Excluding The Wailers, who is your favourite Roots Reggae band?

I could never understand his relationship with Island. They issued Blackheart Man and Protest, but after that it was only the Marley tribute album. Shanachie issued several compilations as well as Bunny's later albums, but his US profile was pretty limited. In I Fathers House, Struggle, Rock 'n Groove and all the singles from that period certainly deserve to be heard.

I used to play Back To School when I was a deejay and people really liked that record, a very cool hybrid. I remember encouraging a friend in the business to try to issue some of the Solomonic stuff in the US, but he'd worked tangentially with Bunny Wailer and said he's a difficult guy... not too surprising.

I know this thread is about everything OTHER THAN Bob Marley, but I'm curious if someone can illuminate the falling-out between Marley, Bunny and Tosh. From what I've read they came close to breaking-up when Lee Perry was producing Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution, but stuck together and did the first two albums on Island Was it all about Marley's ambition or were there other issues in play?

 

The Gregory was a 12" rather than a 10", so far VP seem to be more CD/LP orientated, although they are doing a 7" box set release of the Gussie Clark set as well as a more standard LP. I really wish DKR, (Digikiller), would comp some of their singles and put out CDs and more LPs, I have said that to them, but they don't seem interested, the same goes for Dub Store in Japan, personally I'm more interested in putting out albums even though I have several singles I may get around to doing at some stage. To be fair Reggae was always a singles orientated music and I can totally understand why most reissue labels concentrate on that format, we like albums because it allows us to tell the story of the bands and usually include unreleased tracks, decent sleeve notes and photos, I'd love to be able to do something similar to Numero, a nice box set with book.

 

The Rock 'n Groove songs?

The original album had seven songs and they were extended versions; the vocal and instrumental dub tracks spliced (rather sloppily in a few cases). The later CD issue used shorter versions of the songs as did Shanachie's Rootsman Skanking CD. My vinyl transfer (which is on my iPod):

1. Rock and Groove (5:46)
2. Another Dance (7:46)
3. Dance Rock (5:58)
4. Cool Runnings (4:53)
5. Roots Man Skanking (6:33)
6. Jammings (5:45)
7. Ballroom Floor (5:28)

Of those songs, I only have Cool Runnings on a 12" 45 and my segued vocal/version vinyl-transfer clocks-in at 8:50, so the LP version was edited. I don't have all of Bunny's singles from that period, but I'm glad to have the ones that I came upon back in the day. Buying reggae records took some effort, and it was often an adventure.

 

Not many "bands" I can think of. Were Culture a band or a vocal trio? Love them anyway.
The Heptones' "Party Time" was pretty incredible.
In the 80s I liked the British band Aswad. Their "New Chapter" album is great and the "New Chapter Of Dub" is one of my favourite dub albums ever (it really is rich, cosmic stuff).

 

Don't know where I thought it was a 10"...but yes, as a consumer I can tell you that albums/CD comps are preferable. It's hard to shell out $7-$9 for a 7" single. The music is good, but that price point hurts the wallet. I love what DKR is reissuing, but I can only grab a few here and there and inevitably the others are gone since the run is so limited. But oh well, if that's the biz model then my best to them. I've been satisfied with what they've produced so far.

 

I love Bunny Wailer! "Rock & Groove" is stunning. I also have "Protest" and "Tribute" (to Bob of course) and both are great.

 

Further on Bunny Wailer…
I did a number of vinyl transfer projects at one point. My Solomonic 45’s collection has given me a lot of pleasure:

01. Innocent Blood/Version (7:04)
02. Galong So/Version (5:20)
03. Collie Man/Version (6:24)
04. Conqueror/Version (6:55)
05. Boderation/Version (8:15)
06. Rise & Shine/Version (7:40)
07. Cool Runnings/Version (8:50)
08. Bright Soul/Version (8:40)
09. Riding/Version (6:22)
10. Unity/Version (7:20)
11. Crucial/Version (6:40)

I have a few more of his singles that didn't fit within the 80-minute running time on that disc, but I feel Discogs beckoning… I need to fill-in a few blanks.

 

Oh, yes!
One of my all-time favorite rhythms is the one that Hugh sang over "Stop Them Jah", and Jacob Miller sang over "Who Say Jah No Dread". (it's, of course, also featured on "...Meets Rockers Uptown")

SO swinging!

(side note; I've always thought it sounded like Carly Barrett playing drums on it, but the credit I was able to find said that it was Santa Davis. If anybody knows for sure, I'd love to know)



And Jacob Miller:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL5zCJaIcZg

 

I would say it was a combination of Marley and Tosh's ambitions and Bunny's lack of.
Peter considered himself an accomplished lead singer back to the Studio 1 days. He
constantly released solo tracks during his tenure in the Wailers. Bunny on the other
hand was content to stay in Jamaica and release music when he felt.

Island also refused to release Peter's solo album, which was the first crack in the group's
armour.

Despite their business dealings, the friendship between the three never really was harmed
by the breakup of the group.

One of the events that fractured the group was a car crash that Peter was in when leaving
Marley's house. His girlfriend died in the crash and Peter started to withdrawal into his own
world of unicycling and investigating the spiritual world. He got infautated with duppys (ghosts)
and their presence in the world. He considered Marley's house cursed after the car crash.

Considering the group survived together for a decade going through various producers
and labels. It may have just been time for the guys to do their own thing.

 

If dub is becoming part of the conversation, I will second new chapter in dub-a favorite of mine and a showcase of the genre...

Speaking of Aswad, I think their first, self-titled album is among the best reggae albums ever...

Where would alpha blondy fit in this conversation? Apartheid is nazism is a superb album, too. And while I am on the African theme, I feel I should mention Lucky Dube-everybody should hear the slave album at some point... I should mention that these two performers have given two of the finest shows I have ever seen live, in person: the former at a now defunct place called the channel in Boston, circa 1991-2 and the latter at the wadsworth theater in Los Angeles with joe higgs circa 1992 (Lenny showed up to play, too, before many folks knew of him)...

And while I/we are derailing the topic, I have seen prince far I, eek a mouse and yellowman mentioned, to which I would throw in uroy, mutabaruka and lkj, too; wisdom, check it and lkj's double live album are all important pieces of my collection...

 

I have the LP here but it doesn't say when the tracks are record, just that they come from a mix of studios, but two of the tracks are backed by the Revolutionaries rather than the Radics, so maybe that helps to date them(?).

Some of the reggae material released by Nighhawk was older material, like Wiser Dread, Knotty Vision and I guess the Morwells comp., but most was newely recorded, like Calling Rastafari (which I see now is produced by Bingy Bunny & Blacka Morwell) and the Gladiators and Itals records.

 

Bunny is nowadays my favourite Wailer, but it took me a long time to fully appreciate him because there was so little easily available. Besides Blackheart Man and Protest it is vinyl all the way if you want to get his stuff. There are a few CD's, like the excellent compilations Retrospective and Crucial Roots Classics on RAS, and I think the Shanachie titles were also on CD, Rootsman Skanking (based around Rock 'n' Groove) and Roots Radics Rockers Reggae (based around In I Father's House), but they are all out of print anyway and very hard to find. Here in Sweden it is much easier to find vinyl and I have often found Jamaican pressings with sticker from being sold at the big outlets back in the day, so it seems at least he had good distribution, I think maybe he still had some deal with Island to help with that(?). It is also vital(!) to check out his 45's and 12", there are so many different versions to collect, none of the singles I have are the same versions as on the albums. Finally I can add that Bunny is still in good form in concert, I saw him live just a month ago!

 

The initial statement about the relaunch of Blood & Fire from VP said that "They will re-release 10 to 12 Blood and Fire collections with additional content and updated packaging this year", it also said that Steve Barrow "will be handling original B&F catalogue reissues with additional titles new to Blood and Fire". I don't know if all this is out the window now, but there was nothing back then to indicate they would concentrate on singles, or vinyl for that matter. I hope that will not be the case, and that this was more of a record store day promotional thing, I would much rather have albums (and of course if they want to do singles as well that is cool, look at Pressure Sounds). I agree about Digikiller and Dub Store, there is so much interesting stuff released by them but I cannot afford to buy these expensive singles, I wish they would do compilations of the material.

 

That's good to hear. My wife and I saw him many years ago at Radio City Music Hall. It was an excellent concert and quite an event for the Jamaican community here in New York. He was like royalty.

 

I haven't listened to my LP in many years, it is a 1982 Solomonic US release distributed by Joe Gibbs Miami (VW-1002) and I never paid attention to track times so you are probably right. I also have Rock and Groove on 12" and mistakenly thought I also had Ballroom Floor. Sorry about my faulty memory...

 

I agree. Those Solomonic reissues of Bunny's singles were painfully expensive, but cheaper than sourcing an original in reasonable condition. Also, it may just be my ears but I wasn't blown away with the audio. Never had originals to compare, but they just seem to lack something. Anyone lucky enough to have an original of, say, 'Rise & Shine' to compare? "Calling Dubmart!"

 

I have both an original UK 7" (Solomonic/Rough Trade) and the Dub Store 12" reissue and the mixes are quite different (also given the difference in formats)--the 7" has much less keyboard and the vocal is clearer/cleaner.

 

Thanks, that's interesting to know. What do you think of the Dubstore reissues of Bunny's work in general?

 

I have purchased all of their Bunny Wailer/Wailers 7 and 12", and collect Japanese reggae vinyl in general (along with everything else). I honestly don't focus much on singles, except for Bunny's. My impressions of the Dubstore reissues have been mixed, sound-wise, but appreciate them as collectibles and would continue to buy those that interest me.

 

I don't think I picked up any of the Dub Store Bunny Wailers, too expensive for me, I have a feeling they may have been lifted from vinyl, if Bunny does have good tapes for his recordings nobody seems to have used them, some of his CD issues are terrible, "Dubd'sco" for example, although I haven't heard the RAS issue which may be fine. I do have a copy or two of "Rise & Shine" on 12" and may still have a copy of the 7" as well, so if anyone wants to send me a Dub Store copy I'm happy to compare them and post clips.

I suspect that the reason Bunny's post Island catalogue isn't readily available can be squarely laid at his feet, he hasn't done it himself and doesn't seem willing to strike a deal with anybody else, it's a real shame as there is some really good music on those singles and albums and potential fans just can't buy it, unlike the readily available catalogues of the other two Wailers.

 

Thanks mate.
Warrior Charge is a great song - didn't Frank Bruno used to walk to the ring to Warrior Charge? (may have been someone else though but I remember watching a fight where someone did).

 

I have to say I find Black Uhuru's early '80s albums very hard to enjoy now. I'm not sure if I overrated them at the time, or if they've dated badly, or what.

 

From what I've read:

Bunny Wailer didn't want to tour. He was sick of the weather and food in Europe, and got homesick. He is a devout rasta.
Peter Tosh was annoyed Chris Blackwell wanted Bob Marley as the main man, and that he was being pushed to the back.

 

I don't think it was Frank, but that's going to bug me all night, trying to remember what Frank's record usually was and who might have used Aswad, Nigel Benn? Michael Watson?