Jimmy Cliff - Come Into My Life / Viet Nam

Jimmy Cliff's repertoire is generally hit or miss for me, and this a-side is a certain hit. Unfortunately, the b-side is hideously noisy but, once again for continuity, I've uploaded it anyway.

Listen & download here:
A-side: Jimmy Cliff - Come Into My Life
B-side: Jimmy Cliff - Viet Nam

The SPM Singers - Auld Lang Syne / Silent Night

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Listen & download:
A-side: The SPM Singers - Auld Lang Syne
B-side: The SPM Singers - Silent Night

Link Wray - Rumble / The Swag

As of tomorrow morning, I'm on a cruise in the Caribbean for a week! I've got a few blog posts scheduled to go up while I'm gone so stay tuned!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Link Wray - Rumble
B-side: Link Wray - The Swag

I Roy & The Ebony Sisters - Let Me Tell You Boy / Version

I generally don't care too much for toasting singles, but every now and then one will catch my eye - this is one of those. After U Roy, "The Originator," opened the floodgates for DJs and toasters to release records, a string of toasters popped up with similar styles and even names, such as I Roy and Little U Roy.

I usually turn away from them because I feel they tend to quickly get repetitive and are more rarely innovative than other reggae forms. However, when the right DJ is teamed with the right producer and rhythm, magic can happen as it does on this track by I Roy & The Ebony Sisters, "Let Me Tell You Boy," A Harry Mudie production from 1971.

The rhythm is pounding and features the Ebony Sisters' wailing a calling chorus that I Roy proudly responds to. When the sisters take intermission, a loud horn section fills the space while I Roy does his DJ job and maintains the flow of the track. The sisters kick back in and the song follows the theme through the end.

The instrumentals for many toasting tracks are provided by versions of other songs and this is no exception. This one is an extension of The Ebony Sisters' song by the same name, also produced by Mudie but from 1969, which explains the rocksteady vibe to the song. Enjoy!

Listen & download here:
A-side: I Roy & The Ebony Sisters - Let Me Tell You Boy
B-side: I Roy & The Ebony Sisters - Let Me Tell You Boy (Version)

Delroy Wilson - It Hurts / Put Yourself In My Place

I'm putting this one up as a bit of a follow up to the Al & The Vibrators post I did about a week ago because it too is a Sonia Pottinger production.

Mrs. Pottinger was the most influential and important woman in the history of the Jamaican music business. After being the first female producer to even make a dent in the producing scene, she went on to be produce huge names such as Stranger Cole, Ken Boothe, Jackie Brown, The Ethiopians, The Melodians - the list goes on. She headed the Gay Feet label and produced nearly all of the hundreds of records produced on the imprint.

Like the Al & The Vibrators post, these two tracks are true rocksteady scorchers from 1968. Delroy Wilson was a big player in all eras of Jamaican music and "It Hurts" is an absolute classic. Wilson's voice, like always, is undeniably powerful and well controlled. His signature sound developed in the late ska years and was perfected by the time he recorded these two tunes. Through the end of the 60s and in to the 70s, Wilson's voice matured but retained all allure and most any tune of his is a keeper.

As a tip to Pottinger's production, the rhythm here is consistently powerfully, a key element to timeless scorchers. I can't remember the source, but I recently read an interview where it was said that the most important element to any reggae tune is the rhythm or the groove. It's what guides your ears and bodies through the song and is often the most memorable part. A weak rhythm can cause a tune to be quickly overlooked. This is, however, not the case for these two tracks. Enjoy!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Delroy Wilson - It Hurts
B-side: Delroy Wilson - Put Yourself In My Place

For Sale Page

Updated 3/24/2010

I've got way too many records to sell at the moment to list. If you are interested in purchasing any records (not the ones posted on the site) then please contact me with what artists/labels/etc you may be interested in. I've got over 200 to sell at the moment, most are 70s, some are 80s, and less are 60s. Contact me at davesjukebox.blogspot@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Derrick Morgan - John Crow Skank / Give Thanks

Derrick Morgan's career spanned all areas of Jamaican music from 1960 on as a both a popular singer and producer. This disc showcases both skills with two self produced sides from 1971 on England's Pama Supreme label.

The two sides are arguably closer to instrumentals or toasting tracks than they are to full blown songs but are certainly both worth listening to. "John Crow Skank" carries a funky groove and Morgan's directives. The instrumentation is pulsing with a sparse backing hidden underneath interjections by pianos, organs, horns, guitars, and more.

If you have been reading along with the posts, you may remember that this Max Romeo post was produced by Derrick Morgan. This b-side, "Give Thanks," features the same rhythm with Morgan's variation of the song. Compared to Romeo's version, Morgan's has more a powerful sound and instrumentation all around. It's also more of an instrumental take than Romeo's. I'm not sure which version I like more, enjoy!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Derrick Morgan - John Crow Skank
B-side: Derrick Morgan - Give Thanks

Al & The Vibrators - Move Up / Lonesome Lover

Today marks the blog's 1st birthday hoooooraah!

Yep, that's right. One year ago today I posted 3 records - Sam Cooke's "I'll Come Running Back To You," The Wailers' "Dancing Shoes," and Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used To Do" - marking the beginning of Dave's Jukebox. Unfortunately, the Guitar Slim posting has since been deleted by the host.

In the past year, the blog has grown to 7000 hits with thousands upon thousands of tunes played. I started the blog with about 40 reggae 7"s and about 75 rock/r&b 7"s and have since bought over 900 reggae 45s and sold over 300. I've enjoyed keeping the blog going and collecting all the 45s so I have no plans on stopping anytime soon! As a bonus for everyone who's been listening, I'm including a 3rd track killer track on this one.

Anyway, this is a an absolutely FANTASTIC set of tunes here by Al & The Vibrators. Better yet, they are in practically pristine condition. All are produced by Sonia Pottinger and released on the Gay Feet label. "Move Up" was prepared for the 1967 Jamaican Independence Festival annual song contest. This is a festival that began in 1966 and still occurs annually. "Move Up" lost the 1967 contest to The Jamaicans' "Ba Ba Boom," but this still easily is one of my favorite rocksteady tunes. The rhythm is unforgettably powerful and Linval Martin's lead vocal is immaculate. He would only release a handful of singles as Al & The Vibrators and would go down as a band that you'd hope to have a more extensive career.

The lyrics celebrate the Jamaican independence from England in 1962, a common theme for festival songs. This tune was also cut as a calypso version for a 2nd entry the same year. The calypso version was actually the first I heard of the song and features the same tempo and strong vocals. I've got the 7" of that one too, so I'll be sure to put it up!

"Lonesome Lover" is another rocksteady scorcher that's in great condition. Linval Martin continues to show his voice off and the band does not fail to keep up. The 3rd song on the playlist is "Check Up," and was released shortly after "Move Up." As you may guess, the two tunes are very similar, even sharing some of the same melodies. Even so, all three tunes are absolute killers. I wouldn't put up something mediocre on the 1 year mark!

Enjoy and thanks again for continuing to listen!

Listen & download here:
A-side: Al & The Vibrators - Move Up
B-side: Al & The Vibrators - Lonesome Lover
Bonus: Al & The Vibrators - Check Up

Much thanks goes to diamondrecordingltd for selling me this one and sending me the mp3s of the auction I lost ("Check Up")!