Help me compile a list. I’ll start with Lee Scratch Perry:
A bit left field and I believe never performed live. youtube.com/watch?v=YVthsmWRCug&
Great songs! Love it. Struggle not to reach out for a joint and chill
That’s a really, really good track - never heard before.
Lee Scratch 'Hold of Death' is a personal favourite.
> Great songs! Love it. Struggle not to reach out for a joint and chill
Here's the perfect accompaniment from the Capital Letters: a great band from my home town of Wolverhampton, who could justifiably have gone in the under-rated bands thread
youtube.com/watch?v=uNvGRVhKZjo& Sophia George , girlie girlie
So many to choose from! But this tragically funny On-U production featuring Prince Far-I is a gem:
Toots & The Maytals, Gone with the wind.
LKJ in Dub is a fantastic album. I've had it for 40+ years. Here's the opener, Peach (Dub):
youtube.com/watch?v=b_FKA2GPrPo&
And I really like Jimmy Cliff. Especially Vietnam:
Two Stevens Clash - Culture
I'll never forget hearing this classic playing from huge speakers at a crossroads in a tiny village in Ghana, when we'd stopped en route to a remote school with whom we were setting up an educational link. The school was five hours 4x4 drive from the last tarmac. I'd always loved the song, and in fact had done assemblies on it, but to hear it in that setting and in what was quite an intense emotional state sent shiver after shiver down my spine - despite the fact that it was about 40C in the sun!
youtube.com/watch?v=nv584jRwh0s&
ETA: By the way, I forget to express my admiration that you had the spliffs all ready rolled and within easy reach. Chapeau - or more properly, rastacap.
youtube.com/watch?v=GdnTsu5Ek1M&
If we can allow ska, The Ethiopians did a brilliant version of Lara's Theme.
that Dawn Penn one..
youtube.com/watch?v=1htgYo2FOdA&
and classic roots reggae with Sinead O'Connor:
youtube.com/watch?v=Qq9Ydinu3HU&
Max Romeo
Dr Alimantado
Another Jimmy Cliff gem: Going Back West
youtube.com/watch?v=uDs7dYYolEc&
and Gregory Isaacs: Sister Love - or any of many others.
youtube.com/watch?v=O3CLlIl6JiI&
Wish I knew more about reggae... Most of what I like is the old ska or Trojan 'Reggae Chartbusters' compilation stuff. Also like early Wailers, eg. Small Axe, Stop That Train, and a massive soft spot for Janet Kay's Silly Games.
Will watch this thread with interest
Here’s a great song, effortlessly melodic - Eli, Eli, The Gladiators:
https://open.spotify.com/track/02vinpPk2YR6xB7TRgU9aC?si=YGDNVzY1Ti-LlF_IOL...
(Sorry, for non-Spotify users, here’s a YouTube link- youtube.com/watch?v=6sylDYI2hx0& )
- but practically everything on Trenchtown Mix Up is superb.
I love Culture, roots reggae. Joseph Hill is fantastic, amazing singer and pure Rasta lyrics. youtube.com/watch?v=_AkC9u1iYe0&
This too, I won this 7 inch single in an NME competition. My introduction to deep roots reggae, and I've loved it ever since. youtube.com/watch?v=A3PjURr7lb4&
I’m guessing you had that great NME reggae cassette too, from your posting ‘Best Dressed Chicken…’ earlier?
No my introduction to Alimentado came from the guy I bought hash from.
😁
That NME Bush Fire cassette was for me a fantastic education in reggae and early dancehall, and for the OP’s purposes there are plenty of classics there. I particularly loved Freddy McGregor’s ‘Big Ship’ and Barrington Levy’s ‘Prison Oval Rock’, and still do.
youtube.com/watch?v=BO5arneLnjw&
youtube.com/watch?v=v_LpDBVM2Oo&
I assume that’s Augustus Pablo’s melodica on there - another lifelong love I discovered on Bush Fire.
Edit: Here’s a link to the track listing for Bush Fire-
https://www.discogs.com/release/680339-Various-Bushfire-Ten-Years-Of-Greens...
I'd have these on my list:
youtube.com/watch?v=9fU2yFsW9NI&
youtube.com/watch?v=XlP3J3J3Upw&
youtube.com/watch?v=clCAfLfPWM4&
youtube.com/watch?v=kiHMvpQWCTI&
youtube.com/watch?v=iOaeCG4CIwU&
youtube.com/watch?v=77-Gp_xB3Rw&
youtube.com/watch?v=K44_acLWHDY&
youtube.com/watch?v=YROAOQNftJM&
youtube.com/watch?v=4P5-9GAqexU&
This version of How Many Times by Bob Marley is really nice, has to be the 2.22 version which fades out before the randomness begins which spoils the simplicity. I guess it;s possibly more 'rock steady' than reggae, but it's mellow and nice.
> Junior Murvin
love his voice: youtube.com/watch?v=eggeGktRwlE&
> Can we have dance hall?
> No
Haha - I don’t know what your particular objection to dancehall is; personally I never took to to ragga and its homophobic lyrics. But I rather like some of the earlier dancehall. Here are a couple of tracks:
Wayne Smith - Under Mi Sleng Teng
youtube.com/watch?v=Wjw7m-BKmQ8&
Said by some to be the start of dancehall.
Clint Eastwood and General Saint - Another One Bites the Dust
> Haha - I don’t know what your particular objection to dancehall is; personally I never took to to ragga and its homophobic lyrics.
That's part of it. Modern dancehall just doesn't sound like reggae to me. I guess I prefer the 70's roots style. The 2 tracks you linked aren't dancehall to me, they're toasting. Which to me is a root of rap music that's never been acknowledged. I saw Eastwood and Saint live in Glasgow back in the day, also other toasters, Yellowman, and Eek a mouse
Thanks so much, that's beautiful, never heard that before.
> I assume that’s Augustus Pablo’s melodica on there - another lifelong love I discovered on Bush Fire.
Pablo is amazing. So much beautiful music from a simple instrument. Back in the day when I indulged, a lovely person who had access to Mark's products introduced me to this incredible music.
I don't think you can draw a line between toasting and dancehall. Under Mi Sleng Teng marks the point where dancehall went digital, but for me there isn't a hard and fast division. Most genres and sub-genres are like that - blurred boundaries, cross-overs, transitional styles.
Anyway, that started me listening to Tenor Saw again, who I think is one of those transitional people. Something like Pumpkin Belly is toasting over that Sleng Teng riddim again but this is clearly reggae, and a great track too:
youtube.com/watch?v=NuQW2xk4Ryw&
Tenor Saw was brilliant - I think he'd have been stellar if he hadn't been murdered.
> Thanks so much, that's beautiful, never heard that before.
youtube.com/watch?v=NqAdW0lt6W8&
Glad it's appreciated. I like Rainbow Country too, 'time stretches' when I listen to it.
youtube.com/watch?v=SLhIxNPAIwE&
And this version of Put It Onhttps:
Few artists to check out:
The Congos
Might Diamonds
Burning Spear
Dennis Brown
Black Uhuru
Eeka Mouse
and a few more modern artists who I enjoy:
Holly Cook, Koffee, Chronixx, Mungos Hifi
Had this for the first dance at my wedding: youtube.com/watch?v=vofff0Ei3kk&
Here's a (rather obvious) selection
Dr Alimantado "Born For A Purpose" - youtube.com/watch?v=k6pIONWxTbs&
John Holt "Ali Baba" - youtube.com/watch?v=Z8D8Kp_sMu8&
The Tennors "Ride Me Donkey" - youtube.com/watch?v=vqPHyEAZfAQ&
Yellowman "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" - youtube.com/watch?v=HV46OGU7ksE&
Sister Nancy "Bam Bam" - youtube.com/watch?v=qXnT3LFTc-s&
Koffee is great. This is one of her first songs:
youtube.com/watch?v=LmUDJs9wO0k&
That’s in a pure reggae tradition but the single from her impending album suggests she’s moving towards a more dancehall /global / Afrobeat sound. Which may be a pity for some…
Alborosie - Herbalist
youtube.com/watch?v=MYp_gJQwRx8&
Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock
youtube.com/watch?v=_GZlJGERbvE&
And for those keen on island music I recommend you explore calypso...
Singing Sandra - Ancient Rhythyms
youtube.com/watch?v=UlXgkOsnunA&
...and soca
Alison Hinds - Faluma
youtube.com/watch?v=qysStCooZNg&
> The 2 tracks you linked aren't dancehall to me, they're toasting. Which to me is a root of rap music that's never been acknowledged.
Basically every account of the origins of Hip Hop acknowledges this - particularly Kool Herc moving to New York from Jamaica and setting up block parties influenced by West Indian sound system culture and toasting.
It’s probably more accurate to say that Kool Herc was a key mover in the development of hip-hop, a New York form, rather than rap. Rap appears to have developed originally from the over-record chat of Afro-American DJs like Jocko Henderson. This was heard over the airwaves in Jamaica, and influenced people like U-Roy.
That's true but you can look at all sorts of influences of 'rhythmic talking' back to Gospel music in the 30s and 40s and even earlier.
But the point is it's possible to (and most people do) draw a direct line from block parties in 70s NYC run by Kool Herc where he was using elements of sound system culture and toasting to what is known as rap music today. To suggest toasting isn't acknowledged as root of rap isn't true.
> That's true but you can look at all sorts of influences of 'rhythmic talking' back to Gospel music in the 30s and 40s and even earlier.
It's about time the crucial influence of Rex Harrison's rapping of every song in My Fair Lady was acknowledged. I'm pretty sure both Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets admitted they couldn't have existed without Rex.
Not seen a mention of U Roy yet, well worth a listen. Also missing from the list is Anthony B. My two favourites of his are Cold Feet and Raid di Barn. Enjoy!