Johnny Dizzy Moore RIP
August 20, 2008 – 11:33 pm
A French Natty Dread
August 20, 2008 – 11:01 pm
The August/September issue of French reggae magazine Natty Dread is available now. Articles include a feature on K.Vibes (Karen Morrisson) who recorded the superb Frenemies for Studio One, the story of Nanny Goat by Larry and Alvin, interviews with Etana and Bushman and a load more. Pity it’s in French!
As usual there is a free sampler CD, featuring The Kingstonians, Earth & Stone, Gregor Isaacs, K.Vibes etc.
You can subscribe to the magazine at the Natty Dread website (check the forum) or Dub Vendor in the UK should have copies for sale shortly.
Carl Gayle
August 7, 2008 – 5:57 pm
In the 70’s Carl Gayle was one of the foremost UK reggae journalist, his writing for Black Music magazine is now almost legendary. Prolific interviewer Peter I speaks to him in depth on the Reggae-Vibes website.
Johnny O’s 80’s Greatest Hits
August 6, 2008 – 12:35 pmGreensleeves release a new instalment of their Most Wanted series on CD in September. This time the focus is the dancehall output of Johnny Osbourne, from early 80’s classics like Fally Ranking to tough digital offerings from later in the decade. As in previous issues there are plenty of 12″ mixes to add to the overall quality.
Johnny Osbourne - Most Wanted
GRELCD615
- Fally Ranking (12″ mix)
- Trenchtown School (12″ mix)
- Ice Cream Love
- Back Off (12″ mix feat. Papa Tullo)
- Trying To Turn Me On (12″ mix feat. Papa Tullo)
- Give a Little Love
- Angel In My Arms (12″ mix)
- Water Pumping
- Rewind
- In The Area
- Buddy Bye Bye
- No Sound Like We
- Dub Plate Playing
- Struggle Ha Fi Gwan
- Trickster (12″ mix)
Also due out on Greensleeves at around the same time is another CD in the 12″ Rulers series, featuring the productions of Linval Thomspon and with the likes of Barrington Levy, Eek A Mouse and Barry Brown on there you can’t go far wrong.
A Double Barrel
July 30, 2008 – 12:59 pmAnsell Collins talks to the Jamaica Gleaner about that famous tune. A few months ago the Gleaner also discussed this with Winston Riley. Though Riley got his dates wrong it’s good to see that the stories match up.
The Universal take on Trojan
July 21, 2008 – 10:48 pm
Trojan Records under the ownership of Sanctuary lead a bit of a schizophrenic existance, some great and inspired reissues always vied for shelfspace with cheap and nasty box sets and compilations of the same old tunes by celebrity deejays that very few people had even heard of.
Since Trojan was bought by Universal a good few months ago there had been very few new re-issues from them until recently. In April there was a box of 7″ singles featuring the earliest releases on the Trojan label and in August comes a “Deluxe edition” re-issue of the first Tighten Up LP on double CD. This is kind of nice at it collects together the B sides of the original singles that went to make up the compilation and a load more similar tunes, 47 in total. there is nothing especially rare and a few week tunes look like they will disrupt the flow but all in all this promises to be a solid collection of rocksteady and early reggae.
We hope they remember to pay the royalties to all those involved.
Sleng Teng on the Wire
July 21, 2008 – 9:51 pmThe latest issue of Wire magazine (the August one with Tricky on the front) has an interesting article on 80’s digital reggae. This is written by David Stelfox who is a bit of a rising star in reggae journalism having previously published decent articles in the Guardian, which in the past has been hostle and ignorant in it’s Jamaican music coverage.
The article gives a background (the usual Sleng Teng story) before looking at diffent production houses; Ujama, Jammy’s, Redman, Tubby’s, Steely & Cleevie, Music Works, Digital B, Penthouse. You can’t fault his selections though it’s a bit strange that LP’s are mentioned for some and 7″s for others.
All in all worth a look. While your checking it remind yourself what is great about the late 80’s with these DanceCrasher mixes:
Update. I’ve run out of bandwidth on the site I host the downloads on so these won’t be available till after the 11 August… sorry.
Redman Pt 1
Redman Pt 2
Jammy’s Pt 1
Jammy’s Pt 2
Tubby’s
The great Roy Shirley RIP
July 18, 2008 – 8:54 pmNo More Crying Time?
July 17, 2008 – 1:29 pm
From ska tunes for Justin Yap, to 70’s roots masterpieces to now, the singer Claudius Linton tells it all in this interview at Reggae Vibes.
Tighten Up Crew @ Carnival
July 17, 2008 – 12:54 pm
Though the Tighten Up monthly sessions are no more, Mistah Brown, Champian and Tim P are still round and about. The crew will be guesting on the Gladdy Wax Sound System at Notting Hill Carnival again this year. We’ll be playing on the Sunday, the time is not confirmed but we’ll be in the area pretty much all day so come down and join in the festivities.
The Gladdy Wax Sound System is located on the corner of Potobello & Golborne Roads throughout the Carnival weekend.