Picking up again on the later pages of this thread dedicated to pitch issues on those LPs: Tape Speed Issues - Tone Poet / Blue Note 80th LPs I get some of it, but I do think some of the nitpicking comes from folks that are a bit spoiled. Most BN albums have had multiple pressings (not all, of course) across LP & CD to seek out if new reissues aren't doing it. Coming from reggae music that just isn't the case across the board. Many times the reissue is the only real access you may have of a title, so SQ deficiencies are more frequently forgiven (to an extent). I definitely would love some Rico & Ranglin on TP though. Minds would be blown.
I've not personally been involved in a thread where so many pages were deleted, something like 20+, though it was pretty much the same people going over the same ground, I just got a deal and ordered 7 or 8 80ths that almost gets me up to speed with them, just need a mammoth Blue Note listening session, I want to compare them against my existing copies as well, when it comes to Blue Notes I'll judge quality for myself, too much nonsense written on the net. I'd absolutely love them to do the Ranglin and Rico, imagine if they sold 10,000 copies of those titles, what a great thing especially for Ernie who will hopefully still be around to enjoy not only the recognition, but some royalties and "Below the Bassline" is such a great sounding record.
So this show was actually great. I'd never seen Michigan before (nor Smiley, for that matter), and literally didn't know what to expect. Old-time star appears at tiny club for ten bucks... there's a pretty wide range of potential outcomes there, right? So in this case, Papa Michigan brought it, and provided a high-energy set of great reggae. Well worth the $10 cover charge and driving rain. Here's some crappy video that I shot of his second song: He deejayed. He sang. He jumped. He spun. He did karate kicks. Great setlist and great energy. Michigan must be in his mid-50s at least (I think he said he graduated high school in 1981 or 82 at one point during the show), but he looks like he's in his 40s and moves like a man in his 30s. He did some call and response with the crowd (as you can see in this video), he went out in the crowd to dance with some ladies and one or two other interactive "bits" but the show never felt padded. It was so entertaining (and the band was killing it all night) that I never got that "OK, we get it, can we have another song now?" sensation that I'm sure we all recognize from one reggae show or another. I gather that he's playing one show in New York somewhere (I don't have the details but I could get them, or look for Papa Michigan or Dub Apocalypse on Facebook) and then he's in Plymouth, MA (!?) on Sunday before returning to Jamaica. He can probably pick up one or two more shows in NY/NJ/CT over the weekend so keep your eyes open if you're in that area.
Here's another video from Wednesday night... don't miss your chance to catch Papa Michigan in Plymouth, Mass., tomorrow night!
The big finish: I grabbed a setlist on the way out which had the following (seems accurate as far as I can recall): Intro (Dub Apocalypse) Heavy Rock -> Party Time -> Taxi Rub a Dub Style Sugar Daddy Eye of Danger Original Inna Town Na Man Badda Empress By My Side High Grade Nice up the Dance Woman I Love You Put Your Loving On Me We Me Come From One Love Jam Down Diseases
Recently purchased DUB EXPRESSION - THE REVOLUTIONARIES (Dub Store Records/High Note) CD "A selection of rocking rhythms from The Revolutionaries masterminded by Jamaica's finest female record producer, Mrs. Sonia Pottinger, and mixed by Duke Reid's nephew, Errol Brown, chief engineer at the legendary Treasure Isle studio." Originally issued in Jamaica as DUB EXPRESSION VOL. 1 on High Note LP. A killer 10 track dub album, presented in exceptional sound quality by Dub Store Records (Japan) GAY FEET Dub
New on Patate Records King Tubby with Blackbeard's Ring Craft Posse: Hulk-Lp-Lost Dub From The Vault / King Tubby - Meets Blackbeard's Ring Craft Posse - Jah Waggys Records Limited
Nice. See also: 1. Too Much Iron in the Fire: Anthology - Rodguel "Blackbeard" Sinclair | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic 2. Various - Don't Give Up Your Culture 3. Ring Craft Posse - St. Catherine In Dub
It's on Discogs for about £12 (from France), £15 (from U.S.) A Blackbeard Production - Too Much Iron In The Fire (CD, US, 2004) For Sale | Discogs
Aslo availabe on a 2-fer together with Dubb Everlasting from Doctor Bird: Dubb Everlasting / Dub Expression - Cherry Red Records That one would be a cheaper option, that is unless one managed to get the Dub Store when it was on super-sale (it could be found for £5), I think there was a bit of controversy about that (and a couple of other albums) being licensed to both labels simultaneoulsy, so that's why Dub Store dumped the price initially. I think Dub Expression is probably the better album of the two though. I was checking that out on streaming sites, it's nice, it's a shame Patate only do vinyl. Their releases are pretty far between, last thing was Gladiators Back To Roots, before that I don't know when they did something. I have all three of those, I think I found that #2 (which is a singe CD) is superfluous if one has #1 (which is a double), that's not accounting for any potential sound quality differences.
I posted the above wish/comment back on 8/13, and the supplier of my local store messed up my order on the new Tone Poet releases that came out this past weekend and won't get them until tomorrow. So I decided to to go there anyway and look through the used vinyl (you just never know) and the night before someone brought in and sold the store a like new original UK - LP of this classic and I was able to get it for $12...lucky me, as this is my favorite from The Wailing Souls! What a killer record, and the vinyl sounds sweet as can be! And if I may ask, anyone familiar with The Gladiator's "Naturality"? They had just gotten a first pressing of that as well, but I am unfamiliar with it. Love "Trenchtown Mix Up", so was curious about Naturality. Thanks in advance if anyone could advise.
The title track is my favorite Gladiators song. I can't remember much else about the entire LP but based on the strength of that tune I'd get it, esp if in good shape at a good price.
I got a Japanese CD with both "War Ina Babylon" and "Reconstruction" on one CD. Reconstruction is pretty cool/good.
Max Romeo still records and performs. His latest album, Words From The Brave, was released on the French label Baco Records early this year. Not as "crucial" as his early work. But, it is some good current Roots Reggae. Even made a music video. I would say all his 70's albums are crucial. I am not familar with his 80's output. There is a ill thought out album from the 90's produced by Tappa Zukie. It has Max singing over Dancehall riddims including remakes of a few tracks from War Inna Babylon and Wet Dreams. Might have to give it a another listen. I remember not liking it at the time. Max Romeo - The Cross Or The Gun His best albums from the 90's are probably the two he made with Jah Shaka. Far I - Captain Of My Ship and Our Rights. Great music and vocals. I think his best vocals since the 70's. Max sounds really confident and I wish they would have worked together on more music. Max Romeo - Far I - Captain Of My Ship Max Romeo - Our Rights Another (somewhat) recent album I can recommend is Selassie I Forever from the late 90's. Mafia & Fluxy are the musicians backing him with a live horn section on a few songs. A few standout tracks are No Sinners, re-cuts of Melt Away and No Peace and the title track which is on the Zion Gate riddim. There are some questionable mixing decisions on the album to say the least. It is like they couldn't decide if they wanted to make a vocal or dub album. Pick it up if you can find it cheap. Max Romeo - Selassie I Forever His 2006 album produced by Mad Professor with Sly & Robbie on the riddim, Pocomania Songs, suffers from lazy songwriting. It is not a bad album, it is uneven with the music heavily outshining the vocals. I wonder if a dub version of the album was released. Max Romeo - Pocomania Songs You can catch him on the road with his daughter Xana and son Azizzi most of the time. They both record as solo artists as well and they all appear on each other's records. They put on a great show Max Romeo feat. Xana & Azizzi Romeo @ Afro-Pfingsten Festival 2018 At first I was going to watch a few minutes of that video to see how Max sounded live in the current day and ended up watching the whole thing. A few months back, I posted a interview with Max where he talked about his recording career. He mentioned he never saw any money for the War Inna Babylon album for a long time. When Kanye West sampled Chase The Devil for the Jay-Z song, Lucifer, he was able to buy a house from the royalties. There are quite a few interesting stories in the interview including the making of Wet Dreams at Studio 1. Reggae History Reasonings: Max Romeo, February 2019
Considering how big a label Island were by the mid-seventies and how publishing royalties are paid upfront I really can't see how Max didn't get paid "for a long time" unless he hadn't registered with any of the collection agencies or had sold his publishing, it's not as if he wasn't happy to release another album with them either, Jamaican artists are a bit like the boy who cried wolf at times, I'm surprised he didn't mention the Prodigy, their use of "Chase The Devil" was pretty big in the UK and I sold lots of copies of "War Ina Babylon" off the back of it.
Buying a house from a sample seems to be a theme. Nkrumah Thomas did very nicely from a Nas Sample a few years back
I rewatched the video and he does mention the Prodigy and a "group from South Africa and Australia" as well. Yeah. You have to take what people say with a little skepticism. 28 minute mark if you want to hear from the man himself.
I heartily recommend everyone get in touch with their local vendor of Jamaican materials to get a copy of Jamrec Dubwize out on Peckings - Studio 1 dub albums aren't really my bag, (although I have a few about of course) but this really caught my ear. Apparently first released in 2017, then blocked from sale by the Dodd family (or at least one part of the clan ) but it seems to have been okayed - for now... This has minute long samples of all the tracks Various Artists - Peckings - Jamrec Dubwize / (No Sleeve) And this article some background info maconblack | Studio One, the gift that keeps on giving - Record Collector Magazine
Had an email from studioonerecords today (in other words Yep Roc), so there is still someone alive over there. It says that they are restocked on some previously out-of print LPs and CDs (several LPs that have been sold out are back, but actully none of the CDs except one have ever gone), and that shipping is free November 1 - 7 (actually shipping has been free for a long time, I have thought it has been a bug with the site). So wonder if this activity means there will be anything new released eventually (if they are repressing things they are at least not shutting down)?
