Natty King No More War On the Flute riddim in 2010 which produced a number of good tracks. Natty King is a cultural artist who always seems to be around on the fringes.
Verzuz TV live stream now, Bounty Killer vs Beenie Man, 7 PM Jamaica time (5 PM Los Angeles, 8 PM New York, 1 AM London). Original on Instagram: Verzuz (@verzuztv)
Guess I'll go ahead and join in on this. Just found out abou this thread in the "Crucial Reggae" thread. Big tune from an artist I haven't seen mentioned yet. Jah Cure - Love Is
Another track by Cure. On the very popular Drop Leaf riddim. 40 minute mix for people that want to explore more of the riddim. Includes Morgan Heritage, Luciano, Sizzla, Tanya Stephens and Maxi Priest. Also the previously posted "Footprints" by T.O.K. Selecta Franco - DROP LEAF riddim- LONG MIX
Samira - Where Have You Been All My Life (2013). On the Fight This Feeling riddim (aka Sitting and Watching)
Another recent update of an older riddim. Also produced by Sting International. Christopher Martin - Playing Games With My Heart (2014). On the Take It Easy riddim. That was a released a few weeks before Hopeton Lewis passed away in 2014. His original was often presented in riddim mixes with the new batch of songs. I hope he was able to see his music carry on to a new generation of reggae listeners over 45 years later. Hopeton Lewis - Take It Easy
Thanks for joining us. Some excellent tracks. Jah Cure should have arrived here sooner. Samira I'll check out. Chris Martin is a recent favourite of mine. I'll post something from him.
And here's Jah Cure with his commentary of his times in prison. Jah Cure - True Reflections Prison a no bed of roses.
Beres has had an outstanding career. From the 1970's until now. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he has been able to keep up with ebb and flow of Jamaican music for the last 40 years. Great tune from his A Moment In Time (2009) album.
Beres, Freddie McGregor & Marcia Griffiths seem to be the only ones who have kept up. or been given the opportunity to keep up, on a regular basis and on current riddims.
I have some catching up to do again, there has been three artists in a row posted now that I have tought about posting as well, I'll start with the latest. Luciano is among of my favourites from the last decades, a great vocalist very much in the Dennis Brown school of singing stylistically (which is a great compliment coming from me), his material is all concious stuff, strictly roots and culture, no slackness in sight, it's mostly concerning his Rastafari faith (in fact he has been known to go a bit overboard with the preachiness, reading the bible at lenght at concerts and criticizing other artists for straying from the straight and narrow). I have never had the chance to see him perform, I was about to see him and Freddie McGregor (another huge favourit, which I will have reason to get back to), but one person decided to change the plans for a whole city that day (2017 Stockholm truck attack - Wikipedia), so it was not to be and I'm still waiting for a new chance. Anyway, here is one of his most poular tracks (and for good reason) "Give Praise": One of my early Reggae concerts (which wasn't that early, I was late with starting to go to live Reggae shows) was a headlining triple bill of Lee Perry, Max Romeo and The Congos, and for some of the shows on the tour Beres Hammond opened (I see now when researching that, the also mentioned, Jah Cure opened some others). At the time I was not that familiar with Beres and I was there for the headliners, but what I noticed was that the "proper" Reggae fans (meaning those that were obviously long time fans and "in the know") flocked the stage for Beres (while I was hanging out in the back), then for the headline acts those people stepped back and the johnny-come-latelys like myself and the more casual fans stepped right up. I don't know what I'm trying to say with all this, just that Beres has much love and respect from the community. I saw him again not too many years ago, and that time I was right up at the front. That riddim has really gotten some milage, especially if the "Water Pumping" variation is taken into consideration as well. I have actually missed that there are modern songs based on recreating the sound of the original like this, that was nice. Did anyone see this clash? It wasn't really what I had expected, but then I don't know how these things go nowadays, and it is of course special doing a stream. I thought there was going to be more actual vocal performances, they were basically just playing their records, with interjections and commentary, more like a soundsystem clash (meaning the records were competing) than a deejay clash. I lost interest after a a bit and wasn't really paying attention, I guess after a while at least Bounty started doing some stuff that was on specials that he actually perfomed over. The most ineteresting part, and what brought some genuine Jamaican atmosphere, was that the Police arrived midway through (because they were breaking curfew)! At the same time they had the prime minister logged in among the Instagram viewers (he later commented on Twitter), along with a host of celebrities, I just randomly checked the comments at some points and saw Jamaican artists like Popcaan, Spice and Konshens along with international stars like Snoop Dog, Missy Elliott and Rihanna. Strange: yes, enjoyable: no - sorry... It felt a bit weird calling an Ed Sheeran song "riddim", but I guess that's what it becomes when used like this... I came up with more quite well known songs on the subject when I thought about it, another one is of course Shabba Ranks' "Dem Bow", which came to me because of the recent passing of producer Bobby Digital, so needs to get a shout out. I guess it's not meant to be absurd, but it comes out that with the over the top "rotting fleash" and "heading to the morgue" stuff, it's a bit rich in it's imagery. I have to be honest and say that I think the songs you have posted by him are quite awful... I commented how some of his songs I've heard before in part sound like Metal to me (because of having things like guitar power chords) and the "Angel" song has Metal vibes again, but in different ways with the imagery and the medieval music. Maybe he is really latently a Heavy Metal artist trapped in a Danchall artists body...? I actually think many of the more hardcore Dancehall artists probably would have been Extreme Metal singers in a different Universe, I could see someone like Bounty Killer in a Death Metal band. Singjaying is one thing, but the songs posted here are straight singing songs, which I don't think suits him (I don't think he could even carry a tune properly without the heavy autotune), but yes he has done straight singing songs way back too (they don't sound to great either). Isn't there like a straight country song on one of his 90s albums?
We have talked about the popularity of Country music in Jamaica, here is Luciano doing a cover of "He'll Have To Go", a song I think originally recorded (or at least made famous) by Jim Reeves, which means it is from the more schmaltzy part of the Country catalogue, which is all in line with what goes down well in JA, and it is still a good song and he does a great version of it (I also love steel guitar in Reggae, see also the Mortimer track posted earlier in the thread): This is from a compilation called Reggae's Gone Country (as seen pictured in the video), this also has for example the Busy Signal recording of "The Gambler" posted earlier (not sure if these were recorded especially for this album, I have seen neither anywhere else). Speaking of covers of material from other genres, I also really like his take on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" (where Luciano shows his Dylan knowledge by including two additional verses only found in live versions, I think from two different ones even): Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Finally, one more track from The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2015 album I have hyped up earlier (as noted a decievingly named Clive Hunt produced special project, not a hits compilation), another cover, this is Luciano's take on the truly majestic Rod Taylor song "His Imperial Majesty": For reference here is the 1978 original: Rod Taylor - His Imperial Majesty
Thanks for your thoughts. Here's mine. 1. Luciano has indeed had a long and consistent career. I've always thought that if he'd gotten some western airtime in the 90's he could have had international success along the lines of Bob Marley (not on his scale of course) and UB40. Much of what he records is, if you overlook the Rasta aspects, great pop. 2. If I had the choice of seeing Lee Perry, Max Romeo and The Congos, or Beres I'd pick Beres. He certainly has much respect in Jamaica. I met him, very briefly, back in the 80's and he is a genuinely good guy. 3. Lee Perry. While he did some great stuff back in the 70's I think these days he's, well charlatan is too harsh, but certainly a trickster. I suspect he can't believe the adoration his current music receives and I doubt he listens to it. 4. I went in & out of the Bounty/Beenie clash and will watch more. Actually it's on now. nice to see it got some international attention. 5. I like the Tommy Lee tracks that I posted, or they wouldn't have been posted!! He's very popular in Jamaica which does not on the surface make much sense but I guess they just like his sounds. I doubt they take the whole demon thing seriously though. It's not just country that Jamaicans like. They like what they like which includes soul, rock & roll, pop and hip hop etc 6. One of the best shows I've ever seen was a rock & roll show in Jamaica. There was a crowd of 2-3,000 people and it was indoors. It was all rock & roll and a number of known reggae names performed. Everyone had a great time and the audience was insane. It was seated with cheap wooden chairs and at some point everyone started breaking/smashing the chairs. it wasn't violent or scary. It was joyous and I guess the cost of the chairs was built into the ticket price. I didn't smash mine but I let someone else have it. By the end of the show I don't think there was a chair left. Just a lot of wood. 7. Dem Bow is another of many "no oral sex" songs. Again with a title that to the outsider probably sounds like a song about Black Pride/not bowing to the master etc. Not the topic. 8. I Can't Satisfy Her. Yeah the lyrics are extreme but the consequences of venereal disease are pretty real there and there are those who don't get treatment and indeed have the rotting flesh. 9. I'm not a death metal fan so I'm not sure that's what Tommy Lee is but he's certainly cross genre. I am surprised at the appeal he has to Jamaican ears though. 10. I'm enjoying Beenie/Bounty. It's certainly a sound clash rather than a deejay clash so far. 11. I really liked the Beenie track I posted. "Preacher's Daughter. I think he's sounding fine. As are the lyrics. I'm not sure if it reflects what he's up to now in life. He's singjaying though. I don't like every Beenie song. He must have done something like 5-10,000 songs surely. I checked my drive and I have 920 and I've made no attempt to collect them all. He's had a lot of great tunes though. He has dropped off from his 90's, 00's peak but he's still putting out lots of tunes. 12. He has had some country songs but for the life of me I can't remember what they were. Beres has done country too. 13. I thought that Reggae Gone Country record had more misses than hits but the Luciano track was pretty good. As was his Knocking On Heaven's Door cover.
We've talked about country crossovers but Jamaicans do love pop too when it strikes them. Air Supply perform to sell out crowds even now. In 1982 the biggest song of the year in Jamaica was this: It was #1 for about 12 weeks and held off a lot of reggae songs that are classics to this day. I think I must have heard it every night for months whether in a show, from a sound system or just on the jukebox. I remember being in a small bar, one of those front room type of things. There were 3 or 4 people there and the girl serving just starting singing the song. She was pitch and lyric perfect. Everyone was silent as she sang but no one applauded when she finished. It wasn't why she was singing. So here's a Jamaican hit that's a little different. There have been reggae covers.
Yes, I posted some links to articles a while back about how Jamiacans love "easy listening" type Pop, and Air Supply was one of the artists mentioned (a band I am hardly familiar with myself). I am a Fleetwood Mac fan (all eras/periods), that song wasn't even a single anywhere (as far as I know), how did it happen that it become a hit there? Who has recorded Reggae versions of it? Yes, looking back Beres performance was obviously the best thing that night, I just wasn't prepared for that being the case, unlike the others who were past their expiry dates as live performers he was very vital (I mean, he still is now today), he also used a different band which was better. The others were more ticking off a box to have seen at that point (Max Romeo was quite alright though). I have never been a huge fan of Perry as a perfoming artist, especially not from the 80s onwards (his early Ska/RockSteady/Reagge stuff has merit of course), and it was mostly just a circus freak show when I saw him live, but I was aware that was what his segment would be, like I said it was more ticking off a box, I was up front and took his hand and stuff like that, it was cool but I won't spend money on seeing him again. I have been suprised by how much attention this has been getting. Obviously this must have been a step up from what they have done before in these online meetings, as the other artists (Hip-Hop and R&B) have been in different locations, but still surprising seeing Jamiacan music get so much love and attention from the mainstream. You have to make sure you catch the part where "the Police make a raid"! Very funny and so fitting! Some people pointed out that Bounty Killer quickly disappeared at that point, as if he made a run for it, some said "he must have a warrant out"! Actually it seemes he got a bit heated off camera about the interruption, while Beenie tried to make sure things were cool (there is a camera shot from a different angle out there). Yes, I undertstand you like him and no offence intended! I usually try to avoid being negative, but I just think he is so bad that I had speak up this time... When you say "Rock & Roll" what do you mean, like 50s type stuff, or do you mean just Rock in general? I have always thought Rock stuff wasn't that popular over there. The 50s R'n'R era basically killed off the interest in following American music for a while and this in turn was a big incentive in Ska developing as Jamicans no longer had the supply of their favourite swinging R&B and had to create their own music to replace that older stuff. That music (very minimalist 90s Dancehall) isn't really my cup of tea, so I don't think I have really thought about what Shabba's going on about, it just dawned on me now with this discussion... No, with the "Death Metal" comparison I though more about the very raw, gruff voiced deejays like Buju for example, or those with a tough guy, aggressive image, like for example Bounty had at points, that hard egde in the Dancehall world seem to me to be comparable to what goes on in some extreme Metal genres in the Rock world. (Of course it's more comparable with what went on in Gansta Rap, but then in that world you had actually more overt connections to Metal, with someone like Ice-T going back and forth between his Hip-Hop and with his band Body Count with basicaly the same attidtude). With Tommy Lee it is more some of the aspects of the backing music that sound similar to things in Metal at times (and then of course the whole "satanic" stuff). It's all artists trying to be extreme in different ways I guess is what I'm saying. I'm not a very huge fan of that excessive autotune thing, if it's used as a tool to be able to create a melody for someone who isn't otherwise able to sing on key (it can be a thing if it's used primarily for the sound of it, not that I love that either). With singjay it isn't that important to be exactly on key, the rhythm is more important, but for straight singing I prefer a "proper" singer. (This thing really started back in the day when Big Youth firgured he was a singer.) The lyrics of that song you posted is in an old tradition, reminds me of "Curly Locks". Beenie Man is maybe not the "King of the Dancehall" anymore (although I'm sure he would disagree), it's some time since he had one of his really big crossover hits, I guess that would be "Dude", which must have been one of his biggest hits internationally (#26 in the US and #7 in the UK): The Beenie song I'm thinking of is called "Ain't Gonna Figure It Yet" from Many Moods of Moses, I think it's an original song, and it's not a slick Countrypolitan style ballad song as Reggae artists usually favour, but it's an uptempo twangy Honky-Honk type thing with steel guitar and fiddle, more like a joke track really, hard to tell what they were thinking... Yeah, I agree that album on a whole isn't very good to be honest, the Luciano is one of the few good tracks (and the Busy Signal is cool), there are probably better compilations of Reggae/Country.
1. I must have missed your "easy listening" links. I know we talked about country. 2. Here's the link for the Jamaican single of Wish You were Here. I have a copy of course. I've no idea how it came to be a big hit there but it's not unusual for songs to be picked up there that are missed by the rest of the world. An interesting place 3. I posted 1 version of the song but I know there are others. I'll have a look. here's Ghost: 4. There are more about. 5. We're in agreement on Beres & Perry. It would be something to see Perry but I think ticking off a box sums it up for both sides. 6. No problem if you don't like Tommy Lee. I'm not sure I can even articulate why I like him 7. The show was pure 1950's rock & roll. Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry etc. An amazing thing. Iwish I recalled who performed but I wasn't as familiar with who was who back then. I know they were "names" from the reaction of the crowd and comments from those around me. 8. In the whole No Bow vein I remember a song from the 90's "Socamania" where it was clear when you listened what he was really saying. S your Moma. 9. Beenie still has a hit every once in a while but he's hitting like he used too. He's still a big artist though and everyone wants him for shows. 10. I was thinking Many Moods Of Moses would be where one of his country songs would be. "Ain't Gonna Figure It Yet" is classic. They were clearly having fun with this. Reminds me of the "opera" reggae songs that came out in the 90's. 11. Beenie's recorded some interesting stuff as Moses Davis but a quick look and I couldn't find anything.
Making this an opera thread!! Buccaneer Man Tief Sonata I used to love playing this, and other similar songs, for people.
Beres Hammond was another one I had meant to post, so I may as well continue with some more songs, here is "I Feel Good", from 2008: Oh, no! Please don't go down that rabbit hole... That weird thing is also a still ongoing phenomenon, there is a current song by Elephant Man called "Opera Wine", I hear it sometimes when I put on playlists of new stuff and I have to jump on the skip button when it comes on, I won't post it here, I don't want to subject others to that. But even if I don't enjoy that particular "opera"-thing, it is interesting as it is part of a larger phenomenon in Danchehall where a well known and catchy hook from any genre or style and from any era going way back is up for grabs to insert into a track no matter how seemingly ill-fitting it can seem on paper, nothing is too far fetched (this is in a way I guess comparable to Hip-Hop where it is a thing to sample ever more obscure and seemingly unrelated musical elements, but I feel this can be even more extreme in Dancehall). An example is "Rich Girl" by Louchie Lou & Michie One, who would have thought you would have the theme from "Fiddler On The Roof" in the charts in the 90s (of course this was taken another step by Gwen Stefani later, I wonder how many understood the real source). Any old evergreen like that, no matter how strange and corny it may seem in theory (to an ousider I should add), can be put to good use in Dancehall.
