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7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

7" Reissue on Reggae On Top

Jackie Mittoo, organ and piano maestro, was not only a founding member of the legendary Jamaican Ska group The Skatalites, but through the course of Jamaican music’s long history has produced a body of work under his own name and of that with his various group incarnations, The Soul Brothers, Soul Vendors and the Sound Dimension. His distinctive organ and piano sound and musical arrangements have all played a major part in Jamaica's musical history.

Jackie Mittoo (born 1948, Kingston, Jamaica) began playing musical instruments at a very early age. Taught piano by his grandmother he was performing live by the age of 10 and recording by the age of 15. Two Kingston bands that he played with the Rivals and the Sheiks brought him to the attention of Studio 1's founder Coxsone Dodd. Who at the time was putting a group of musicians together to be his studio band. Impressed by his skills on both the organ and the piano, Jackie was asked to join in what would become Jamaica's foremost band The Skatalites. The fellow band members were Lloyd Brevett (bass), Lloyd Knibbs (drums), Don Drummond (trombone), Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso and Lester Sterling (Sax), Johnny Moore (trumpet), Jah Jerry(guitar) and Mr Mittoo (piano). This line up ruled the Jamaican scene between 1964 - 1965 as well as inventing the Ska sound, they also performed the backing duties for the other top labels of the time including Duke Reid's Treasure Isle and Justin Yap's Top Deck label.

1965 saw The Skatalites disband, and Jackie Mittoo move on to his next musical project The Soul Brothers. Formed with fellow Skatalite Roland Alphonso,this band would back all the hits coming out of Studio 1 for the next three years with Jackie Mittoo working as band leader and musical arranger. Around this time Jackie also had his own single released, a Ska underground classic called 'Got My Bugaloo'. Rare, as it also features Jackie in the unusual role for him, as lead singer!!!!. 1966 saw the Ska sound evolve into Rocksteady, again with Jackie's band at the helm, and his first hit single the Rocksteady cut 'Ram Jam'. The success of which would lead to a solo career and album releases under his own name such as 'Now', 'Macka Fat', 'Evening Time', 'In London' and 'Keep on Dancing', to name but a few. In 1967 the hits at Studio 1 were still flowing when The Soul Brothers morphed into The Soul Venders and began backing such luminaries as Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones, The Cables, The Wailers and many other of the label’s solo artists.

By 1968 Jamaican music was ready for another change and Rocksteady rolled into a slower groove soon to be called Reggae. Jackie Mittoo would be at the forefront with his latest band The Sound Dimension. A line-up that included Leroy Sibbles (bass),Roland Alphonso and Cedric Brooks (saxophone),Eric Frater and Ernest Ranglin (guitar) and Bunny Williams (drums). Being the house band at Studio 1 they backed all the leading names of the time, John Holt, Horace Andy and Alton Ellis, all of Studio 1's output carried his sound. Jackie Mittoo emigrated in the late 60's to Canada but travelled to Jamaica and London to record with many of the big new names, who were trying to redress Studio 1's supremacy and needed his magic touch. Such producers as Bunny Lee used Jackie Mittoo on many of his sessions,Sugar Minott among others were always glad of his services.

For this release we have put together a selection of some of his finest recordings done with legendary reggae producer Bunny Lee. 1970’s cuts that feature Jackie’s numerous talents, showing his ability to embellish tracks with a feel few could better. Musical arranger, band leader and all around studio ace.

We hope you enjoy this great set with Jackie Mittoo in fine style and his organ super powered indeed…

Music on Vinyl serve up a special orange vinyl reissue of this legendary The Upsetters album from 1978. All the individual copies are hand numbered and the whole thing was of course produced by the late great Lee 'Scratch' Perry. It was the last record he did in his legendary Black Ark studio before he closed it down (and later burnt it down thinking it was possessed by evil spirts). It is another superb highlight of his skill on the studio mixing desk, with taped out dubs, hissing hi hats and meandering melodies that burrow deep into your brain and body.

The legendary reggae powerhouse is back with a brand new studio album, "New Day," the follow up to their 2018 Grammy nominated effort, "As the World Turns." The album release is the focal point of celebrating "50 Years of Black Uhuru" as 2022 marks 50 years since the band's formation in 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica. Flash forward 50 years from 1972, millions of albums have been sold, 8 Grammy nominations and 1 Grammy Award, and the band finds themselves looking back on the accomplishments and forwards to a "New Day" dawning. Marketing Highlights: - Nationwide headlining tour supporting the album in major markets in May - Summer European tour anchored around a Festival play at Reggae Land Festival in Milton Keynes, UK with Shaggy, Julian Marley, Inner Circle and more - Full Press Campaign supporting the album release - Extensive multi-phase online digital marketing campaign

Soul Jazz Records follows up one its most popular Studio One releases with a brand new selection of rare and classic releases by women in reggae. Featuring legendary artists such as Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley and Hortense Ellis (with a guest appearance by her brother Alton), alongside a host of rarities from lesser known names such as Nina Soul, Nana Mclean, Denise Darlington, Myrna Hague and also Doreen Schaeffer, a vocalist who was a founding member of The Skatalites.

There are notable covers (from Tyrone Davis’ soul classic Can I Change My Mind to the Band’s 60s psychedelic classic Turn Turn Turn in a rub-a-dub style!). Doreen Schaeffer reversions Alton Ellis’s seminal I’m Still in Love with You, Nina Soul reversions the slack rocksteady anthem Barb Wire. A number of these tracks are almost impossible to find and many have never been issued ever since their initial release.

The music on the album is of course 100% killer and features backing from all of the seminal groups at 13 Brentford Road including The Skatalites, Sound Dimension, Soul Brothers and the Brentford All Stars, and ranges from ska, rocksteady, roots, lovers and more from the 60s, 70s and 80s. All produced by Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd at Studio One Records, the number one sound in reggae music.
The album is released on Soul Jazz Records as a double-vinyl with gatefold sleeve, download code, the CD comes in slipcase and both come with extensive sleevenotes.

This exquisite new album showcases a selection of recent recordings
from Barry Biggs, one of reggae music's foremost proponents of
sophisticated, romantically inclined music, whose hit making career has
spanned the best part of half a century
Musicians:
Delroy Williams Junction Band:
Gordon Mulrain - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Organ
Tony Richardson (pka Tony Rico) - Flute, alto and tenor saxophones
George Simmonds - Trombone
Maria Mattison (pka Nero Diamante) - Backing vocals
Valerie Otteley - Backing vocals
Produced by Delroy Williams
Recorded in February and March 2020 at Rollover Studio in London and Gordon
Mulrain's studio in Ipswich in November and December 2021.
Promotion across social media platforms
Advertising in Riddim, Black Echoes and Record Collector Magazine

Exquisite lovers rock reggae bomb produced by Los Angeles based reggae master drummer, Patrick Houchen aka Shakaman. Lucid dream inducing lyrics over a cruising beat interlaced with gorgeous melodies will make you fall in love all over again. Dub version on the back, bound to slowdown any sunset. Take a trip, don't come back. Beautifully remastered for vinyl by one of Berlin's top mastering studios, Man Made Mastering.

Reggae cover of Freddie and Christine Perren's “Do it Baby”, produced by Lee Perry, originally produced in 1977, officially re-issued and remastered.

Mowtown heavy hitter duo Freddie and Christine Perren's originally titled “Do It Baby” by the Miracles put through the production lens of Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the sweet goosebump inducing voice of Susan Cadogan, bound to upset. Original version accompanied by an extension for the hungry dancefloor, and for the extra adventurous jock we leave you with the entire track cut in reverse. Faithfully re-mastered with a extra care given to the low end, cut at 45 for maximum precision.

On Near To You riddim (Yvonne Harrison With Tommy McCook Band, originally)

Sought after double header 'Deadly' Headly Bennett 7" from 1985, on the Humble Commission label, crafted by The Commission, namely Jason Stuart and Danny Thompson at Channel One studio in Kingston, Jamaica. Mixed by engineer supremo Peter 'Chemist' Thompson. Housed in a bleach free black paper poly-lined sleeve.

repress

An ecletic musical representation of infamous Rotterdam Jazzclub BIRD with well-known and lesser-known Dutch artists from the black music spectrum, varying from Jazz, soul, hip-hop to electronic music. Compiled by BIRD musical curators Philip Powel and Guido van Dieren.

From the golden period
of Unity Sound, previously ureleased 80s pre-digital bizniz

1973 Big Youth production

Jamaica’s rare rock steady label “Links” was running for almost 2 years between 1967 to 1968. The “Links” label is very sought after with collectors & selectors especially tracks like Ken Boothe’s “Can’t You See”, The Gaylads' “Looking For A Girl” and ‘Mama Look” to name a few. BB Seaton, founder of the “Links” label and original member of The Gaylads - one of the most important groups during the Ska and Rock Steady era. BB Seaton explains how the “Links” label came about at a time where artists could not earn fair payment from producers for their recordings. The Gaylads with Ken Boothe, The Melodians and Delroy Wilson joined forces and decided to control their own recordings from the exploitation of the producers. The four artists came together to manage and control the “Links” label to obtain all rights and share their profits. BB Seaton was the backbone of the songwriting and managing the productions/arrangements, whilst the other artists gave all their talent to singing the tracks to their best performance. The tracks recorded for the “Links” label are prime examples of the finest rock steady music to come out of Jamaica! The “Links” label had a short run, and sadly demised after 2 years due to unfortunate circumstances (all is revealed in Brian Keyo’s great liner notes!) This album compiles the “Links” output for the first time. The “Links” album is recommended not only for rock steady collectors but all music lovers.

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Reggae music in many ways reminds us of America’s Motown records.The music comes out of its stable fast and furious we tend to know the songs, the artists, the studio but who ?
are the players.The unsung hero’s that in many cases, cut most of our favourite tracks One such band this applies to in the Reggae field is the Soul Syndicate Band.

Each Jamaican record producer would have their favourite set of musicians they would use, availability permitting. Although several musicians crossed over into different named bands. For example a set of players working with Producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee would go
under the guise of The Aggrovators .The same group working with Producer Joe Gibbs would work under the name The Professionals. Soul Syndicate were the band of choice for Producer Niney the Observer, who used them for his own recordings and when you
put that aside the other artists Niney produced,Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, Michael Rose, I Roy,The Ethiopians, Barry Brown, Gregory Issacs and Freddie McGregor. To name a few and not necessary all, you begin to see the amount of material this set of musicians played on.

Built around the rhythm section of Calton 'Santa' Davis and George 'Fully' Fullwood, drums and bass respectfully. They were usually accompanied by Earl 'Chinna' Smith,Tony Chin on guitars, Keith Sterling, Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderstone, Bernard 'Touter' Harvey, organ / keyboards and Noel 'Skully' Simms, percussion. Niney's tracks tended to be rhythm heavy and thus Sound System favourites.But when brass was needed / called for ,this was provided
by the likes of Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis, Felix ' Deadley Headley' Bennett. Niney not having a studio of his own at the time used most of Kingston's studios, again availability and money providing. But most of these cuts selected for this release were cut at Channel 1 and a few
exceptions at Randy's Studio 17 and at Joe Gibbs studio at Burns Avenue.

Niney also worked closely with King Tubby on his dub plates, so tracks after the recording sessions were taken to King Tubbys for reconstruction and sometimes re-voicing over an existing rhythm.These were then used as version sides to the vocal cuts,but most importantly used to nice up the dances, being played out on King Tubbys Home Town Hi - Fi Sound System.We have pulled together a selection of such dub plate specials cut by the Soul
Syndicate band for this release. Dub sides that emphasise how well the band worked together, and with Niney at the reigns and the added bonus of some Tubby magic sprinkled on top. Please see our Niney the Observer at King Tubbys 1973 - 1975 JRO11 for further examples of this work.

We at Jamaican Recordings hope we are not alone in saluting the musicians, that played such a big part in producing many of our favourite Reggae Sounds. Having released titles by The Revolutionaries JR003, The Aggrovators JR005, Sly and Robbie JR006, we are now pleased to release a selection of rare Dub cuts by another one of Jamaica's finest, the Soul Syndicate band to our catalogue...

Respect Jah Floyd.

King Earthquake Reggae 12" - Love and Happiness / Sylford Walker

Orange Vinyl

Superb Ragga Jungle tune from Krak In Dub, remixing the famous OBF title "Mandela" sang by Mr Williams

first part of the tune brings the remix and second part brings the instrumental.