Black Slate feat. Ras Elroy

artist: Black Slate feat. Ras Elroy

song: Seven Hundred Pound Weight b/w Justice and Honour

label: Integrity 12 inch single

This, I want to tell you, is a piece of vinyl that I loved.

Deep affection.

It has everything that I love..  Heavy solid music.  Lyrics that talk to me.  Limited pressing.  Obscure label.  12 inch extended play.  Wicked dub.  Good lord what more do you want?

I picked it up one night in the used reggae bin at Rhino Records in Westwood sometime in the mid 80's.  At the time I had no idea who Ras Elroy or Black Slate were but Rhino had a listening booth and I listented to it and grabbed it.  Aka, I lucked out. 

Folks, will we ever find used records like this again?  Sigh.

Black Slate was (is) a British reggae band.  They never made it as big as say Aswad or Steel Pulse but they did put out some heavy duty reggae.  Seven Hundred Pound Weight heavy.

When I came to the Philippines I gave this record to a friend.  I couldn't sell it.

Seven Hundred Pound

My woman loves it and she smokes it
my woman loves it and she needs it
my woman smokes it cuz it takes her higher
but we just can afford it.

Mister Government, Mister Government
you've taken away from the poor man
who smoke this herb for meditation
to reach to the higher one.

So seven hundred pound
a weight a murder
seven hundred pounds
a weight of sensimilla
seven hundred pounds
a weight of sensimilla.

While we're on the subject.. Marijuana.

As I have said before I am now living in the Philippines.  The other night I was at a Filipino party.  Filipinos love to party.  They get together in the villages and sing Karaoke and pass around shots of whiskey and party until the wee hours.  It's beautiful.  And as I was saying the other night I was at such a party when low and behold a joint got fired up.  Ganja.  Reefer.  Sweet Sensimilla.... 

It came passing by and DAMN IT I had to say no. 

It killed me.

Do you know what they do to foreigners who get caught with narcotics in Asia.  Don't ask.

My friends all said "Ah come on.."  but folks, in the Philippines they list Marijuana, the lambs bread, Jah's gift to the world, right along side heroin and cocaine and if I got caught with any drugs.. as a foreigner.. well forget it.  No more grooVemonzter that's for sure.

So I said no.... and the joint passed on.  Sigh.

For the time being this wonderful music can be found here: Sensimilla

Black Slate

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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 the night before in a drunken haze lying next to me.   

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 lying by my side and what significance buying that record had to my later life.

But today we're taking about the album Studio One Dub Store Special.  

I found my copy of Dub Store Special sitting next to me one hungover morning in the 1980s.  What a beautiful thing it was.  I remember putting it on the turn table and having a listen to it while I brewed my second cup of java.  The music was understated and soothing.  Just what the doctor ordered.

I had the record in my collection for over 40 years.  I sold it 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 brainchild 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 by all accounts a cantankerous character.  And a penny pincher.  He was famous for putting out great records on cheep 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 perhaps the most important ingredient is the atmosphere of the studio and 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 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 pretty penny and 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.

When I played it to record it I was amazed that 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 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.

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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

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Johnny Osbourne - Give a Little Love

artist: Johnny Osbourne with the Roots Radics

label: Greensleeves 12 inch sngle

side A: Give a Little Love

side B: Give a Little Dub / Dub a Little Love

Give a Little Love

Johnny Osbourne

Give a Little Dub

Dub a Little Love

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Dennis Brown - To be a Weakman

Never falsely accuse no man in this time...

Murther!!!!  First degree murtherrrrrrr!!!!!

artist: Dennis Brown

song: To be a weakman b/w version

label: Yvonne's Special 12 inch single

Dennis Brown

Never trust no shadow after dark

Apple Gabriel - Be Mine 12"

Another find from the box.

This, my friends, is really a nice 12 inch single.  I can't even believe I own it.  I first heard the song on the Miss Wire Waist show in the 90s and loved it.  By then we had the internet and I posted on a reggae discussion group that I had heard this song on the radio and does anyone know where I can get a copy etc.  

A day later someone in Florida said they had the record and would I like it...  Just like that.

I typed.... "Yes, I would like it."

And he mailed it to me.

Just like that.

Life is sweet.

And, um, this one isn't for sale...


artist: Apple Gabriel
song:  Be Mine bw Version
label: World Enterprise Records

Apple Gabriel

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Michael Knowledge Samuel - Give I&I some work

Do you ever stumble upon a box of records that you forgot you had?  Like in a closet or something.  It's such a rush.

In this case it wasn't so much that I had forgotten about the box it was just that the box was up high in a closet and pushed to the back and I've been too lazy to climb up there.  For more than a few years actually.  

This morning, after my coffee, I mustered the energy to climb up there and much to my pleasure I remembered, this was a box of old records that I had previously decided that I was never going to part with.  A "not for sale" box so to speak.  

But that was then and this is now and everything is for sale.... This looks interesting...

Tucked in there I found this wicked Drum & Bass 12 inch single:

side A

artist: Michael "Knowledge" Samuel

song: Give I and I some work

label: Drum & Bass

side B
artist: The Maytones
song: Forget your troubles and dance
label: Drum & Bass

Give Thanks

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Bunny Wailer - Borderation (12 inch single)

Yes...  just what I like.   A nice fat riddim.  The musicians are credited as "Solomonic Players" but, to me, it sounds like the Roots Radics.  I'm partial to the version side.  At least this morning I am.

FYI there's a great article on Bunny Wailer HERE

artist: Bunny Wailer and Solomonic Players

label: Solomonic

format: 12" single

songs: Borderation b/w Badder Ridim 

year: 1983

all over creation

Solomonic Players

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Delroy Wilson - When I Needed You Most (disco mix)

Delroy Wilson is, for me, the most evocative of singers.  I can't really put my finger on it but when I hear his voice I feel bitter sweet love and I yearn for it...  I don't know... Hard to explain.


song:  When I Needed You Most (disco mix) b/w Most Version
artist: Delroy Wilson
musicians: Lloyd Parks and We The People
label: Pioneer International



When I Needed You Most

Most Version

Nana McLean - Till I Kiss You (12 inch)

I used to drink a lot more than I do now.  I suppose that's true for many people.  Sometimes, back then, I would go out carousing and then wake up in strange places which, in hind sight, was probably a little dangerous.  But usually I woke up in my own home.

Sometimes I would wake up after an evening out and find a bag of records lying next to me.  Like it's Christmas!  Let's see what Santa brought us.

The 12 inch single pictured above was one such gift from the Angel of Tequila.  I remember waking one Sunday morning and finding it in a bag next to me.  This was sometime around 1980 give or take.  I had hazy memories of stumbling into Rhino Records the night before.  I looked at the label.  Nana McLean?  I muttered.  I put it on the turn table and gave it a spin.  And I thought, oh my, such an innocent and beautiful song.  Innocent and beautiful.  And still wicked.  Nuff respect to Studio One.

song: Till I Kiss You
artist: Nana McLean
label: Studio One
produced by: C. S. Dodd




Till I Kiss You

Little Roy - Bongo Nyah

Little Roy

"Bongo Nyah"

Tafari Disco 45

Fire Redder than Red

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