A really wonderful collection of dub tracks built on older grooves from the Treasure Isle label – better known as a hotbed of ska and rocksteady at the end of the 60s! The set features three unusual albums that were created by producer Errol Brown after the initial Treasure Isle label had stopped recording – mid 70s sets that brought new dubby energy to older rhythm tracks from the catalog – all given superb instrumental touches from Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, and greatly abstracted in the studio through the magical talents of Brown on the mixing board! All three records are relatively obscure – Treasure Dub 1, Treasure Dub 2, and Pleasure Dub – and are presented here along with lots of bonus tracks and detailed notes. A whopping 46 titles in all – with tracks that include "Dub With Strings", "Touch A Dub", "Dub So True", "De Pauper A Dub", "I Shave The Barber", "Stealing Version", "Kansas City Dub", "Gemini Rock", "Chucky Love", "Reigning Dub", and lots lots more! CD

Tremendous work from Junior Byles – a singer with a sweet voice that would have been right at home in the rocksteady years, but which is maybe even more powerful here in a roots session produced by Lee Scratch Perry! That special Perry magic really helps balance things out with Junior's vocals – a raspy edge in the rhythms that reminds us of the deeper qualities of the lyrics – echoed by Byles as he uses his personal soul to enforce their ideas – following a shift in Jamaican music that's similar to the Marvin Gaye shift at the start of the 70s! Titles include "I've Got A Feeling", "Don't Know Why", "Coming Again", "Beat Down Babylon", "A Place Called Africa", and "Poor Chubby". 2CD set features an insane number of bonus tracks – 41 more numbers in all, pulled from singles and other recordings – with titles that include "Curley Locks", "Dreader Locks", "Militant Rock", "Fun & Games", "Motion Dub", "Ungrateful Skank", "Rasta No Pick Pocket", "Come Da Da", "Righteous Oily", "King Of Babylon", "Africa Stand", and "Rub Up Festival 71". CD

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 recorded history even predates rocksteady and ska, and who had an undeniable impact on the early sound of reggae! Eccles is a genius – a singer/songwriter with a strong sense of soul, and an approach that really opened up the way for a new level of humanity in Jamaican music – as you'll hear on titles that include "Two Of A Kind", "Mount Zion", "Fattie Fattie", "What Will Your Mother Say", "Freedom", "I Need You", "The World Needs Loving", and "Dollar Train". The Dynamites were Clancy Eccles backing band at the same time as the Freedom album – and they step out here in an album of their own – one produced by Clancy himself, but issued even before they backed him up on Freedom! The set features numbers by the group, some organ tunes by Winston Wright, and two vocal appearances by King Stitt – on titles that include "John Public", "Eternally", "Sam Fie", "This Is The Night", "One Way Street", "Vigorton 2", "Fire Corner", "Soul Language", and "Say What You Say". Plus, this 2CD set has a huge amount of bonus tracks – 13 more numbers by Eccles – plus another 13 by The Dynamites, King Stitt, Val Bennett, and Winston Wright. A huge amount of music, all packaged with the usual deep notes and high quality that makes the Doctor Bird label one of the greatest reissue labels for Jamaican music! CD

A pair of unusual Lee Perry projects from the mid 70s – both of which feature a female singer in the lead, and give us a whole new side of Perry's talents! The first half of the set features material from an album issued under the title Lee Scratch Perry Presents Candy McKenzie – a set that features lead vocals from London singer Candy McKenzie, who's got a much deeper soul approach than some of her Jamaican contemporaries – a mode that's sometimes got the sweeter styles that would end up in the lovers rock years, but which also has a wider range that almost has Candy stretching out like a straighter soul singer – on titles that include "Walking In The Sun", "Disco Fits", "Breakfast In Bed", "When The Big Say", "Tell Me A Lie", "Keep Him Strong", and "Jah Knows". Next up is material from the Full Experience sessions – a record that has South African singer Aura working with Lee Scratch Perry, in a style that's got more of the deeper, dubbier elements that Scratch was helping revolutionize at the time! The tunes are rich and righteous, and have all these great little instrumental and production twists – which only makes the lead vocals sound even cooler overall. Titles include "Young Gifted & Broke", "Can't See You", "At Midnite", "Full Experience", and "Nar Soh So It Stay". CD features the bonus track "Disco Devil" – presented in its 12" mix! CD

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 late 60s Kingston scene, but a groove that's definitely their own – almost a razor's edge to some of the rhythms, as they snap through some excellent late rocksteady/early reggae modes! Harriott produced, and adds in all these cool touches and sounds that almost predate some of the later experimental modes of Lee Scratch Perry. Titles include "The Undertaker", "Bombshell", "Biafra", "The Bad", "Lady Madonna", "Fistful Of Dollars", "The Barefoot Brigade", and "Dr Who". 2CD set features 14 more instrumental tracks from The Crystalites – plus 27 more Harriott-produced numbers, including work by Rudy Mills, Junior Murvin, Keith & Tex, The Chuckles, Eric Donaldson, Pat Satchmo, Tinga & Ernie, and The Ethiopians. CD

Four Trojan Records albums, all produced by Linval Thompson – and featuring some bonus tracks too! First up is Poor Man Style – a gem of a record from Barrington Levy – done in that laidback, easy-stepping style that always worked perfectly for the singer's vocals! Linval Thompson produced, and he brings in all these cool touches around the edges – early dancehall modes that are nicely understated, and which still maybe resonate more with the roots generation than later crossover hits – a righteous vibe that makes the whole album simmer beautifully all the way through! Titles include "She Is The Best Girl", "Don't Give Up", "Sensimella", "True Love", "Poorman Style", "This Little Boy", "Rob & Gone", "I Can't Wait Too Long", "Man Give Up", and "I Love I Love You". Next is Scientist & Jammy Strike Back – a record in which Scientist and Prince Jammy look an awful lot like Star Wars characters on the cover – but with grooves that are every bit as deep as their other dub classics from the time – completely amazing from conception to execution! If anything, the stars might be the perfect place for the music – given that the sounds here are very open, spacious, and way-out – full of as much echo as attack, at a level that reminds us that the pair are maybe some of the most minimalist of the dub generation! Rhythms are by the Roots Radics, but are always nice and spare – and there's plenty of splash and electro echo to link together the space between the notes – on titles that include "Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker", "Crushing Of The Stormtroopers", "The Princess Takes Her Revenge", "Buck Rogers In The Black Hole", "Death Of Mr Spock", and "Storming The Death Star". Next is We Must Unite – a tremendous album from The Viceroys – a Jamaican vocal trio that we'd rank right up there with The Paragons and Melodians, and who work in this beautiful message-oriented mode next to wicked production from Linval Thompson! The record's got some slight electro-styled touches at the edge – used gently next to slow-tripping rhythms – while the trio step out with these warm harmonies that really bring a lot to the lyrics of the songs – a righteous batch of tracks that include "We Must Unite", "The Intelligence Of Her Mind", "Come Closer My Love", "They Can't Stop Us Now", and "Rising On The Strength Of Jah". Singer Tristan Palma follows in a very similar mode, but as a solo lead – on the well-crafted Settle Down Girl, also produced by Linval Thompson! Titles include "Settle Down Girl", "Run Around Woman", "Losted My Wife", "Don't Make Me Cry", "Come Turn Me On", and "Rosie Bell". CD also features bonus tracks – "If I Didn't Want Your Loving (12" mix)" and "Loving Version" by The Melodians – and "Settle Down Girl (12" mix)", and "Settle Down Girl Version" by Tristan Palma. CD

A beautiful collection – a full album and rare tracks from sweet-voiced reggae singer Jimmy London, plus a whole bonus disc of other material produced at Randy's too! The core album, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, is wonderful – recorded by a singer who maybe didn't hit the heights of some of his contemporaries, but who has a really universal soul quality to his vocals – a bit falsetto, a bit deeper and sweeter too – working through a mix of songs from American soul, plus a few originals – all with nicely warm production from Vincent Chin, marking that shift from rocksteady into early reggae! Titles include "Shake A Hand", "They Don't Know", "Hanging Up My Heart", "Just My Imagination", "It's Now Or Never", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Includes bonus tracks by Jimmy – including "Hip Hip Hooray", "Jamaican Festival 72", and "I'll Never Find Another Mood" – plus 38 more bonus tracks – by Lloyd Parks, Dennis Brown, Freedom Group, Alton Ellis, Ethiopians, Dennis Alcapone, Impact All Stars, Augustus Pablo, Carl Murphy, Max Romeo, and others. CD

A pair of rare dub albums – back to back in a single set, with bonus tracks too! On A1 Dub, Blacka Morwell serves up some massive dub – working at Channel 1, for an obscure album on Trojan Records – but maybe coming across with some of the richness of the Island Records generation! There's a fullness to the sound that's wonderful – top-to-bottom completely solid, and often highly focused on the rhythms, but also always using one key instrumental element on each cut – a bit of organ here, a weeping guitar there, or even an odd sonic element – always given center stage in the spotlight, and set apart from the rest of the mix in a really great way. Titles include "Downtown Rebel", "Well Crucial", "Different Style", "West Side Ranking", "Pressure Rock", "Blackboard Jungle", and "Waterpump Skank". Next is Cry Tuff Dub Encounter 4 – from Prince Far I & The Arabs – an almost seamless set of dub instrumentals, recorded at Channel One in 1981 – the underground Jamaican groove, but maybe given a slightly better sound quality overall – that good mix of indie and professional that was the Trojan Records calling card as the 70s moved on! A crisp upfront production style separates this one from some of its dub predecessors – but the record has a great analog dub sound, with many effects and instruments echoing in and out of the mix. Titles include "Lion Stone", "Foundation Stepper", "Sound Gesture", "Destruction Sound Battle", and "Stone African Ground". And if that's not enough, the whole thing features a whole CD of bonus material – rare tracks taken from the 12" Attack series by Trojan Records – with cuts that include "Jammin For Survival" by Jammy's At The Controls, "Bali Hi Special" by The Sowell Radics, "Fuss & Fight Dub" by Eddie Fitzroy, "Ball Of Fire" by Bim Sherman, "Stand & Look Dub" by Fat Man All Stars, "Caring For My Sister" by Scientist & Roots Radics, "Won't You Come On (dub)" by Witty's All STars, "Babylon Wrong Dub" by Ashanti Waugh, and "Cool Pon Your Corner Version" by Barry Brown. CD

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 version of the Roots Radics – with the excellent Style Scott on drums, Errol Holt on Bass, Bingy Bunny, Sowell and Chinna Smith on guitar, Bobby Kalphat and Snappin on keys, Bobby Ellis and Deadly Headly on horns, and Bongo Herman and Ras Millinek on percussion – but the real key to the sound is the way that Prince Far I produces the whole thing, and mixes his own sinister vocals with the heady, bottom-heavy rhythms – all with a quality that matches Lee Scratch Perry at his best! Titles include "Free From Sin", "Light Of Fire", "Reggae Music", "I & I Are the Chosen One", "Don't Deal With Folly", "Call On I In Trouble", "When Jah Ready You Got To Move", and "Siren". Jamaican Heroes is a totally great album by Prince Far I – and a set that already shows him building that crucial London/Kingston bridge that would be such a big part of his sound! The album features work from Sly & Robbie, and the killer drums of Style Scott on rhythm – but also includes contributions by London hipsters Viv Albertine & Ari Up (of the Slits), and David Toop (noted music writer and historian) – quite a mix, and all brought together wonderfully by the Prince's production, and really unique vocal approach. Titles include "Jamaican Heroes", "Prison Discipline", "Musical History", "Natty Champion", and "Golden Throne". Next up is a classic from Prince Far I – Voice Of Thunder couldn't be a more appropriate album title or moniker! Recorded at Channel One in 1981 with incredible analog dub production, it fully carries the grit, murk, heavy and heady soul of the 70s into the new decade –even if the sound is ultimately a bit different then the what he delivered in the 70s. That thunderous voice toasting over the rhythms is as incredible as ever – over the commanding bass of Professor Larry Silvera, tripped out drums & percussion by Jah Lloyd & Scully, occasional swirling keys by Steely, Tarzan and Tony Asher and the other great Channel One players. Titles include "Ten Commandments", "Every Time I Hear The Word", "Head Of The Buccaneer", "Shall Not Dwell In Wickedness", "Skinhead", and "Hold The Fort". Musical History is one of the last albums ever issued by Prince Far I – and a set that marks a fantastic cap to a too-short career! The Prince's vocal contributions are as impeccable as his dubby production work – and titles include "At The Cross", "More We Are Together", "Take Heed Frontline", "What You Gonna Do On Judgement Day", and "Tell Them About Jah Love". CD

A great pair of records – plus a huge amount of bonus tracks too! First up is the debut Reggae Strings album – one of the most unique albums on the Trojan label during the 70s – and a surprising hit for the company too! The approach here is very unusual – as the cuts here all are earlier Trojan vocal singles that had larger backings provided by UK maestro Johnny Archey – then stripped of their vocals and presented as instrumentals! As you'd guess by the names, Archey adds strings to the Kingston rhythms – but the approach is surprisingly nice – almost like early reggae rhythms coming into play with the best of the UK sound library generation – with results that are as groovy as that description might imply. Titles include "World Without Love", "One Woman", "Let The Man Go", "Leaving Rome", "Pantomime", "God Bless The Children", and "Young Gifted & Black". Reggae Strings 2 is a set that follows nicely on the first Reggae Strings effort on Trojan – and, like the first, a package that features older vocal tracks with the lyrics stripped away, all to provide a focus on the fuller orchestrations of Johnny Archey! The approach is cooler than you'd guess – lots of nice charts that bring a bit of 70s smooth to the sound of Trojan – almost like Barry White was recording down in Kingston – on titles that include "How Many Times", "Jump Hallelujah", "Strange World", "It's Too Late", "Tell It Like It Is", "Scientist", "Jamaica Jerkoff", and "Sweet Bitter Love". 2CD set features 25 bonus tracks too – all the original vocal tunes used for the strings versions – with work by Bob Andy, The Dynamites, Greyhound, Bob & Marcia, Nicky Thomas, Danny Ray, Merlene Webber, The Uniques, Pioneers, Winston Groovy, and others! 51 tracks in all – and a nice set of notes. CD

A seminal album in Jamaican music from Lord Tanamo – a singer with roots in calypso, but a sound that really paves the way for ska and rocksteady to come! The record's a full length set from the Gaydisc label of important early producer Sonia Pottinger – and like some of Pottinger's other productions, there's a really open criss-crossing of modes – familiar calypso rhythms, but topped with horn parts that are more ska-based overall – which also really shifts the music in spirit, and even makes Tanamo's sound here different than other of the hipper singers in his style on other islands at the time. Titles include "Band Passing", "Iron Bar", "Naughty Little Flea", "Television", "Land Of The Sea & Sun", "Festival Jump Up", and "Take Me Back To Jamaica". 2CD set is overflowing with bonus material – 40 more tracks in all! CD1 features bonus Lord Tanamo material – titles that include "Taller Than You Are", "Mother's Choice", "Come Down", "Downtown Gal", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "If You Were Only Mine". CD2 features The Best Of Gaydisc & SEP Records – rare tracks from 1963 and 1964, with work by Al T Joe, The Gaylettes, Eric Forbes, Roy & Millie, Winston Samuels, Jimmy James, Roy Panton, and many more. CD

A fantastic debut from The Techniques – and a set that also features a fair bit of work from Jamaican trumpet legend Baba Brooks! The vocal quartet have a great sound that's even more soulful and sharp than some of their contemporaries – maybe the difference that four voices make compared to some of the Kingston trios of the time – which seems to have the Techniques sounding even more heavenly on their harmonies! The instrumentation is great – sharp, but never overwhelming on the vocal tracks – but in just the right mode when Baba Brooks steps out in the lead on an instrumental – and titles include "Queen Majesty", "I Am In Love", "You Don't Know", "Little Did You Know", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "My Whole Life Depends On You". This CD pitches things a bit differently than the original album – in that it features 7 of the 12 tracks, leaving out the instrumentals – then adds in 21 more selections by the Techniques – which makes the 28 track set a complete document of their work with producer Duke Reid in the 60s! CD

A trio of classic albums produced by Linval Thompson – with lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Linval's I Love Marijuana record – an album with a striking title – and a set that really marked the full promise of Linval Thompson in the 70s – a dubby classic that's every bit as strong on the vocal side of Thompson's skills, as it is the production side! The album was recorded at Tubby's with the Revolutionaries band and an uncredited Junjo Lawes (who would later go on to cut some of the best dub albums ever, with Scientist) – and the vocals have this great style of cresting between sweeter modes and more biting modes – particularly when wrapped around the social themes that always made Thompson stand out. Titles include "I Love Marijuana", "Don't Push Your Brother", "Dread Are the Controller", "The Children of the Ghetto", "Not Follow Fashion", and "Jamaican Colley Version". African Princess is a set that features great DJ vocals from Big Joe – one of the lesser-knowns of the time, but a voice that's perfect for the rich sense of flow that Linval Thompson brings to the production – on titles that include "African Princess", "Big Disgrace", "Tubby At The Controls", "Smoke Marijuana", "Love Can Conquer", and "Pauline Love The Natty". Rock In The Ghetto is classic 70s work from Trinity – a Jamaican deejay singer who gets some excellent help on the set from Linval Thompson! Thompson mixes dubby modes with some sharper, crispier crackles at key moments – working as a nice way of punctuation to the moods delivered by Trinity's vocals – which are almost always in the righteous modes you'd guess from the title. Tracks include "Dangerous Rockers & Ting", "Pope Paul Dead & Gone", "Don't Lose Me", "Life Is Not Easy", "Don't Lose Me", "Every Trick In The Book", "Freedom Style", and "Rock In The Ghetto". 2CD set features 10 bonus tracks – titles that include "Lover's Style" and "Come On Baby Dub Style" by The Roots Radics, "Follow My Heart (12" mix)" and "Pope Paul Dead & Gone (12" mix)" by Trinity, "Mr CID" by Barry Brown, "There's A Song" by Pat Kelly, "King Tubby's Rockers" and "Second Hand Girl" by Scientist & Roots Radics, and "Here With Me" by Linval Thompson. CD

Killer early work from producer Clancy Eccles – a special set that focuses on rocksteady and early reggae productions – most compiled here for the first time ever! The work here is great – raw, soulful, and grooving in ways that move from midtempo to a slightly quicker pace – usually topped with a fantastic singer in the lead, and served up with instrumentation that's spare and right on the money – perfect for the sorts of hard-booming sound systems that were springing up to showcase singles like these! The work here was initially issued as 45s on labels that include New Beat and Doctor Bird, and most tracks on the set have been unavailable for decades – making them even more obscure than material on other Clancy Eccles collections. 26 tracks in all – with titles that include "Mother's Reply" by Lyn Taitt & The Jets, "You Were Meant For Me" by Lee Perry, "You Think I'm A Fool" by Hemsley Morris, "Easy Snappin" by Theo Beckford, "Western Organ" by The Clancy Set, "Bye Bye Love" by Alton Ellis, "Promises" by The Silverstars, "Heart Beat" by Ernest Ranglin, "No Good Girl" by The Mellotones, "Mother's Advice" by The Inspirations, "Please Stay" by Larry & Alvin, "I'll Hold You Tight" by Velma Jones, "Love Brother Love" by Hugh Malcolm, "Hey Mama" by Lee Perry, "Terrible Headache" by The Coolers, and "Let Us Be Lovers" by Velma & Clancy. CD

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 ear – as her ability to identify key talent at the right moment is something that really graces most of her recordings – definitely the case here, in an overstuffed 2CD set that features rare singles from the High Note label, most appearing on CD for the first time ever, 8 of which are previously unissued! As with other releases on the Doctor Bird label, the choice of cuts are as great as the overall presentation – which includes very detailed notes – to support a set list of 35 tracks that includes "Winey Winey (12" version)" by The Kingstonians, "King Of Kings" by Mind Body & Soul, "Babylon A Run Come" by The Mellows, "Sufferer's Child" by Delroy Denton & The Silvertones, "Lonesome I" by The Roots Defenders, "Trouble & Strife" by The Africans, "Whole Lot Of Feeling (12" version)" by Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, "See It Deh (12" version)" by Enos McLeod, "World World" by Joseph Burke & Tribute, and "Love & Inity" by Ras Miller. CD

... CD

Pivotal early dancehall work from the Kingston scene – all of it produced by the legendary Sonia Pottinger, almost all of it issued on her short-lived Dance Hall label! The music here shares some of the qualities of the emerging mode at other labels – but unlike, say, Studio one – which built new tracks on older rhythms – Pottinger works here with new grooves, mostly by The Revolutionaries – mostly slow-tripping, at a level that takes off from the roots years – topped with a mix of singers and DJs that get some really great dubby production touches! This isn't the digital work of a few years to come, but warm, well-crafted material that caps off the last moment before reggae took on some more electronic styles in the following decade – all served up with the usual great notes and attention to detail we love from the Doctor Bird label. The package features 34 tracks in all – some unreleased – and titles include "Tan Turdy" by Errol Scorcher, "Stormy Weather (12" mix)" by Bobby Ellis, "Different Fashion" by Lee Van Cleef, "A Little Bit Of Love" by Jah Thomas, "Whole Lot Of Loving" by The Enchanters, "Oppressor" by Tony Tuff, "Financial Problem" by Zara, "Annie Palmer (12" mix)" by Papa Ritchie, "Mr Landlord (12" mix)" by Michael Palmer, "Road Block" by Carl & Gibby, "General" by Ranking Joe, and "It's My Home (12" mix)" by Lorna Bennett. CD

Later work from legendary Jamaican producer Duke Reid – best known for the rocksteady classics on his Treasure Isle label in the late 60s, but still going strong here well into the 70s! The tracks here represent nearly every single 12" release issued by Reid on the many branches of Treasure Isle in the late 70s – music that takes full advantage of the extended length and the wider dynamic range offered by a 12" single over a 7" release – which means that the bottoms are even deeper, and the vocals seem to soar even higher – as Duke and his crew continue to perfect their talents in the studio. The set features a total of 38 tracks, all nice and long, 4 of which are from the vaults and appear here for the first time – supported by the usual fantastic Doctor Bird notes and details – with work by Phyllis Dillon, The Techniques, The Paragons, Alton Ellis, The Sensations & Jah Stone, Joya Landis, Ken Parker, John Holt, Alton Ellis & Papa Ritchie, Carly Bryan & The Supersonics, The Techniques & Ranking Trevor, The Jamaicans, and The Melodians. CD

A pair of classic Clancy Eccles-produced compilations from the start of the 70s – issued here with plenty of bonus tracks too! Foolish Fool was initially billed to Cynthia Richards, the great singer who delivers the leadoff title tune – but the real start of the set is maybe Clancy Eccles, as the tracks here are all from the hand of the legendary producer – and really show the way that rocksteady was moving towards some of the tighter, sharper rhythms that would mark the early days of reggae! All the singers are as great as Richards – and titles include "Don't Look Back" and "Here Comes The Night" by Busty Brown, "Don't Mind Me" and "Mademoiselle" by Joe Higgs, "Foolish Fool" and "Conversation" by Cynthia Richards, "Feel The Rhythm" and "Africa" by Clancy Eccles, and "Revival" by The Dynamites. Herbsman Reggae is a set that more clearly foregrounds the work of Clancy Eccles in the lead – and one that also gives plenty of credit to the great Dynamites band on most of these tracks – a wicked quintet with Winston Wright on organ, Hucks Brown on guitar, and Gladdy Adams on piano! The rhythms are hard, the production is wonderful – all spacey and weird – and the record has this beautiful unified mix of vocals and instrumentals, a number with some cool pre-dub use of echo. Tracks include "Herbsman Shuffle" by King Stitt & Andy Capp, "Black Beret" and "Phantom" by The Dynamites, "Promise" by Cynthia Richards, "See Me (take 2)" by Earl George, "False Nyah" by Barry & The Affections, "The Ugly One" by King Stitt, and "Senor Judas" by Clancy Eccles & The Dynamites. This fantastic 2CD reissue also includes 34 bonus tracks – more Eccles productions of work by The Westmorlites, Barrington Sadler, The Dingle Brothers, Glen & Roy, Carlton Wedderburn, Carl Dawkins, and many others. 56 tracks in all! CD

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 rhythmic pattern – one that was fused with influences from American soul as the decade moved on, as the blueprint for ska, rocksteady, and later styles too! These recordings are all from the 70s – handled by producer Sonia Pottinger for her High Note label – and show that even in the era of dub and roots, mento was still going strong in Jamaica – although definitely with more contemporary touches that show the growing influence of reggae back on the older form of music. The set's a great look at this moment in the style – done with the usual huge booklet of notes we love from Doctor Bird, filled with rare images and label scans too – and the 2CD set features 46 tracks in all – full albums by King Vupp, The Jolly Boys, and The Prince Brothers – plus more by Sugar Belly, Count Lasher, Baba Brooks, The Dingle Brothers, Marva Moore, and others. 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