An essential reissue of an essential roots album! A mid 70s landmark of harmony roots, the Abyssinians' Satta Massagana, aka Forward To Zion, is hard to beat for hardcore, spiritual roots delivered over hypnotically pulsing rhythms, and Heartbeat ups the ante by digging deep for some excellent and ... read moreCD
Two sets of soulful reggae from the second half of the 70s – both nice and mellow, and put together with excellent production from Joe Gibbs! Marcia Aitken is in prime lovers rock mode on Reggae Impact – using her voice to step along the grooves in the way that a male falsetto soul ... read moreCD
Dennis Alcapone —
Wake Up Jamaica ... CD Trojan/Brook (Germany), Early 70s. New Copy ...
$3.9914.99
Standard-setting sounds from the Jamaican scene of the 70s – material that not only helped cement the fame of the mighty Dennis Alcapone, but which also helped to make the dee jay style a key part of the new wave of styles in reggae! As you might guess from the cover and title, there's some ... read moreCD
A fantastic classic early dee jay set from the Jamaican scene – a record that not only showcase the burgeoning talents of the young Dennis Alcapone, but also features a fair bit of duets with Lizzy (Delroy Petgrave) – all at a level that really helps move the style forward! At times, ... read moreCD
Bob Andy's come a long way here from his earlier work with Marcia Griffiths – taking on some new righteous rasta energy, as you might guess from the title – and singing in an even headier style than before – in a way that makes this record as important to the roots generation as ... read moreCD
Jamaican great Horace Andy rises up again with a very righteous sound – working here alongside production from Adrian Sherwood – maybe no surprise, given the placement of the album on the On-U Sound label! Yet the record has a quality that goes past any expectations you might have ... read moreCD
A strong companion album to the Midnight Rockers gem from Horace Andy – and one that lets producer Adrian Sherwood take the helm even more than before, as the set features a hip mix of dubs, reworks, and alternate versions of tunes on the album! Horace's great vocals are still there in the ... read moreCD
An unreleased album of sorts from roots reggae great Patrick Andy – tracks that were initially culled together by producer Yabby You in the late 70s, and which include a few never-issued tunes by Andy, plus rare stereo mixes of some other tunes too! If you know the famous title single that ... read moreCD
Beenie Man —
Y2K ... CD Artists Only, 1999. Used ...
$2.99
A very different album than usual from the great tenorist Nat Birchall – a set that's no less soulful than his other records, but in a completely different way! The album's a collaboration with producer Al Breadwinner – and has this approach that feels like a lost Jamaican instrumental ... (Jazz, Reggae)read moreCD
Stunning soul from Ken Boothe – one of the singers who really helped bring a sense of soul to Jamaican music with classic material like this! Ken's got a unique voice that's not the usual style of reggae vocalists – a really distinct sense of phrasing that's both easygoing and deep at ... read moreCD
Dennis Brown —
Africa ... CD Trojan/Brook (Germany), Early 70s. New Copy ...
$3.9914.99
A wealth of early work from one of the most important voices in reggae during the 70s – the mighty Dennis Brown, working here with help from producers Derrick Harriott and Niney The Observer, in the years after he left Studio One! There's also work that Dennis did with The Now Generation ... read moreCD
Nice, nice 2 CD set collecting the best work of the great Jamaican crooner Dennis Brown. Working mostly with producer Winston Niney Holness, the pair brought out the best in each other, with Niney coaxing some great performances out of Brown, and Brown getting the best rhythms Niney had to offer. ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Errol Brown & The Revolutionaries —
Tip Top Dub ... CD Doctor Bird (UK), Late 70s. New Copy 2CD ...
$14.9924.99
A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note ... read moreCD
Jimmy Cliff —
Unlimited ... CD Warner/Wounded Bird, 1973. New Copy ...
$10.9913.98
A mighty nice early album from Jimmy Cliff – a set that's maybe not as well-known as his massive hits of the 70s, but which definitely sets the tone for all the greatness to come! Jimmy's voice already has this raw, righteous power that's incredible – trained in the soul of the ... read moreCD
One of the hippest sets ever issued during the roots reggae wave of the 70s – and one of the most spiritual, too! The album's got a very special acoustic vibe at the core – earthy drumming that goes back to a pan-African tradition, these beautiful acoustic basslines that link the music ... read moreCD
A pair of gems from the early years of reggae – stacked back to back in a 2CD set, along with a huge amount of bonus tracks too! First up is the legendary Freedom album from Clancy Eccles – one of the first great talents to emerge in the Jamaican scene of the 60s – a singer whose ... read moreCD
Frightnrs —
Always ... CD Daptone, 2022. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also ... read moreCD
Not the usual sort of reggae or rocksteady you might expect from the Jamaican scene in the 60s – but instead a brilliant set of jazz work that shows the roots of so many styles to come! The work here isn't straight jazz – as in an American mode – but the group does have a sextet ... read moreCD
(Out of print – includes obi!)
Marcia Griffiths —
Naturally/Steppin ... CD Sky Note/Doctor Bird (UK), Late 70s. New Copy ...
$14.99
A pair of albums from Marcia Griffiths – the well-titled queen of reggae at the end of the 70s! First up is Naturally, a fantastic album from Marcia Griffiths – very much the kind of material that made her one of the best female singers on the Jamaican scene in the 70s! The set's got ... read moreCD
A pair of rare albums from the great Derrick Harriott – with lots of bonus tracks that are appearing on CD for the first time! The set begins with the stunning Greatest Reggae Hits – a set that focuses strongly on the amazing vocal range of Derrick Harriott – a singer who can ... read moreCD
A massive package – the full rare Undertaker album from Derrick Harriott & The Crystalites, plus an insane amount of bonus tracks too! The core album is instrumental – a wicked set of rhythms from The Crystalites, a group who have a vibe that's right up there with the best of the ... read moreCD
A nice batch of soulful reggae vibes, from former Paragon John Holt. A dozen numbers in all: 'Doctor Love", "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday", "Touch Me In The Morning", "Keep On Moving", "I Will", "Alfie", "I'll Take A Melody", ... read moreCD
Wonderful work from the great John Holt – a Jamaican singer who managed to find a real way to weave connections between reggae and the sweeter side of soul music in the 70s – often at a level that had John taking on songs from the American scene and making them sound even better with a ... read moreCD
Never-heard work from the legendary Keith Hudson – material recorded with the Wailers Band at Tuff Gong studios shortly before his too-early death – finally seeing the light of day after all these years! The set features 6 core tracks that were recorded by Hudson, and very much in the ... read moreCD
Charlie Hunter —
Natty Dread ... CD Blue Note, 1997. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
The Charlie Hunter quartet offers their take on Bob Marley's groundbreaking album Natty Dread – taking the original Jamaican grooves of the set, and performing them in a laidback jazz funk style! The lineup includes Charlie on 8-string guitar, plus alto sax, tenor sax, and drums – on ... (Jazz, Reggae)read moreCD
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 moreCD
Barbara Jones —
For Your Ears Only ... CD Jamaican Gold (Portugal), Late 70s/Early 80s. Used ...
$1.9914.99
A stunning example of the way that the harmony trio had developed in late 60s Jamaica – a short but fantastic evolution of a mode that began in American soul, yet quickly expanded into something else entirely during the rocksteady years – to the point where it became the global calling ... read moreCD
Byron Lee &The Dragonaires —
Man & His Music ... CD VP/17 North Parade, 1960s/1970s/1980s. Used 2 CDs ...
$9.9911.99
A massive singles collection of the great Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – getting a full range of his diverse styles over the years – 60s rock steady, Calypso flavored soul, ska, reggae up to his 80s soca sounds! You'd think with such a range of styles and such a long stretch of ... read moreCD
A never-issued record from Jah Life – and one that stands with the best dub efforts from the time! The set features wicked rhythms from the Roots Radics band, recorded at Channel One – then mixed into sublime echoey territory by Scientist, with a style that's every bit as his own great ... read moreCD
Keith Lyn & The Dragonaires —
Serenades ... CD Dynamic Sounds (Jamaica), Used ...
$9.99
Produced by Byron Lee and arranged by Neville Hinds. CD
Bob Marley —
Exodus ... CD Island, 1977. Used ...
$3.99
Maybe the best place to start if you're looking to dive into the short but incredible legacy of music left behind by Bob Marley – as the album marked a real global turning point for the singer, and includes a number of tracks that are still his standout classics after all these years! The ... read moreCD
While we're not big on career retrospective best of's, especially artists like Marley, whose been collected over & over, this is actually a respectable set, and the vinyl's pretty darn hard to get ahold of anymore. Includes tons of classics, like "Get Up Stand Up", "Exodus", ... read moreCD
One of many posthumous compilations of Marley's work with the Wailers, and not a bad one at that. Without setting out to be a greatest hits, this compilation focuses on some of Marley's more topical, political songs, including the classics "Get Up, Stand Up (live)" and "Them Belly ... read moreCD
The last studio album issued by Bob Marley during his too-short lifetime – and the kind of record that continued to keep him at the top of the global scene – not just a reggae star, but a worldwide superstar who would have kept the fire burning for decades! The group is rock-solid ... read moreCD
(Remastered edition. Punch through barcode and clear promotional sticker on jewel case cover.)
Definite essential work from The Maytals – the legendary group led by Toots Hibbert, and who really helped transform the sound of Jamaican music with recordings like this! There were certainly other soulful groups in their generation on the Kingston scene, but The Maytals really helped give ... read moreCD
Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari —
Grounation ... CD New Dimension/Soul Jazz (UK), 1972. New Copy 2CD ...
$21.9922.99
An amazing record, and one of the most spiritual, righteous sets to ever come from Jamaica in the 70s – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that scene at the time! The vibe here is really rootsy, and almost more spiritual jazz than reggae – with lots of spare percussion from Count ... read moreCD
Uber-classic dub from Augustus Pablo! Dubbing In A Africa was produced by Pablo and features a rhythm section of Bingy Bunny, Sly & Robbie and Gladdy. Here they deliver a nice, tight set of tunes which like many of Pablo's other classics, veer closer to rhythm workouts than deep space dub ... read moreCD
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 moreCD
A classic collection of work from Ken Parker – maybe not the biggest name in Jamaican music, but a singer who really struck gold with this collection of cuts recorded for Treasure Isle! The original album came out in the mid 70s, but the music's got more of the rocksteady groove you'd expect ... read moreCD
Frankie Paul —
At His Best ... CD Super Power, 1997. Used 2 CD ...
$13.99
Lee Perry & The Upsetters —
Super Ape ... CD Mango, 1976. Used ...
$8.99
The King Kong of dub albums, a real standard-setting record that put both the movement and Lee Perry forever on the musical map! The whole thing is classic Lee Perry and an essential dub album – one that mixes Scratch's dense, multi-layered Black Ark rhythms in all their raw glory, with ... read moreCD
A mighty tribute to the genius of one of the greatest producers of all time – a figure who helped not only shape the sound of Jamaican music from the late 60s onwards, but also influence a fair bit of the rest of the world as well! The set's a well-chosen collection of material from a range ... read moreCD
Two killer Trojan albums from Lee Perry & The Upsetters – back to back on a single CD! First up is Return Of Django – an early moment of genius from the legendary Lee Perry – and a set that uses Django imagery from Italian westerns to serve up a "bad boy" version of ... read moreCD
Pivotal Black Ark material from Lee Perry – with brilliantly tripped out echoey dub production – and scorching instrumentation laid down by the mighty Upsetters! Split roughly in half between Perry's nicely gritty instrumental moodcraft and hazy vocals, this collection features some ... read moreCD
(In a very cool Japanese-styled, LP-like cardboard sleeve cover!)
Four fantastic albums from the legendary Prince Far I! The set begins with the classic Free From Sin – Great early work from Prince Far I – a stunning mix of reggae and dub, with a righteous quality that really gives the prince his title amongst 70s Jamaican royalty! Backing is by a ... read moreCD
Ernest Ranglin —
Surfin' ... CD Tropic, 2005. Used ...
$6.99
Tracks include "Ketch It", "Diamond", "Surfside", "Tender Moments", and "September". (Jazz, Reggae)CD
Loads of crossover and hit dancehall reggae numbers, with guests galore: "Mr Loverman" with Chevelle Franklin, "Slow & Sexy" with Johnny Gill, "House Call (Morales rmx)" with Maxi Priest, "The Jam" with KRS One, "Shine Eye Gal" with Mykal Rose ... read moreCD
(Out of print orginal pressing. Sealed with a punch through the barcode.)
Risco Connection —
Risco Version ... CD Strut (UK), Late 70s. New Copy 2CD ...
$13.9914.99
A great little set that brings together the short but fantastic legacy of Risco Connection – a late 70s project led by Studio One drummer Joe Isaacs, after moving from Kingston and setting up shop on the scene in Toronto! Joe calls on plenty of his older roots in early reggae, but also ... (Soul, Reggae)read moreCD
The debut album from Cynthia Schloss – a reggae singer who'd go on to bring a whole new level of soul to Jamaican music! In fact, the album's maybe half reggae, and half soul – delivered by Cynthia with a range that would have been right at home in American soul in the early 70s, ... read moreCD
Warmly wonderful early work from William Bunny Clarke – billed here under a different name, but the same singer who'd rise to great fame a few years later as Bunny Rugs in Third World! The vibe here is different than his hits with that group – more laidback and mellow, with great ... read moreCD
Warmly wonderful early work from William Bunny Clarke – billed here under a different name, but the same singer who'd rise to great fame a few years later as Bunny Rugs in Third World! The vibe here is different than his hits with that group – more laidback and mellow, with great ... read moreCD
(Out of print, punch through barcode and clear promotional sticker on jewel case cover.)
Skatalites —
Independence Ska ... CD Trojan/Brook (Germany), Mid 60s. New Copy ...
$3.9914.99
The cover looks contemporary, but the set's filled with classic cuts from the earliest years of The Skatalites – groundbreaking Jamaican instrumentation from the lineup that included Don Drummond on trombone, and both Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso on saxes! 15 tracks in all – titles ... read moreCD
The Skatalites are a group who were one of the key forces in Jamaican music in the 60s – a crack ensemble of musicians who really helped the scene in Kingston break strongly from other Caribbean cities at the time – finding a groove that would forever set the path towards rocksteady and ... read moreCD
Earthshaking bass and percolating drums keep this superb set rockin' in fine style! Well known as the lynch pin to so many great rhythms cut from the 70s onward, Sly & Robbie's reputation as one of Jamaica's baddest rhythm sections precedes them. This compilation focuses on tracks produced by ... read moreCD
(Out of print and includes slipcase. Please note – while the overall sound quality of this recording is excellent, it appears that at least one track was remastered off an original vinyl copy.)
Rhythms by Wild Apache, Steely & Clevie and Mafia & Fluxy. 10 tracks in all, including "Them No Worry We", "Ghetto Red Hot", "Them No Care", "Don't Test", "Don Dada", "Big & Ready", "Must Be Right", "Nuff Man A ... read moreCD
An overlooked treasure from the early days of Trojan Records – a very soulful set that definitely lives up to its image on the cover! Singer Nicky Thomas takes on a host of material from both sides of the spectrum – including some country soul classics from the late 60s, reminding us ... read moreCD
A lover's rock classic from Ruddy Thomas – served up here with a huge amount of bonus tracks too! The core album is First Time Around – an early 80s charmer that has Ruddy's wonderfully soulful vocals wrapped around some great Joe Gibbs production – easy-stepping grooves that ... read moreCD
Nice, nice document of some of the early roots work that Linval Thompson cut under Bunny Lee (and a few self produced titles), before he would go on to become one of the giants of the Dancehall era. Cut at Tubby's and presented here in full extended versions previously only available on singles, ... read moreCD
An all time classic – the first full length set from Peter Tosh after his earlier singles with The Wailers! The record's still one of Tosh's greatest on record – composed, arranged, and produced by Peter himself – a true essential! Tracks that include "Legalize It", ... read moreCD
Really well-done work from Tradition – a UK reggae act of the late 70s who never reached the fame of some of their contemporaries, but who really have a great sound on this album for RCA! As with some of the more commercial UK efforts of the period, there's a nice current of soul in the mix ... read moreCD
Expanded edition of theis smokin' collection of early U Roy originally issued on Treasure Isle, and reissued over the years on a number of other labels, with Daddy U-Roy toasting and chatting up the best of some late 60s and early 70s Duke Reid rhythms. This is the stuff that put him, and the ... read moreCD
The debut of U-Roy, and an album that paves the way for countless wonderful sounds to come! The album's an early one in the toasting approach – and has U-Roy calling out the tunes in this echoey style that's wonderful – somehow more urgent than reggae records of just a few years before ... read moreCD
The legendary solo debut of Bunny Wailer – a set that maybe marks him as the most righteous member of The Wailers! The style here is heavy on the roots tip, but there's also a special sort of vibe going on too – these warm currents that are laced with occasional touches of jazz, amidst ... read moreCD
Excellent! You're probably familiar with the Aquarius Dub set, an early, early dub LP, featuring some great rockers from Herman Chin Loy and Augustus Pablo – this groovy set from Pressure Sounds collects many of the vocal, dee jay and instrumental tracks that those rhythms laid the base for! ... read moreCD
Deep Jamaican sounds from the 70s – all work produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger, and which shows that her talents for roots music were every bit as great as her work with earlier styles too! With Pottinger, the key is almost less what she does in the studio than what she does with her ... read moreCD
A massive amount of early ska, from one of the first big labels of the genre – presented here with a huge double-length set list, and over 20 tracks that appear on CD for the first time ever! If you've never heard work from the Treasure Isle label before, you're in for a treat – and ... read moreCD
Includes tracks by Dennis Brown, Ini Kamoze, The Mighty Diamonds, General Echo, Johnny Osbourne, Yellowman, Sugar Minott, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, and more – 18 tracks in all. CD
(Barcode has a cutout hole, case has a clear promo sticker.)
American grooves go Kingston – as the set features a wonderful assortment of funk and soul classics, all delivered here in reggae-styled versions! The approach is similar to the material featured in the older Reggae Disco collection from Soul Jazz – but the mix of modes here is much ... read moreCD
A stunning look at the early years of the Jamaican music scene – tracks from the years before ska, rocksteady, and reggae really took over – but which really helped set the scene for years to come! All the work here is from the hands of Duke Reid – soon to be known for his famous ... read moreCD
A killer collection of early work from producer Joe Gibbs – the kind of all-burning material that made Joe such a fresh new voice on the rocksteady scene in Kingston, and a studio whiz who helped set the tone for countless others to come! There's a quality to this work that's wonderful ... read moreCD
One of the most unique compilations we've ever heard – a set that gets at the really unique way that soul music came across on the British scene of the 60s – as American influences were mixed with local interpretations, which themselves drew plenty of influences from related scenes in ... (Soul, Reggae)read moreCD
One of the most unique compilations we've ever heard – a set that gets at the really unique way that soul music came across on the British scene of the 60s – as American influences were mixed with local interpretations, which themselves drew plenty of influences from related scenes in ... (Soul, Reggae)read moreCD
An unusual collection of mento material from Jamaica – a later document of sounds that were initially the first on the path towards rocksteady and reggae! Back in the late 50s, Bermuda had calypso and Jamaica had mento – a style that was similar, but which had a slightly different ... read moreCD
These may not be the hottest hits in pop music, but the set is a stunning collection of early reggae and rocksteady treasures from the vaults of the Treasure Isle label – that famous Jamaican imprint that was the home of producer Duke Reid – a force who really helped the sounds of ... read moreCD
Discomix versions of stellar late 70s and early 80s selections from Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson– giving the extended mix treatment to some stellar singles by a number of great vocalists and augmented by the top notch players! The approach essentially pairs up jams for an extended mix ... read moreCD
A great look at a really magical moment in Jamaican music – one in which the influence of the big UK audience was felt in styles back home – and also in which some shifting modes in American soul also helped create some new modes of expression! Lovers Rock is a mellower, gentler ... read moreCD
A massive collection of genius from producer Joe Gibbs – work recorded in just over the pace of a year in the studio – served up here in a double-length collection of 48 tracks in all, 33 of which appear on CD for the first time ever! Joe Gibbs is a figure who hardly needs any sort of ... read moreCD