grooVemonzter

Sunday, March 20, 2022

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

Monday, February 14, 2022

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. The price tag read $5.

Little Roy

Sunday, January 30, 2022

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

Friday, January 28, 2022

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

Friday, January 21, 2022

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

Sunday, January 16, 2022

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.