TITLE: Your Loving
ARTIST: Carlton Livingston
LABEL: Spiderman 1984?

An early eighties dancehall favorite of the old 205 sound. For me Carlton Livingston is the perfect combination of styles, sliding nicely roots vocal style over into the reggae digital age. I really wonder what happened to him though because I haven't ever seen anything after like the 1986 period and nothing before maybe 1982. Not uncommon though, reggae stars disappear out of the business faster than anybody, one hit wonders are everywhere, people change names, get shot, fall out of favor, pass away, who knows. If you think the violence in hip hop is a tragedy, you should check the list of murdered reggae stars...endless.

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TITLE: Double Bubble
ARTIST: Revolutionaries
LABEL: Manzie 1978

I found this in a box on the floor at VP. 79 cents. I don't know what's up with this label, never seen anything else on it or heard of the producer Manzie Swaby, but I like the style. Sometimes reggae records are mysterious as hell. No artist name on here although the band is the great Revolutionaries (Sly and Robbies outfit at the time). A couple years ago I think I knew who this dj was, but I forgot now. If anybody knows, let me hear it... Regardless whoever it is murders them cold talkin bout the gals upfront and round the back. The double bubble like Cheech and Chong in Up in Smoke. You ever been to a real reggae party? The girls well know how to wind up them waist. They been droppin it like its hot, with style, since the beginning of the soundsystem days. And the culture girls dance without moving nothing except the middle. Say so.

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TITLE: School
ARTIST: Prince Jazzbo
LABEL: No.1 Studio 1974?

Ites dread. Production was loose at this point. It says that it's a Coxsone production, but I somehow have a hard time believing that because most of his shit is so tight. Could just be a Coxsone riddim (like everything else: the man originated shit worser than the Godfather). You can hear all kinds of stuff going on in and out of the dub, some version of the Mighty Diamonds "Natural Natty" riddim.There was a whole series of tunes from this time period that had dreads riding around on mini bikes and chattin to people. Love the sound effects and talking of these types of tunes. I don't really know too much about Jazzbo, but just about everything I've heard from him has been on the double barrel attack and he's got one the all time deejay voices.

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TITLE: Jah Thomas
ARTIST: Your Pillow
LABEL: Nots 1978

This label just kills me for some reason, makes me laugh. Sometimes writing on records makes them cooler. A lot of selecters put their name on every record they have, so if you shop for reggae in NY I'm sure you got some Speedy's, some DJ Koji's, maybe some Archie's. I like that. It adds history like 45s covered in cock roach shit cuz theyve been sitting in a jukebox in Kingston for 20 years.

Jah Thomas is one of a string of great reggae artists who could pull off both production and cutting sides. But I think he is one of the only deejays to ever do it. The Dr. Dre of late seventies reggae, he had his own labels and sound and put on a lot of other artists including Tristan Palma, Barrington Levy and others. Jah Thomas later went on to have a prolific career as producer in the 80's with such acts as Johnny Osbourne, Little John and Early B. I think this 45 might be Izzi's. Sorry if I kept that on you?

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TITLE: Jungle Feeling
ARTIST: Harry Mudie's All Stars
LABEL: Jungle 1973

This is the version to the popular Heptone's song "Love Without Feeling" and is also featured on the great album "Harry Mudie meets King Tubby in Dub Conference". What else can you say here? Great production, prime time Jamaican recording, go wine you woman up to this. Check out the double printing...too much collie up in the pressing plant.

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TITLE: Double Attack
ARTIST: Lizie + Delroy Wilson
LABEL: Jackpot 1973?

I don't know who this dj is, but he just kills it voicing over the very popular "Cool Operator" by Delroy Wilson. The flip is a super tough version with somebody knocking loose on the keyboards. Sounds like it could be Jackie Mitoo. Jackpot is usually a pretty safe bet as they put out strings of heavy hits all through the seventies under the production of Striker Bunny Lee. I got this and a couple others at a flea market. I just happened to be walking by there early on a Sunday and the guy had tons of roots 45s (never see that these days). Maybe a stack about a foot high that I could have bought. You just think "Jackpot! Jack mutha fuckin pot..." Its what you fucking dream about. Looking through some magical dollar bin where everything makes you go oh shit. So I only had ten bucks and I went home to get more money. When I got back Pete was there and he had just seen some English guy walk off with a huge stack of 45s. Dusted. Anyway I got some good shit.

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TITLE: New Broom
ARTIST: Horace Andy
LABEL: Studio One 1976?

The rhythm on this one is really strange for a Studio One track, but it's been creeping up on me lately and is becoming one of my favorite Horace Andy songs. As usual the vocals are sailing here over this reggae rock track. I just enjoy the vibe on this one, and the dub is definitely mashing shit. In case you didn't know, Horace was pulled out of obscurity in the early nineties by the English downbeat scene, making appearances on Massive Attack tracks amongst others. He's still putting out fairly solid stuff to the day, but hios vocals were really best matched by the 70's sound of Jamaica.

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TITLE: Zion Rock
ARTIST: Jah Lloyd
LABEL: Teem Label 1972

This is the kind of stuff roots collectors (at least me) bug out about. Super dubbed out version topped with A-plus chatting of Jah Lloyd (note: he cut the very popular "Columbia Collie" record for Lee Perry under the name Jah Lion). Jah Lloyd really gets his Waah Baaby out there and lets loose for Jah calling down lightning and thunder. I wish I could put a longer audio sample on here because by the end of the track he's doing the Screamin Jay with the utmost respect in a natty style.Plus the version features some seriously tough Jamaican trombone playing by the one and only Don Drummond. All over one of my favorite reggae 45's.

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TITLE: Dancing Roots
ARTIST: King Tubbys and the Aggrovators
LABEL: Inner City / 1976

The reggae recording industry innovated so many things it's incredible. One of the best is the introduction of the instrumental version or dub. On just about every 7" b-side you have the instrumental of the a-side vocal. This alone wasn't really original, but the newness sprung up when the engineers started freaking the tracks into dubs which could actually stand alone. Sometimes the versions let the band stretch out in instrumental form, but most of the time it was the soundmen who got their chance to shine. The hardest versions were usually then recut again with a deejay vocal over it drifting out of the original lyrics (check some of the other selections). It's all about the original musical recyclers, genius shit baby. This is the dub side of Cornell Campbell's massive "Dance in a Greenwich Farm."

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TITLE: Pick Up The Pieces
ARTIST: The Royals
LABEL: Studio One

Looking for, researching and finding the original sources of reggae riddims is about the same as finding the original breaks to your favorite hip hop songs...satisfying. Ok, so this isn't an original pressing. I aint claiming it is... but it is a dope 45 and something I thought deserved some exposure. That bassline! Got to be one of my all time favorite rhythms lacing the foundation for lots of early 80's tunes from Yellowman, Barrington, Sugar Minott and others. And it's been blowin up the spot again recently (reggae riddims never die, they just get recycled into the style of the new era). If anybody does have an original of this- bumboclot!!!

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