Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 10 - Font Hill Duppy

"Have you got the latest bill about the duppy 'pon Font Hill?"

I remember when I first heard a snippet of Count Lasher's "Font Hill Duppy" a few years ago and thought to myself, "Damn I wish I could find out more about this song!" For one, I couldn't figure out if the song was recounting a real life ghost story or just spinning a fictitious yarn and two, the website that featured the clip had claimed that the song served as an artistic metaphor for the Jamaican dollar's poor exchange rate and wasn't directly related to duppies at all.

Needless to say my interest was piqued and the record was thrown into my massive yet thoroughly unorganized wants list in my head and eventually slipped from memory. A couple years later the title surfaced again when I started getting stuff together for the first Halloween Spooktacular and I immediately went online, found the record and bought it. I was gratified to finally hold the long illusive single in my hands and I assumed that because I now had the ability to listen to the song in its entirety, I would be able to answer the lingering questions about its potentially spooky subject matter... but it didn't. I got the gist of what Count Lasher was getting at but without some tangible clarification or substantiation on the background I just felt like I was missing something. I tried searching online hoping to find further information but eventually I resigned myself to never fully understanding what "Font Hill Duppy" was really about.

So fast forward to early this September... I'm cruising around on Ebay and I came across thee most informative record auction listing, I've ever had the pleasure to read. The auction listing was written by long-time reggae aficionado, historian and musician Luke Ehrlich and lo and behold my questions were immediately answered!

Ehrlich wrote rather succinctly...

"Font Hill Duppy" is a humorous look at a sinister haunting that occurred in eastern Jamaica, in mid-summer of 1974. At Font Hill, a rural village in the parish of St. Thomas, elderly Mr. Isaac Brown and his wife Adina began experiencing alarming supernatural events in their house including unpleasant poltergeist activity. The ghost, known in Jamaica as a "duppy" or "jumbie", called himself Copie and spoke to the Browns, Font Hill townspeople and curiosity-seekers, never sparing use of the foulest language."

After I had absorbed the new found knowledge about the tune I immediately set out and e-mailed the seller and thanked him for the effort he put into his listing and asked for his approval to use the article written by Manfred Hampton-Nelson from the June 23rd, 1974 edition of the Jamaica Daily News you see above.

So you want to know more about the Font Hill duppy? Instead of paraphrasing and leaving you squinting trying to read the JPG of the newspaper article I'll give it to you verbatim...

"A filthy-mouthed duppy who says he wears a baggy has been drawing crowds to the remote St. Thomas village of Font Hill. Lacing his utterances with a choice array of Jamaican bad words, whom people say has given his name as "Copie," has manifested himself at the home of farmer Isaac Brown, 71, and his wife Adina, 68, over the last six or seven weeks.

Copie has so far defied the efforts of thousands of people who have traveled from far and near to get him to make an appearance. But hundreds say they have heard him speak. And all of those remark at his capabilities with badwords. "You think any of you can curse like him?" Mrs. Brown asked a crowd of 50 people who had gathered outside her fence as usual Wednesday afternoon.

Of course, Copie has been quite active apart from spouting obscenities. He has been burning fences, untying the donkey, silencing the dogs and drinking aerated waters. The first time Mrs. Brown says she knew something was amiss was one night when she heard a knocking at the door. Neither she nor her husband answered the knocking but she did not say why. Instead they started singing a hymn. At this, a voice which has since become familiar said, "me know that one." But the voice did not join with the singing, Mrs. Brown said. They then raised another hymn, and the voice said, "me don't know that one."

The activity then moved to the side of the house with Copie making some furious noises. At this the Browns did get up and go to their veranda to get a look at what if anything was happening. Seeing nothing they began reciting the Lord's Prayer. At this a stream of profanity rent the night air in the voice they have now come to associate with Copie. At the top of his voice he reeled off every badword he knew.

From that time on he seemed to have taken up residence under the cellar at the rear of the house. And the people who gather there daily focus their attention at this spot.


Shortly after he first made his presence felt, Copie silenced the dogs. Apparently, they barked at him. Offended, he told them to bark no more. People who frequent the place say they have heard no sound from any one of the three dogs since then.

When the Daily News visited on Wednesday afternoon there was the usual weekday afternoon crowd of 50 people or so. Mr. Brown who was just about to leave to attend a JAS meeting stopped for a while to talk with the News. Mr.Brown said he travelled to Cuba in 1921, returned home in 1929, went to England with his wife in 1961 and came back here with her in 1964. On their return they bought the house in which they now live, a house which they had occupied as tenants some ten years before. They then bought some of the land surrounding the home. Mr. Brown expressed the view that the present situation was the result of envy on the part of other people in the district who want to get him to leave his house and land.

Mrs. Brown's grandchildren, Yvette, 11, Barbara, 9, and Joe, 7, live with the couple in the house. Mrs. Brown said quite definitely that she had no intention of leaving the house and those who wanted to get her out would have to kill her. "Him can do me anything, " she said, "I am not leaving my house." "Then Mrs. Brown, are you not frightened?" the Daily News asked. She said she was not at all frightened and turned again to the crowd to explain her faith in God.

While some stalwart men in the crowd confessed that they would experience fear under similar circumstances, others asked her about a story that Copie, like Mary's lamb, had followed her to Church on Saturday. (She is a member of the Seventh Day church)

Was it true that Copie carried on so badly in the church that congregation members chased her out, they asked. Mrs. Brown said that nobody had chased her from church on Saturday. She had gone to church and left early. She was not very clear as to whether in fact there was any duppy-type behavior in the precincts of the church that day.

She turned again without disrelish to Copie's carryings-on. That very day she said he had told her that he had taken away her condensed milk. The milk was in fact missing but later reappeared and he advised that

he had brought it back because he couldn't get through the tin.

She was not so lucky with other things. Her change-purse was taken and not returned. A soft drink bottle was emptied and the bottle thrown away. Fires have been lit at her fence and then have been put out. She, however, got back a traveling bag which contained her sister's clothing. When the bag came back, it contained her Bible and four stones. But things are even worse than that. If Mrs. Brown attempts to scold or chastise the children, Copie objects and stones are thrown by unseen hands.

She sent the children to fetch water and Copie, objecting, told them "don't go a blast!" Once she was throwing water away and the voice said, "mind you wet up me baggy!" Copie also took Mr. Brown's wrist watch during an operation in which he "spread the table with sugar, flour and rice and baked a meal," apparently making sure the timing was correct. The voice told the Daily News Wednesday it was intruding. "What you come here for? You too fast!" it said.

Copie has told his own story of his coming. He said he had come from England on a boat that docked at Bowden. He had come to stay for six months to get his Ten Pounds and he was not interested in dollars and cents.

Mrs. Brown said the voice told her he would kill her grandchildren then her husband and herself. She is not afraid, she said, only embarrassed. Some nights the bust that passes the Brown's home, has to terminate its journey at that point, because of scores of vehicles which park blocking the road.

The Trinityville police, hearing about the matter, have gone to investigate on several occasions. And they told the Daily News that some members of the force had heard the voice. The police believe the whole thing is a hoax arranged to "deceive somebody." They are convinced something is fishy. But they have no evidence of criminal activity. They have found no implements of obeah, neither has there been any report of any breach of any law. The police say, however that they were old some six week ago, that a couple was seen at midnight in long black gowns "casting spells" in the presence of the Brown's home.

And the people in the area believe that whoever is responsible is a follower of DeLaurence, infamous writers and publishers of literature that is still on the banned list in Jamaica. The question now being asked are whether Copie will get his Ten Pounds, whether this will appease him sufficiently to cease his haunting, whether he will stay his six months anyway, whether any hard will befall the Browns or anybody else, or whether anybody will take the advise of a man in the crowd Wednesday who suggested they call Father. For, he said, Roman Catholic was the "highest science" that exists.

Meanwhile, the crowds still gather around the Brown's cottage at Font Hill."

Count Lasher, born Terence Parkins, is considered by many to be one if not thee greatest mento talents from the music's heyday of the 1950's. He was an accomplished singer and songwriter and his charisma and presence elevated him to a level of popularity that rivaled only that of King Flea. Interestingly enough, Lasher didn't hang it up when mento morphed into ska and as the years passed even recorded reggae tunes in the 1970's, like the one you'll hear today.

"Font Hill Duppy" was recorded in 1974, right in the midst of the duppy stir that had people all over Jamaica talking, by the legendary Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and released on his Bongo Man label. I hope by providing this additional background you'll have a better appreciation for this tune and thanks again to Luke Ehrlich for providing the historical information!

Track 10 - NEW LINK

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 9 - Alfred Hitchcock

Good evening...welcome back to the 2008 Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular... this is your ghost host Reggaexx and again I've got another great Jamaican sweet for your trick-or-treat!

Alfred Hitchcock, born August 13, 1899 and died April 29, 1980, was probably one of the most enigmatic and recognizable figures of the 20th Century. Not withstanding his pioneering talents in the director's chair, he just had a personality you couldn't help but like. On his long running television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hitchcock would deliver his trademark "Good evening" and then go on to introduce each episode in his usual droll fashion... to me those opening monologue were even better than the show itself. I never realized but there were actually two introductions shot for each episode; one for the American market which would poke fun at either a recent commercial or a sponsor and the other for the European market which would poke fun at Americans in general. Later when the show aired in non-English speaking countries, Hitchcock would record his introductions in French and Spanish as well. Pretty impressive!

It is with Alfred Hitchcock Presents on my mind that I put together this track for the Spooktacular. I borrowed the introduction from his 1960 Ghost Stories For Young People LP on the Golden label and set it to a pretty rockin' early reggae tune by Bobby Ellis & The Crystalites called, appropriately enough, "Alfred Hitchcock" and taken from the 1991 LP Blockbuster Reggae Instrumentals on the Crystal imprint. The album, produced by Derrick Harriott, is a various artist collection of rocksteady and reggae songs with different performers teaming up with the Crystalites and recorded throughout the late 60's and early 70's.

Track 9

Alton Ellis 1938-2008

I hate to interrupt the Spooktacular with sad reality but I just heard the news this morning about the passing of Alton Ellis and I was deeply saddened...

"LONDON (AFP) — Jamaican reggae star Alton Ellis, known as the "Godfather of Rocksteady", died overnight of cancer in London, a hospital spokeswoman said Saturday. He was 70 years old.

Ellis passed away peacefully at Hammersmith Hospital, the spokeswoman said.

The singer-songwriter was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last year. He underwent chemotherapy and returned to the stage before he collapsed during his final performance in central London in August.

Ellis, who moved to Britain in the 1970s, had a string of hits in a career spanning more than 50 years, including "I'm Still In Love", "Dance Crasher" and "I'm Just A Guy".

He was awarded the Order of Distinction medal by Jamaica in 1994.

His manager and agent Trish De Rosa, of Roots-Rockers Promotions, said he was a key figure in Jamaican music.

"His life was the music and the stage," she said.

"He was getting a tremendous amount of work right up to the end -- it was very difficult to get him to slow down.

"He wanted to do as much as he could and leave a strong legacy."

She said Jamaican authorities were considering the possibility of giving Ellis a state funeral.

Laurence Cane-Honeysett, Jamaican music consultant for Trojan Records, said the label had been associated with Ellis throughout his career.

"He was a genuinely lovely man and his songs were heartfelt," he said.

"He was a seminal figure in terms of popularising Jamaican reggae music.

"His death is a terrible loss."

Jamaican reggae singer Delroy Williams, a friend and colleague since the 1960s, described his voice as "the sweetest in the reggae world".

"He was very humble," he said.

"His music is the reason for a lot of babies -- that's how sweet and warm and loving it is.

"It's just a shame that he didn't get the big world hit that he deserved."

Ellis, who lived in the northwest London suburb of Northolt, is survived by his wife and more than 20 children."

As a tribute, I've provided the link to the Alton Ellis mix I did when I first heard that he was very ill and undergoing chemotherapy... Once we get out of October I will definitely be putting together another mix in Alton's honor.

First we're going to hear "Cry Tough" from the 1992 Heartbeat various artists compilation set Duke Reid's Treasure Chest. Next is the tune "You Make Me Happy" from Ellis' 1967 debut album on Treasure Isle "Mr Soul Of Jamaica." Up third is another big tune borrowed from Duke Reid's Treasure Chest and its the timeless, "Girl I've Got A Date." The fourth track is "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream)" from the Alton Ellis CD compilation called Arise Blackman on the Moll Selekta label. The next tune we're gonna hear is called "We Need Love" from the Studio One LP called Showcase from the mid 70's. Taking a turn for the rub-a-dub next with the Junjo Lawes produced "Skateland Girl" from a Volcano 7" - one of my all-time favorites. The next track is "Willow Tree" lifted from the double CD set The Story Of Treasure Isle on the Metro Music label. Returning to the Arise Blackman set for the next song, it's a good one called "Sun Of Man." Our ninth tune in the mix is "Remember That Sunday" from the Trojan various artists sampler Moonwalk - Treasure Isle Skinhead Reggae Anthems. We follow that up with "How Can I" also from Arise Blackman. "La La Means I Love You," another outstanding Alton Ellis classic, lifted from The Story Of Treasure Isle set, is the next tune. "Stronger Than Before" taken from the Abraham Records LP Slummin' is the twelfth song in the mix. Going back to Studio One we've got "Can I Change My Mind" from the Heartbeat release The Best Of Studio One. We're heading back to Africa with the song "Back To Africa" from the 1992 Heartbeat various artists compilation called Lloyd Daley's Matador Productions 1968-1972. Getting toward the end we're going to hear "It's A Shame" from Blood & Fire's excellent 2001 compilation Darker Than Blue - Soul From Jamdown. Finally we wrap it up with "Loving Mood," Alton's take on Delroy Wilson's hit "Dancing Mood" from the 2005 Moll Selekta various artists CD called The Bunny Lee Rocksteady Years.

Alton Ellis Tribute

Re-Up of the Volcano 7" "Skateland Girl"

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 8 - Run For Your Life!!

Run for your life!! It's the 8th track in our 2008 Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular and it's coming your way!! The tune is called "Run For Your Life" by the Jamaican reggae artist Jackie Paris, not the American jazz singer and guitarist of the same name. Track 8 is lifted from a 1978 7" on the very Halloween appropriate Mummy label and produced by Winston Riley. Though it's not mentioning any specific monsters it does warn you to "run for your life, he's behind you with a knife" and works quite well with the Halloween trailer introduction. The odd thing about this record, it's sung to a tune that was very familiar and had me guessing for days where I knew it from... after a couple days I made the connection. "Run For Your Life" is sung to the tune of Disney's Snow White classic "Hi Ho" of all things. Luckily I have solved this little dilemma and you can just stop driving yourself crazy wondering where you know this song from and enjoy it on its own very un-Disney merits. I mean the song is basically talking about escaping from the clutches of someone trying to kill you and if that isn't completely un-Disney I don't know what is!

I originally wanted to fill this tune with audio from John Carpenter's classic 1978 film Halloween but instead I went the easier route by just adding some mad Dr. Frankenstein and his rampaging monster. Besides, Michael Myers doesn't utter a word in any of the movies so it would have been hard to convey what exactly was going on behind the tune.

I had to include a picture of the record label because I think it is the coolest spooky designed labels to ever come out of Jamaica... on second thought it is most likely the only label to come out of Jamaica with a monster so prominently featured. Have a great weekend... see you on Monday!

Track 8

Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular 2008 Track 7 - The Monster, a Blood Banshee To Be Exact!!

Before I begin talking about today's tune I want to thank Jason at Scar Stuff for providing an important component to what you're about to hear. If you look over to the left, you'll see an add that has been stuck in my subconcious for nearly 30 years. You see, this ad from a company by the name of Gayle House, encouraging you to "Invite your friends over for a haunting," appeared in countless comic books in my youth and every time I cracked open an issue of whatever I was reading back then, I always took the liberty of fully absorbing this spirited 4 color sales pitch. With copy like, "this record creates a real atmosphere of terror with sounds that can almost be seen!" you could definitely understand why a boy of my age would have been intrigued. But I don't know if it was the exorbitant $1.00 (plus $.25 postage and handling!) asking price or the fear that I would be the "next victim" of the evil demons contained on this 7 inch slab of vinyl which kept me from ever ordering it.

Last October when I saw that Jason had uploaded this record I couldn't believe my eyes! The instant I layed eyes on that seemingly forgotten ad the memories of its well written copy came flooding back just like I had just read it yesterday! And what was even more astounding was the fact that I was mere moments away from gratifying my 30 year curiosity of what was actually contained on the record and I didn't have to spend the $1.25 to do so!

To quote Jason, "...as you'll soon be able to discover, not only are the sounds on the Gayle House single unique, the record has a freakishly lame and astoundingly perfect charm all its own. It even manages to scrupulously follow the rules of the mighty Rip-Off Halloween Record genre (those being: a totally half-assed "story telling" side, and a banded "sound effects" side using most of the same audio library just without the narration), while still happily amplifying both their cheapest AND most exploitive qualities!"

He went on to write, "Threadbare plot! Terrible narrator! One sound effect repeated ad nauseam! Children in peril!), but believe me, as far as I'm concerned it was more than worth the 30+ year wait." I couldn't agree more.

So here it is almost in its entirety... the Gayle House Horror Record riding on a dub tune from 1978 by the group W.J.W And Roots Trunk & Branches called "The Monster" and it's taken off the LP called The Weak Will Be Strong on the Splendour Heights label. I haven't been able to find any substantial information about the group itself but, after doing some research I found a name that is AKA'd with them and that name is Joe White.

Joe White started off his musical career in the 1960's as a member of the vocal group The Leaders, alongside such big names as Ken Boothe and Roy Shirley, that surprisingly never took off. He went on to release occassional solo records throughout the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras for Studio One and Sonia Pottinger's High Note label before deciding to give up singing in favor of playing the melodica. He recorded a solo album for producer Harry J in 1975 entitled Jah Jah Dub and released on the Roosevelt label.

So here it is, track seven... I like to call it W.J.W. And Roots Trunk & Branches Meet The Blood Banshee In A Gayle House 7" Haunting Fashion! Enjoy!

Track 7

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!