Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Carry Go Bring Come / Duke Reid & His Group - Hill & Gully

Treasure Isle was one of the largest ska and rocksteady outputting labels of the Jamaican 60s. It was founded by Duke Reid, a large intimidating man who dominated the sound system scene in the late 50s and early 60s with his Trojan sound system. It was his that rivaled Sir "Coxsone" Dodd's system, and later, Prince Buster's "Voice Of The People" system. Before making his foray into the music scene, Reid was a police officer and thus, he did not shy away from using violence and intimidation against his rival sound men. As Buster would tell Lloyd Bradley in Bradley's book This Is Reggae Music, "At that time Duke Reid control these people from Salt Lane and Back-A-Wall and have them defending him... he used to send them to go round and break up Coxsone's sound system. They'd already used force to run Tom the Great Sebastion out of Beat Street, and Coxsone was dreading them."

Reid founded his Treasure Isle label in the early 60s. In the early days, he did much of his recording in studios owned by others but later would purchase his own studio. From then on he was a perfectionist behind the boards and was known for spending unprecedented amounts of time working at the studio, churning out endless hits. One of his biggest hit makers was Justin Hinds, a Rastafarian singer who would put out over 70 singles with the Duke. He and his backing singers during the time were collectively known as Justin Hinds & The Dominoes and they are one of my absolute favorite groups of the 60s Jamaican scene.

"Carry Go Bring Come" was Justin Hinds' first single recorded with Reid and was one of his biggest ska hits. His Rastafarian-influenced lyrics that are apparent here would continue through the rest of his catalog making him, in my opinion, an exciting artist to listen to. The saxophone in this track is provided by the legendary Tommy McCook, who Hinds would work with throughout his career. Aside from this being a great track by an even greater artist, a reason I'm uploading this disk now is because as I mentioned two posts ago, The Skatalites performed a cover of this song when I saw them live. Lucky, lucky me!

The artist for the b-side, "Hill & Gully," is a bit of an enigma. Unfortunately, as you can see, my copy of this 7" has the artist and track on the backside scratched out, and after doing some research, its still unclear. This same single was released on the UK Island label but with both sides credited to The Charms, an act that I know nothing of. "Carry Go Bring Come" is most certainly Justin Hinds so perhaps the backside isn't The Charms either. The Roots Knotty Roots database has the song credited to Duke Reid & His Group and Tapir's reggae discography has the track credited to L. Reid's Group. I went ahead and credited it as The Roots Knotty Roots database did, as I understand that to be highly accurate. I suppose in the long run, all that matters is that it is certainly an exciting track.

Listen & download here:
A-side: Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Carry Go Bring Come
B-side: Duke Reid & His Group - Hill & Gully

Funkadelic - (Not Just) Knee Deep, Part 1 / (Not Just) Knee Deep, Part 2

It's been a while since I've posted something that wasn't reggae or reggae related so here's a step in another direction with Funkadelic! For those who haven't stepped on the P-funk train before, this may be a good taste of the work of George Clinton. George Clinton is one of the most prominent innovators of funk music and is the mastermind and leader of both Funkadelic and Parliament, two massive funk bands who characterized funk music in the late 60s and through the 70s. After these two bands, Clinton continued to produce funk music under his solo name. His entire collection of work - both with the two bands and by himself - makes up what is collectively conisdered P-funk. Picking a place to start in the P-funk repertoire could lead to a cloud of confusion, so I'll strongly recommend finding Funkadelic's 3rd album, Maggot Brain. It's a phenomenal psychedelic funk album and is the one that got me started.

"(Not Just) Knee Deep" was a hit Funkadelic track off of their 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You and the shortened, edited version topped the US R&B charts in 1979. The album version is a 15 minute romp and the single version found here is split in to two sides that total around 10 minutes. The tune is very characteristic of the late 70s P-funk style and certainly mighty funky. You've really got to listen to this one yourself. I've always been very fond of Funkadelic's guitar work and part 2, the b-side, showcases some of the guitar work that captured me. For the Funkadelic guitar that got me hooked, I have to once again point you towards Maggot Brain's title track - a ten minute guitar solo that will leave you addicted.

I don't really know what more to say about this one, other than its a must have so do check it out!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Funkadelic - (Not Just) Knee Deep, Part 1
B-side: Funkadelic - (Not Just) Knee Deep, Part 2

Jack Sparrow & The Wailers - Ice Water / The Skatalites - Ska In Vienna Woods

Ice Water! This 7" is interesting for quite a few reasons. First of all, it features the young The Wailers singing backups on the a-side. Secondly, Jack Sparrow was an early pseudonym for Leonard Dillon who would later go on and form The Ethiopians, a politically charged and Rastafarian influenced reggae act. And lastly because the instrumentals on both sides are provided by the famed Skatalites.

The a-side track was recorded for Sir Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at his seminal Studio 1 recording studio in 1965. It's got a powerful ska backing and a great trumpet solo by one of the founding Skatalites members, Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore. You can certainly here Peter Tosh's sharp voice cut through The Wailer's "Ice Water" shouts and The Bob Marley Compendium notes that both Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer are there singing as well. The Wailers provided backing vocals for many artists that came through Dodd's Studio 1 in the early days and many of the tracks are highly sought after.

The back side, "Ska In Vienna Woods," is an absolute killer ska instrumental chock full of impressive brass solos and harmonies. The Skatalites were absolutely essential in the foundation of ska music and many of the original members - Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Don Drummond, just to name a few - were huge players in the Jamaican jazz scene before ska music ever came into fruition. They backed all the early ska singers. To put it simply - The Skatalites defined ska music from its earliest conceptions and were instrumental in pushing the boundaries of the Jamaican music scene.

I was lucky enough to get to see The Skatalites live about a week ago! Unfortunately, most of the founding members have passed away, but the current line up continues The Skatalites' tradition without fail. I managed to get myself right up front because I knew this was a rare opportunity. They played a massive 2 hour set and brought out Doreen Schafer, "The Queen of Reggae Music" as they boasted, for a handful of songs. While the set was almost entirely instrumental, Doreen sang several songs including her own "Sugar, Sugar" and The Wailers' "Nice Time," and the trumpeter took vocals on a few such as Justin Hinds' "Carry Go Bring Come." It was a phenomenal show and they ended with their biggest hit "Guns of Navarone." Certainly a night to remember, and here's a picture to show for it...



Anyway, the two tracks on this disc are great and well worth your time!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Jack Sparrow & The Wailers - Ice Water
B-side: The Skatalites - Ska In Vienna Woods

Pat Kelly - Wish It Would Rain / Phil Pratt All Stars - My Sweet Lord

Another reggae blank to enjoy! Both sides of this 7" are great tracks so do enjoy. Pat Kelly was a native Kingstonian who left the island to study electronics in Massachusetts in 1966 but promptly returned and began a musical career. He joined the group The Techniques in 1967 in the midst of the rocksteady heyday after the notable Slim Smith had departed from the group. The Techniques were masters of the smooth rocksteady groove and and Kelly's falsetto voice continued the trend set by Smith's soaring falsetto. In 1968, Kelly went solo and this a-side cut is from his solo period.

"Wish It Would Rain" is originally a song by the US R&B group The Temptations that Kelly first covered with The Techniques and then did it again solo, which is the take found here. I managed to dig up a copy of The Techniques' version, but I must say that I prefer this one. The song is about a heartbroken man who prays for rain to cover the tears on his face. Obviously a sad song, Kelly fits the mood perfectly with his delivery. Checkity check it out.

The backside is an instrumental cover of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord." It's not always easy to identify the artist on a blank instrumental, so I'm not 100% sure of the artist, but I'm quite confident. The matrix number (which is a number etched in to the wax of all records) reads S.S. - P. Pratt 3407-1. Phil Pratt was a producer that worked from the late 60s through the 70s and his house band, the Phil Pratt All Stars, is credited with an instrumental cover "My Sweet Lord" with a melodica according to the Roots Knotty Roots database. This sounds more like a standard piano to me than a melodica, but I could be wrong. Anyway, its a pretty somber take of the song with the single note piano (or melodica) melodies. Certainly an enjoyable take, and props to my lovely girlfriend for identifying the track before I could!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Pat Kelly - Wish It Would Rain
B-side: Phil Pratt All Stars - My Sweet Lord

Bill Doggett - Quaker City / Hank Marr - Tonk Game

This Jamaican pressing of Bill Doggett's "Quaker City" and Hank Marr's "Tonk Game" is an interesting one, and sheds light on the story of early Jamaican music. Let it be clear that neither Doggett or Marr are Jamaican, neither are reggae artists, and probably neither intended for this pressing to come to life. Both were American R&B organists whose careers took off in the 50s.

It was around this time that music scenes in Jamaica, particularly in Kingston, were beginning to form. Small store owners corralled in potential clients with records blasting through stereos and sound-system owners tried to keep their parties alive with fiery rhythms. As the island's internal music output at the time could not keep pace with the demands of the crowds and the system owners, the owners began to look abroad for new tunes - both to the North for the US's r&b and soul, and to the south for Latin America's merengue and jazz. As trade ships came in to port, records from the likes of Bill Doggett, Fats Domino, and Professor Longhair flooded the cities and helped keep the Jamaican dances alive through the 50s. With the development of pressing studios in Jamaica around the same time, these imported records could and would be re-cut and distributed for cheaper than it would cost to import US pressings. For a fascinating look at the development of Jamaican music from its earliest forms through today, I highly recommend this book.

So, in lieu of this history, I upload this disc not for Bill Doggett's or Hank Marr's posterity, but for its glimpse into the early conceptions of Jamaican music.

Listen & download here:
A-side: Bill Doggett - Quaker City
B-side: Hank Marr - Tonk Game

Prince Buster All Stars - Land Of Imagination / The Barrister (The Appeal)

Prince Buster is, without a doubt, the most innovative musician to emerge from the streets of Kingston, Jamaica. He came on the scene during the earliest sound system battles in the late 1950s between Arthur 'Duke' Reid and Sir Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd. After providing security for Dodd's dances, Buster began his foray into producing and creating his own music in the early 60s. Buster's early catalog includes tunes with greats such as Derrick Morgan, Eric Morris, and the Folkes Brother's "Oh Carolina" - a song that is widely accepted as essential to the development of reggae music. Buster was also key in the development of the ska and rocksteady phases of Jamaican music both through productions of his own music and the music of others.

"Land Of Imagination" shows Buster's ability to look beyond the world of reggae and incorporate other styles of music. It's a sentimental ballad sung by the man himself. He may not be the most talented singer in reggae music, but his innocent deliverance and performance is absolutely top-notch. This is easily one of my favorite Buster tunes that I have on 7".

"The Barrister (The Appeal)" is one part of a series of "Judge Dread" recordings Buster did in the mid to late 60s. In these recordings, he takes on the character of Judge Dread, a judge who aims to rid Jamaica's streets of the infamous rude boys who terrorized the streets with "lootings, shootings, and bomb throwings." In another tune from the series, "Judge 400 Years," he hands out draconian sentences of 400 years to these rude boys. Buster himself has said that people would come up to his shop and thank him for speaking out against the plight of this aspect of Jamaican society. Not only was Buster an innovator, a musician, and a producer, he also was the "Voice Of The People" - and that was precisely what he named his sound system and shop.

Listen and download here:
A-side: Prince Buster All Stars - Land Of Imagination
B-side: Prince Buster All Stars - The Barrister (The Appeal)

The Maytones - Funny Man / GG All Stars - Champion

One anomaly of reggae singles that I've never fully understood is the massive presence of blank labels like this disc here. I see them all over online shops and sites, in the local stores that I go to purchase them, and I just received a shipment of approximately 150 singles straight from Jamaica and guess what... a majority of them are blanks as well! From what I have read on the reggae music scene of the 60s and 70s, I can propose a few guesses.

First of all, the scene was quite a cutthroat business where producers would do anything possible to bring in popular singers and more revenue- I know in the early sound system days, DJs would often scratch the names and titles off discs so rival DJs would not be able to find out the names or artists of the tunes that drove the crowd wild. Perhaps this is a continuation of this trend. It could be that in the release or pre-release of these records, the producers did not want to share this information to keep the exclusivity of their music. Another guess would be simply a money saving tactic- blank labels means saving money that would otherwise be spent on ink. This may seem trivial but for even big names such as The Wailers, this could be an issue. For a time, they had to stop production of their standard labels and revert to a much simpler design to save money on ink (reference: wailer.de).

Anyway- back to the disc at hand... The Maytones were a vocal duo that began their career in the late 60's, recording two tracks for Studio 1 that would not see release. They then spent the next phase of their career recording for producer Alvin "GG" Ranglin and "Funny Man" comes from this era. The GG All Stars, featured on the flip side of the disc, were Ranglin's house band and served as the backing for the vocal duo on their ventures with Ranglin.

I picked this disc to upload because "Funny Man" shows off many of my favorite traits of 60's reggae: exciting harmony, playful and funky rhythm sections, driving organ in the background, an innocent lead guitar riff that spans the song's entirety, and lyrics that (at least to a degree in this song) call for unity of the people. Approximately a minute in to the song, the duo summarizes the offense they take against the 'funny man' - "we all should live in unity. Defending one heart, one love." The b-side is largely an instrumental take with a few vocal shouts overlayed. The real gem here is the a-side, but both are very enjoyable tracks.

Check here for an interesting interview with one of The Maytones' vocalists.

Enjoy!

Listen & download here:
A-side: The Maytones - Funny Man
B-side: GG Allstars - Champion

Johnny Mercer - Duration Blues / Sam's Got Him

Johnny Mercer began his musical career in the 1930s writing songs for and acting in movies. His nonchalant, folksy singing style captured the audience and would lead him to collaborations with big names such as Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. After years of writing and recording for various companies, he founded Capitol records in 1942 with businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glen Wallichs. He would go on to record dozens of sides with at Capitol and managed to launch the label to what into the household name that it is today. During this era, his smooth baritone voice would bring "romance to a generation and [sooth] a nation at war" (allaboutjazz). Both of these tracks were recorded in 1944 and showcase his wartime vibes.

"Duration Blues" has Mercer singing of the some of the hard times and confusion of living in the WWII times. While both songs speak towards the war and the draft board, "Sam's Got Him" does so much more directly. What I find so interesting about 78s like this is that they offer a glimpse into life in the past. The topics, the diction, and the melodies are all vastly different than those that appear in today's music, and this really allows the listener insight into life in the 40s.

This old-timey music is not my forte, so I don't have much to write about them. But nonetheless, these are great songs that certainly transport you to another time and they are definitely not worth skipping out on. So have a listen and enjoy!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Johnny Mercer - Duration Blues
B-side: Johnny Mercer - Sam's Got Him