie Banton" Nelson engineered, King Tubby's various artist production entitled Gilbert released in the U.S. on the Rooney Records label, follow up Lovindeer with a pretty wicked track called "What A Disaster." A little side-note... I had the Gilbert album on cassette and ripped it to MP3 for this project so I hope it doesn't sound too bad. General Trees is then up with "Bad Bad Gilbert" taken from a 12" on Maurice Johnson's Black Scorpio label. We hop back to the Gilbert album for the next two songs; the first is Wickerman's "What A Agony" followed by Conroy Smith and DJ Ashman's "Come Down." Johnny Osbourne gives us "Gilbert Mash Dem Up" borrowed from a King Tubby's Taurus 7". John "Little John" McMorris, again from the Gilbert album, is up after that with a tune "Never Saw A Storm Like This." The King Yellowman steps up inna combination stylee with Derrick Harriott with the song called "Starting All Over Again" from his CD King Of The Dancehall on the Rohit label. Back to the Gilbert collection again... this time Nigga Mikey gives us a wicked tune named "Gilbert Come." Banana Man's "Gilbert Attack Us" is the fifteenth track and it's taken from another 7" Tubby's digital production also on the Taurus label. Grindsman is up next with the tune "Wicked Gilbert" lifted from the Gilbert album. We then switch back into juggling mode with the B-side to the Gilbert Is A Disaster LP and hear the tunes "Gilbert A Say One" by Pompidoo, "Who Can Tell The Tale" by Anthony Malvo, "What A Hurricane" by Super Shine, "Gilbert A Come" by Tullo T and last but not least Chaka Demus' wicked "The People A Bawl." Tippa Lee & Rappa Roberts follow up the 2nd juggle with "Bulletin One" also off the Gilbert compilation. We then hear the Principal Charlie Chaplin with a tune called "Gilbert Disaster Over" from a Juney Star 12". And finally, the last song in our Gilbert mix is by Lincoln "Sugar" Minott's "After The Storm" from the Gilbert album.

I want to dedicate this mix with utmost respect and sympathy to anyone affected by Mother Nature's fury, not only with Gilbert, but with any natural disaster that tragically takes away possessions, property and loved ones.

Get it here!

Jah Thomas' Turn On The Mic

In the interest of saving time I've rewritten a fairly concise write-up about Jah Thomas from Wikipedia...

Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas, (born 1955, Kingston Jamaica) named after African nationalist leader Kwame Nkrumah, adopted the stage name Jah Thomas and began DJing in the late 70's. His first tune, "Midnight Rock," produced by Alvin Ranglin in 1976, was a hit on the Jamaican charts and his subsequent first LP Stop Yuh Loafin' released on London's then up and coming Greensleeves label in 1978, exposed him to an international audience. His deejaying career gave way to producing in the early 80's and his partnerships with Robert Ffrench, Triston Palmer, Johnny Osbourne, Michael Palmer, Barry Brown, Barrington Levy, Sugar Minott, Ranking Toyan and Early B, produced some outstanding reggae music and his own highly successful Midnight Rock and eventual Nura labels.

Well as you can imagine, this is where it starts getting good... the music. Jah Thomas has always been one of my favorite DJs and if you've only had limited exposure to his talent then I highly recommend seeking out more then what I'm offering today! The guy has got a smooth way of riding a riddim and I've always found that his voice is just "bad ass," if you'll excuse my language.

Also in the interest of providing a little more information about Jah Thomas I've transcribed the text relating to Jah T from the book called "Reggae Inna Dance Hall Style" released in Finland in 1984. It's interesting to look at the article now, some 20 years later, and knowing what history has shown, and catch up with him at the beginning stages of his production career...

"Jah Thomas is one of today's top dance hall music producers. Apart from himself he has produced youths like Little John and Triston Palmer and several less famous singers. Jah Thomas loves old Studio One riddims and it was him who really revamped the Heavenless riddim with his Entertainment sung by Triston Palmer.

Triston Palma is a very good singer an' Jah Thomas is a very good writer. I really hear de first song wid 'im named A Class Girl in London an' de people used to move to dat song. I hear a couple of other songs an' I decide to work wid 'im. That was in 1981. A song named Run Around Woman and Shank I Sheck riddim, the next good seller dat one, released by Silver Camel an' me an' Toyan did a toasting on it. Triston Palma went to London an' come back to Jamaica an' we do a next album wid 'im. When he was in London I complete an album wid 'im after Entertainment mek big in 1981. When he come back me mek an album call Joker Smoker. I get the idea from a good friend associated wid people who beg you sensimilla an' get it an' beg you a rizla an' get dat an' still waan borrow your lighter. Me call 'im a joker smoker. Triston Palmer complete de album which I send up to Greensleeves. It was not a big seller, but I like de presentation an' de promotion dey give it. I like de tracks, I like dat album very much. It de most expensive album, but it no really mek good income. I tell you no lie. When I working wid Triston Palma 'im 'ave some good vibes, but at de moment I don't like de vibes. He has the voice, he just needs a good composition.

I like Studio One riddims. Dem precious to me from youth. I used to go a dance an' sometimes me mama locked me up over de weekend. I have to sleep in de kitchen. Most of de riddims used are old Studio One, Treasure Island and Matador riddims, and even Mudie from Spanish Town have some good Heptones, some good Dennis Walks. But most of de riddims I really get to like come from Studio One. When I listen to a selection on a turntable it have to be Studio One. Me favourite riddim is Heavenless. It got to be, ca dat prove de world dat I am a good writer, a good producer still, you know. I was in New York wid Tad's when I was let dat riddim an' I get de vibes, ca in New York most time in a dance fire shot, an' I come from New York wid de vibes an' write de tune in de New York feel, ca everybody dere want to mash up dance.

Right now I kinda step from Triston Palma to Michael Palma, ca Triston Palma is already big now. So I have to get a different Palma big, you understand. I can't just mek one man big, ca is a circle. A ghetto raise nuff music an' new youth, so I have to expose dem. I can't do everything one day. There's two tune coming up from Michael Palma now. I send de tapes to Greensleeves in London an' dem gwaan release soon dat. There's a tune call Ghetto Dance which is an original riddim an' anadda call Different Love which is a Sweet Talking, a Studio One riddim. Redone in Jah Thomas an' Roots Radix fashion. As soon as dem release you gwaan see more Michael Palma releases by other producers.

I mek several albums wid meself. Mi latest album Shoulder Move voiced two weeks ago. Right now de master man is on leave. I wait 'im fe get back an' master it. We're taking de photographs tomorrow morning fe de album. Everything planned already. It distribute by Sonic Sounds locally. I'm trying to sell it really... going to CBS now... it have tracks like Imitate, Imitate about dj's who come a dance an' imitate anadda man lyrics. When You Poor, is like... living as a poor is like a crime, a sin, you look pon de milk you can't buy a tin. Some reality lyrics. Most a de tracks are natural, t'ings dat you can really see. Tracks like Dance With Me, telling a girl to dance it an' mek it feel iry whether she a whitey, she a blackie or whether she a coolie or she a chiney. Dat mean dere's no colour prejudice in a dance. Tracks like Red Eye for corrupted people, like a man see your tape, 'im waan tek it from you. You call people like those red eye. They never work for a thing, they jus' waan steal you.

Financially right now, mi name not too big, but me 'ave de vibes. Anytime me get better financially it gonna be bigger label on de turntable than Midnight Rock. There's gonna be more instruments in the sound, but everytime the roots 'ave to be there. I really got to give de people de knowledge, so they don't 'ave fe get to de big college."

The playlist...
1. "Mr Barrister" - Dance Hall Stylee LP - Silver Camel
2. "Mister Walker" - Dance On The Corner LP - Midnight Rock
3. "Tribute To Moa Anbessa" w/Barrington Levy - Nigger Kojak 12"
4. "Send Me The Pillow" - Stop Yuh Loafin' LP - Greensleeves
5. "Seek And Find" - Midnight Rock Presents Reggae Veterans Vol.1 LP - Clocktower
6. "Dance Hall Connection" - Dance Hall Stylee LP - Silver Camel
7. "Feeding Of The 5000" - Tribute To Reggae King Bob N. Marley LP - Midnight Rock
8. "Best Dress" w/Flabba Holt - Sky High And The Mau Mau Origination CD - RAS
9. "Friday Night Jamboree" - Midnight Rock Presents Reggae Veterans Vol.1 LP - Clocktower
10. "Jah Jah Guidance" - Dance Hall Stylee CD - Silver Camel
11. "Ghetto Dance" - General For All Generals (various artists LP) - Hitbound
12. "Burial" w/Linval Thompson - Tads Disco 12"
13. "Bicycle Skank" - Stop Yuh Loafin' LP - Greensleeves
14. "Stereo Graph Style" - Strong Like Samson 12"
15. "Shoulder Move" - Total Recall Vol. 7 (various artists CD) - VP

Get it here!

Please leave a comment... you'll make my day!

Freedom... Continued

The definition hasn't changed and the upfull freedom vibes are just the same as before... so if you liked what you heard in the previous post give the Freedom... Continued Mix a listen!

1. King Tubby - Freedom Dub
2. Dr. Alimantado - Slavery Let I Go
3. Bob Andy - Stepping Free
4. Freddie McKay - I'm A Free Man
5. Junior Ross - Liberty
6. The Gladiators - Streets Of Freedom
7. Heptones - Freedom To The People
8. Augustus Clarke - Free Zone
9. Carlton Malcolm - Father Free Us
10. Horace Andy - Totally Free
11. I Roy - Freedom Sound
12. Keith Hudson - Torch Of Freedom
13. Prince Jazzbo - Free From Chains
14. Vin Gordon - Freedom Call

Available here...

Freedom

free·dom

Pronunciation: \ˈfrē-dəm\
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century

1: the quality or state of being free: as a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: independence c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d: ease, facility freedom> e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken freedom> f: improper familiarity g: boldness of conception or execution h: unrestricted use freedom of their home> 2 a: a political right b: franchise, privilege


This post was deleted by blogger because of some copyright bullshit!

A Volcano Version Excursion Part 2

Yes, I've got another "Volcano Version Excursion" and I hope you want to come along with I & I. I've finally gotten off my lazy ass and ripped 12 more assuredly Roots Radics/assumed Scientist mixed B-sides from assorted Volcano, Arrival and Jah Guidance singles and spliced them together into a nicely packaged mix that I'm hoping you'll enjoy. I've put a little more effort into this excursion by weaving in vocal samples from the A-sides so I hope you dig it.

I have also taken the liberty of giving the multitude of versions new titles so that you'll know from what record you're hearing the B-side from... I didn't want to get into identifying riddims because unfortunately I've got a lot on my plate at this time outside of music.

1. For Hire Version - Eek A Mouse - For Hire & Removal - Volcano 7"
2. Reach Out For Version - Jennifer Lara - Reach Out For Me - Volcano 7"
3. What Type Of Version - Michigan & Smiley - What Type Of World - Volcano 7"
4. Give A Little Version - Johnny Osbourne - Give A Little Love - Arrival 7"
5. Soldier Man Version - Don McCarlos (Carlos) - Soldier Man A Come - Volcano 7"
6. Mr. Chin Version - Yellowman - Mr. Chin - Volcano 7"
7. Rich Man Poor Version - Michael Prophet - Rich Man Poor Man - Volcano 7"
8. Coconut Version - Ringo - Coconut Woman - Volcano 7"
9. The Lover Version - Dennis Walks - The Lover - Jah Guidance 7"
10. Let Go Mi Version - Josie Wales - Let Go Mi Hand - Volcano 7"
11. Ishen Version - Wailing Souls - Ishen Tree - Jah Guidance 7"
12. 2 to 6 Version - Yellowman - 2 To 6 Supermix - Volcano 7"

Dig it! And please let me know what you think!!!!

Roy Shirley 1944-2008

Some more sad news for fans of Jamaican music, another legend has passed on. I just heard of this so instead of spending a lot of time writing up a biography I'll just share verbatim what appeared this morning on the Jamaica Gleaner's website...

"Singer Roy Shirley, whose seminal hit song Hold Them, is recognized as the first rock steady song, died in England last week.

Shirley, known for his dramatic stage costumes and performances, was 64.

The British company, Trojan Records which reissued several of Shirley's music in Europe, announced his death on its website.

"Truly unique, Roy was not only one of the true greats of Jamaican music's first golden age, but also a gentleman in every sense of the word, and he will be sadly missed by all those who knew him, either personally or through his music," the posting read, in part.

Born Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley, he grew up in Trench Town, an area that produced several pioneers of Jamaica's popular music.

Hold Them, recorded in 1967, was his biggest hit. It was reportedly the first song funded by a young producer named Joe Gibbs who would go on to find fame in the 1970s with Dennis Brown, Culture and George Nooks.

Hold Them's loping beat was considerably slower than ska and is often cited by musicologists as the first rock steady song.

Shirley had been living in England since 1973."

I have taken the time to compile and mix a 15 song tribute to a true Jamaican original.

Here is the tracklisting...

1. "Flying Reggay" from the Music Is The Key (1967-75) Compilation CD on Trojan
2. "The Fact Of Life" w/the Uniques from the 2004 Your Musical Priest (1966-72) CD on the Westside Label
3. "Hold Them" from the Trojan Carnival Box Set
4. "The World Needs Love" taken off the Joe Gibbs various artists compilation Get On Up! CD also on Trojan
5. "Dance The Reggae" from the various artist album called Do The Reggae - Early Reggae Singles 1968-69 CD also on the Westside label
6. "Get On The Ball" from the multiple artist rock steady CD Caltone Special on the Attack label
7. "Rolling Rolling" also off the aforementioned Music Is The Key set
8. "I Am The Winner" off the Trojan Reggae Brothers Box Set
9. "Shirley" from the various artists ska compilation El Bang Bang Vol.2
10. "Warming Up The Scene" also taken off the Your Musical Priest set
11. "You Turn Me On" from 1976 LP The Winner on the Trenchtown label
12. "Bubble Up" also from the Music Is The Key set
13. "Endlessly" borrowed from the 1983 LP Day One Live At Reggae Sunsplash - Best Of The Festival on the Sunsplash label
14. "I Like Your Smile" from the Trojan Rare Groove Box Set
15. "Who God Bless No Man Curse" also off the Music Is The Key set

R.I.P. Roy Shirley

An Evening With Reggaexx

Hey all, I know this is kinda short notice but I forgot to mention this earlier. Tomorrow, Saturday June 28th at 8PM GMT, be sure to tune into Springline Jamaica on Live 365, to spend an evening (or afternoon depending on whatever part of the world you're in) with me. I've prepared 5, 45 minute sets of music for your listening pleasure covering a lot of the subgenres in Jamaican music... dub poetry, ska, rocksteady, roots, rub-a-dub, early digital dancehall, etc. as well as a small tribute to women in Jamaican music and a tribute to the "foundation DJs" - there's bound to be something you like!

Thanks goes to the Springline Crew for giving me another opportunity to "play out," so to speak!

Sad news... Springline Jamaica is no longer... my sets were actually the last to air before they closed up shop unexpectedly. I'd like to thank Gibsy, Moni, Pace, Uncle Fee and all the rest of the crew for making my time spent there very rewarding and enjoyable!

I have decided to post the complete sets from Saturday's show so that those who didn't give it a listen will have a chance to dig 'em... these are not really mixes as much as they are complete 45 minute radio shows complete with bumpers and my voice (which I can't stand hearing when played back) Give 'em a listen!

Set One - Rub-A-Dub, Roots, Studio One
Set Two - Dub Poetry, Ska, Late 80's Dancehall
Set Three - Tribute To Women In Jamaican Music - Roots, Rub-A-Dub & Dancehall
Set Four - Tribute To The Foundation DJs - A veritable who's who of 70's DJ style
Set Five - Rootsy, Rub-A-Dub, Rocksteady

It's Summer... Time To Jump Back In!

First of all, no it isn't me doing the graceful bellyflop but I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to do so today. Yes, I'm back and this time I'm doing something I haven't done before here. I'm posting for your summer listening pleasure an 8 song mix on a relatively modern update of a classic riddim and get this, they're pretty much all love songs. What you are about to hear is the "Mr. Fix It" riddim from 2000 produced by Beres Hammond on the Harmony House label and I have been diggin' it big time!

I remember hearing the Half Pint and Beres tune on this track and loving it a few years ago. But when "Just Be Good" popped up again on a random shuffle on the Ipod I decided to give it the credit it was due by compiling some more tunes and doing a complete one riddim mix. I don't know why, but anytime I hear these songs they immediately make the warm breeze, singing birds and sunshine feel just a little sweeter I hope they'll do the same for you.

Here's the playlist...

1. Ambelique - New Sheriff In Town
2. Beres Hammond - They Gonna Talk
3. Peter Hunnigale - Believe In Love
4. Anthony B - Good Life
5. Tony Curtis - Lord I Thank You
6. Half Pint - Just Be Good
7. Don Campbell - I Wish I Could
8. Ambelique - Survivor

Happy Summer

Time to dust off the cobwebs and get things rollin' again!

Yes, its been forever since I've updated or posted on the blog here but now that I've got a bunch of stuff off my plate you should start seeing some more action around here coming up in the next week or so. Thanks to all of those who have left comments about the "newer" mixes and those who still happen across some of the older active mixes and take the time to say thanks - it's really appreciated!

I've got a mix in the works not to mention another installment of the Volcano Version Excursion so stay put!

Springline-Jamaica Anniversary Show Tomorrow!

Be sure to give it a listen!! It's shaped up to be a wicked day of music!!

Click here to see the website in all its readably-sized glory!

Pack Your Bags For A Volcano Version Excursion

We're taking a little trip to the B-side of some of my favorite tunes today! I was listening to some of my Volcano and Jah Guidance 45's the other night and as usual I was inspired by what I heard... classic stuff! What has always impressed me about Junjo's productions, aside from the veritable who's who of quality DJs and singers, is of course the superb Roots Radics Versions on the flip side! A lot of the Versions definitely surpass the A-sides in their timeless appeal! So with that in mind, I've decided it was time to start the ball rolling for an ongoing project here at Distinctly Jamaican Sounds... every now and then I'm going to pull a stack of tunes, rip the B-sides, mix 'em up, then share them with you. To me, these scratchy platters really capture the essence of what made "rub-a-dub" era such an amazing time in Jamaican music!

Now the good thing about this project is that I won't have to spend a lot of time writing a tracklist or crediting the record companies that released each tune... for the most part they're all entitled "Version", except for a few that are taken from a 12" where they officially would carry over the name of the vocal version since the instrumental at the end isn't credited or even mentioned but I'm not going to trouble you or myself with that technicality. So pack up and get movin' cause we're taking a 12 track Volcano Version Excursion to J.A. (circa '80 - '85)

Enjoy!

Coming Soon - Springline Jamaica's 1st Anniversary

I don't know if you've checked it out yet but I was turned on to the Live 365 "station" Springline Jamaica a couple months back and I can't get enough! If you haven't given them a listen yet then shame on you... wicked selections and more importantly some good people who do it only because they want to share their love for Jamaican music.

Coming up at the end of April they're celebrating their first anniversary of broadcasting - click here to give the official cyberflyer a look and listen - and they've asked me to put together a couple 45 minute sets that will be aired during their 12 hour non-stop marathon. I of course was honored and delighted to be asked to be a part of the festivities! My sets will highlight and retrace some of the steps I've taken here on Distinctly Jamaican Sounds including a short taste of the Halloween mixes and even some Christmas tunes. And get this... you'll actually be able to hear my voice. Not like that's anything exciting and considering I personally can't stand the sound of my own voice when I hear it played back but it's a first for me. I haven't done any "radio" DJing in nearly 10 years and it has taken me a while to feel comfortable behind a mic again. I'll keep you posted as the celebration draws nearer.

Sir Joe Gibbs 1943-2008

Since Joe Gibbs passed away exactly a month ago and I definitely wasn’t on top of the breaking news I won’t go into the specifics of Sir Gibbs’ career – there are plenty of sites that succinctly sum up his life better than I ever could – I’m just going to take this space and explain why it took me so long to acknowledge this sad news, then I’ll quit my rambling and present the fruits of my nearly month long labor of love.

I was really saddened to hear of the passing of the great Joe Gibbs and I initially had the intention of whipping up a quick mix in his honor but once I started compiling music I realized this was going to be a daunting task. I mean… I had every intention of highlighting the contributions the man made to Jamaican music and due to the amount of wicked releases he had his hands in, the playlist was coming in at around 8 hours. Then I decided maybe I’d approach the tribute from a different angle by highlighting only his rocksteady productions. But there were far too many reggae tunes that I couldn’t not include them. I thought about doing a dub only compilation but again I kept coming around to another solid roots track so I couldn’t go that route either. So what I present to you, for your listening pleasure, is a 40 track "megamix" of a bunch of Joe Gibbs’ hits, mixed with their instrumental versions. I hope that my efforts haven’t been wasted and that it serves as a fitting memorial for a man who engineered and produced four decades of spectacular music.

1. Dennis Brown – Money In My Pocket
2. Trinity – Three Piece Suit And Thing
3. Marcia Aitken – I’m Still In Love With You
4. Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking
5. Sir Lord Comic – Doctor Feelgood
6. Nicky Thomas – Don’t Touch Me
7. Culture – See Them A Come
8. Shorty The President – Natty Pass Him GCE
9. Nigger Kojak – Massacre
10. Lui Lepki – Can’t Tek Mi Landlord
11. Yellowman – Gregory Free
12. Naggo Morris – Su Su Pon Rasta
13. Prince Far I – Heavy Manners
14. Dennis Brown & Big Youth – Equal Rights Style
15. Peter Tosh – Maga Dog
16. Bunny Flip – Maingy Dog
17. Joe Gibbs & The Love Generation – Fat Dog
18. I-Roy – News Carrier
19. Leo Graham – A Win Them
20. Gregory Isaacs – Babylon Too Rough
21. Cornell Campbell – Boxing
22. Nigger Kojak & Liza – Bam Bam
23. Joe Tex & U Black – Rub-A-Dub Evening
24. Dennis Brown – Stop Your Fussing And Fighting
25. Junior Murvin – Cool Out Son
26. Dennis Walks – Almighty I
27. Eddie Ford – You Wrong Fe Trouble Joshua
28. June Lodge – Some One Loves You Honey
29. Prince Mohammed – One Time Daughter
30. Trinity – Kingston Two Rock
31. Big Youth – Waterhouse Rock
32. Barrington Levy – Wife And Sweetheart Dem A Friend
33. Ranking Trevor – Wife And Sweetheart
34. George Nooks – Sadie
35. Papa Tullo – Fe Mi Time Now
36. Jacob Miller – I’m A Natty
37. I Roy – Knotty Knots
38. Leo Graham – Hard Times
39. Sylford Walker – Burn Babylon
40. The Professionals – CW Burning Version

Sir Joe Gibbs Tribute Megamix

I stumbled upon this wicked artwork of Joe Gibbs' store created by Edinburgh, Scotland illustrator & DJ Jerry Neville AKA Jeremyiah when looking for a Joe Gibbs photo for this post and it was too cool not to share. Check out more of his work here.

Mikey Dread 1954-2008 - A Tribute...

I heard of Michael "Mikey Dread" Campbell's passing last night while at a Gregory Isaacs concert here in Baltimore and was immediately saddened to hear the bad news. Campbell got a job as an engineer for the Jamaican Broadcasting Company in the 1970's. He wasn't particularly digging the amount of foreign music that the Jamaican network was broadcasting and after some dealings was able to start hosting his own program "Dread At The Controls" to showcase reggae exclusively. Of course the show was astoundingly popular throughout the entire island and it filled a void left by those "higher-ups" who sincerely believed that their listeners didn't want to hear homegrown music. Eventually the management at the station started to gripe, probably because the show's popularity damaged their fragile know-it-all attitudes, and by the time Mikey Dread quit he had established himself as a singer and producer and moved on to bigger and better things. Oddly enough Mikey Dread is well known outside of reggae circles for his work with the British punk group the Clash in 1980.

Needless to say, Jamaican music has lost another important and historically significant figure in its musical legacy. Rest in peace Mikey Dread you'll always be The Dread At The Controls!

I've put together a mix to pay tribute to Mikey Dread and I hope you enjoy it, the tracklist is below. He recorded and produced so many quality tunes it was hard to narrow down what I wanted to use but I think what I selected should serve as a nice tribute.

Tracklisting... all albums are on the Dread At The Control label unless noted otherwise
1. "Kasha Herb Rock" from the 1979 album At The Control Dubwise
2. "Warrior Stylee" from the 1982 album Beyond World War III
3. "Barber Saloon" from the Best Sellers Greatest Hits CD
4. "Industrial Spy" from the African Anthem LP from 1979
5. "Roots & Culture" from the Pave The Way CD on Heartbeat Records
6. "The King In The Ring" from the LP Evolutionary Rockers from 1979
7. "School Girl Dub" from the 1995 Lee Perry various artists Larks From The Ark on the Nectar label
8. "Mikey Dread In Action" also from the African Anthem album
9. "Choose Me" also from the Best Sellers LP
10. "Break Down The Walls" from the Beyond World War III album
11. "Hot Cross Bun" from the 1982 Mikey Dread produced Rockers Vibration various artists LP
12. "Rainbow Jungle" from the 1982 Jungle Signal release
13. "Armageddon Style" taken from the 1982 Swalk LP also on the Heartbeat label
14. "Forever And Ever" also from the Pave The Way CD
15. "Michael Campbell Theme" from the 1978 Revolutionaries LP Dread At The Controls Dub on the Hawkeye label

Mikey Dread Tribute

In other Mikey Dread related news... check out this game featuring an animated Mikey Dread

Ahh...A Family Size Spring Mix!

It looks as if winter is loosening its grip and things are starting to look a little more agreeable weather-wise. Temperatures are starting to hover above freezing and to celebrate the demise of this shitty season I've put together a little Spring Mix for your listening pleasure... and no it's not of the salad variety as the photo would suggest. Nothing spectacular or fancy just a bunch of songs that have been in heavy rotation that are helping me get me out of the winter doldrums.

I've also got a tribute to Joe Gibbs in the works and will be coming soon but hey, I needed to get back on Garageband and get some of the rust off first. I should get my Gibbs tribute in the can, so to speak, by this time next week but until then I hope you give my little spring mix a listen... maybe it'll give you a late winter lift as well. I really need to address my seasonal depression or win the lottery and start taking extended mid-winter tropical vacations, but until that happens I've always found listening to good ol' Jamaican music can really lift your spirits!

Tracklisting
1. Ernie Smith - Nice Time
2. Horace Andy - Happiness
3. Beres Hammond - Smile
4. Alton Ellis - Why Birds Follow Spring
5. Eric Donaldson - Happy Man
6. The Clarendonians - Sunshine
7. Derrick Harriott - Laugh It Off
8. King Stitt - Jump For Joy
9. Sound Dimension - Full Up
10. Roy Shirley - I Like Your Smile
11. Bob Andy - My Time
12. Jackie Mittoo - Spring Time

Pour on the dressing, I prefer raspberry vinaigrette... and give it a play! Enjoy!

No Reservations - Jamaica

While I take some time getting motivated for future musical posts I thought I'd share something that a co-worker was kind enough to burn on DVD for me... It's a show called No Reservations hosted by author Anthony Bourdain and it airs weekly on the Travel Channel here in the states. You wouldn't know it but I'm a huge fan of cooking, international cuisine and culinary television programs in general and you can be guaranteed that I would gladly watch this "culinary adventure program" every week if my lame-ass cable company offered the Travel Channel... but that's another story.

If you want to catch the entire Jamaica episode it's available on Youtube and makes for some good viewing... I decided to present the segment where Mr. Bourdain breaks Ital "bread" with Mutabaruka - check it out!