Growing In My Backyard

Sun is shining, bass is booming, rhythm is rocksteady...must be be another Sunday reggae and dub session.

Hometown rockers Talisman get things off to a superb start with the 11-minute 12" mix of Dole Age, originally a vinyl side in 1981, introduced to a whole new audience (me included) with the excellent 2011 compilation The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983. An essential purchase.

From there, it's a mix of 20th and 21st century sounds. The latter is represented by all-female combo Tight Spot with an unreleased song discovered and released by Happy People Records on 7" vinyl in 2021. An album highlight of the same year was Clarion Call by Xan Tyler and Mad Professor, delivering sharp lyrics with sweet rhythms. Rhoda Dakar delivers a David Bowie classic with aplomb, offering up a dubbed out version on the flipside. And three legends come together, with Horace Andy teaming up with Sly & Robbie for a modern dub colossus.

There's a brief stop in the 1990s to witness Benjamin Zephaniah and The Hazardous Dub Company with a cautionary tale that sadly resonates three decades later.

Back then to the 1970s and 1980s, a veritable who's who of reggae, lovers rock and dub legends, with Bob Marley & The Wailers versus a pre-'Scratch' Lee Perry, Louisa Mark, Tapper Zukie, Sylvia Tella and King Tubby dubbing up Yabby You. 

 

In 2021, Happy People also offered up a deep cut vinyl 7" by G.T. Moore & The Reggae Guitars. Remembered as the first white group to attempt an authentic reggae sound on record, their self-titled debut in 1974 closed with a version of Bob Dylan's Knocking On Heaven's Door. Sound familiar? Well, this guy had a hit with an 'inspired' version less than a year later...

Ending the selection the only way possible, Black Uhuru sing the praises of Sinsemilla, the title track of their third album from 1980 and the record that crossed over to a global audience. Michael Rose, Sharon 'Puma' Jones and Derrick 'Duckie' Simpson telling it how it is, Sly & Robbie laying it down. It doesn't get much better than this.

 

1) Dole Age (12" Mix By Talisman & UK Scientist aka Richard Grassby-Lewis): Talisman (1981)

2) Air Tight (Version By Spero Anthony): Tight Spot (2003)

3) Like Birds: Xan Tyler & Mad Professor (2021)

4) Spell (Album Version By Lloyd Charmers & Maxi Million): Sylvia Tella (1981)

5) The Man Who Dubbed The World (Cover of David Bowie): Rhoda Dakar (2022)

6) I'm Alive Dub: Horace Andy + Sly & Robbie (2006)

7) Allies (Album Version By Dr. Love & Dennis Rootical): Benjamin Zephaniah & The Hazardous Dub Company (1995)

8) Firey Dub (Version By King Tubby): Yabby You (1977)

9) Rush I Some Dub: Tapper Zukie (1977)

10) Sun Is Shining (Dub) (Version By Bob Marley & Lee Perry): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1971)

11) Keep It Like It Is (Album Version By Clement 'Bush Ranger' Bushay): Louisa Mark (1981)

12) People (Who Killed People) (Album Version By Gerald Thomas Moore & Tony Braunagel): G.T. Moore & The Reggae Guitars (1975)

13) Sinsemilla (Album Version By Sly & Robbie): Black Uhuru (1980)

1971: Soul Revolution Part II ('Rhythm' Version): 10

1975: Reggae Blue: 12

1977: King Tubby Meet Vivian Jackson (Yabby You): 8

1977: Tapper Zukie In Dub: 9

1980: Sinsemilla: 13

1981: Breakout: 11

1981: Dole Age EP: 1

1981: Spell: 4 

1995: Back To Roots: 7 

2006: Dubbin' It Up: 6

2021: Clarion Call: 3

2021: Time Heals Everything EP: 2

2022: The Man Who Sold The World EP: 5

Growing In My Backyard (57:45) (KF) (Mega)

Off The Chart

Lace up your trainers, we're going back four decades to the Top 20 UK singles chart on 18th May 1984.

 

In January, I did a similar look back at 1974 and whilst I would hesitate to call this a series, a run of back-to-back Top Of The Pops episodes on BBC4 (kind of) inspired today's selection, although I also have to tip my hat to Jez at A History Of Dubious Taste for his delve into the early volumes of Now That's What I Call Music.

Being 1984, we're well into the era of the 12" single and the extended dance club remix frenzy. So, what you've got here are thirteen stretched out versions, some pushing the 8-9 minute mark, others bending the original songs into interesting shapes. And, honestly, could you actually dance to some of these?!

 

I'm guessing that the movie Footloose was pretty popular around this time as there are two singles from the soundtrack in the Top 20. Kenny Loggins' title theme song didn't have an extended version in 1984 so I've gone for one of the many 21st century fan-made versions that proliferate online.

Madonna's mate John 'Jellybean' Benitez remixes the other by Deniece Williams and also turns his hand to Automatic by Pointer Sisters. Benitez was ubiquitous at the time, even Talking Heads and Elvis Costello got the 'Jellybean' treatment.

Then up-and-coming writers and producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis kick things off with Just Be Good To Me, a new entry at #20. I don't particularly remember this song at the time but it's legendary status was sealed when Beats International covered it a few years later, securing a #1 in the process. Jam & Lewis went on to greater heights with Janet Jackson and all-new lows with The Human League.

Blissfully unaware of this in 1984, The Human League were still enjoying Top 20 hits, including The Lebanon, dropping to #12 this week from a peak of #11 the week before. An undeniably brilliant bassline, coupled with some of the most cringeworthy lyrics committed to vinyl, but I love it regardless.

Speaking of bass, there's some funk to make Mark King of Level 42 give a heavily insured thumbs up, from Jeffrey Osborne and Jocelyn Brown. If the latter sounds familiar, it's been sampled to death by artists such as George Michael (Too Funky), Utah Saints (Ohio) and OutKast (Spaghetti Junction).

 

If you prefer your guitar histrionic, look no further than Queen at #4. Thanks to Lady K's early obsession with Queen's Greatest Hits, I am now more familiar with the back catalogue of Mercury and co. than I ever wanted to be. This 12" version is rumbling along quite nicely until in the last minute or so it decides to go all Stars On 45 and give the listener a chopped up Greatest Hits medley. 

Blancmange and O.M.D. respectively deliver one of my favourite and least favourite singles by said artists, I'll leave you to decide which is which. In a bizarre twist of fate, I will have seen both bands live in 2024, O.M.D.in March and Blancmange at the end of this month.

Just the one reggae hit in the Top 20 but it's a goodie. One Love/People Get Ready was a posthumous smash for Bob Marley & The Wailers, peaking at #5 in it's fifth week and promoting the compilation Legend, released two weeks before. Suffice to say, it's one of the greatest greatest hits albums ever.

So, to the top spot and enjoying the third of four weeks at #1 is Duran Duran with The Reflex. Heavily remixed from the album version, the 12" version takes things even further. Mrs. K and I have enjoyed many a slightly tipsy lounge disco dance to this one.

As with the 1974 selection, I've gone for a Marvel UK comics header. The Mighty World Of Marvel was on it's second incarnation by this time. The May 1984 issue actually came out in April but I've included this one for the gorgeous painted art by Alan Davis, whose epic Captain Britain storyline with Alan Moore was coming to an end. 

 

At the other end of the spectrum was The Thing Is Big Ben, in which Marvel UK decided that what kids really needed was the rocky one from The Fantastic Four in his own weekly comic, with a title that tenuously linked him to the iconic London landmark. Add to that reprints of Iron Man and Captain America (the latter replaced by Power Man & Iron Fist) and you can understand why editors felt the need to throw in a free cap to convince kids to hand over their 18p. The cover price was prescient: 18 weeks later, the kids remained unmoved and the title quietly folded into the ongoing Spider-Man comic, as so many others before it had done.

 

1) Just Be Good To Me (Album Version By Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis): The S.O.S. Band (#20)

2) I'm Falling (Album Version By Colin Fairley & Bob Andrews): The Bluebells (#19)

3) Stay With Me Tonight (Extended Remixed Version By Bill Bottrell): Jeffrey Osborne (#18)

4) Somebody Else's Guy (Remix By John Morales & Sergio Munzibai): Jocelyn Brown (#13)

5) The Lebanon (Extended) (Remix By The Human League, Chris Thomas & Hugh Padgham): The Human League (#12)

6) Don't Tell Me (U.S. Dance Remix By Mark Kamins): Blancmange (#9)

7) Let's Hear It For The Boy (Extended Remixed Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Deniece Williams (#8)

8) Locomotion (Razormaid Remix By Joseph Watt): O.M.D. (#7)

9) Footloose (VJAR 2016 Extended Dance Remix By Alex Ritton): Kenny Loggins (#6)

10) One Love/People Get Ready (Dub Version By Godwin Logie): Bob Marley & The Wailers (#5)

11) I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix By Queen & Reinhold Mack): Queen (#4)

12) Automatic (Special Remix By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Pointer Sisters (#2)

13) The Reflex (Dance Mix By Nile Rodgers & Jason Corsaro): Duran Duran (#1)

Off The Chart (1:27:14) (KF) (Mega)

Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Fancy a coffee? Take a seat and relax whilst I put some music on.

For someone who was born and grew up in Bristol, I've seen relatively few reggae acts live in concert and the vast majority of these will have been at either the St. Pauls Carnival or Ashton Court Festival in the 1980s and 1990s, the latter now sadly long gone. The former thankfully returned in 2023 as a bi-annual event and fundraising for 2025 is underway; you can donate here.

Over the years, I've amassed a modest collection of live concerts, some officially released, others bootleg recordings of variable quality but made more accessible via t'internet. Here's a 45-minute selection featuring some of my favourite performances.

Misty In Roots are first up with Ghetto Of The City from their debut album, Live At The Counter Eurovision 79. As the title suggests, this was a recording of a show in Belgium and is quite rightly lauded as not just one of the greatest live reggae albums of all time, but one of the greatest live albums, full stop. You'll see this happening a few times in this brief Dubhed selection and I will not be arguing to the contrary.

 

Talisman are from my birthplace, so it's very likely that I saw them at one of the aforementioned live events. Unfortunately, as I was generally under the influence and these happenings were ticketless, I have no idea if I did or not. A shame as they were clearly on fire, as this extract from 1981 shows. I picked up the excellent 2011 compilation The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983 on CD which features Wicked Dem. It's now available on Bandcamp and is highly recommended, as is pretty much everything on Bristol Archive Records, to be honest.

What can I say about Bob Marley & The Wailers that hasn't already been said and more eloquently? One of the greatest songs of all time from one of the greatest artists of all time from one of the greatest albums of all time, Bob Marley & The Wailers Live! (or Live! At The Lyceum, if you're scrutinising the vinyl label). 

 

No Woman No Cry is credited to Bob's friend Vincent Ford, but is believed to be a pseudonym that Bob used in order to evade his publishing company at the time. Clearly, the courts agreed as Marley's estate gained control of these compositions in 1987 and successfully resisted a counter claim by the label in 2014.

Speaking of Bob, the Performing Arts Center in Montego Bay, Jamaica was dedicated to him and 18 months after his death, Black Uhuru performed there as part of the Jamaica World Music Festival. The quality of this 1982 bootleg recording is a bit ropey to say the least but the quality of the music shines through.

Another bootleg of slightly better quality is UB40 with a 'short' version of Madam Medusa, their damning indictment of Margaret Thatcher and a reminder of how very good they were in their early years. This was originally featured in the seminal music film, Urgh! A Music War. The version here is a rip from the VHS release that I found online. Incredibly, UB40 didn't make the cut for the vinyl album release, itself a must-have in any record collection.

Staying with another legendary reggae band from Birmingham, Steel Pulse are up next with Makka Splaff. The song originally featured (as Macka Splaff) on their debut Handsworth Revolution. The version here appeared on the legendary Short Circuit: Live At The Electric Circus album, released on 10" vinyl with a limited edition bonus 7". A copy on Discogs will set you back (I think a rather reasonable) £29.00, less if you're not bothered about the 7".

Another contender for greatest (live) album of all time is Aswad with 1983's Live And Direct, recorded at that summer's Notting Hill Carnival in London. I remember seeing a full-page ad in Smash Hits at the time, priced as a mini-album at £2.99. At 9 tracks (10 if you split the 2-song Rockers Melody) and 45 minutes in length, there's no 'mini' about it and the sound is as fresh and crisp now as it was three decades ago.

Closing today's selection is Matumbi, whose theme tune to the BBC TV series Empire Road was also included on the 1978 compilation Don't Walk, Boogie nestled in my parent's record collection. Both the TV show and the song made a big impression on me and - unknown to me at the time - introduced me to the genius of Dennis Bovell.

After Tonight is another classic from the Matumbi catalogue, which Dennis has revisited and re-recorded several times throughout his career, most recently in 2022 with Winston Reedy. This live version was recorded on day 2 of the Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea in December 1979. A fund-raiser for victims of the conflict in Cambodia, it was a mammoth 4-day event at the Hammersmith Odeon, kicking off with Queen, ending with Paul McCartney and Wings and featuring The Pretenders, The Specials, The Who and Elvis Costello & The Attractions.

The day 2 line-up was Ian Dury & The Blockheads and Matumbi, Dennis and other bandmates bolstering the former's line-up, followed by The Clash. What a night that must have been. You needn't wonder: with another name check for the Albums That Should Exist blog, you can find collated selections from all four days posted last summer. Zip file links are still live, though I had to close down multiple pop-ups and revisit the initial link page to eventually get the download. Well worth the effort though, as all three acts are on top form.

All that yakking and I need another brew! Let me just stick this selection on repeat...

 

1) Ghetto Of The City: Misty In Roots (1979)

2) Wicked Dem: Talisman (1981)

3) No Woman No Cry: Bob Marley & The Wailers (1975)

4) Guess Who's Coming To Dinner: Black Uhuru (1982)

5) Madame Medusa: UB40 (1980)

6) Makka Splaff (The Colly Man): Steel Pulse (1977)

7) African Children: Aswad (1983)

8) After Tonight: Matumbi (1979)

 

18 July 1975: The Lyceum, London, England: 3

02 October 1977: Electric Circus, Manchester, England: 6

31 March 1979: Cirque Royal/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, Belgium: 1

27 December 1979: Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea, Hammersmith Odeon, London, England: 8

28 August 1980: Arènes De Frejus, Fréjus, France: 5

28 July 1981: Bath Pavilion, Bath, England: 2

26 November 1982: Jamaica World Music Festival, Bob Marley Performing Arts Center, Montego Bay, Jamaica: 4

26 August 1983: Meanwhile Gardens, Notting Hill Carnival, London, England: 7

 

Everything's Gonna Be Alright (45:08) (KF) (Mega)

A Series Of Realisations...

...the first of which was that all of the music on today's selection is twenty years old. Gulp.

In 2003, I was married but Lady K had yet to arrive. Mrs. K and I were living in central Bristol. We lived very close to the Hen & Chicken pub, which hosted the fabulous Comedy Box which we went to a lot. It was (and still is) a fantastic place to catch up-and-coming performers as well as well established names who would use the venue for Edinburgh Festival work-in-progress shows. In 2003, we saw Ed Byrne, Tommy Tiernan and Dara Ó Briain, the latter for the second time having first seen him support (and surpass) Emo Phillips.

Musically speaking, 2003 appears to have been a gig-free desert. However, i listened to and discovered a lot in that year as in any other year since the mid-1980s, although there would have been a bit of culling, trading and adjusting my physical vinyl and CD collection. In 2003, there were already boxes in the loft that would involve specific trips to rummage, retrieve and record for mixtapes to support my daily walk to work.

A fair few of the music here can be tracked back to that period, some I acquired much later, but I'm struck by how fresh it all still sounds. Some are sadly no longer with us, some are still actively recording, performing and arguably producing some of the finest music of their career, all gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside after listening to them again.

The final realisation (more a reminder, really) came whilst putting this post together. The closing track - and inspiration for today's title - is California Sunshine by Abakus aka Russ Davies, son of Dave Davies and nephew of Ray Davies of The Kinks. This is an earlier/original version of a track that subsequently appeared on his debut album That Much Closer To The Sun in 2004. Beautiful.

 

1) Good Luck (Tim Deluxe Dub) (Remix By Timothy Liken): Basement Jaxx ft. Lisa Kekaula (2003)

2) Sister Saviour (DFA Dub) (Remix By James Murphy & Tim Goldsworthy): The Rapture (2003)

3) Nebulus (Vox): Fluke (2003)

4) Microtronics Five: Broadcast (2003)

5) Blue Room (CocoDaBank Remix By Chris Coco & Rob Da Bank): The Orb ft. Jah Wobble (2003) 

6) The Conductor (Remix By Thin White Duke aka Stuart Price): The Faint (2003)

7) Familiar Feeling (Martin Buttrich Remix Edit): Moloko (2003)

8) Still My World: Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood (2003)

9) Soul Shakedown Party (Gaudi Dub Remix By Daniele Gaudi): Bob Marley & The Wailers (2003)

10) California Sunshine (Original Version): Abakus ft. Ranajit Sengupta (2003) 

 

2003: Blue Room (promo 12"): 5

2003: Danse Macabre Remixes: 6

2003: Familiar Feeling EP: 7

2003: Good Luck EP: 1

2003: Microtronics Volume 01: 4

2003: Sister Saviour EP: 2

2003: Still My World (Japanese promo CD): 8

2003: Switch EP: 3 

2003: Youth In Dub: Orchestra Mystique: 10

2020: Gaudi: Remixes 1995-2020 (25 Years Special Edition): 9 

 

A Series Of Realisations... (54:48) (Box) (Mega)

If Summer Is Here, I'm Still Waiting There

What better way to offset what has so far been a pretty washed out May in this neck of the woods than with a dozen reggae tunes to let some sunshine in?

Many of the usual suspects - and Dubhed regulars - are present and correct: Gregory Isaacs, Marcia Griffiths, I-Roy, Junior Murvin, Carroll Thompson and Dennis Brown. A couple that have appeared less than I had thought: Black Uhuru and Bob Marley & The Wailers. The biggest surprise is that this is the first time here for Jackie Mittoo. Why so long?!

 

1) The Boom: Tapper Zukie (1979)

2) Warriors (Album Version): Gregory Isaacs (1978)

3) Mr. Bojangles (Cover of Jerry Jeff Walker): John Holt (1973)

4) Fresh And Clean: I-Roy (1974)

5) Solomon: Junior Murvin (1977)

6) I Just Don't Want To Be Lonely: Marcia Griffiths (1974)

7) Just A Little Bit (Album Version): Carroll Thompson (1981)

8) I Don't Want To Go: Pat Kelly (1979)

9) Waiting In Vain (Album Version): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)

10) Drum Song (Re-Recorded Version): Jackie Mittoo (1977)

11) What Is Life? (UK Remix Album Version): Black Uhuru (1983)

12) So Long (Rastafari Calling): Dennis Brown (1974)

 

If Summer Is Here, I'm Still Waiting There (42:59) (Box) (Mega)

Humble Yourself, My Children

As highlighted by Ernie Goggins at the always entertaining 27 Leggies blog on 1st February, Jamaica is currently celebrating Reggae Month. Ernie marked the occasion with music from a personal favourite, on what would have been the legendary Dennis Brown's 65th birthday. In typical fashion, I'd celebrated Dennis Brown here two weeks early.

By way of compensation and further celebration, here's more Dennis, accompanied by several other reggae legends, on a selection of cuts from 1972 to 1977. Most of the songs feature the vocal A-side paired with the version B-side, predominantly featuring The Aggrovators, for an extended rhythm. Is there a better way to roll into the weekend? Possibly, but this is pretty much guaranteed to shake you from a slumber to a slink in less than an hour.

 

1) Can You Feel It (Sufferation Every Day) (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Junior Byles (1977)

2) Skylarking / A Better Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee / King Tubby): Horace Andy ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

3) Declaration Of Rights / Dub Of Rights (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of The Abyssinians): Johnny Clarke ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

4) Jah Jah Is The Conqueror / Conqueror Dub (12" Version By Bunny Lee): Linval Thompson ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

5) Invasion (Wa Da Da) / Invasion Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of Burning Spear): Jackie Edwards ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

6) Wolf And Leopards (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Dennis Brown (1976)

7) Stir It Up (Album Version By Bob Marley & Chris Blackwell): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1972)

Humble Yourself, My Children (43:12)

Always Be At Peace With Your Soul, You Were Never Alone

To ease you into the weekend, a selection of dancehall grooves from the 1990s, featuring three UK Top 5 hits (Dawn Penn, Bob Marley & The Wailers and Aswad), one Top 15 single (Sly & Robbie) and, surprisingly, one Top 40 (Mishka).  

 

I say surprisingly for the latter, as I remember rolling my eyes when I first saw the video for Give You All The Love on The Chart Show. Adding grist to the mill, it was released in 1999 by a then-sinking Creation Records (they sunk that same year). A few years later, I spotted the CD single in a record shop and it was the remixes by Mad Professor and Bristol legends Smith & Mighty - and the 50p price tag - that convinced me to give it another go. I'm glad I did; I generally skip the album version, but the remixes are great. For all you trivia fans out there, Miska is the brother of Heather Nova.

In just under an hour, you get the brilliance of Adrian Sherwood, Bim Sherman and Jah Wobble, a 'lost' Marley song rediscovered a decade after his passing, and a version of Aswad's 2nd biggest hit that may appease those who thought they'd sold out by getting Beatmasters to remix the main 7" and 12" singles. Danny Red may be familiar to any of you with a copy of Leftfield's incredible Leftism album, as he contributed vocals to Inspection (Check One).

 

I don't usually comment on the accompanying photo but, in keeping with the relaxed rhythms of today's selection, I was working in Coleford the other day, a town in the heart of the Forest Of Dean. In a similarly relaxed style, I was tickled to see that they've been in no hurry to take down their Christmas neons. Either that, or it's taking this sentiment far too literally...

 

1) Solid As A Rock (Hexadecimal Remix Full Length By Steve Osborne): Bim Sherman (1996)

2) Night Nurse (Jah Wobble 12" Mix) (Cover of Gregory Isaacs): Sly & Robbie ft. Simply Red (1997)

3) Mammoth Galactica (Album Version By Audio Active & Adrian Sherwood): Audio Active ft. David Harrow (1995)

4) You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (Extended Mix By Steely & Clevie): Dawn Penn (1994)

5) Iron Lion Zion (12" Mix By): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1992)

6) Riddimwize (Part II - Re-Assess Your Style) (Remix By Nick Manasseh, Martin Madhatter & Peps): Danny Red (1994)

7) Shine (Majorwad Mix By Aswad & Carlton 'Bubblers' Ogilvie): Aswad (1994)

8) Give You All The Love (Smith And Mighty Club Mix): Mishka (1999)

 

Always Be At Peace With Your Soul, You Were Never Alone (53:39)

When We Mash Up The Wicked One Plan

Some dub-inflected sounds to soothe your soul...

1) Duppy Conqueror v/5: Bob Marley & The Wailers (1971)

2) Autobiography (Of The Dread Operator): Singers & Players ft. Mikey Dread (1983)

3) Pe-We Special: Lee 'Scratch' Perry & The Upsetters (1973)

4) Insohreckshan Dub: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1984)

5) Cash Machine (Roots Manuva Dub Remix): Hard-Fi (2006)

6) Dub There: Horace Andy (1977)

7) Dubnology: Alien Dread (2004)

When We Mash Up The Wicked One Plan (29:26)