David Crosby live with Venice

 

artist: David Crosby with Venice

album: Jammin in the Canyon

year: 2004

David Crosby has moved on.

I know my blog is known for African and Reggae music but before all that, back in the 60s, I was a West Coast Hippie.  The albums "Crosby, Stills and Nash" and Neil Young's "After the Goldrush" pretty much summed up everything as far as I was concerned.

David Crosby had been beset with health issues in recent years but let's face it, it was a miracle that he made it past the 1960s.  Starting with the legendary Byrds and then CSNY, David Crosby was definitely a product of the sex, drugs and rock and roll 60s, and by all accounts he led the life fully.

David Crosby was a difficult man to live with.  It is not by chance that the bands he was associated with were as famous for their battles as for their music.  David Crosby was a larger-than-life character with a huge ego, but we cannot deny the fact that he was part of some of the best music to come out of a decade that was famous for its music.  Damn, we'll miss you David.

I found this CD at a thrift shop in the San Fernando Valley in 2016.  You never know what you'll find when you go hunting.  It was a homemade CD in a plain CD case with a handwritten cover: "David Crosby live with Venice."  I bought the CD for about two bucks and it's great.  It sounds like a soundboard recording.  It features David Crosby singing with the Los Angeles based band "Venice."  In the intro they mention that the show is part of "Jammin in the Canyon." Checking the internet, Jammin in the Canyon is a benefit show put on by Pacific Palisades High School and this performance was in 2004.  

I only put the David Crosby section on the video but if you want to hear the whole show get it HERE.

My favorite David Crosby story revolves around his relationship with the then unknown Joni Mitchell.

In 1967, after Crosby had been kicked out of the Byrds, he bought a sailboat and spent some time sailing around the Florida Keys.  One day after Crosby had anchored his boat he went into town and in his own words, "I walked into a coffee house in Coconut Grove, and she [Joni Mitchell] was standing there singing those songs and I just was Godsmacked."

David and Joni rapidly became involved, and she moved in with him on his sailboat.  The stories I've read tell of David and Joni sailing around the Caribbean on his sailboat singing songs together.  I wish we had those songs recorded.  

After a while Crosby decided that it was time for him to rejoin the real world, so he sold the boat and traveled back to California, with Joni.  He rented a place in Laurel Canyon and one night he threw a party for all of his record industry friends.  Into the party he said to everyone, "I have someone who I want you all to meet" and out came Joni Mitchell with her guitar. 

"This is Joni," Crosby said and Joni Mitchell played her songs for everyone, all the record executives, all the artist, and all the hipsters who were there, and by all accounts everyone was Godsmacked.

Crosby went on to arrange and produce Joni Mitchell's first album.  And the rest is musical history.

David Crosby and Joni Mitchell

Take care David.  Don't give God a hard time.

.

Studio One Dub Store Special

 

album: Dub Store Special

label: Studio One

released: 1974

I used to drink entirely too much.  It's not something I'm particularly proud of.  I'm just telling you this as an historical fact that I can't deny and to establish the image of me quite often waking up in the morning with a pile of records that I had bought in a drunken haze the night before. 

Many was the time that I quietly nursed a hangover with a cup of hot black coffee while I went through the nights haul in amazement.

I remember the morning I woke up to find King Sunny Ade's Original Syncro System and what historical significance that evening had to my later life.

I found this record sitting next to me one morning in about 1980.  Studio One Dubstore Special.  What a beautiful thing it was.  I remember putting it on the turn table and having a listen while I brewed my second cup.

I sold the record last year before I came to the Philippines.  But before I sent it off I gave it one last spin and recorded it.  

Let's talk about Studio One.

Studio One was the brain child of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd.  It was a record label and recording studio that is credited by most people as being the birthplace of modern Jamaican music.  So many of the famous Jamaican recording artist began their career as part of the Studio One stable.  Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Leroy Sibbles, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Joseph Hill, Horace Andy, Lee Perry, Prince Buster, The Gladiators, The Maytals, The Heptones, the list goes on.  

Clement Dodd was a cantankerous character.  And a penny pincher.  He was famous for putting out records that were bad pressings on used vinyl.  Many of the Studio One records I bought were literally bumpy with left over chunks of unmelted vinyl.  But the music was so great that it was hard to complain.  When recording music one of the most important ingredients is the atmosphere of the studio and by all accounts Studio One was the place to be.  Many Jamaican artist thought of Studio One as their home and their school.  But then again, many Jamaican artist to this day charge Dodd with becoming rich on their music while giving them little to no compensation.  So it goes.

Clement "Coxsone" Dodd standing outside his music shop in Jamaica

I bought this record on a drunken night in the 1980s at Rhino Records in Westwood.  I found it in the used reggae bin in a plain white sleeve.  Did Dodd put it out in a plain sleeve to save money or did the sleeve get lost before it was returned to the store?  Whatever.   It's actually a very nice pressing by Studio One standards and it's a record I have loved.   It features the version sides of various Studio One singles.  Lovely music.  I bought it for something like three bucks and sold it on Discogs for a nice profit.  Coxsone would be pleased.  Lol

For the record, I got the images for the cover and the back sleeves off of Discogs.  I can't figure out how to determine who uploaded them but thank you to the uploader.

Before I shipped it off, I recorded it.  Amazingly it still played great after all these years.

Good Bye old friend.

Also, for the record, I stopped drinking alcohol on the advice of a Judge in the 1995.  Everyone here in the Philippines keeps offering me alcohol.  People are so friendly.  They offer me shots of whiskey and I tell them thank you, but I don't drink.  They ask me why, so I tell them it's because I once made a promise to a Judge.  

Last night a lovely Filipina said, "But the Judge isn't here now."

"Yes," I said, "But God is."

Cheers from the Philippines.

.

Sir Shina Adewale Verse 2

artist: Sir Shina Adewale and His Superstars International

album: Super Star Verse 2

year: 1977

track listing:

Eyo Mo Wa

Ori Mi Gbemi Leke

Oluwa Yi Won Lokan Pada

Eda To Molak Kosi

A Dupe Emaseun Eni

Adura Mi Ti Gba

Ope Ni Fun Eledumare

Mi O Sojo Mo

Aigbagbo Bila

Tunde Bakare Balogun

Bola And Kamoru

I've moved to the Philippines and in the process I bought a new computer and I'm having all my files downloaded from Carbonite.  And look what came down!  Sir Shina Adewale Verse 2.  Wow.  It's like my Welcome to the Philippines gift.

I know I say things like this a lot but I had forgotten I had this video.  I must have pulled it off of Youtube sometime back.  If this is your video... Thank you.

It's been a while since I've posted any Juju music.  For those of you who have followed this blog you will remember that I started out posting Juju music.  Theophilus Iwalokun, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Prince Adekunle, Dele Abiodun and, Sir Shina Adewale.  I still love all those guys but I must confess that when I first found Sir Shina Adewale's music they totally blew me away.  Their guitar work was and is sublime.  

Segun Adewale and Shina Peters were musicians playing with the great General Prince Adekunle in 1977 when they decided to strike out on their own.  They created the mythical character "Shina Adewale" by combining their names and proceeded to make some great music.  Over the next few years they produced nine albums.  When I first got into their music I hunted high and low and could only find Verse 1, Verse 4 and Verse 7.  This video that I'm posting here, that seems to have downloaded from heaven, is Verse 2.

Spoiler alert, I think we only get side one with this video.  But hey, that's better than a swift poke in the eye.

And oh, I got the images form Discogs.  I'm a bit of a pirate.  That's just the Filipino in me.

Cheers.

.

Barrington Levy - Poor man style

 

When Dance hall was lovely.

album: Poorman Style

artist: Barrington Levy

musicians: Roots Radics

producer: Linval Thompson

mixed by Scientist

studio:Channel One

label: Clocktower/Abraham

How did Dancehall become Yellowman?

That is a question that has haunted me for 40 years.

Dancehall, the dancehall that I fell in love with, was so good. Those wicked Roots Radics rythms.  Producers like Linval Thompson and Junjo Lawes.  Artist like the Wailing Souls, Barrington Levy, Linval Thompson himself. The ever present Scientist mixing.  Channel One Studio.  Good music.  When Yellowman came out... It was like loss of Eden..

And I didn't even get the apple.

She Is The Best Girl

I get a tickle every time I see the "Abraham" logo.  A lot of people give Abraham a lot of grief.  Call him a bootleg label.  Say all sorts of ill things but I just want to say "Thank You Mr. Abraham."  Back in the 80s and 90s I purchased so much vinyl on that label.  So many great Channel One albums that I would have otherwise never found.  I'm glad to see he's still putting out material on CD.  Cheers.

I Love I Love Her

Barrington Levy

Little Roy - Bongo Nyah

artist: Earl Lowe aka Little Roy

songs:  Jah can count on I b/w Bongo Nyah

label: Tafari

year: 1979

Technically speaking Bongo Nyah is the B side of this record but it was the song I was interested in when I bought this single. I found it one day in a used reggae bin in Chicago.  About blew my socks off.  I had been hunting for this record high and low for years and then there it was just sitting with the rest of the records.  It's moments like that that I feel a joy and the room spins a bit. 

Little Roy

,

Sylford Walker and Welton Irie

artists: Sylford Walker and Welton Irie

album: Lamb's Bread International

label: Blood and Fire

Dreadful music.  Jamaica mid 1970s.  

Glenmore Brown productions. 

We're in the heart of Kingston's downtown on Gold Street, between East Queen Street and Harbor Street.  Yabby You is lurking in the shadows behind all the smoke.  Wicked a go run.

.  

 

Lamb's Bread

.

Original Music Various Artist

 

artist: Various Artist

album: Reggae Revive Classic's

label: Original Music

year: 1997

recorded: 1976 - 1979

I don't think I've ever heard an Original Music production that I didn't like.  Roots music with that low budget air of authenticity.  This album has seriously good versions.  Credited to The Revolutionaries.  Great mixing.  Shades of King Tubby Uptown.  Classic.  Dread.  

Jah Woosh - Marcus Say and Version

Joseph Earlocks and The Revolutionaries - Free the Black Man Version

• Musicians:
• 
  
• Bass – Flabba*, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Robbie Benbon, Style Scott
• Drums – Eric "Fish" Clarke, Sly Dunbar
• Horns – Hedly Bennet*, Georgie Sax
• Organ – Ansel Collins
• Percussion – Bongo Herman, Scully*
• Piano – Ansel Collins, Tarzan*, Snapping*
• Producer – Neville Beckford

Horace Andy - Tonight and Version

.

Nasio - Living in the Positive

artist: Nasio Fontaine

album: Living in the Positive

label: Higher Love Music

year: 2003

I don't hear enough about Nasio Fontaine.  Nasio is a great singer.

I was introduced to Nasio Fontaine by a cassette tape that I just somehow had.  I have no idea how I got it..  I just found it one day among my cassette tapes.  The tape said "Nasio" on it in someone's handwriting.  Thank you whoever left it.  I played that tape to death.  This was back when I was living in Miami.  Nasio's upful singing was perfect for drives down the Keys.  What a life.  I still have that tape somewhere.  

Amazing footage of Nasio live in Sierra Leone.  

Babylon cause all the problems

.

 

 

Harder Shade of Black - Santic Records

artist:  Various Artist

album: Harder Shade of Black

label: Pressure Sounds

Santic Record Company

Leonard Chin aka Santic was born in 1953 in Kingston, Jamaica.  In the early 1970s Chin began working as a singer but he soon realized that his disposition was more suited to music production.  So he set up his own recording label, "Santic Recording Company."  The name Santic is said to have been derived from the name of his friend drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis but then again who really knows.  Chin's productions during the the 1970's included recordings by Augustus Pablo, Paul Whiteman, Jah Woosh, Roman Stewart, Horace Andy and Gregory Isaacs.  Augustus Pablo actually recorded his first single "Pablo In Dub" with Santic Records.  Horace Andy had two substantial hits with the Santic label: "Problems" and "Children of Israel" both of which are included on this CD.  Chins recording sessions generally took place at Randy's Studio with Errol Thompson mixing and Augustus Pablo on the keyboards and arranging.  

As the 70s ended and the Rockers Era drew to a close Leonard Chin moved on to London where he became involved in Lovers Rock production which is as they say, a whole new story.  The album here "Harder Shade of Black" is a mid-70s compilation of Santic Recordings reissued by Pressure Sounds.  The recordings are strictly Rockers... and Wicked. 

Leonard Chin aka Santic

 

Little Roy - Tafari Earth Uprising

 

artist: Little Roy

album: Tafari Earth Uprising

label: Pressure Sounds

year: 1996

Killer Album

songs:  (all great)

1      Prophesy

2      Christopher Columbus

3      Don't Cross The Nation

4      Earth

5      Easy Chair

6      Mr. T.

7      Tribal War

8      Forces

9      Working

10    Richman Laugh

11    Blackbird

12    Jah Can Count On I

13    Rocking Chair

14    Forces Dub