Next two releases from Doctor Bird announced: The Chosen Few: The Trojan Albums Collection, 2CD: The Chosen Few: The Trojan Albums Collection, 2CD - Cherry Red Records - so this includes the same album (but under a different title) that Rock-A-Shacka just reissued, a recurring thing this simultaneous licensing of the same album to labels in different territories. Reggae Power, 2CD: Reggae Power, Various Artists, 2CD - Cherry Red Records - J.J. Johnson productions, using the Jamaican version of the album of that name as a starting point (the UK version of that album being part of the earlier Ethiopians release, so rearranged to have no duplication). Also just released (on 20 June) are two more LPs from Patate (that I have mentioned in passing before): Horace Martin Watermelon Man: Watermelon Man - Patate Records | Horace Martin - Watermelon Man Johnny Clarke Strickly Reggae Music: Strikly Reggae Music - Patate Records | Johnny Clarke - Strickly Reggae Music Fitting lyrics for these times: "He who checks for only wealth, and not for his physical health, shall fade away, fade away." More preview tracks: Horace Martin - See Me Ya Johnny Clarke - Everyday Wondering Johnny Clarke - Strickly Reggae Music
Thx - I picked up the Shanachie CD, which sounds excellent, although the bonus tracks are more variable in sound quality. my Clocktower LP is the white label, ‘Made In Canada’ printed at the top.
I think the Shanachie/Message US vinyl is the same high quality as the CD, I'm not 100%, it's been a long time, but I think the black and white label made in Canada issue is quite late and perhaps not as good as the earlier pressings, but the whole Clocktower thing is a bit of a minefield and different depending on the title.
That would be the one where they mixed up some of the tracks, one of them being the title track, which meant that tracks were mislabeled in their library, in turn leading to the wrong track being included on several other compilations where "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" was supposed to be included.
My Clocktower LP has exactly the same track list error as the CD. The title track is track 1 side 2, but listed as ‘Braces Tower Dub.’
What's the deal with the Macola Records Group issue of Joe Higgs' Life of Contradiction? It's radically different in comparison to the Pressure Sounds reissue. Can I assume the Pressure Sounds disc is superior?
I've never heard it, but my friend who turned me on to this album in the 90s told me it (the Macola version) was crap.
Some releases for the streaming crowd from Trojan (exemplified by Spotify links, I'm sure they are elsewhere): Lloyd Charmers: Reggae Is Tight Owen Grey: Reggae With Soul Gibbs/Amalgamated: Jackpot of Hits These were part of the Spirit Of 69: The Trojan Albums Collection box set, and are now uploaded on streaming sites. "Lots more records to be released over the coming months" is the word, I can't think of any others like these that have been released on CD lately but are not already streaming, so I'm not sure what that can be. More streaming stuff: I later saw there was another single of the same vintage (it's labeled with it's original release year, so I missed it): Keep On Moving I don't know if this version of "Keep On Moving" has been made available in digital form before? I have to say it is my least favourite mix of the material, the later remix on Natural Mystic is more enjoyable. The vintage 70s mix has I believe only been reissued in digital form on Song Of Freedom, where it is blocked at the moment (it was also on the big version of the Exodus 4oth Anniversary, but there only on vinyl). "Smile Jamaica" is no longer blocked on Songs Of Freedom and it's the same lenght, so it would be the exact same file linked to on both "albums".
yes 99th Floor, these 90's remixes of Bob Marley's half finished to finished but unreleased tracks are awful. I could use the riddim built by Sly & Robbie on another song, but even their take on Bob's Keep On Moving didn't move me at all... Likewise Tyrone Downie-produced (he also played most instruments) Iron Lion Zion is so far from the Bob Marley music I love that I can't really dig it. Let's have fun listing those musical (and spiritual) desecrations Keep On Moving Iron Lion Zion I Know A Place Slogans the remix albums released by JAD, Island (Ambient Dub, the techno remixes, and other vomit inducing turds), the Funkstar remixes... Am I missing something ? the entire bonus CD of Legend with remixes from the mid-80's is not as horrible
So, streaming & reggae - which service has the better library - spotify, tidal or apple music? I know that Tidal doesn't have any Studio One tracks, but would either of the others have them?
Yes, of course, how silly of me, sorry... There are too many Exodus releases! The 4oth Anniversary instead has what seems to be a disco mix (I never got that big box set), I guess just stitching those two together, also the other way around it has the Scratch version of "Smile Jamaica" as vocal and dub, where otherwise that is presented as a disco mix on Kaya remaster. Songs Of Freedom instead has the mix originally done for the "One Love" 12", and that is nowhere else in digital and at the moment blocked on streaming: There's actually a thread where I went over this, so I should know: Re: 'Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On' (Bob Marley compilation album) In the case of "Keep On Moving" it was finished (and already released too), so I don't know why they picked that one to attack with the remixing. I was a bit confused with what I wrote about this single, I somehow got in my head that this didn't include the mix from Natural Mystic, that they were all different, but of course the first track on it is the same (the others are new to streaming), I thought these were something done earlier, so the part where I say I like the "later remix" better is just me talking rubbish, this is the same remix! The one called "Sly & Robbie mix" is quite bad though, I don't know what's going on with that, the things don't go together at all. Was that one done at the same time? Both "Iron Lion Zion" and "Keep On Moving" (the main mix) say they are produced by Erroll Brown, Trevor Wyatt and Ingmar Klang, not Tyrone Downie (he is just listed as playing on it). I don't dislike the remixes of "Iron Lion Zion" and "Keep On Moving" as much as I used to, they sound alright in isolation, but as you say they don't sound like Bob Marley & The Wailers at all (maybe this is how they would have ended up sounding if they had been around). Whole albums: Dreams of Freedom Chant Down Babylon Roots, Rock, Remixed B Is for Bob Legend: Remixed Songs from compilations: "Iron Lion Zion" "Keep On Moving" "I Know A Place" "Africa Unite" (will.i.am remix) "Slogans" "Stand Up Jamrock" (Ashley Beedle Remix) Then there's the stuff on the two JAD volumes of The Formative Years, especially the first where about half the tracks are "updated" mixes. I use Spotify because it is free (and also Deezer sometimes, but their app is buggy, which was great to begin with because it though I was a premium user for a long time). I can't both pay a subscription for streaming and then buy tons of records, the money has to go to one or the other. If I only used streaming maybe I'd go for something else, I have been on Tidal for some trial periods, the library there is pretty much the same as Spotify, they have some exclusive things, but not as much anymore, the sound is supposed to be better with the high fideity setting, not sure if my tired ears would hear it. Apple music I don't know much about because you can't try that out, they seem to sometimes have quite different stuff in their library, since we are talking about Bob I know, besides the regular Island album, things look quite different to how it is on Spotify with the earlier material. I think Spotify is still best of those I tried for functionality around how you sort your library and playlists (for example you can put playlists in folders). If I wanted the best sound maybe something else would be better, but that's not my priority with streaming, the features are more important (like one can for example search by label on Spotify, I don't think you can do that on the others). Studio One are on Spotify, via Yep Roc, Heartbeat and their own releases, but only if you are in North America, they are blocked over here, so you are in luck with that, the rest of us have to make do with Soul Jazz, maybe you won't get them instead?
I'm looking for the best online retailers of used CDs. I have a huge want list, so I have to keep it cheap. I've found reggaecollector.com so far. Can anyone vouch for them? I like that they grade disc, case, and inserts. Other suggestions?
while we are on the subject of bob's material... does anybody have some information on the "Blackwell dubs" other than the setlist? I am curious...
Well, Discogs seems like the obvious answer, although that is not a seller but a marketplace, which can be both a plus and a minus, you never know what kind of seller you are buing from, but you also have tons of sellers to choose from (and many sellers that have dedicated sites are there too). The big upside for you since you have a wantlist is that you can enter that into the database and then the site tells you where they are for sale, if you want you will get daily "new items for sale in your wantlist" mailouts. Maybe you know all this already... Even though I haven't bought from ReggaeCollector (which is the Dub Store people's "second hand" shop, I have only bought new stuff from the ReggaeRecords site), in general the Japanese sellers are extremey careful and meticulous about their grading, so if something is VG+ it is what others call Mint, also I think Japanese people in general take care of their belongings in a different manner, so things there never really get worn and damaged in the first place.
PM me your wants list, not sure if shipping will kill it, but I have a load of doubles when I get around to sorting them and a local shop that has a good selection.
@99thfloor = don't forget their Bandcamp store, filled with albums, some of which are not easy to get on spotifight
You mean for Studio One? Actually the same things are on Spotify, it's just us in Europe that can't play it (Yep Roc, Heartbeat and things on Studio One that has been on CD is on Spotify but blocked outside America). Here's an example: Get Ready Rock Steady (You can play a couple of tracks because they are also on other albums so it links to those.) But yes it's all there on Bandcamp, available for anyone, which makes keeping up with the territorial thing for streaming all the more puzzling: Studio One - Another good thing about Spotify, compared to others, that I forgot to mention is the "connect" part where apps on different devices are talking to each other so you can remote control one with another, listen from your computer but use your phone as the control, etc., I think it is very handy, and I don't think any other streaming platfoms has this. Also about streaming and Reggae in particular, a lot of people (producers, artists, etc.), upload stuff directly that is not available anywhere else, for example stuff that has maybe only been on vinyl back in the day and never reissued on CD or digital form properly by a label. It of course often sounds like it too, home made needle drops etc., but it's there.
I guess that the Marley Estate are doing some drive with uploading digital singles and remixes, this now popped up as well: Why Should I/Exodus I had totally forgotten this existed, I guess this came out alongside Songs Of Freedom. So two more remixes to add to the list, "Why Should I" (Bone Remix) and "Exodus" (Kindred Spirit Remix). The former is listenable, the latter not so much. "Why Should I" was another unreleased studio track on Songs Of Freedom, and it's kind of the same deal as "Iron Lion Zion", a more "normal" version on the box set (although I think overdubbed for that mix) and a more radical remix for this single. When listing "whole albums" I forgot to mention Exodus and Kaya, but they're not that kind of remixes (I'm actually not sure what kind they are, pointless I guess). There's actually a bunch of other singles of remixes on Spotify that I thought were just from those albums I listed above, but are not: "Jammin'" (Benny Benassi Remix) "Is This Love" (Montmartre Remix) "Is This Love" (Remix) ft. LVNDSCAPE, Bolier "African Herbsman" (Adroid & Lotus Remix) ft. 1 World "Sun Is Shining" ft. Jude & Frank, 1 World ...these are some serious butcherings.
Here are examples of albums that I don't think have ever been reissued: Tony Tuff: Tuff Selection Junior Delgado: Effort Freddie McGregor: Rhythm So Nice The Tony Tuff was on Island, so it would seem a bit questionable legaly, the credit says Reggae Libray, not sure if that is him. The Junior Delgado actually has been on CD, on Delgado's own Incredible Music label, but that is very rare (as seen the Spotify upload has the same credit). The Freddie McGregor is credited Thompson Sound Jamaica, so uploaded by Linval, he is an example of a producer that has a lots of stuff on streaming that he has put up himself, like compilations created for streaming etc., if you put this in the search box at Spotify you get all of them: label:"Thompson Sound Jamaica" Then there are those out of print CDs from Reggae Labels that have been "taken back" by their original rights holder and put up, an eaxmple. Derrick Harriot: Sings Jamaican Rocksteady-Reggae (originally Jamiacan Gold, now says Crystal Records) Niney: Observer Station, Truth & Rights Observer Style and Bring The Couchie (originally Heartbeat and Trojan, now says Observer Music)
Actually part of that Freddie McGregor material has been reissued, as some of the track are also on Come On Over, which was on Ras (so has been on CD and everything), but still an example of an album that hasn't been reissued. It was Freddie's birthday yesterday, so let's have a song, here's a Linval produced one that I don't think is on any album, "Jumping Jack": A couple more examples of albums on Spotify never reissued: Treasure Isle: Hottest Hits, Vol. 1 (says Push Music, Pottinger's label/publishing) Wayne Wade: Black is Our Colour (says Yabby You Music) I can no longer play the latter, there is a bunch of Yabby You things like this uploaded but that is now blocked (this included Jesus Dread, another example of "taking back" your productions by uploading an existing release.) Once you found one of these copyright/prodcution credits you can use it to search out things, like these "reclaimed" albums from Derrick Harriot when you search for his Crystal Records: From Chariot's Vault - Vol.1 16 Rocksteady Hits, From Chariot's Vault - Vol.2 16 Reggae Hits, Riding the Roots Chariot and Riding the Musical Chariot (originally on Jamiacan Gold, Heartbeat and Pressure Sounds) When you search for Niney's "Observer Music" you get some surprising results: Bla Bla Bla, Sons of Slaves, Nightfood Ina Party Time, Jack Ruby Presents The Black Foundation, Jordan, Ba Ba Boom, Sensational Ska Explosion, not sure what he has to do with all of these, extra strange when it seems that Bunny Lee in turn handles licensing of Niney's productions for actual new releases...
