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 from the label – a slower-stepping midtempo mode that really lets Ken open up with his amazing vocals – a soulful style that we'd rank right up there with classic work by Sam Cooke, or early Marvin Gaye at Motown – but set here to a very different sort of early reggae rhythms! Titles include "Jimmy Brown", "Mother's Eyes", "I Can't Hide", "Sincerely", "I Should Have Known", "True True True", and "I Catch Myself Crying". CD features a massive related 21 bonus cuts – Ken Parker tunes that include "Guilty Inside" and "Grooving In Style" – plus lots more cuts recorded for Treasure Isle by Hopeton Lewis, including some duets with Phyllis Dillon and Dennis Alcapone! CD

The rare first album from a heavenly Jamaican vocal group – the wonderful Pioneers, who have a rock-solid quality here that sounds even better with production from Joe Gibbs! The trio have a way of criss-crossing their vocals in the harmonies that's wonderful – bumping around with all these mellow-stepping grooves that seem to encourage them to stretch things out even more with the rhythms – all in a mode that's lean, lovely, and overflowing with the soulful currents that made this era in Jamaican music so great! Titles include "Me Naw Go A Believe", "You'll Never Get Away", "Shake It Up", "Whip Them", "No Dope Me Pony", "Sweet Dreams", "Jackpot", and "Give Me A Little Loving" – plus two tracks by the Righteous Flames too. PLUS, this 2CD package features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 42 more tracks that feature many other Joe Gibbs rocksteady work – lots more tracks by The Pioneers, plus more from Errol Dunkley, The Mellotones, Jackie Robinson, Lyn Taitt & The Jets, The Spanishites, Neville Hinds, The Royals, Invaders, and many more. CD

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 Kingston step forward at the end of the 60s! In the rocksteady years, Treasure Isle was every bit as important as Studio One – maybe even more so – and the quality of the cuts here is a huge testament to the choice of artists and top-shelf handling that Reid brought to his work. In the UK scene of the late 70s, a series of Hottest Hits collections re-introduced the reggae audience to the Treasure Isle sounds from a few years before – and six of those collections are brought together here, for a whopping package of 84 tracks. Reid was especially great at working with groups and duets, and there's plenty of those here – in a selection of work from The Sensations, Melodians, Paragons, Alton Ellis, Techniques, John Holt, Phyllis Dillon, Claudette Miller, Joya Landis, Ken Parker, Tennors, Rosalyn Sweat, Three Tops, Jamaicans, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, and many others. 3CD set features the rare Hottest Hits 3, which has alternate versions of all the tracks – and package also comes with 13 more bonus tracks too! CD

A much-needed look at the farther reaches of the legendary 60s Jamaican imprint Beverley's – headed by important producer Leslie Kong, and a launching pad for some of the bigger names in Jamaican music in the years to come! Yet here, the focus is on a less-exposed side of Kong's imprint – great rocksteady material from the underground of the scene – with a huge amount of material that we'd never heard before, including a number of cuts that appear here on CD for the first time ever! The Doctor Bird label does a fantastic job with sets like this – adding in detailed notes to its focus on Beverley's tracks from the years 1966 to 1968 – on recordings by The Rio Grandes, Spanishtonians, Winston & George, Norman Grant, George Dekker, Austin Faithful, Freddie McKay, Glen Adams, and other singers. PLUS, the second CD in the set focuses on the great instrumental rocksteady on the label – almost a standalone record of tracks by legendary Jamaican saxophonist Roland Alphonso – on 18 more titles that include "Song For My Father", "Nothing Is Nothing", "Sock It To Me", "The Cat", "Sausage", "Middle East", "On The Move", "Jungle Bit", "Stream Of Life", "Soul Finger", and "Women Of The World". CD

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A really great look at the final years of the Treasure Isle label – a Jamaican imprint that was as important in the 60s as Studio One, and headed by the groundbreaking producer Duke Reid – a force maybe best known for ska and rocksteady, but still very much at the top of his game here! These years of the label don't get nearly as much exposure as others – and almost all the cuts here have never appeared on CD before – making the whole thing a real revelation to all us many folks who never got our hands on the 7" singles – especially as the collection is put together with the same level of care and detailed notes we've come to love from the Doctor Bird label! Plus, the set is divided in a great way – so that the first CD features vocal tracks, and the second features even more obscure dubs – a format not usually associated with Duke Reid, but carried off beautifully here by the Treasure Isle All Stars. 42 tracks in all – with work from The Mello Lads, Patrick Allen, Tinga Steward, The Chantells, Pat Kelly, The Saints, Sly Roker, Smokey 007, Murvin Brooks, Claudette Miller, Lloyd Robinson, The Africans, and The Black Brothers. CD

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Fantastic work from legendary producer Joe Gibbs – a key force in helping Jamaican music find the darker side of its groove at the end of the 60s, thanks to some groundbreaking work in the dee jay mode, and some other styles that are definitely an earlier precursor to dub! The set brings together 27 tracks that Gibbs recorded right at the tail end of the decade – many issued on the Amalgamated and Pressure Beat labels, including 9 tracks that appear on CD for the first time ever! But even the rest are pretty rare singles, most out of print for years – and as with other Doctor Bird collections, they're brought together here at a level that really makes sense, and illuminates the genius that's present in all of the individual cuts. Titles include "Niney Special" by Niney & The Destroyers, "Straight To The Head" and "Nevada Joe" by Johnny Lover & The Destroyers, "Echo" by The Now Generation, "Ghost Walk" and "Seeing Is Believing" by Carlton Gibbs, "Still Water Runs Deep" by Lizzy, "Jack Of My Trade" by Lord Comic, "Pussy Catch A Fire" by Two Soul Brothers, "News Flash Version" and "Rock The Clock (version 2)" by The Destroyers, "Perfect Born Ya" by The Immortals, "Honey No Money" by Niney & Slim Smith, and "Ghost Capturer" by Joe Gibbs All Stars. CD

Late work from the legendary Treasure Isle label – an imprint maybe best known for some killer ska and rocksteady in the 60s, but one that kept on going strongly well into the 70s! The cuts here are all the handiwork of the great Duke Reid – and as you might guess from the title, there's some definite nods towards some of the new styles that were bubbling up in 70s soul – although much of the work still has that classic Kingston vibe that made Duke's music so great! These later Treasure Isle tracks aren't always given their due – and 33 of the 50 tracks on the set make their first-ever appearance on CD – remastered beautifully from the original singles. Features work by Jeff Dixon, The Ethiopians, Duke Reid's All Stars, Cynthia Richards, Eddie Ford, Vincent Hinds & The Supersonics, Brent Dowe, Eddie Ford, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Tommy McCook, Toots & The New Generation Band, The Saints, Errol Dunkley, The Melodians, Albert Tulloch, The Willows, and others! CD

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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, there's plenty of echoes of older rocksteady soul in the rhythms, but the presentation is definitely more 70s overall – especially in the edge that Dennis brings to his vocals, which reflect some of the changing times on the scene. Titles include "DJ's Choice", "The Funky Tang", "Picture On The Wall", "Engine Engine Number Nine", and "Wake Up Jamaica" by Dennis Alcapone – plus "Cry Tough", "The Right Song", and "Ba Ba Ri Ba Skank" by Lizzy & Dennis. CD also features 16 more bonus tracks, 5 of which are new to CD – tracks by Dennis, Lizzy, and others by Hopeton Lewis, Tommy McCook, Earl Lindo, and The Now Generation. CD

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 labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

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, and almost dismantling the tunes as he works alongside them! Rhythms are cooked up by Duke Reid – and the album's the stuff that put both him, and the role of the DJ in reggae firmly on the map! Titles include "Your Ace From Space", "On The Beach", "Version Galore", "True Confession", "Tide Is High", "Things You Love", "The Same Song", "Happy Go Lucky Girl", "Rock Away", "Wear You To The Ball", "Don't Stay Away", and "Hot Pop". Amazing 2CD edition – with 30 more bonus tracks including "Honey Come Forward", "Treasure Isle Skank", "Peace & Love", "My Girl", "Super Boss", "Do Re Mi", "Ain't That Loving You (alt)", "Nehru", "True True", "Drive Her Home (part 2)", "Way Back Home", "Tom Drunk", "Words Of Wisdom", and "Everybody Bawling". CD

A pair of fantastic collections, back to back in a single set – with dozens more bonus tracks too! First up is Loch Ness Monster – One of the coolest collections ever put together by Trojan Records in the 70s – a set that's noteworthy not just for it's very cool cartoony cover and Brit Isles-located cover – but also for the weird and wild batch of music within! The tunes are a mix of late ska and rocksteady, but with a focus on some of the more unusual production styles and more offbeat lyrical modes of the period – qualities that make the whole set a delight as one track steps to the next – with playful interplay between themes and artists that makes the album way more than just a compilation fo different artists! Titles include "Man From MI5" by The Upsetters, "Loch Ness Monster" by King Horror, "Vampire" by The Upsetters, "Pussy Catch A Fire" by The Soul Mates, "Cutting Blade" by King Horror, "Barbwire" by Nora Dean, "Dracula Prince Of Darkness" by King Horror, and "African Meeting" by Girlie & Jomo. Funky Chicken is a really cool package from early 70s Trojan Records – a set that's titled after some of the big "funky animal" singles that were showing up on the US soul scene at the time – but which instead presents all sorts of soulful rocksteady cuts with a definite Jamaican groove! Titles include "Funky Chicken" by Winston Groovey, "Funky Reggae" by Dave Barker, "Funky Duck" by Dice The Boss, "Popcorn" by The Upsetters, "Open Jaw" by Tommy McCook, and "The Monster" by Beverly's All Stars. 2CD set has 56 tracks in all! CD

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 a soulful sparkle that's undeniable – music that could have, should have (if things were right) gotten Marcia much bigger fame in the US crossover market of the time – as these songs work equally well as laidback soul numbers, even with strong reggae rhythms – thanks to the warmth and class of the vocals! A number of tracks are originals, and titles include "Dreamland", "Tell Me Now", "Melody Life", "Survival Is The Game", "Feel Like Jumping", "Mark My Word", and "Truly". Steppin features Marcia Griffiths at the height of her powers – singing wonderfully and soulfully, in a style that almost transcends her Jamaican roots! While other reggae singers of the period were maybe polishing things up a bit, to reach larger commercial fame, Griffiths seems to be stepping back more into soul, while still working with familiar Kingston rhythms – crafting this mode that's completely compelling, and which has as much personal feeling as some of the more powerful social themes of the roots era. Errol Brown recorded the tracks at Treasure Isle, and titles include "It's Impossible", "Steppin Out Of Babylon", "Where Were Why", "Why There Is No Love", "Give & You Get", and "I'm Hurting Inside". CD

A stunning tribute to the legendary Joe Gibbs – one that doesn't just offer up a general assortment of cuts, but instead hones in on work recorded in the years 1971 and 1972 – a moment when Gibbs was really helping to transform the sound of Jamaican music! Many of these cuts show the new sort of headiness that Joe and a few key contemporaries were bringing to the scene in Kingston – and as with other Doctor Bird collections, the presentation is fantastic – with a huge amount of tracks that have never appeared on CD before, all with wonderful sound, and very detailed notes on Joe and the artists! There's a massive 54 cuts on the 2CD set – and titles include "If Ah Sa So" by The Destroyers, "New Kent Road" by Johnny Lover, "How Your Panty Get Wet" by Stranger & Jimmy, "We Love Weed" by Joe Gibbs All STars, "Rivers Of Babylon" by Prince Student, Cherry Island" by Aubrey Adams, "Peace Maker" by Max Romeo, "The Gardener" by Judy Mowatt, "Ah So" by Tommy McCook, "Rebeloution" by Winston Wright, "African Plant" by Vin Gordon, "George Headley Medley" by Dennis Alcapone, "Our Day Will Come" by The Heptones, "African Queen" by Augustus Pablo, "The Dynamic Ken Parker" by Ken Parker, "Shake Pretty Girl" by Jackie Brown, "From Africa With Love" by Rasta Man, "By The River Brown Sugar" by Cat Campbell, and lots lots more! CD

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 introduction – a landmark force in the studio who really helped transform Jamaican music, and help it to reach some deeper, more spiritual currents that really gave the music a huge global push at the time of these recordings. And as with some of his studio contemporaries, Gibbs was a non-stop powerhouse who never seemed to run out of ideas – as testified by the huge amount of material in this set! These aren't throwaway cuts, but a deep dig into the world of Gibbs, all killer all the way through – presented with the very high standards of the Doctor Bird label – with cuts from Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Bongo Herman & Bonny, Derrick Morgan, Jackie Brown, Eddie Ford, Prince Francis, Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, The Ethiopians, Cat Campbell, Dillinger, Vin Gordon, The Senators, and even a few from Joe himself. CD

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 his earlier sides were to early reggae! The set was recorded at Treasure Isle, with bad-stepping rhythms from Sly & Robbie, and a nice current of dub on the production – all of which really sets the stage for Bob's richly soulful vocals on tunes that include "Troubled Woman", "Lots Of Love & I", "Unchain Me", "Stepping Free", "Revelation", "The Ghetto Stays In My Mind", and "You Lied". CD features bonus tracks too – including "The Ghetto Stays In My Mind", "Slow Down", "Set Me Free", and "Movements". CD

A trio of albums from this fantastic group – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Hit After Hit – a tremendous album that has The Chosen Few stepping out to match some of the best American harmony soul groups of the early 70s – vocals you might hear from The Moments or Delfonics, but tuned towards rhythms that are much more Kingston than New Jersey or Philly! Yet there's also a few funky moments too – a rare element that really shows how the group could change things up from some of their Jamaican contemporaries, on titles that include a version of the "Shaft" theme, plus "You're A Big Girl Now", "Everybody Plays The Fool", "Melting Pot", "Ebony Eyes", "Do Your Thing", "People Make The World Go Round", and "I'm Sorry". Everybody Plays The Fool is a record that's as much an early 70s reggae set as it is a strong bit of east coast soul – Kingston rhythms mixed with fantastic harmonies that maybe echo more of the East Coast group soul modes than some of the earlier Jamaican groups of the 60s! The choice of material also echoes that quality too – as The Chosen Few take on older soul classics, remade for a reggae market – mixed with a few original tracks of their own. Titles include "My Thing", "Reggae Stuff", "I Second That Emotion", "Make Way For The Young Folks", "La La At The End", and "Tears Of A Clown". Chosen Few In Miami is legendary soul from The Chosen Few – a group who were as much a 70s soul outfit as they were a reggae group! This album's the group's greatest – recorded in Miami with classic TK funky production from King Sporty, who also seems to be backing them up on most of the set. There's certainly a reggae feel to the album at times, but the group's harmonies are much more in an American soul vein – and Sporty's super-dope backings use plenty of wah-wah guitar, electric keys, and that burning, bubbling Miami soul groove that made so many of the TK albums from the time so great! Titles include the stone funky classic "Funky Buttercup", plus "Wandering", "Candy I'm So Doggone Mixed Up", "Why Can't We Live", "Drift Away", "I Am A Man", and "Hit Me With Music". 2CD set also features 11 more bonus tracks – including related work by Lloyd Charmers Selection! CD

Two soulful reggae classics – issued here back to back in a single set, along with 26 bonus tracks, and a total of 32 titles that appear here on CD for the first time ever! First up is the solo album Build Me Up by Brent Dowe – a sometime member of The Melodians, but one who sounds great here as a lead artist on his own – although many of the cuts follow the similar slow-stepping vibe of his earlier work with the group, and often have a bit of harmony vocals behind Brent's lead. Titles include "I'm Gonna Love You", "Without Me", "Ungrateful Baby", "Heartbreaking Love", "Something You Don't Have", "Don't Give Up", and "Build Me Up". Next up is the album Pre-Meditation – The Melodians really sparking on a set of tunes that were issued on the Sky Note label in 1978, but which really recall the earlier spirit of the group – music that's surprisingly stripped down, and almost with more of a rocksteady groove than you might expect for the time – although there are some roots reggae themes in the mix too. Sonia Pottinger handled production – and titles include "Swing & Dine", "Little Nut Tree", "Don't Get Weary", "Dry Up Yuh Tears", "I'm Gonna Fall In Love", and "Survival Is The Game". 2CD set features both albums, along with all the above-mentioned bonus tracks – lots more Melodians tracks that include "Little Blue Bird", "The News Is Out", "No Sweeter Way", "Share The Good Times", "Two Sides To Every Story", "No Nola", "Heartaches", "Black Man Kingdom Come", "Melodians In Medley", "Your Destiny", "Sweet City Woman", and lots lots more! CD

Two early albums from Bread – back to back on a single CD! First up is the landmark first album by Bread – a set that came from the hipper depths of the Elektra Records label at the time, and which helped set the scene for so may 70s copycat acts to come! Here, the young David Gates is working in a style that's post-folk, with some of the same Sunshine Pop-era harmonies as some of his contemporaries – nicely blending his voice with James Griffin of the group, in a way that really forges past some of the more familiar modes that harmony vocals were hitting just a few years before – the same sort of extrapolations that were being explored at the time by The Carpenters or Crosby Stills & Nash – even though fans of the latter would kill us for such a comparison! Titles include "Dismal Day", "Move Over", "Family Doctor", "Could I", "Any Way You Want Me", and "Friends & Lovers". On The Waters is the second classic album from Bread – a set that has the group expanding to a quartet, and the mighty David Gates moving into an even greater role as a musical visionary for the 70s! Sure, these guys weren't about to storm the stage of Woodstock with music like this – but they are crafting some pretty wonderful harmonies for the time – music that marks a similar shift away from simpler 60s modes as the work of groups like CS&N or America – deeper, more mature, and able to bring in a more personal level of expression that harmony groups could only have dreamed of the decade before! Production is impeccable – almost in the same sublime soft rock territory as A&M at the time – and titles include the huge hit "Make It With You", plus "Easy Love", "Been Too Long On The Road", "Look What You've Done", "The Other Side Of Life", and "Call On Me". CD

A really great shift in setting for legendary reedman Manu Dibango – an album recorded in Jamaica with production from Geoffrey Chung – who helps the saxophonist find a whole new groove for his soulful style! The album's from a moment where many were flocking to Kingston to record with top-shelf talents – but there's something about this record that's better than most of that generation, possibly because right from the start, Manu always had a way of taking regional sounds and finding a much stronger global focus! Players include Sly and Robbie on rhythms, plus Ansel Collins and Clive Hunt on keyboards, Barry Rogers on trombone, Mikey Mao Chung on guitar, and surprisingly, Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker on trumpets. 2LP set features 12 tracks from the sessions – and titles include "Reggae Makossa", "Choc N Soul", "Night Jet", "Bona Sango", "Kumbele Style", "Tek Time", "Goro City", "Frozen Soul", "Doctor Bird", and "Full Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Two post-Motown albums from The Miracles – back to back on a single CD! On Love Crazy, The Miracles move to Columbia Records – and pick up a whole new groove in the process – a much richer sound than previous records on Motown, with a soaring style that really works great for the harmonies! Billy Griffin's vocals are really coming into their own – as is his songwriting, too – evidenced by some of the more complicated elements in the mix, and the blend of full arrangements and tight rhythms that almost have a Philly feel overall! The change is a great one for the group – and not only helps them beat some of their best late Motown moments, but also points the way towards a heck of a lot of 80s soul too. Titles include "Too Young", "The Bird Must Fly Away", "Love Crazy", "Spy For Brotherhood", "A Better Way To Life", "Women", and the Isley-like "I Can Touch The Sky". The self-titled Miracles set is an overlooked groover from The Miracles – a late 70s set for Columbia Records, and one that's got a sparkling sound throughout! The album really has the group hitting some great modern soul modes for the set – arrangements by David Foster that push them forward even more, and which work equally well on the uptempo tunes as they do on the few mellower numbers too. The style is lush, but never overdone – just right for the vocal interplay of the group, with a quality that's a bit like late 70s Jacksons – but better. Titles include "Love Doctor", "I Can't Stand It", "Hot Dance", "Mean Machine", "Sad Rain", "Reach For The Sky", and "The Magic Of Your Eyes". CD

A nice overview of Coleman Hawkins' career in a great 2LP set, containing material recorded between 1939 and 1947, and later work recorded in 1956. Most of the early work is in a wonderful small group format that lets Hawkins' tenor really come to the forefront. Other players on the sessions include Benny Carter, JC Higginbotham, Allen Eager, Peter Brown, and Budd Johnson – and titles include "Half Step Down Please", "Bouncing With Bean", "Meet Doctor Foo", and "Jumping For Jane". The later work features the orchestra of Billy Byers, including soloists Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Hank Jones. Coleman's the main blower, though – and the arrangements have a solid base that lets him open up in that exploratory tone he was crafting during the time. And although tracks are short, there's a heck of a lot of soul packed into them – recorded with impeccable quality, much more so than earlier sides. Titles include "The Essence of You", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Dinner For One Please, James", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

A nice overview of Coleman Hawkins' career in a great 2LP set, containing material recorded between 1939 and 1947, and later work recorded in 1956. Most of the early work is in a wonderful small group format that lets Hawkins' tenor really come to the forefront. Other players on the sessions include Benny Carter, JC Higginbotham, Allen Eager, Peter Brown, and Budd Johnson – and titles include "Half Step Down Please", "Bouncing With Bean", "Meet Doctor Foo", "Spotlite", "Low Flame", and "Jumping For Jane". The later work features the orchestra of Billy Byers, including soloists Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, and Hank Jones. Coleman's the main blower, though – and the arrangements have a solid base that lets him open up in that exploratory tone he was crafting during the time. And although tracks are short, there's a heck of a lot of soul packed into them – recorded with impeccable quality, much more so than earlier sides. Titles include "I Never Knew", "Bean & The Boys", "The Essence of You", "Have You Met Miss Jones", "Dinner For One Please, James", and "I'm Shooting High". LP, Vinyl record album