Tag Archives: music

Gregory Isaacs – Mr Cop

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Gregory Isaacs – “Mr Cop” from the album “Extra Classic”

Born Gregory Anthony Isaacs on 15 July 1951 in Fletcher’s Land, Kingston, Jamaica. He and his younger brother were raised by their mother in the rough streets of nearby Denham Town. He died on 25 October 2010 aged just 59.

Gregory Isaacs – Extra Classic

1) Mr Cop; 2) Rasta Business; 3) Black Against Black; 4) Extra Classic; 5) My Religion; 6) Promise; 7) Dread Locks Love Affair; 8) Loving Pauper; 9) Something Nice; 10) Warriors; 11) Jailer Jailer; 12) Once Ago

Gregory Isaacs - Extra Classic

The album is actually a collection of singles that surfaced on assorted labels during 1975/76.
Engineers; Errol Thompson, Lee Perry, Ossie Hibbert
Producers; Gregory Isaacs, Lee Perry, Pete Weston
Vocals; Gregory Isaacs
Backing Band; The Aggrovators, The Soul Syndicate, The Revolutionaries, The Upsetters
Studios; Black Ark, Channel One, Dynamic Sounds, Randy’s

Johnny “Guitar” Watson – Space Guitar

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Johnny “Guitar” Watson – “Space Guitar” from the album “Roll Your Moneymaker”

Born John Watson, Jr on 3 February 1935 in Houston, Texas he was initially taught piano by his father. A musical prodigy (his grandfather gave him a guitar when he was 11), he played with both Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.

His “Space Guitar” album was released in 1954 pioneering guitar feedback and reverb.
He toured and recorded with Larry Williams, Little Richard, Johnny Otis and David Axelrod, played with Sam Cooke and was a guest performer on Frank Zappa’s “One Size Fits All” album. He died on 17 May 1996.

moneymaker

Roll Your Moneymaker: Early Black Rock ‘n Roll 1948-1958

1) You’ve Got To Lose – Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm; 2) You Gonna Wreck My Life – Howlin’ Wolf; 3) W-O-M-A-N – Etta James; 4) Roll Your Moneymaker – Shakey Jake; 5) Sugar Coated Love – Lazy Lester; 6) Tiger Man – Rufus Thomas; 7) Night Out – John J. Moses; 8) I’m Going Down To Tijuana – Andre Williams; 9) Please Don’t Freeze – Ruth Brown; 10) Bring The Money In – The Bill Davis Trio; 11) Don’t Leave Poor Me – Big Maybelle; 12) Space Guitar – Johnny “Guitar” Watson; 13) She Made My Blood Run Cold – Ike Turner; 14) I Got Love If You Want It – Slim Harpo; 15) Keep On Loving Me Baby – Otis Rush; 16) Jericho – Sister Rosetta Tharpe; 17) If Lovin’ Is Believing – Billy “The Kid” Emerson; 18) Heart-O-Matic Love – Bo Diddley; 19) Got My Mojo Working – Ann Cole With The Suburbans; 20) 21 Days In Jail – Magic Sam; 21) Deep Feeling – Chuck Berry; 22) Crawfish – Jesse Stone; 23) Pneumonia – Joe Tex; 24) Love My Baby – Little Junior Parker

Max Romeo – Valley Of Jehosaphat

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Max Romeo – “Valley Of Jehosaphat” from the album “Open The Iron Gate”.

Born Maxwell Livingston Smith on 22 November 1944 in Alexandria in St. Ann, Jamaica.
In 2014 he released the album Father and Sons, a collaboration with his sons Ronaldo and Romario.

Open The Iron Gate

1) Every Man Ought To Know 2) Revelation Time – Hammer And Sickle 3) No Peace 4) Tacko 5) Blood Of The Prophets 6) Warning Warning – Version 7) A Quarter Pound Of I’cense 8) Three Blind Mice 9) Open The Iron Gates Parts 1 & 2 10) Valley Of Jehosaphat – Version 11) Fire Fe The Vatican 12) Melt Away
Max Romeo
Musicians
Drums: Carlton Barrett & Santa Davis & Mikey Boo Richards & Derrick Stewart
Bass: Fully Fullwood & Aston Barrett & Clive Hunt & Geoffrey Chung
Guitar: Geoffrey Chung & Phil Callendar & Tony Chin & Chinna
Keyboards: Clive Hunt & Touter Harvey & Robert Lynn & Michael Murray & Tyrone Downie
Horns: Dirty Harry & Bobby Ellis & Tommy McCook
Percussions: Michael Murray & Lee Perry & Clive Hunt
Harmonica: Tyrone Downie

Upsetters – Black Panta

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Upsetters – “Black Panta” from from the album “14 Dub Blackboard Jungle” (aka “Blackboard Jungle Dub (Version 1) from “Blackboard Jungle Dub”.

Upsetters – 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle

The album was released in 1973. 300 copies were pressed, of which 100 were brought to London.

Blackboard Jungle
Personnel as follows;
Drums – Lloyd “Tin Legs” Adams, Carly Barrett, Anthony “Benbow” Creary, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace
Bass – Family Man, Lloyd Parks, Errol “Bagga” Walker
Guitar – Alva Lewis, Valentine “Tony” Chin, Anthony “Sangie” Davis, Barrington Daley
Organ – Glen Adams, Winston Wright, Bernard “Touter” Harvey
Piano – Gladstone “Gladdy” Anderson, Tommy McCook
Melodica – Augustus Pablo
Trombone – Ron Wilson
Trumpet – Bobby Ellis
Percussion – Noel “Skully” Simms, Uziah “Sticky” Thompson, Lee Perry
Engineers – Lee Perry, King Tubby

Jimmie Rodgers – Gambling Bar Room Blues

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Jimmie Rodgers – “Gambling Bar Room Blues” from “The Singing Brakeman”

Born James Charles Rodgers on 8 September 1897 in Pine Springs near Meridian, Mississippi.
His first job was working on the railroad for his father’s railroad gang in Meridian. Illness (he’d been diagnosed with tuberculosis aged 27. in those days it was a killer disease) soon put paid to that and he joined travelling shows playing banjo and guitar and singing popular songs along with his own self-penned songs.
In 1927 “Blue Yodel” became a million selling hit and between 1928 and 1933 (the worst years of the American Depression) he sold over 20 million records.
He died on 26 May 1933 aged 35 from a tubercular haemorrhage. He was in a hotel room waiting for a doctor to arrive. It was 2 days after his last ever recording – “Years Ago”.

Disc: 1

1. The Brakeman’s Blues; 2. The Soldier’s Sweetheart; 3. Sleep, Baby, Sleep; 4. Ben Dewberry’s Final Run; 5. Ben Dewberry’s Final Run; 6. The Sailor’s Plea; 7. In The Jailhouse Now; 8. Blue Yodel No. 2 (My Lovin’ Gal, Lucille); 9. Blue Yodel No. 3 (Evening Sun Yodel Or She’s Long, She’s Tall); 10. My Old Pal; 11. My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans; 12. My Little Lady; 13. Never No Mo’ Blues; 14. Blue Yodel No. 4 (California Blues); 15. Waiting For A Train; 16. Any Old Time; 17. Blue Yodel No. 5; 18. Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues; 19. Train Whistle Blues; 20. Jimmie’s Texas Blues; 21. Frankie And Johnny; 22. Blue Yodel No. 6; 23. Yodelling Cowboy; 24. My Rough And Rowdy Ways; 25. Hobo Bill’s Last Ride

jimmie rodgers

Disc: 2

1. Mississippi River Blues; 2. Blue Yodel No. 7 (Anniversary Blue Yodel); 3. Blue Yodel No . 11; 4. Pistol Packin’ Papa; 5. Those Gambler’s Blues; 6. Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues); 7. Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standing On The Corner); 8. TB Blues; 9. Travellin’ Blues; 10. Jimmie The Kid (Parts Of The Life Of Jimmie Rodgers); 11. The Wonderful City; 12. Let Me Be Your Sidetrack; 13. When The Cactus Is In Bloom (Round Up Time Out West); 14. Looking For A New Mama; 15. My Good Gal’s Gone; 16. Roll Along, Kentucky Moon; 17. Blue Yodel No.10 (Ground Hog Rootin’ In My Back Yard); 18. No Hard Times; 19. Peach Pickin’ Time In Georgia; 20. Gambling Bar Room Blues; 21. Blue Yodel No. 12 (Barefoot Blues); 22. Blue Yodel No. 13 (Women Made A Fool Out Of Me); 23. Mississippi Delta Blues; 24. Somewhere Down Below The Mason Dixon Line; 25. Years Ago (Fifteen Years Ago Today)

The Twinkle Brothers – Jahoviah

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The Twinkle Brothers – “Jahoviah” from the recently released “Front Line Presents Roots”
Buy from Amazon here.

The Twinkle Brothers

The Twinkle Brothers were formed in 1962 as a hotel show band, which goes some way to explaining their name.

The band initially consisted of brothers Norman (vocals, drums) and Ralston Grant (vocals, rhythm guitar) , but soon expanded to include Eric Barnard (piano), Karl Hyatt (vocals, percussion), and Albert Green (congas, percussion).
After a few minor hits with other producers they started producing themselves. “Rasta Pon Top” was released in 1975 and viewed as a classic.

twinkle brothers

Front Line Presents Roots

Disc 1
House Of Dread Locks – Big Youth; Chalice In The Palace – U Roy; Crazy Bald Head – Johnny Clarke; Country Living – The Mighty Diamonds; Mix Up – The Gladiators; Tribute To Marcus Garvey – I Roy; Natty Dread A Take Over – U Brown; Rastaman Skank-Tapper Zukie; If You Don’t Love Jah -Althea & Donna; Natty And The Root Man – Ranking Trevor; Created By The Father – Gregory Isaacs; Daughters Of Zion – Prince Far I; Jah Son Of Africa-U Roy; Keep On Trying – The Twinkle Brothers; Exodus – I Roy; Bodyguard – The Mighty Diamonds; Back Yard Meditation – The Gladiators; Free Africa – The Twinkle Brothers
Disc 2
Satta A Massa Gana – Johnny Clarke; Satta – I Roy; Pocket Money – The Gladiators; Evil Doers – U Roy; Jah Will Work It Out – The Mighty Diamonds; M.P.L.A. – Tapper Zukie; Blackman Land – Prince Far I; Masculine Gender – Ranking Trevor; Stop The Fussing And Fighting – Culture; This Land Is For Everyone – The Abyssinians; Babylon River – U Roy; Struggle – The Gladiators; Set The Captives Free – I Roy; Jahoviah – The Twinkle Brothers; Universal Tribulation – Gregory Isaacs; Let Jah Be Praised – The Gladiators; International Herb – Culture ; Hill And Gully – I Roy; Jah Kingdom Come – The Twinkle Brothers

Orlando Cachaito Lopez – Redencion

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Orlando Lopez – “Redencion” from the album “Cachaito”

Born in Havana on February 2, 1933 Orlando was nicknamed Cachaíto (“little Cachao”) after his uncle, the famous bassist and innovator of mambo music Israel “Cachao” López.

He first became involved in music when he was nine years old and by the time he was eleven he was involved with an orchestra with his aunt.

He initially wanted to play the violin, but his grandfather insisted he take up the double bass, as there had been a long tradition of bassists in the López family.

When he was 17 he replaced his uncle as the bassist with Antonio Arcaño y Sus Maravillas.

In 1996 he was hired by Juan de Marcos González for his Afro-Cuban All Stars and became signed to World Circuit, and became a member of the resulting Buena Vista Social Club

Orlando died in a Cuban hospital on 9 February 2009, of complications from prostate surgery aged 76.

1. Siempre Con Swing (intro), 2. Redencion, 3. Mis Dos Pequenas, 4. A Gozer el Tumbaq, 5. Cachaito in Laboratory, 6. Tumbao No.5, 7. Conversacion, 8. Tumbanga, 9. Oracion Lucumi, 10. Wahira, 11. Anais, 12. La Negra

Cachaito

Orlando Lopez – bass; Miguel Diaz – congas, percussion; Amadito Valdes – timbales; Carlos Gonzalez – bongos; Alejandro Pichardo – guiro, claves; Bigga Morrison – Hammond organ, clavinet; Manuel Galban  – electric guitar; Jesus Ramos – trombone; Policarpo Tamayo – flute; Demetrio Muniz – string arrangement; Pedro Depestra, Ariel Sarduy, Humberto Legat, Gerardo Garcia, Javier Filiu, Silvio Duquesne, Rogelio Martinez, Hugo Cruz – violins; Jose Maron, Angel Zaldivar, , Roberto Herrera Diaz, Enrique Navarro Galces – violas; Roy Avila, Arelis Zaldivar – cellos

The Cables – What Kind Of World

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The Cables

Classic early reggae from The Cables – “What Kind Of World” on Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s legendary Studio One label. It’s from the album of the same name, but “Full Up (The Best of Studio One, Vol. 2)” is probably easier to get hold of.

cables

The Cables were fronted by Keble (sometimes Keeble) Drummond whose first name provided the group with it’s name. Elbert Stewart (baritone) and Vince Stoddart (tenor) completed the vocal harmony group.

Studio One

Studio One was one of Jamaica’s most renowned record labels and recording studios and was founded by Clement “Coxsone” Dodd in 1954. Dodd was also among the first to run his own sound system – Sir Coxsone the Downbeat – which became one of the largest and most reputable in Jamaica.

It’s safe to say that just about every big name in reggae music worked at Studio One at some stage in his or her career. The record label was involved with most of the major music movements in Jamaica during the 1960s and 1970s from ska to rocksteady, reggae, dub and dancehall. Incredibly Classic Studio One riddims are still being recycled today.