Reggae — All Formats  

The purist reggae lover side of us wants to dismiss this is a largely commercial crossover record, but the electro loving side of us can't get enough of the title track, which was also covered to great effect by Rocker's Revenge. Much of the rest of the record hews closer to traditional reggae and Caribbean grooves, but with a great modern electro influence showing through in spots. 8 tracks in all, including "Walking On Sunshine", "Living On The Front Line", "The Front Line Symphony" and "Dancing In Guyana".

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell" – plus this reissue adds "Smile Jamaica" as a bonus track.

Rare treats from the late 70s Black Ark archive – the Lee Scratch Perry-produced recordings of soulful singer Candy McKenzie! These numbers were recorded in 1977 when Scratch and Black Ark studios were in peak form – and sure enough, the production and musicianship is top notch and infused with some great oddball creative flourishes – but it's Candy's sweet, sweet vocals that push this over the top. Her voice is so lovely and so soulful, it's a shame that this material has been so tough if not impossible to find for so many years! Includes "Disco Fits", "Someone To Love Me", "Breakfast In Bed", "Walking In The Sun", "Jah Knows", "Ice Cream", "Sky At Night", "Keep Him Strong", "Tell Me A Lie" and "When The Big Day".

Heavy dubs from a fairly unsung producer Phil Pratt – a set recorded at Channel One at the end of the 70s/start of the 80s –backed by the mighty rhythms of Sly & Robbie and other key figures in some of the greatest Jamaican music! This is some of the most adventurous dub we can think of from that time, yet it doesn't go too far off the experimental deep end – with acres of infectious echo and some tripped out atmosherics. Ron Brian is on guitar, Bobby Kalphat & Ansel Collins on keys, Tommy McCook & Herman Marquis on horns. Includes "Dial-M-For Murder", "Danger UBX", "Stinger", "Beware Of This Rass Dub", "Chase A Crooked Shadow", "Don't Watch My Size", "Walking Razor", "Wonder Woman Dub", "Bad Boy Dub" and "Jam Up".

The 9th music & film collaborative effort in the FRKWYS series – in which free-thinking modern work with inspirational elder or otherwise further-traveled figures – this one finding Sun Araw and M Geddes Gengres meeting Jamaican music legends The Congos! M Geddes Gengres is skilled synth experimenter and Sun Araw works in a number of psych-steeped projects, and work respectfully with the words and Jamaican vocal harmonies of The Congos, though they fearlessly launch them into some tripped out atmosphere! Includes "New Binghi", "Happy Song", "Food Clothing And Shelter", "Sunshine", "Jungle", "Invocation" and "Thanks And Praise. The set also includes the hour-long Icon Eye DVD, documenting the making the of album as well as serving as a strikingly visual travelogue companion piece. Cool, ambitious stuff that combines classic Jamaican songcraft with wildly creative, experimental soundscapes!

Here's the real deal – a totally cool collection of all-classic Jamaican ska tracks from the mid 60s – with no revival cuts, no remakes – just the core original grooves! The quality of the work here is tremendous – a rocking, romping approach to soul music that really shows the Jamaican sound starting to fall into place – often handled by singers and musicians who'd break even bigger in the later reggae years, but who have a raw brilliance here that's even more compelling! The track list is wonderful – and the set is a hell of a deal at this price – with tracks that include "One Eyed Jacks" by Jimmy Cliff, "JFK's Memory" by Don Drummond, "The Sun Rises In The East" by Dotty & Bonnie, "Catch A Fire" by Baba Brooks & His Band, "Do You Keep On Dreaming" by The Cherry Pies, "Choo Choo Ska" by Llans Thewell & The Celestials, "Parro Saw The Light" by Lloyd Clarke, "The Jerk" by Derrick Harriott, and "Dragon Weapon" by The Skatalites.

The 9th music & film collaborative effort in the FRKWYS series – in which free-thinking modern work with inspirational elder or otherwise further-traveled figures – this one finding Sun Araw and M Geddes Gengres meeting Jamaican music legends The Congos! M Geddes Gengres is skilled synth experimenter and Sun Araw works in a number of psych-steeped projects, and work respectfully with the words and Jamaican vocal harmonies of The Congos, though they fearlessly launch them into some tripped out atmosphere! Includes "New Binghi", "Happy Song", "Food Clothing And Shelter", "Sunshine", "Jungle", "Invocation" and "Thanks And Praise. The set also includes the hour-long Icon Eye DVD, documenting the making the of album as well as serving as a strikingly visual travelogue companion piece. Cool, ambitious stuff that combines classic Jamaican songcraft with wildly creative, experimental soundscapes!

A career-spanning anthology of the legendary Yellowman – the Jamaican deejay whose longevity against all odds is nearly as surprising as the top notch quality of his best recordings – many of which you can find here! Yellowman's better known in some circles for being a pioneer, for better or worse, in a more sexually explicit lyricism – for good reason – but he's such a charismatic performer that he deserves to be better known for his style than his words. Lots of great material here, and a good deal of it is quite timeless! 40 tracks on 2CDs: "Mad Over Me", "Shorties", "Lost Mi Love", "Mister Chin", "Out Of Hand", "Death Of Barnabas", "Them A Fight I", "Night Flight", "Top Form", "Duppy Or A Gunman", "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng", "Galong Galong Galong", "Gregory Free", "King And Queen" and "Jah Mek Us Fi A Purpose" with Sister Nancy, "Mr. Wong", "Herbman Smuggling", "Water Rock" and "Bam Bam" with Fathead, "Bunn The Kutchie", "Blueberry Hill" and more. 40 tracks on 2CDs – plus the DVD Live At Sunsplash 1988!

Great early work by Bob Marley & The Wailers – some of it produced by the legendary Lee Perry, too! Some of the tunes are early takes on later famous versions – but in a way, they're actually more definitive – in that they tie Marley back to the rich Kingston culture, instead of making him some beatific figure who emerged to greatness on his own. The rougher edge is a great contrast to Marley during the Island years – as you'll hear on tunes that include "Lively Up Yourself","Small Axe", "Duppy Conqueror", "African Herbsman", "Sun Is Shining", "Keep On Moving", "Don't Rock The Boat", and "Kaya".

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell". 2CD version features the bonus track "Smile Jamaica (version)" – plus 13 more tracks recorded live in Rotterdam in 1978 – "Jamming", "No Woman No Cry", "I Shot The Sheriff", "The Heathen", "Positive Vibration", and "Exodus".

One of the more far-reaching compilations in the Jazz Club series – reggae covers by jazz mainstays and more from late 60s onward, with a focus on great stuff from the 70s! All of the material was culled from the vast Universal vaults – and it's a pretty sweet set of jazzy reggae and reggae jazz, from artists as diverse as Ernest Ranglin, Bernard Pretty Purdie, The Skatalites, Bill Fraser, Deodato and Medeski, Martin & Wood! 14 tracks in all: "54-46 – (Was My Number)" by Ernest Ranglin, "Jammin'" by Monty Alexander, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Junior Mance, "Natty Never Get Weary" by Dean Fraser, "Rock Fort Rock" by Skatalites, "Montego Bay" by Pretty Purdie, "I Shot The Sheriff" by Deodato, "Walking On Sunshine" by Bill Summers, "Pressure Drop" by Brass Fraser and more.