Reggae — In Stock — CDs

A Jamaican soul classic from Derrick Harriot – and a set that really points the way towards reggae sounds to come in the 70s! There's a spare, stripped-down brilliance here that's undeniable – a real focus on Derrick's amazing vocals on the key cuts, plus some contributions from other ... read more CD

A double-length set that really digs deep into the rich array of sounds that Derrick Harriott brought to Jamaican music in the late 60s – not just cuts he recorded under his own name, but work by some of his contemporaries that were done with Derrick's help – served up here as one of ... read more CD

A party time indeed! his is the follow up to Night Food, and a set that nearly equals its predecessot, as a great example of what Leroy Sibbles and the Heptones were capable of when teaming up with Lee Perry! Laid down at the legendary Black Ark, this set's one of the band's strongest LPs, with ... read more CD

One of the best records ever by Joe Higgs! Higgs is one of classic reggae's best songwriters and one of it's most distinctive voices – having written for, performed with or simply influenced some of the biggest names in the game – but his own great records didn't really crossover to ... read more CD

Stunning soul from the great John Holt – the Jamaican singer who first rose to fame in the Paragons, then cut his "volts" series of albums in the early 70s – and was still going strong by the time of this great set! Holt brings an older style of Jamaican soul – one ... read more CD

CD

The album may not have been much of a Money Maker for Studio One Records – given that it's one of the rarest in their catalog – but it stands as a key illustration of the label's genius, and just how far away they were from most of their contemporaries! The set's a bit of a split ... read more CD

Pivotal early dub! Depending upon whose history of the Jamaican recording industry you subscribe to, this is can be considered by many to be the first dub LP – and whether that's proveable or not, it's certain among the first! History aside, it's a mighty set with some raw early dub style ... read more CD

Gregory Isaacs' name is on the cover – but the dub component here means that there's maybe a bit less vocals in the mix – as the album's the dub companion to Gregory's late 70s classic Cool Ruler! This set is much more focused on the excellent instrumental work – laid down by the ... read more CD

One of the sweetest voices in Jamaican music during the 70s – served up here in a mellow-stepping set of classics that Pat Kelly recorded with producer Bunny Lee! Pat's clearly got a strong influence from American sweet soul, but also comes across at a level that's maybe a bit more righteous ... read more CD

Heavy dubs from two classic sources – King Tubby's studios and Channel One – served up here in a special soundclash session from Bunny Lee and Jah Stich! The tunes here are nicely abstracted and expanded – laid out back to back in one swirling mass of heady sounds that seems ... read more CD

Rare gems from the vaults of Jamaican production genius Bunny Lee – material cut mostly at his home studio, in the company of some very good friends and musical associates – hence the artist listing on the set! Some of the cuts here are from rare dubplates or acetates, others are ... read more CD

Some of the best work you'll ever hear from the mighty Byron Lee – not the watered-down sound of later records for the tourists, but all the sharp, soulful sounds that made him one of the hippest talents working in the Caribbean scene of the 60s! Byron's got a groove here that's heavy on ... read more CD

Tippa Lee's a Jamaican talent from the old school, one whose biggest fame was in the 80s – but he steps out here in a great setting that's maybe even more retro than his original work – served up in a roots reggae mode that feels like some lost Kingston classic from the 70s! The lyrics ... read more CD

2 great lost roots albums from the underrated Ijahman Levi! At the cusp of the 80s he appeared poised to achieve the level of dominance over the Jamaican scene like Burning Spear held in the early 70s, only to leave us with these 2 monumental recordings and labor quietly for the rest of his career. ... read more CD

CD

CD

CD

Quite possibly THE Bob Marley album – or at least the record that really exploded the man from the Jamaican scene into huge global fame – thanks to a universally soulful sound that moved the record way past the barriers that were holding the rest of Kingston sounds back from the ... read more CD

The first Bob Marley album on Island Records – and the start of a really legendary run that would not only transform reggae in the 70s, but the rest of popular music as well! Chris Blackwell's partially at the helm on production, but the album was mostly recorded in classic Kingston studios ... read more CD

A righteous classic from the legendary Bob Marley – and a set that really pushed the roots reggae sound strongly into the mainstream – almost making the mode the defining global understanding of Jamaican music, thanks to the power and presence of the album! All the Marley Tuff Gong ... read more CD

An early Toots and the Maytals album for Trojan, we believe the first the label issued, after they had left their tenure with Coxsone Dodd and moved over to working with Leslie Kong. 14 tracks in all, including "Pee Pee Cluck Cluck", "Loving Spirit", "Dr Lester", ... read more CD

Masterful reggae instrumentals from the great Tommy McCook! Reggae In Jazz does indeed have some jazz-steeped solos augmenting the vibe quite nicely, but it's perhaps not the full on reggae/jazz hybrid the title suggests – which is a good thing, actually! The rhythms are strongly rooted in ... read more CD

Brilliant 70s work from reedman Tommy McCook – a player who first rose to fame during the ska and rocksteady years in the Jamaican scene of the 60s, but who takes on a whole new sound here in a dub setting handled by Glen Brown! The album's got an easygoing groove right from the start – ... read more CD

A Mighty Diamonds album at the core, but one that often pushes the group's vocals off to the side – to allow for plenty of dubby interplay in the instrumentation! The real stars of the set are a Compass Point lineup with drums by Sly Dunbar and horns by Tommie McCook – all mixed and ... read more CD

Beautiful sounds from the mighty Jacob Miller – material recorded with Augustus Pablo in the years before Miller went onto greater fame in Inner Circle – and with a rootsy vibe that's still extremely powerful all these many years later! Pablo's at the height of his talents here – ... read more CD

A classic 70s set from Jamaican singer Derrick Morgan – originally released in 1974 (and also titled In The Mood), but with a sound that's maybe more late 60s rocksteady overall! Derrick's got a voice that seems strongly influenced by American deep soul styles – especially the ... read more CD

A gem of a dub LP, one that has languished in obscurity for too long! Heptone Earl Morgan didn't cut a huge volume of music as a producer, basically filling down time between Heptone's gigs in the latter part of the bands' career working with up and coming artists, but he had enough clout to ... read more CD

CD

Some of the deepest, trippiest sounds from the Jamaican scene in the 70s – a classic collection of dubbed-up cuts from Agustus Pablo – who throws in loads of sweet melodica lines to the rhythms, at least in between hits of the pipe he's smoking on the cover! Pablo took the laidback ... read more CD

An excellent selection of some of our favorite sides from the original rocker, Augustus Pablo. Loads of instrumentals, and a few dub and vocal numbers, including collaborations with King Tubby and the Upsetters, including "East Of The River Nile" in its original and version takes, "H ... read more CD

A stellar early 70s collection of Pablo instrumental sides, tracked between the groundbreaking Java, Java, Java and East Of The River Nile records – Landmark material from a master! Like the above mentioned classics, this one features Pablo's melodica prominently, over some nice roots rhythms ... read more CD

Third volume in this series (following after Words Of My Mouth and Chapter 2: Of Words) reissuing classic Scratch tracks from the Trojan archives, which would mean these numbers are from the very prolific early 70s portion of his career. As you might expect, a nice selection of vocal and ... read more CD

Some of the greatest work ever recorded by the mighty Lee Perry – a searing selection of 44 seven inch singles – all of which were well-tuned to boom out of Kingston sound systems back in the day! There's a sense of focus here that's wonderful – still all the odd, dubby twists ... read more CD

Sweet guitar instrumentals from the great Ernest Ranglin – heard here at an early point in his career, when he was very much a jazz player overall – but also picking up a few elements from the changing styles of Jamaican music at the time! Bobby plays with lots of warm, open chords ... read more CD

CD

Burning dub, indeed – as The Revolutionaries turn out a stellar set of instrumentals on this classic from the 70s! The album's got a totally top-shelf sound right from the start – excellent production from Junior English, who knows how to keep things clean and natural at just the right ... read more CD

Late 70s dub from producer Donovan Germain – served up through a wicked batch of instrumentals from The Revolutionaries – who play here at their tripped-out best! The tunes have an offbeat feel that's different from more conventional dub – very little ties to any sort of initial ... read more CD

The third album of fierce, funky dub from The Revolutionaries – music that's great enough on its own, even without its promise of undressing your dance partner! The work here is in the best territory of classic dub – clear, clean rhythms that have a power in their starkness – ... read more CD

A record that really lives up to its title – as it comes on with a sound so strong, so fierce, it can certainly be called an "attack"! The dub here isn't just the lazy-stepping, head-nodding variety – but very much on point and on the money – with the studio used almost ... read more CD

Back in 1969, when "skinhead" wasn't a totally negative term, the Jamiacan group Simaryp recorded this classic album of ska tracks that still holds up well today. Lots of nice tracks with a good Brit ska sound – including "Must Catch A Train", "Skin Flint", ... read more CD

The Skatalites with Toots & The Maytals, Prince Buster, David Murray, Lester Bowie and Monty Alexander. CD

A real dub rarity – a set that was originally issued in two different versions, both with different tracks – both in very small pressings! This excellent version from Pressure Sounds combines all the cuts from both discs – in a superb package of stripped-down dubs built around ... read more CD

Righteous dub from one of the most important rhythm duos to ever work the Jamaican scene – drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare – a pair who've appeared on countless records for other folks over the years, and a handful of their own – really stepping out on a very ... read more CD

A pair of classics from Leroy Smart – back to back on a single CD! Dread Hot In Africa is an early album from one of the more powerful vocalists to emerge from the 70s roots reggae scene – and one with an influence that was equally felt in Jamaica and in the UK! The record's got an ... read more CD

There's a heady brew of talent going on here – Phillip Smart at the mixing deck, The Aggrovators providing the rhythms, and Bunny Lee mixing the whole thing down at King Tubby's – all for a massive serving of echo-heavy Jamaican dub from the 70s! The tracks here are awash in cool ... read more CD

A great mix of harmony soul and 70s reggae from Still Cool – a group with a vocal approach to rival the early Jamaican harmony groups of the rocksteady years, but a vibe that's a lot more roots-oriented overall! This sweet debut set was recorded at Harry J's, with a stepping midtempo groove ... read more CD

The notes on the back proclaim the set as a real party record – and from the sounds within, we can certainly agree – given that the whole thing has a grooving approach that's not that different from American soul instrumental albums of the 60s! Guitarist Lynn Taitt is right out front ... read more CD

Early rocksteady instrumentals from the great Lynn Taitt – 60s Jamaican sounds that step along in a sweet, soulful midtempo groove – with lots of nice guitar solo lines over the top! The style's kind of a Kingston reworking of material that's partly American soul instrumental, and ... read more CD

An excellent combo from 60s Jamaica – a group who are equally well skilled at soul, jazz, and a number of other styles too! The groove is less rocksteady than you might expect – although there's plenty of that in the rhythms – and at some level, these guys feel more like some ... read more CD

CD

CD

A compilation of the early years material of Jamaica's superstar dancehall DJ! Includes "The Ark", "Blueberry Hill", "Donkey Want Water", "Water Rock", "Divrced", "For Your Eyes Early", "Letter To Rosie", "No Get ... read more CD

A cool collection – with cuts that include "Wet Dream" by The Inspirations, "Barbwire" by Nora Dean, "Open Up" by Clancy Eccles, "Punanny" by Charlie Ace & Fay, "Sexy Sadie" by Max Romeo, "Rub & Squeeze" by Lee Perry, "Ad ... read more CD

CD

An incredible set of music – the roots of so many sounds to come in Jamaica, all pulled from the early pre-Studio One recordings of the legendary Clement Dodd! The music here is much more strongly tied to American styles – and in fact, some cuts could easily pass for soul and R&B ... read more CD

A fantastic overview of sounds from the Jamaican scene in the years before rocksteady and ska really took off – most of them from the hands of groundbreaking producer Clement "Coxone" Dodd – later the driving force behind Studio One! In these early years, Dodd already had ... read more CD

Don Letts has always been a mover and shaker on the London scene, building connections between the punk movement and helping a lot of Jamaican artists get signed to British labels, so it's only fitting that he should be tapped as selector for a collection of tracks from the deep, deep Trojan vaults. ... read more CD

Some of the sharpest dee jay work you'll ever hear from the Jamaican scene of the early 70s – cutting edge MCs from Kingston, all set to massive rhythms from Glen Browns Pantomine label – on tracks that were originally issued in small runs of a few hundred copies! Yet that small ... read more CD

Classic work from Jamaican producer Gussie Clarke – a talent who's still going strong after changing the face of reggae for decades – starting out with the flurry of work featured on this set! Clarke's productions were already bubbling under in the early 70s, but definitely came into ... read more CD

Classic productions from the legendary Augustus "Gussie" Clarke – all work recorded at Channel One and King Tubby's – and done in this laidback, soulful groove that's completely sublime! The music here never goes too far over the top – just sweet and subtle rhythms that ... read more CD

CD

(Funky Compilations, Reggae) CD

A huge selection of work from the pre-reggae years in Jamaica – formative material that really runs the gamut – from jump blues, to R&B, to jazz, blues, and a whole lot more! It's a well-known fact that the rise of Jamaican music in the 60s was inspired by American radio broadcasts ... read more CD

A huge vision of Jamaican music in the pre-reggae years – a wealth of jazz recordings from the 40s and 50s, including some key sides of Jamaican musicians who emigrated to London! The set features way more than just some early instrumental moments in the years before ska and rocksteady ... (Jazz, Reggae) read more CD

A completely different side of Jamaican music than you might expect – rare recordings that definitely live up to the doo wop promise of the title! There's hardly a hint of Kingston in these grooves, as the sound is solidly on the American vocal group side of the spectrum – making these ... read more CD

Crucial sounds from King Jammy – prime material from that time when his production style was really helping to open up the sound of Kingston! The evolution of dub is definitely at play in the tracks here, but the music is also much more upfront, too – as the Jammy style is very ... read more CD

CD

Nice budget priced collection of reggae sides released by or licensed by Isalnd, from the mid 70s through the early 80s. Some of these numbers had some commercial success, but they're still great roots rock, and this compilation makes a nice primer or just a great CD to throw in the player and ... read more CD

Here it is – a collection that's actually worthy of it's title, the Story of Ska! 52 funky, skanking ska numbers from Trojan's catalogue, with loads of riffing horn parts and some great vocal numbers too. Includes "Hey Bartender" by Laurel Aitken, "Fat Man" by Derrick ... read more CD

One of the most mysterious Studio One compilations we've ever heard – and one of the grooviest, too! The cuts here are all lost dub tracks from the Studio One vaults – instrumental numbers served up by the likes of Sound Dimension, Brentford All Stars, Soul Defenders, New Establishment ... read more CD

An excellent 2CD primer of material collected during the dawn of the reggae age by the Trojan label on their 8 volume Tighten Up series. Bringing together some of the finest rocksteady & reggae cuts produced by Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, Scratch Perry & Joe Gibbs, the original compilations ... read more CD

A really classic compilation from Trojan Records – and an album in their catalog that's arguably every bit as important as their single-artist sets! The Tighten Up series quickly stood out from the rest of the nascent reggae pack – to show the care and quality of Trojan's releases, and ... read more CD