100 Songs from the Golden Age of Reggae

Gavin B. · 06-23-2009, 09:46 AM

Dread Ina Inglan Part I - The Dub Poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson]

Inglan Is A Bitch - Linton Kwesi Johnson LKJ recital of Inglan Is A Bitch without music.

Inglan Is A Bitch - Linton Kwesi Johnson The studio performance of Ingland Is a Bitch with the magnificent Dub Band headed by Dennis Bovell. Swear to jah... the Dub Band was the best live reggae band I've ever heard. I deejayed an appearence of LKJ and the Dub Band and Gil Scott Heron at a Boston club in 1984 and it was the best concert I ever attended. I've transcribed the lyrics to Inglan Is A Bitch beneath the YouTube embed.

Quote:

Lyrics to Inglan Is a Bitch by LKJ

w´en mi jus´ come to Landan toun
mi use to work pan di andahgroun
but workin´ pan di andahgroun
y´u don´t get fi know your way around

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no runnin´ whey fram it

mi get a lickle jab in a bih ´otell
an´ awftah a while, mi woz doin´ quite well
dem staat mi aaf as a dish-washah
but w´en mi tek a stack, mi noh tun clack-watchah

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
no baddah try fi hide fram it

w´en dem gi´ you di lickle wage packit
fus dem rab it wid dem big tax rackit
y´u haffi struggle fi mek en´s meet
an´ w´en y´u goh a y´u bed y´u jus´ can´t sleep

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
a noh lie mi a tell, a true

mi use to work dig ditch w´en it cowl noh bitch
mi did strang like a mule, but bwoy, mi did fool
den awftah a while mi jus´ stap dhu ovahtime
den awftah a while mi jus´ phu dung mi tool

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
y´u haffi know how fi survive in it

well mi dhu day wok an´ mi dhu nite wok
mi dhu clean wok an´ mi dhu dutty wok
dem seh dat black man is very lazy
but if y´u si how mi wok y´u woulda sey mi crazy

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
y´u bettah face up to it

dem a have a lickle facktri up inna Brackly
inna disya facktri all dem dhu is pack crackry
fi di laas fifteen years dem get mi laybah
now awftah fifteen years mi fall out a fayvah

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no runnin´ whey fram it

mi know dem have work, work in abundant
yet still, dem mek mi redundant
now, at fifty-five mi gettin´ quite ol´
yet still, dem sen´ mi fi goh draw dole

Inglan is a bitch
dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
is whey wi a goh dhu ´bout it?

Mi Want Fe Goh Rave - Linton Kwesi Johnson A great live performance of Mi Want Fe Goh Rave by LKJ and the Dub Band. This video gives you a good picture of the power and precision of the Dub Band's playing. The are all expert players bringing elements of funk, jazz and blues to the reggae riddims of LKJ's dub poetry. Dennis Bovell is the bass player with the kerchief on his head.

I transcribed the lyrics to Mi Want Fe Go Rave below the YouTube embed.

Quote:

Lyrics to Mi Want Fi Goh Rave by LKJ

I woz
waakin doun di road road
di addah day
when a hear a lickle yout-man say

him seh:
y´u noh si mi situation
mi don´t have noh accamadaeshan
mi haffi sign aan at di station
at six in di evenin´
mi seh mi life got no meanin´
ah jus´ livin´ widout feelin´

still
mi haffi mek a raze
kaw mi come af age
an mi want fi goh rave

I woz
waakin doun di road
annadah day
w´en ah hear annadah yout-man say

him seh:
mi naw wok fi noh pittance
mi naw draw dem assistance
mi use to run a lickle rackit
but wha, di police dem di stap it
an ah had woz to hap it

still
mi haffi mek a raze
kaw mi come af age
an mi want fi goh rave

I woz waakin doun di road
yet annadah day
w´en ah hear annadah yout-man say

him seh:
mi haffi pick a packit
tek a wallit fram a jackit
mi haffi dhu it real crabit
an´ if a lackit mi haffi pap it
an´ if a safe mi haffi crack it
ar chap it wid mi hatchit
but
mi haffi mek a raze
kaw mi come af age
an mi want fi goh rave

cavanherk · 06-23-2009, 09:52 AM

FANTASTIC thread. I subscribed to follow this one. Thanks.

Gavin B. · 06-23-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piss Me Off

Two Sevens Clash is lovely, it's not hitting me as hard as the Aswad and Burning Spear albums i've been listening to lately but there's some low key loveliness there certainly. Title track is still a tune.

Harder Than the Rest has more of an edge. Two Sevens Clash is a mellower album but really does capture the essence of reggae music and the Rastafarian message better than any other album of the late Seventies. At the time of it's release it was a breath of fresh air into the reggae scene in Jamaica because it was optimistic opposed to the fire, brimstone and apocalyptic sermons of earlier Rastafarian musicians. Culture grew into a harder edged band with Columbo and Harder Than the Rest.

Gavin B. · 06-24-2009, 06:49 AM

Tenement Yard - Jacob Miller Jacob Miller's 1978 debut solo album Dread Dread was United Artists first attempt to sell reggae music to a crossover audience. Oddly enough the cut Tenament Yard and the other cuts on Dread Dread were actually Jamaican hits by Inner Circle, the band Miller sang for. United Artists released the Inner Circle material as a solo album by Miller, causing chaos for future reggae music archivists.

Sweet Sensation - Melodians This is an 1969 ska hit by the Melodians produced by Leslie Kong. The Melodians successfully reinvented themselves as a reggae group and recorded By the Rivers of Babylon, perhaps the most covered song in reggae history.

Country Living - The Mighty Diamonds "City life is not for me," lead vocalist Donald "Tabby" Shaw insists. "I'm going back to country living." And so the Mighty Diamonds bid farewell to Kingston and head off to where the skies can be seen. The backing Revolutionaries seem eager to accompany them on their way. Sly & Robbie lay down a toe-tapping rhythm that sets the piece jauntily on its way while the rest of the group keeps the melody bouncing gaily along.

The trio gives this cover of a Stylistics's song heart and soul, producer JoJo Hookim keeps it clean and bright, and "Country Living" found much of Jamaica wishing for a return to country life. This early single was released in Jamaica around 1975, and even though the Mighty Diamonds inked a deal with Virgin around this same time, it wasn't until 1977 that it appeared in the U.K. and the USA.

Gavin B. · 06-26-2009, 07:38 AM

Dread Is Not Dead - Three Post Millenium Reggae Stars

Cold Feet - Anthony B. Anthony B. is proof that dread is not dead in reggae music and launched his career with a single that covered a Tracy Chapman's song, Cold Feet, a sufferer's tale about the hazards of the gunman lifestyle. Lyrics are below the YouTube embed.

Cold Feet - Music and Lyrics by Tracy Chapman as Sung by Anthony B.

Ooohhhoohhh
M-16, AK-47, pump rifle, desert eagle
All home made one to

Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
'Cause they've got
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet

There was a little boy
Once upon a time
Who inspite his young age
Small size knew his mind
For every copper penny and clothes he would find
Making wish for better days
And for all time for no more

Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet
2x

He grew up to be a worker
Determined to succeed
Made a life for himself
Free from worry wants and needs
With nobody to share his life with
With nobody to keep him warm
At night when he go to sleep
He sleep alone with his

Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet

He struggled all his life just to be an honest man
Proud of the dirt in his palm the soil of the land
Some guys I knew from my school days
Said they had a plan
To get rich too quick
They had to bound to me, Lawd

Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
'Cause they've got
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet

He decided to drive a car
He decided to carry a gun
To take the biggest risk of all
Prove his loyalty to his friends
He decided to tell his wife things would soon turn around
Said a little boy is dead
A man stand wid him now, Lawd

Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town
All in front ah station man ah shot man down
'Cause they've got
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet

He didn't stop to set his clock right
He didn't stop to set his watch
He left in such a hurry
He didn't think to wish for luck
Makes no difference if you're early
No difference if you're late
Once you're out of time
And the flowers have been laid
You're six feet underground with your
Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet

Barack Obama by Cocoa Tea Cocoa Tea had a monster international hit his 2008 dreadwise tribute to Barack Obama. Various video versions of the the song went viral on the internet and got millions of YouTube hits during the 2008 election campaign in the USA. Anyone can run for president of the United States but Barack Obama is first candidate to have his own reggae tribute song.

No More My Love- Culver City Dub Collective [Cut to 2008] .. out in LA, the Culver City Dub Collective a group of skateboard slackers and reggae culturalists began producing their own homemade dub records and videos. CCDC's first album Dos sparked a wave interest in roots reggae and dub out there in LaLa Land.

There is a touch of post-modern irony in their music but I've seen CCDC live and deh are de real ting, mi bredren. The song remains the same.

Gavin B. · 06-27-2009, 06:48 AM

Winston Rodney- aka Burning Spear, the Elder Statesman

Carrying the torch for the gospel of Marcus Garvey, Burning Spear is one of the single greatest proponents of self-determination and self-reliance for all African descendants, but his message is not exclusively based on the teachings of Garvey. Through his music, Burning Spear has consistently been able to educate, inform, and uplift people the world over with his positive message based on honesty, peace, and love.

Down the Riverside - Burning Spear This 1977 album by Spear is still my favorite. Burning Spear's sound is called "churchical" in Jamaica, because because a lot of it comes from gospel music.

Days of Slavery - Burning Spear I never went to a Spear concert where he left the stage without singing this classic song from Marcus Garvey. It has a hynotic groove. This is an updated version of the song Spear recently recorded.

Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear This is another re-recording of a song from his classic Marcus Garvey album. I chose these newer sessions because I'm sure most reggae fans have heard the originals and these sessions show that Spear is capable at age 62 of pouring the same amount of passion into the songs he wrote while he was still in his twenties.

Gavin B. · 06-27-2009, 10:19 AM

A Dub Lesson from the Mad Professor

Mad Professor was a second generation dubmaster who was a protegee of Lee "Scratch" Perry. The Professor is credited with bringing dub music to the alternative music scene when he remixed the entire Blue Lines album for Massive Attack.

Quote:

Mad Professor was born Neal Fraser (or Neil Fraser) circa 1955 in Guyana, a small country in the northern part of South America. He earned his nickname as a preteen, thanks to his intense interest in electronics; he even built his own radio. At age 13, his family moved to London, and around age 20, he started collecting recording equipment: reel-to-reel tape decks, echo and reverb effects, and the like. In 1979, he built his own mixing board and opened a four-track studio in his living room in the south London area of Thornton Heath. Calling it Ariwa, after a Nigerian word for sound or communication, he began recording bands and vocalists for his own label of the same name, mostly in the lovers rock vein

from the All Music Guide

Below is a dub lesson for the master himself, the Mad Professor:

Tribal War Dub - Mad Professor Tribal War Dub is an early dub standard produced in 1977.

Roots and Culture- Mikey Dread Jamaican ex-partiate now a UK producer Mikey Dread is known primarily for his work with the Clash. You can hear Dread's work on the sublime collection Black Market Clash released by the Clash in 1980. Roots and Culture is from Dread's first big mainstream album release Pave the Way. Among the session player are Rico Rodriguez, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Flabba Holt, Ashante Roy, and the Clash's Paul Simonon. In 1979 before moving to London, Mikey produced Dread at the Controls a crucial roots dub album that was influential in Jamaica.

Scientist Ganja Dub - Scientist Overton Brown, like Neal Frazer, was also child prodigy at fixing electronic gadgets and King Tubby originally hired to keep his massive sound system up and running. King Tubby was so impressed with Overton's knowledge of electronics he dubbed him Scientist and gave him his first shot at the mixing board at age 16. Scientist Ganja Dub was a massive hit for Scientist in the late Seventies and is one of the most frequently sampled songs in reggae music history.

Gavin B. · 06-27-2009, 10:29 AM

I'm at song number 48 which is close to half-way down my list of 100 songs from the golden age of reggae. I'm going to take a few days off to compile the second half of my list. I've got some very rare old vinyl cuts that I've converted into digital files and need to upload to YouTube which is a slow and arduous process. Fear not I shall return with even more and better smash hits from the reggae's golden era.

Gavin B. · 06-28-2009, 01:31 PM

The Hearbeat Riddim: One Drop & Nyahbingi Style Drumming

Leroy Horsemouth Wallace demostrates drumming ina one-drop reggae style. Notice his use of the high hat and off riddm rimshots to the snare.

Lee Perry produced session with Ras Michael gives you a feel for the African style Nyahbinhi tribal drumming used by many roots reggae bands.

Larry McDonald is the premier session percussionist in Jamaica. Larry talks about his development as a percussionist and demonstrates an array of hand drums and percussion instruments.

jackhammer · 06-30-2009, 04:10 PM

This thread is the shit. If this carries on, it deserves to be in the editor's pick.

06-24-2009, 06:49 AM	#24 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Tenement Yard - Jacob Miller Jacob Miller's 1978 debut solo album Dread Dread was United Artists first attempt to sell reggae music to a crossover audience. Oddly enough the cut Tenament Yard and the other cuts on Dread Dread were actually Jamaican hits by Inner Circle, the band Miller sang for. United Artists released the Inner Circle material as a solo album by Miller, causing chaos for future reggae music archivists. Sweet Sensation - Melodians This is an 1969 ska hit by the Melodians produced by Leslie Kong. The Melodians successfully reinvented themselves as a reggae group and recorded By the Rivers of Babylon, perhaps the most covered song in reggae history. Country Living - The Mighty Diamonds "City life is not for me," lead vocalist Donald "Tabby" Shaw insists. "I'm going back to country living." And so the Mighty Diamonds bid farewell to Kingston and head off to where the skies can be seen. The backing Revolutionaries seem eager to accompany them on their way. Sly & Robbie lay down a toe-tapping rhythm that sets the piece jauntily on its way while the rest of the group keeps the melody bouncing gaily along. The trio gives this cover of a Stylistics's song heart and soul, producer JoJo Hookim keeps it clean and bright, and "Country Living" found much of Jamaica wishing for a return to country life. This early single was released in Jamaica around 1975, and even though the Mighty Diamonds inked a deal with Virgin around this same time, it wasn't until 1977 that it appeared in the U.K. and the USA. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt

06-26-2009, 07:38 AM	#25 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Dread Is Not Dead - Three Post Millenium Reggae Stars Cold Feet - Anthony B. Anthony B. is proof that dread is not dead in reggae music and launched his career with a single that covered a Tracy Chapman's song, Cold Feet, a sufferer's tale about the hazards of the gunman lifestyle. Lyrics are below the YouTube embed. Cold Feet - Music and Lyrics by Tracy Chapman as Sung by Anthony B. Ooohhhoohhh M-16, AK-47, pump rifle, desert eagle All home made one to Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down 'Cause they've got Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet There was a little boy Once upon a time Who inspite his young age Small size knew his mind For every copper penny and clothes he would find Making wish for better days And for all time for no more Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet 2x He grew up to be a worker Determined to succeed Made a life for himself Free from worry wants and needs With nobody to share his life with With nobody to keep him warm At night when he go to sleep He sleep alone with his Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet He struggled all his life just to be an honest man Proud of the dirt in his palm the soil of the land Some guys I knew from my school days Said they had a plan To get rich too quick They had to bound to me, Lawd Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down 'Cause they've got Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet He decided to drive a car He decided to carry a gun To take the biggest risk of all Prove his loyalty to his friends He decided to tell his wife things would soon turn around Said a little boy is dead A man stand wid him now, Lawd Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down Dem a walk wid gun in the hand and a run the town All in front ah station man ah shot man down 'Cause they've got Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet He didn't stop to set his clock right He didn't stop to set his watch He left in such a hurry He didn't think to wish for luck Makes no difference if you're early No difference if you're late Once you're out of time And the flowers have been laid You're six feet underground with your Cold feet, cold, cold, cold, cold feet Barack Obama by Cocoa Tea Cocoa Tea had a monster international hit his 2008 dreadwise tribute to Barack Obama. Various video versions of the the song went viral on the internet and got millions of YouTube hits during the 2008 election campaign in the USA. Anyone can run for president of the United States but Barack Obama is first candidate to have his own reggae tribute song. No More My Love- Culver City Dub Collective [Cut to 2008] .. out in LA, the Culver City Dub Collective a group of skateboard slackers and reggae culturalists began producing their own homemade dub records and videos. CCDC's first album Dos sparked a wave interest in roots reggae and dub out there in LaLa Land. There is a touch of post-modern irony in their music but I've seen CCDC live and deh are de real ting, mi bredren. The song remains the same. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt Last edited by Gavin B.; 06-29-2009 at 12:05 AM.

06-27-2009, 06:48 AM	#26 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Winston Rodney- aka Burning Spear, the Elder Statesman Carrying the torch for the gospel of Marcus Garvey, Burning Spear is one of the single greatest proponents of self-determination and self-reliance for all African descendants, but his message is not exclusively based on the teachings of Garvey. Through his music, Burning Spear has consistently been able to educate, inform, and uplift people the world over with his positive message based on honesty, peace, and love. Down the Riverside - Burning Spear This 1977 album by Spear is still my favorite. Burning Spear's sound is called "churchical" in Jamaica, because because a lot of it comes from gospel music. Days of Slavery - Burning Spear I never went to a Spear concert where he left the stage without singing this classic song from Marcus Garvey. It has a hynotic groove. This is an updated version of the song Spear recently recorded. Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear This is another re-recording of a song from his classic Marcus Garvey album. I chose these newer sessions because I'm sure most reggae fans have heard the originals and these sessions show that Spear is capable at age 62 of pouring the same amount of passion into the songs he wrote while he was still in his twenties. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt

06-27-2009, 10:29 AM	#28 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	I'm at song number 48 which is close to half-way down my list of 100 songs from the golden age of reggae. I'm going to take a few days off to compile the second half of my list. I've got some very rare old vinyl cuts that I've converted into digital files and need to upload to YouTube which is a slow and arduous process. Fear not I shall return with even more and better smash hits from the reggae's golden era. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt

06-28-2009, 01:31 PM	#29 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	The Hearbeat Riddim: One Drop & Nyahbingi Style Drumming Leroy Horsemouth Wallace demostrates drumming ina one-drop reggae style. Notice his use of the high hat and off riddm rimshots to the snare. Lee Perry produced session with Ras Michael gives you a feel for the African style Nyahbinhi tribal drumming used by many roots reggae bands. Larry McDonald is the premier session percussionist in Jamaica. Larry talks about his development as a percussionist and demonstrates an array of hand drums and percussion instruments. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt

06-23-2009, 09:52 AM	#22 (permalink)
cavanherk barefoot troubadour Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 143	FANTASTIC thread. I subscribed to follow this one. Thanks.

06-30-2009, 04:10 PM	#30 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	This thread is the shit. If this carries on, it deserves to be in the editor's pick. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”