Keep The Fire Burning Inside

Some heavyweight grooves to make you move, courtesy of 14 reggae and dub legends.

All of these songs originate in 1975, although I can't be certain that the individual versions used here date from that year. 

Such is the task of trying to date releases when many Jamaican 7" singles bore very little info, let alone the year of release. I guess they weren't considering that half a century later, saddoes like me would be trawling the internet, trying to track down the merest snippet of info about a song. "Internet"? What's an "internet"?!

No matter, what binds them all together is a bass, skank, skunk and a trunk full of quality tunes. Some of the finest voices to ever grace vinyl, from Pat Kelly to Susan Cadogan to Gregory Isaacs to Bim Sherman to Louisa Mark and U-Roy.

Augustus Pablo appears twice, the second appearance via Baby I Love You So, my introduction to the great man via the cover version by Colourbox in 1986.

And Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey is one of the greatest albums of all time.

1) 555 Crown Street (Single Version): Augustus Pablo

2) There's A Song (Sing About Love): Pat Kelly

3) King Tubby's Badness Dub: King Tubby

4) Carry Go Bring Come (Discomix): Justin Hinds & The Dominoes

5) Fever (Live) (Cover of Little Willie John): Susan Cadogan

6) Darkest Night: James Eastwood

7) Dreadlocks Love Affair: Gregory Isaacs

8) Resting Place: Burning Spear

9) Danger (Album Version): Bim Sherman

10) Jah Jah Jehoviah: Ronnie Davis

11) Baby I Love You So: Jacob Miller & Augustus Pablo

12) Blue Boots (Album Version): Eric Donaldson

13) All My Loving (Cover of The Beatles): Louisa Mark

14) Joyful Locks: U-Roy

1975: Marcus Garvey: 8

1990: Crucial Cuts II: 9

199x: Classics: 2

1998: Breakout (bonus tracks): 13

1998: Trojan Dub Box Set: 3

2003: Cool Ruler: The Definitive Collection: 7

2004: The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story: 14

2005: Tom Middleton Presents Crazy Covers Vol 1: Cosmosonica: 5

2005: Trojan Roots Reggae Box Set: Forward Jah Jah Children: 10

2006: The Essential Augustus Pablo: 1, 11

2007: Sun Is Shining (Mojo magazine promo CD): 6

2009: Emmett's 10/09 Playlist (Art Decade blog): 12

2015: Reggae Discomixes: 22 Essential Extended Mixes: 4

Keep The Fire Burning Inside (46:28) (KF) (Mega)

Leap Year

I didn't quite have enough song titles and artists featuring the word 'leap' to make a decent sized Dubhed selection, so here's a bunch of videos instead, starting appropriately enough with Leap Year by Port O'Brien from 2009.

 

From there, it's literally 1 Giant Leap with Braided Hair from 2002 featuring Speech (Arrested Development) and Neneh Cherry. I could have picked any song from the album to be honest but (a) this one had an accompanying video and (b) it's got Neneh Cherry on it, what's not to love?

Elbow got in on the act by releasing a new single, Lovers' Leap,  earlier this month with the second video this week featuring lots of running (see PJ Harvey on Tuesday).

Bim Sherman got to Lovers Leap first though, with this classic from 1979.

Elbow and Bim maybe should have listened to Gregory Isaacs' advice back in 1971 to Look Before You Leap...

...Especially if like Sergeant Neil Howie (aka Edward Woodward), you are drawn like a Magnet to the island of Summerisle circa 1973 and encounter the Fire Leap on your way to a meeting with a seemingly bewigged Christopher Lee...

Randolph's Leap obviously tried it fully clothed in 2021 and saw their wardrobe go Up In Smoke...

Again, if only they'd listened to Billy Bragg's advice (and one of his greatest songs) in 1988 and were still Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards...

...though these Mael siblings clearly also got tired of hanging around in 1997 and took The Great Leap Forward.

Tomorrow, a 3-hour Dubhed selection of 'March' songs. No, wait, I'm joking, please come back...!

Had A Dream The Other Night

It's been nearly two years since the last selection dedicated to Dub Syndicate, which is far too long.  

 

The previous selection from July 2021, The Dub Is Coming, comprised 10 songs clocking in at 46:29 and covering On-U Sound releases between 1983 and 1996. By sheer coincidence, this selection is also 10 songs with a run time of 46:30, but this time I've cast my net a little wider.

 

1998's Mellow & Colly was Dub Syndicate's first post-On-U Sound album, self-produced and released on Style Scott's own label, Lion And Roots, and mixed by the legend that is Scientist aka Overton Brown. Adrian Sherwood was back at the controls for subsequent albums up to and including Hard Food, posthumously issued in January 2015 following Scott's senseless murder three months previously.

Dub Syndicate's legacy lives on. The excellent 5CD box set Ambience In Dub 1982-1985 was released by On-U Sound in 2017, including Displaced Masters, a bonus disc containing outtakes and versions. The physical format is sold out but digital is available via Bandcamp at a frankly ridiculous £20.00 for 50 songs - that's 40p per track! If that's not incentive enough, the rest of their On-U back catalogue is £5.00 a pop for digital, whilst The Pounding System and Tunes From The Missing Channel have been repressed on vinyl for a very reasonable £16.00 each.

The later albums are also all worth your time though harder to find digitally. Whilst secondhand CD prices on Discogs are pretty decent, their location means some eye-watering shipping charges if you're ordering from the UK.

When I posted the previous Dub Syndicate selection, it was a grim, wet weekend and I was optimistic that Style and co. would bring back the sunshine with their good dub vibes. It worked on that occasion. I'm posting this on another grey, rain-lashed weekend and hoping today's selection works it's magic yet again. In dub we trust....

 

1) God Is A Man (Album Version: Dub Syndicate ft. Junior Reid (1998)

2) No Flash aka Socca (Version): Dub Syndicate (1983)

3) Yes Its Bless (Album Version): Dub Syndicate ft. Little David (2001)

4) Crucial Tony Tries To Rescue The Space Invaders (With Only 10p): Dub Syndicate (1982)

5) Red Sea (Album Version): Doctor Pablo & The Dub Syndicate (1984)

6) Kingston 14 (Album Version): Dub Syndicate ft. Gregory Isaacs (2004)

7) Jolly: Dub Syndicate (1984)

8) Green Stick: Dub Syndicate (1993)

9) Ascendent Part 4: Dub Syndicate (1983)

10) Love Addis Ababa (Album Version): Dub Syndicate (2015)

1982: The Pounding System (Ambience In Dub): 4

1983: One Way System: 9

1984: North Of The River Thames: 5

1984: Tunes From The Missing Channel: 7

1993: Echomania: 8

1998: Mellow & Colly: 1

2001: Acres Of Space: 3 

2004: No Bed Of Roses: 6

2015: Hard Food: 10

2017: Displaced Masters: Unreleased Versions From The Vault: 2

Had A Dream The Other Night (46:30) (KF) (Mega)

You can find The Dub Is Coming here.

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)

Daylight Dubbing

To mark Daylight Saving in the UK, with the clocks going back at 2.00am this morning (the cat woke me promptly at 3.00am), here's some Daylight Dubbing, courtesy of Augustus Pablo.

All but one of the tracks on today's selection come from The Essential Augustus Pablo, a 2CD set from 2006 that actually lives up to the 'essential' tag. The exception, the version of Nora's Dean wonderfully titled 1975 single Scorpion In His Underpants, comes from another essential collection, 2004's 4CD set The Bunny 'Striker' Lee Story.

Much of the music featured here either appeared as single A-sides or version B-sides  on Jamaican 7" singles in the mid-late 1970s, with a few by other artists featuring or produced by Pablo.

It's still dark outside as I finish writing this but an hour in the company of Augustus Pablo and friends and I feel bathed in Caribbean sunshine.

1) 555 Dub Street: Augustus Pablo (1975)

2) Skanking Easy: Augustus Pablo (1972)

3) East Of The River Nile (Single Version): Herman ft. Augustus Pablo (1971)

4) Up Waricka Hill: Augustus Pablo (1974)

5) I Am Alright (Single Version By Augustus 'Gussie' Clarke): Gregory Isaacs & Old Boys Inc. ft. Augustus Pablo (1973)

6) King David's Melody: Augustus Pablo (1979)

7) Let's Get Started (Single Version By Augustus Pablo): Tetrack (1978)

8) Islington Rock: Augustus Pablo (1978)

9) Memories Of The Ghetto: Augustus Pablo (1978)

10) The Sting aka The Scorpion: Augustus Pablo ft. Nora Dean (1975)

11) Black Gunn: Augustus Pablo (1974)

12) Crucial Burial: Augustus Pablo (1979)

13) Bells Of Death: Augustus Pablo (1972)

14) Our Man Flint (Single Version By Lee 'Scratch' Perry): Augustus Pablo & Lloyd Young (1973)

15) El Rocker's: Augustus Pablo (1974)

16) Pablo's Satta: Augustus Pablo (1975)

17) King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown: Augustus Pablo (1975)

18) Fiat 125 aka Cowtown Skank Version: Augustus Pablo (1973)

19) Unfinished Melody: Augustus Pablo (1977)

Daylight Dubbing (59:08)

Jubileever

Back to 1977, from platinum to silver and the first Jubilee that I can remember. I had the commemorative coin from Midland Bank, but I think I'd used it as currency by the early 80s, somewhat indifferent even then towards the monarchy, 

I won't pretend that I was listening to all of this music in 1977 at the age of 6. It was all Blondie, David Soul, Belle Epoque, The Stranglers and Patsy Gallant on Radio 1, usually played in my parents' Austin Maxi; they upgraded to an Austin Allegro a few years later.

My deep love for reggae via Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy and Yabby You came much later, but it was seeded in 1977 with chart hits like Althea & Donna's Uptown Top Ranking. Likewise, disco prevailed with I Feel Love by Donna Summer, Everybody Dance by Chic and not forgetting Meco's cover version of the theme from Star Wars. It's fair to say that I wasn't sufficiently switched on in my primary school years to pick up on John Cooper Clarke, The Clash and John Cale, or John Foxx-era Ultravox, for that matter.

What a bloody great playlist it would have made, though. I'm as excited now by the music as I think I would have been, had I been introduced to it all simultaneously back in 1977. 

I love music, that's all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less, only love.

 

1) One Chord Wonders (Album Version): The Adverts

2) (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear: Blondie

3) Silver Lady: David Soul

4) I Married A Monster From Outer Space (Live @ Electric Circus, Manchester, 1-2 October 1977): John Cooper Clarke

5) I Need You (Cover of The Kinks): The Count Bishops

6) Chicken Shit: John Cale

7) Slavemaster: Gregory Isaacs

8) Black Is Black (Single Version) (Cover of Los Bravos): Belle Epoque

9) The Man Who Dies Everyday (Black Sand Extended Edit): Ultravox

10) I'm So Bored With The U.S.A.: The Clash

11) That's What Friends Are For (Single Version) (Cover of Deniece Williams): Janet Kay

12) No More Heroes (Album Version): The Stranglers

13) From New York To L.A. (Single Version): Patsy Gallant

14) Blood A Go Run Down King Street: Yabby You

15) Mr. Bassie (Discomix By Everton Da Silva): Horace Andy

Jubileever (54:25)

Lovers Rock

Inspired by watching Steve McQueen's Lovers Rock (finally!) and loved up following the recent brace of excellent love-themed mixes over at The Vinyl Villain from Jez* and JC himself, today's selection features a groovy kind of love (though thankfully no Phil Collins).

 

Mrs. K & I have made a very belated visit to Steve McQueen's Small Axe series of films, originally premiered on BBC One in late 2020. No excuse for leaving it so long, really, as they are an absolute joy in film-making and storytelling, with an excellent cast. Lovers Rock is the second of five films and both have been essential viewing so far.

Despite a deep love of reggae and dub, I cannot pretend to be an expert in any way, but I'm reasonably confident that the lovers rock label legitimately applies to all of today's featured artists. Some - Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson, Marcia Griffiths, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, Pat Kelly - I have loved for a long, long time. Others have been more recent discoveries, several via Mojo magazine's "How To Buy...Lovers Rock" - Jean Adebambo, Vivian Weathers, Jimmy Lindsay, 15 16 17, Candy McKenzie and Love Joys. All are an aural delight for the ears, with sweet vocals complemented by rocksteady rhythms and joyous basslines.

 

Apologies for pops, crackles and skips on some songs. No apologies for the sheer quality of the tunes.

1) Lovers Rock JA. Style: Freddie McGregor (1981)

2) Breakfast In Bed (Cover of Dusty Springfield): Candy McKenzie (1977)

3) Sweet, Bitter Love (Album Version By Lloyd Charmers): Marcia Griffiths (1974) 

4) Stoned In Love (Cover of 'I'm Stone In Love With You' by The Stylistics): Pat Kelly (1979)

5) Black Pride: Brown Sugar (1977)

6) Money In My Pocket (Pt.1) (Single Version By Joe Gibbs): Dennis Brown (1979)

7) Let Me Rock You Now (12" Version By Lloyd Barnes): Love Joys (1982)

8) Steal Away Girl: Sugar Minott (1980)

9) No, You Don't Know (Album Version): Carroll Thompson (1981)

10) Caught You In A Lie / Pt. 2 Caught Dubbing (12" Version By Sir Coxsone): Louisa Mark (1975)

11) Black Skin Boys: 15 16 17 (1977)

12) The Way You Walk: Vivian Weathers (1978)

13) Something's On My Mind (Album Version By Tad A. Dawkins & Sylvan Morris): Horace Andy (1980)

14) Something Nice: Gregory Isaacs (1975)

15) Look At Me, I'm In Love: Sylvia Tella (1981)

16) Pipe Dreams (Album Version By Desmond Lyken): Jean Adebambo (1983)

17) Love Was Never Meant For Me: Jimmy Lindsay (1979)

18) Silly Games (Album Version By Dennis Bovell): Janet Kay (1982)

 

Lovers Rock (1:07:23)

 

* Jez is also responsible for A History Of Dubious Taste, another of my regular, essential reads when exploring the blogosphere.

In A Discotheque At Dawn Is When It Came To Me

Nothing clever or fancy about today's selection: 7 randomly selected 12" mixes, sequenced in alphabetical order by artist. Some unexpected and welcome treats, though: a welcome return to this blog for Act aka Claudia Brücken & Thomas Leer; Bryan Ferry goes clubbing*; an early remix by Justin Robertson; François K taking on The Cure; and disco and dub classics from Grace Jones and Gregory Isaacs. To close, a track from modern dub colossi Youth and Gaudi, remixed by Cambridge DJ/producer Kuba, which has introduced me to a couple of new genres, psychill and broken beat. Every day an education. And a reason to keep moving.

1) Chance (Throbbin' Mix By Stephen Lipson): Act (1988)

2) You Can Dance (John Monkman Remix): Bryan Ferry (2010)

3) Redhills Road (Most Excellent Mix By Justin Robertson): Candy Flip (1991)

4) Hey You!!! (Extended Remix By François Kevorkian & Alan Gregorie): The Cure (1988)

5) La Vie En Rose (A Tom Moulton Mix): Grace Jones (1977)

6) Cool Down The Pace (10" Mix By Godwin Logie & Paul 'Groucho' Smykle): Gregory Isaacs (1982)

7) Empress Of The Tarot (Kuba Remix By Laurence Harvey): Youth & Gaudi (2020) 

 

* This is very good, but the original version by DJ Hell is the best.

In A Discotheque At Dawn Is When It Came To Me (44:12)

Dubhed Excursion To The Outer Limits

There's something about Spring going into Summer that sees my playlist dominated by reggae and dub. I have collected many, many albums and compilations over the decades but I won't begin to pretend that I know what I'm talking about, other than how the sounds and words make me feel. 

 
I've hastily cobbled together a 10-song 'vinyl' sampler of albums I've been listening to this week, for your listening pleasure.

Side One (17:30)

1) Declaration Of Rights: The Abyssinians (1975)

2) Kung Fu Warrior: Lee 'Scratch' Perry & The Upsetters (1975)

3) Reggae Rock: Earl Sixteen (1982)

4) Blood Of My Blood: Keith Hudson (1974)

5) John Burns Skank (Live Good): Burning Spear (1976)

Side Two (16:01)

1) Strictly Dub: Black Beard aka Dennis Bovell (1978)

2) Forces Of Viktry: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1979)

3) Pick The Beam: Yabby You (1977)

4) Aso: Gregory Isaacs (1978)

5) I Shall Be Released: Keith Hudson (1974)

 

Side One (17:30)

Side Two (16:01)