Ska and Reggae Record Store Day 2021 Releases of Note: Jerry Dammers, Desmond Dekker, LKJ, Madness, The Selecter, Blue Beat, Jump Up, Studio One, and More!

As always, the Record Store Day offerings for ska and reggae fans in the UK are simply better and more plentiful that they are in the US. And with the insane cost of shipping LPs from the UK to the US these days, even if you are able to track down a UK-only RSD release you want for more that you want to spend, you're going to get absolutely killed by postage.

The only bright spots for US fans are domestic releases from The Selecter, Desmond Dekker, and two Soul Jazz Studio One compilations.

Please note that Drop 1 is on June 12 and Drop 2 is on July 17.

Blackbeard (Dennis Bovell): I Wah Dub (LP, PLG, UK only, Drop 1)

Joseph Cotton, Winston Reedy, Barry Isaacs, Vin Gordon: Kiki Kiki EP (7" single, Room in the Sky Records, UK only, Drop 1)

Jerry Dammers: At The Home Organ: Demos 1980-82 "Ghost Town (Original Demo) b/w "Theme from The Boiler" (10" single, 2 Tone/Chrysalis, UK only, Drop 2) These two previously unreleased tracks are Jerry’s home recordings made on cassette in 1980/1982. This is a rare glimpse into his working practice, including The Specials' most famous recording "Ghost Town," which celebrates its 40th Anniversary in July this year (and is being reissued by 2 Tone in both 7" and 12" formats).

Desmond Dekker: The King of Ska Live at Dingwalls (2xLP, Burning Sound, UK only, Drop 1)

Desmond Dekker: King Of Ska - The Ska Singles Collection (10 x 7” box set, BMG/Trojan, US & UK, Drop 1)

George Dekker: "Run Dem" b/w "Foey Man" (7" single, G.D. Records, UK only, Drop 1)

George Dekker & The Inn House Crew: "Nana" (7" single, Room In The Sky Records, UK only, Drop 1)

Jah Floyd: "20 Years Inna Leaky Boat" (7" single, Jamaican Recordings, UK only, Drop 1)

Owen Gray: Sings (LP, Burning Sound, UK only, Drop 1)

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Making History (Color vinyl LP, UMC, UK only, Drop 1)

Jump Up Records: Chuck Wren is releasing four LPs for RSD: Bim Skala Bim's new album Sonic Tonic; a reissue of The Skatalites' Bashaka; an anthology from Skanking Lizard; and the first-ever vinyl edition of The Scofflaws' fantastic debut album originally released on Moon Records in 1991!

Madness: I Do Like To Be B-Side The A-Side Vol 2 (LP, BMG, UK only, Drop 1)

Freddie McGregor: "Never Run Away" (12", Greensleeves, UK only, Drop 1)

Mungo's Hi Fi: Antidote (LP, Scotch Bonnet Records, UK only, Drop 1)

Lee "Scratch" Perry: Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (LP, VP Records, US & UK, Drop 1)

The Selecter: Live In Coventry ’79 (Clear vinyl LP, 2 Tone/Chrysalis, US & UK, Drop 1) This is the vinyl version of the live concert included in the forthcoming 3xCD reissue of Too Much Pressure. Read about this concert and this reissue here.

Millie Small: "My Boy Lollipop"/"Something's Gotta Be Done"/"Don't You Know It"/"Until You're Mine" (7" Island/UMC, UK only, Drop 2)

Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (LP, Get On Down, US & UK, Drop 1)

Various Artists: Legends of Blue Beat: The Blue Beat Label (LP, Blue Beat Records, UK, Drop 2)

Various Artists: Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One Ska Fire! (5 x 7" box set, Soul Jazz Records, US & UK, Drop 2)

A: Bob Marley and The Wailers – "Rude Boy"
AA: Derrick Morgan – "It’s Alright"

A: Don Drummond – "Don D Special"
AA: The Maytals – "A Man Who Knows"

A: The Skatalites – "Something Special"
AA: Lee Perry – "Open Up (aka Cook Book)"

A: The Regals – "Shammy Back"
AA: Bob Marley and The Wailers – "Diamond Baby"

A: Jackie Opel – "The Mill Man"
AA: Ethiopians – "I Am Free"

Various Artists: Studio One Soul (2 x LP, Soul Jazz Records, US & UK, Drop 2)

Wailers & U-ROY: My Cup Runneth Over (LP, Tsosume Records, UK only Drop 2)

Wailing Souls: Wailing (2 x LP, 17 North Parade, US & UK, Drop 2)

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Updated 4/8/2021.

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Duff Review: Dennis Bovell Dub Band "Get Up Stand Up" (featuring I-Roy) b/w "Stand Tall" and "Versatile Violin" (featuring Johnny T) b/w "Dangerous"

Old School
Digital singles
2020

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Dennis Bovell has been using his pandemic time productively, as shown by the release of these two terrific singles. "Get Up Stand Up" was recorded with I-Roy circa 1979, but, for reasons unclear, never issued. Bovell, who's known for mining and repurposing his extraordinary back catalogue, revisited the track and remixed it at Mad Professor's Ariwa Studios in July of 2020, and released it in both memory of the late I Roy and support of the Black Lives Matter movement (of course, Bovell's band Matumbi was actively involved in Rock Against Racism in the late '70s). The backing track is very much in line with the music Bovell was writing for Linton Kwesi Johnson, and, in fact, the horns in "Get Up Stand Up" might have been lifted from "Inglan Is a Bitch" (which was released on LKJ's 1980 album Bass Culture). Both the music and I-Roy's toasting are almost in a loop--with the results an hypnotic mantra to lend strength and focus to those determined to fight for racial equality ("Get up/Stand up/We can take it no longer...Stand up for your rights"). Its fierce dub version "Stand Tall" will stiffen spines marching into the thick of it.

The lovely "Versatile Violin" is a new and improved mix of "Vile and Versatile" featuring Johnny T on violin (which was released in 2008 on Bovell's Arawak Label Showcase). Both are permutations of "Dangerous," the fantastic instrumental version of Bovell and Janet Kay's 1979 Lovers Rock smash hit "Silly Games" (and "Dangerous" itself is the B-side to "Versatile Violin").

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Record Store Day 2020: US and UK Ska/Reggae Releases!

UPDATE: Record Store Day 2020 has been moved to Saturday, June 20, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The list of releases coming out on Record Store Day 2020 in the USA and UK has just been issued--and I've combed through them to see what might be of interest to The Duff Guide to Ska readership. As always, the UK offerings far outpace those in America (sigh), but so it goes. The big headline for 2 Tone fans is a new Specials 10" featuring three previously unreleased dub versions of some of their classic songs, plus reissues of Dance Craze and This Are 2 Tone. Click through the links below for details on each release...

US List:

The Skatalites: Ska Voovee LP + 7" (Jump Up Records)

The Specials: Dubs (“Gangsters (Clangsters Dub)”/“Too Much Too Young (Piano Instrumental)”/“Why? (Dub)”) 10" (Chrysalis/2 Tone)

The Tennors: Do the Reggay Dance LP (Sutro Park)

Various Artists: Dance Craze LP (Chrysalis/2 Tone) - Half-speed remaster; first time reissued on vinyl since 1981.

Various Artists: From the Vaults, Volume 2 2xLP/CD (Studio One)

Various Artists: Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One 007: Licensed To Ska! James Bond and other Film Soundtracks and TV Themes 7" box set (Soul Jazz Records)

Various Artists: Studio One Rockers 2xLP (Soul Jazz Records)

Various Artists: The Ska (from Jamaica) LP (BMG/Trojan)

Various Artists: This Are 2 Tone LP (Chrysalis/2 Tone) - Half-speed remaster; first time reissued on vinyl since 1983.


UK List:

Clint Eastwood and General Saint: "Stop That Train" b/w "Talk About Run" 7" (Greensleeves)

The Heptones: Back on Top LP (Burning Sounds)

Lee Perry and Black Ark Players: "Guidance" 12" single picture disc (VP Records)

Lee "Scratch" Perry and Daniel Boyle featuring Max Romeo: Dub Starship Through the Horror Zone LP (Upsetter)

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Bass Culture/LKJ in Dub 2xLP (UMC/Island)

Madness: Work, Rest, and Play EP 2x7" triple gatefold sleeve (Union Square Music/BMG)

Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Marina P., Dennis Alcapone, Tippa Irie: "The Beat Goes Ska!" 7" (Scotch Bonnet)

Operation Ivy: Energy LP (Epitaph)

Peter Tosh: "Buk-In-Hamm Palace" 12" (Spaziale Recordings)

Prince Fatty featuring Shniece Mcmenamin and Horseman: "The Model" 7" (Evergreen Recordings)

The Specials: Dubs (“Gangsters (Clangsters Dub)”/“Too Much Too Young (Piano Instrumental)”/“Why? (Dub)”) 10" (Chrysalis/2 Tone)

Various Artists: Dance Craze LP (Chrysalis/2 Tone) - Half-speed remaster; first time reissued on vinyl since 1981.

Various Artists: From the Vaults, Volume 2 2xLP/CD (Studio One)

Various Artists: A Mikey Dread Production: His Imperial Majesty 10" (Music on Vinyl)

Various Artists: Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One 007: Licensed To Ska! James Bond and other Film Soundtracks and TV Themes 7" box set (Soul Jazz Records)

Various Artists: Studio One Rockers 2xLP (Soul Jazz Records)

Various Artists: The Ska (from Jamaica) LP (BMG/Trojan)

Various Artists: This Are 2 Tone LP (Chrysalis/2 Tone) - Half-speed remaster; first time reissued on vinyl since 1983.

Winston Reedy and the Inn House Crew: Black Pearl LP (Room in the Sky)

Xterminator: Earth Feel It 7" box set (Xterminator)

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I will update this list if additional releases are announced.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Prizefighters!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

There sure are some mighty sweet vintage rocksteady and ska sounds on The Prizefighters' superb new album Firewalk (CD/digital/cassette/LP, Prizefighter Sound System/Jump Up Records, 2019), which are clearly influenced by rocksteady greats like Alton Ellis, The Gaylads, The Heptones, Slim Smith, Delroy Wilson, etc. and The Skatalites (though they're a bit more organically raw, like Japan's Ska Flames--see The Prizefighters' boss instrumentals "The Accolade," "Bebop Rocksteady"--an incredible cover of one of Yoko Kanno's soundtrack compositions for the Japanese animated sci-fi TV series "Cowboy Bebop"--"Kashmir Rock" or "Mars Rover," amongst others). But all of this bright music doesn't really mask The Prizefighters' white hot outrage at the increasingly dismal state of affairs in America (they hail from the heartland: Minneapolis, MN). "Temper Running Hot" comments on the police's disgracefully hostile and violent (at times deadly) treatment of black Americans--sung in manner close to a stage whisper, but seething at the injustice of it all: "They only want to chat/with the hammer back/Violence in the street/and the country road/Each breath could be your last/as the sirens flash." "Along for the Ride" calls out people who casually associate with those in racist or fascist groups, but may not be really committed to their twisted cause, with this warning: "Are you on board, or just along for the ride?/Life's too short to choose the wrong side...Oh, you keep such bad company/Either way, you'll have to pay for their crimes."

Then there's The Prizefighters' stellar anti-racist track "Stop Them," which was written in direct response to the white nationalism/supremacy unleashed and supported by the overtly racist policies and messaging of Trump and his wretched administration--and, as the band puts it, is "less a protest song and more a call to action" for all good people to unite and collectively counter this bigotry and hatred of everyone not white, Christian, right-wing, and male. "Stop Them" is the ideal fusion of relevant socio-political message with move-your-body music (and very much in the tradition of 2 Tone). This cut is super-sing along-catchy and rightfully uncompromising in its anti-racist/fascist stance, much like The Special AKA's "Racist Friend" or Linton Kwesi Johnson's "Fite Dem Back." Check out these lyrics (which ding both Trump and his daddy's beloved Klan):

Now the fascists are back in town
Marching through our streets
Now their jester wears the crown
They keep popping up like weeds
We've gotta put them back in the ground
And hang out their sheets
They will never never never stop
Until we stop-a stop-a stop-a stop-a stop them

On a more uplifting note, album opener "Just Let the Music Play" encourages unity--both racial and economic (as in trade unions)--and doing what you can to enjoy life, stay inspired, and survive in an unforgivingly dog-eat-dog, Ayn Rand-ian capitalist society ("We'll stand united, there's nothing we can't do/We'll keep on fighting and aways will stay true"). While the album closes with "Firewalk," whose lyrics--"When the ground gets too hot/You must do the firewalk--suggests that these dark days are a trial by fire of sorts, a test of one's faith, fortitude, and courage. How we behave towards our fellow human beings and the tough choices we make under duress will reveal our true moral character, forge bonds between people of good will, and shape how one's life will be evaluated come judgment day.

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Duff Review: Zara McFarlane with Dennis Bovell "East of the River Nile" 12" EP!

Brownswood Recordings
12" vinyl EP/digital
2019

(Review by Steve Shafer)

While reggae/dub musician and producer extraordinaire Dennis Bovell's profile may not be as high as it was in the '70s and '80s when he was working with artists like Linton Kwesi Johnson, Matumbi, Rico, The Slits, Madness, The Pop Group, Janet Kay, Orange Juice, his own productions (as Blackbeard or under his given name), and countless others, he's been steadily performing and producing in the many years since (Boy George, Viv Albertine, Joss Stone, Alpha Blondy, and more), consistently releasing amazing productions for the enjoyment of those in the know who haven't lost his thread (read a few of our recent reviews here, here, here, here, and here). This new collaboration with British-Jamaican singer Zara McFarlane, who's known for blending and being incredibly proficient in both the reggae and jazz genres (check out her soul-jazz and reggae versions of Nora Dean's "Peace Begins Within"), is a brilliant take on Augustus Pablo's classic instrumental "East of the River Nile."

On this EP, which consists of two versions of the vocal cut with two dubs (the alternate dub is wonderfully percussion-driven), McFarlane sings vocalise (nonsensical vowel sounds) and improvises on Pablo's melodica line, while her ace band (Nathaniel Cross on trombone and arrangements, Moses Boyd on drums, Jay Darwish on bass, Ashley Henry on keys, Junior Alli-Balogun on percussion, and Binker Golding on tenor sax) captures the "Far East" roots reggae sound and tension of the original exceedingly well. Bovell mixed all the tracks and created the shimmering and mesmerizing dubs--expansive aural landscapes full of heat and mirages. All in all, it's an impressive release that fans of Pablo's music will very much want to hear and own.

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Duff Review: The Prizefighters "Stop Them"

Digital single
2019

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Minneapolis, MN's Prizefighters have recently released the fantastically potent anti-racist/fascist single  "Stop Them" in advance of their new album Firewalk, which is being issued from Jump Up Records on CD and cassette tomorrow (and vinyl at a later date). This song was written in direct response to the rise in white nationalism that has been unleashed/supported by the policies and messaging of the Trump administration over the past two dark years--and, as the band puts it, is "less a protest song and more a call to action" for all good people to unite and collectively counter this bigotry and hatred.

"Stop Them" is the ideal fusion of relevant socio-political message with move-your-body music (and very much in the tradition of 2 Tone). This vintage-sounding rocksteady track is super-sing along-catchy and rightfully uncompromising in its anti-racist/fascist stance, much like The Special AKA's "Racist Friend" or Linton Kwesi Johnson's "Fite Dem Back."

Check out these lyrics (which ding both Trump and the Klan):

Now the fascists are back in town
Marching through our streets
Now their jester wears the crown
They keep popping up like weeds
We've gotta put them back in the ground
And hang out their sheets
They will never never never stop
Until we stop-a stop-a stop-a stop-a stop them

The Prizefighters have sounded the alarm. Let's hope the people hear it.

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All proceeds from the sale of The Prizefighters' "Stop Them" single are being donated to the J20 Legal Defense Fund, to help pay the legal fees of those who were arrested while exercising their freedom of speech/right to protest during the Trump Inauguration Day protests on January 20, 2017 (J20) in Washington, DC.

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Duff Review: The Last Poets (w/Prince Fatty and Nostalgia 77) "Understand What Black Is"

Studio Rockers
Double LP/CD
2018

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Anyone who's read Jeff Chang's pretty phenomenal history of the origins of hip-hop "Can't Stop Won't Stop" (particularly chapter 2, "Sipple Out Deh"--here's the money quote: "Dub's birth was accidental, its spread was fueled by economics, and it would become a diagram for hip-hop music. A space had been pried open for the break, for possibility. And, quickly, noise came up from the streets to fill the space--yard-centric toasts, sufferer moans, analog echoes--the sounds of people histories, dub histories, versions not represented in the official version.") knows how reggae helped birth hip-hop via DJ Kool Herc (Jamaican-born Clive Campbell, whose family emigrated to The Bronx when he was 12 and who brought his experience/knowledge of sound systems and Jamaican dancehall deejays/toasters with him as he started to DJ his own parties and used the percussive "breaks" from funk LPs--which he lengthened by repeatedly fading back and forth between the start and finish of the same break on two records--to lyrically rhyme over). Equally as influential on the creation of hip-hop were the sharply political and radical spoken word artists like The Last Poets (founded in 1968 on Malcolm X's birthday) and Gil-Scott-Heron, who were heavily influenced by the Black Power and Black Arts Movements of the 1960s and 1970s (which promoted "African-American intellectual achievement, political power, and cultural pride" and challenged America's institutional racism and culture of white supremacy) and typically delivered their poetry of "versions not represented in the official version" over backing jazz, blues, or soul instrumentals.

So, it's fitting that The Last Poets have engaged both Prince Fatty (Mike Pelanconi) and Nostalgia 77 (Ben Lamdin) to produce and write the driving and insistent roots reggae and Jamaican jazz musical accompaniment for Understand What Black Is (recorded for their 50th anniversary and also the first time their poetry has been paired with reggae which--as Linton Kwesi Johnson and Dennis Bovell have so aptly demonstrated--works quite well together). Stirred to action by the current (though not the first) white supremacist in the White House, The Last Poets continue to have much to say about the dismal racial state of our Union as far as Black people are concerned and the extraordinary impact that Black culture and creativity continues to have on America. Each of these songs is densely packed with compelling imagery and commentary (thankfully, there is a lyric insert). There is much to unpack, so much so that this album might be best digested in short sessions for maximum impact/reflection.

The title track "Understand What Black Is" illustrates the absurdity of racism as well re-orients our perspective from the dominant white, Western European lens, since "Black is humanity" (our collective origins trace back to decidedly non-white people in Africa--and everything about our species and its resilience and accomplishments has flowed from them): "Understand what Black is/The source from which all things come/The security blanket for the stars/Understand was Black is/It is not a color/It is the bases of all colors/It is not a complexion/It is a reflection/Of all complexions called human."

The righteously defiant "How Many Bullets" points out that despite centuries of enslavement, oppression, and murder, American racists have not--and can never--destroy the spirit, culture, and pride of Black people ("You can't kill what you can't see"). In a similar vein, the phenomenally epic "Rain of Terror" is a comprehensive history of white supremacy and racial violence in in the United States ("America's a terrorist!"), from the first white European settlers in the 1600s to the present--referencing mostly (and conveniently) forgotten horrific events like the destruction of Rosewood, the Tulsa race massacre, and the Philly police dropping a bomb on MOVE (seriously, this should be used in history classes across America as means to help kids to learn about our nation's outrageous and disgraceful treatment of non-white people throughout its existence).

Of course, not everything on Understand What Black Is is a bleak reminder of America's Original Sin. There's the lovely tribute to Prince in "North East West South" ("I will try to make sure that no Purple Rain gets stuck in the clouds again") and Biggie Smalls is remembered in "She Is." "What I Want To See" is about envisioning the best for everyone after witnessing the worst ("No prisons no locks no keys no killings no laws/To control the free of us/But a paradise a heaven on Earth/Where everyone can sing and dance/To their own music/And we live only to bless each other"). And "The Music" reminds the listener of an obvious but often not really recognized truth that pretty much all contemporary music that developed in the Americas (gospel, blues, jazz, rock, reggae, rap, salsa, etc.) is Black music with common roots in Africa spread throughout the "New World" via the slave trade.

To quote Max Romeo and Lee Perry, in these "sipple out deh" ("slippery out there") days, as America's Civil War continues to play out in the most grotesque ways, The Last Poets' Understand What Black Is provides a host of reasons to be angry, inspired, hopeful, and aware. It's the protest music that these times demand and good people need if a lasting change is ever going to come.

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The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Bionic Rats "T.B.R."

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The Bionic Rats T.B.R. (CD/digital download, self-released, 2016): If Rock Against Racism stages a comeback--and God knows we need them more than ever on both sides of the Atlantic--Dublin's phenomenal The Bionic Rats have two powerful anti-racist anthems ready for the RAR playlist, as well as a slew of other terrific ska, rocksteady, and reggae songs about enduring the slings and arrows of work, love, and life, on their amazingly good fourth album T.B.R. (the acronym reminds me, in my dyslexic way, of the Tom Robinson Band!). The ska-jazzy, but kind of spaghetti Western-ish "One More Nail in the Coffin" lays out The Bionic Rats absolute determination to counter the forces of fear and hate: "Climb up the ladder, get to the top/We'll never stop/One more nail in the coffin, one more nail/'Til all superstitions are dead in the ground/We'll never stop/One more nail in the coffin of ignorance." Even better may be the biting, minor-key lament "Half a Mind," which is similar in vein to Linton Kwesi Johnson's fierce anti-fascist/anti-National Front cut "Fite Dem Back" and is equally on the mark: "Now it wouldn't happen all the time/But you hear them talking about their kind/While they seem intelligent otherwise/I never fail to be surprised/Every time I hear their bile and see the poison in their eyes/They can never justify their lies but they try, oh yes they try/If they had half a mind maybe they could could use it/Take up too much of their time, too confusing." But it's not all about manning the ramparts against the bigots. The shiny and upbeat ska tune "I'm Doing Good" is an ode to the office workers of the world slaving away in their cubicles for someone else's big gain (complete with work-induced grunty vocal effects--shades of, um, "Allentown"!): "I'm doing good today/I'm making someone else some money...I'm doing good today/Hit all my targets this week/I'm doing good today/I worked right through my lunch break/I'm doing good today/I'm such a good employee/I'm doing good today/I'll still be here when it's late/I'm workin' it/I'm livin' it/I'm losing it/Each day at a time." "Say Something" urges bands to use their platform, large or small, to communicate something meaningful (amen to that--I'm all about the lyrics, too). "Until I Forget" is about struggling with drink--and references my favorite Homer Simpson quote ever on the subject. The band won't let you wallow in regret over how you completely blew it in the dubby "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda"--'cause you know better. And the 11 year-old lurking within me loves the "dilemma" inferred in "Girls With Big Hands." The Bionic Rats' T.B.R. is by far one of my most favorite albums of the year--and fans of bands like No Sports or The Toasters should make a point to check it out!

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The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: New Secret Affair Single, Dennis Bovell's "Heaven" 12", and the "Skinhead Reggae 1969" Comp!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Dennis Bovell "Heaven" (Four-track 12" vinyl EP, Optimo Music, 2016): The wonderful funky afro-beat title track of this EP comes from Dennis Bovell's 1981 genre-defying Brain Damage LP and concerns our elusive (and probably futile) struggle to live in peace and harmony ("On bombs and guns they spend their funds/Instead of investing in humanity... Tomorrow may one day too late/Now is the time to investigate/Heaven right here on Earth") and is accompanied by its club edit for your maximum dancing pleasure (both will remind anyone who was around in the early 1980s of the fantastic musical experimentation and hybrids of sounds that were a hallmark of the post-punk/New Wave era). The flip side of this EP contains Bovell's truly brilliant 1981 dub collaboration with American singer/songwriter Garland Jeffreys, "Escape Goat Dub"--a word play on "scapegoat"--which contains these toasts dropped in the mix: "I was walking down the road in the blistering heat/A bomb explode on a hot concrete/It can happen in the broad daylight...Separate a black from his rights/The like to separate a black from the white...I was walking down the road one afternoon/Feeling upset, no I'm not immune/What do you think of world like that? Think...think...think"). Epic had arranged for Bovell to produce several tracks for Jeffreys' new album (which would eventually become the Bob Clearmountain-produced Escape Artist), but since Jeffreys was a huge fan of reggae and dub, the duo ended up creating several dub tracks instead of the expected rock and reggae singer/songwriter cuts, much to Epic's displeasure. However, these dubs were released on the Escapades 7" EP that was included as a free single that came with the first pressing of Escape Artist. "Escape Goat Dub" (which is a version of Escapades' "Miami Beach" and featured Linton Kwesi Johnson) was relegated to the B side of Jeffreys' great cover of ? and the Mysterians' "96 Tears"--though the version here comes from a 12" promo that was only released in France.  A sunshine-y bright reggae instrumental called "Smouche," also from Brain Damage, closes out this must-have Bovell set.

Secret Affair "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" b/w "Crumble Gunn" (7" vinyl single, I-Spy Records, 2016): Many in the US may not be aware of it, but Secret Affair--with original members Ian Page and guitarist David Cairns--have been pretty active in the new millennium (first reuniting in 2002 after their 1982 break-up), touring extensively and recording a surprisingly good new album Soho Dreams in 2012. Their latest release for the mod faithful is an absolutely scorching cover of Frank Wilson's 1965 Motown rarity "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)." Apparently Berry Gordy so disliked Wilson's vocals--and didn't want his producers to have recording careers--that he destroyed almost every promo copy of the single and nixed its release to the music-buying public. But, in one of those unusual twists of fate, years later Wilson's song became so popular at the famed Northern soul nightclub Wigan Casino whenever their very valuable copy was played that Tamla-Motown finally gave the people what they wanted and released the single in the UK in 1979. "Crumble Gunn" is an inspired organ-heavy instrumental mash-up of Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" with The Quik's 1967 mod fave "Bert's Apple Crumble" that shows off the re-constituted Secret Affairs' formidable chops. Both of these tracks must be something to behold whenever Secret Affair plays them live.

Various Artists Skinhead Reggae 1969 (CD/LP, Kingston Sounds/Jamaican Recordings, 2016): While virtually all of the tracks on Skinhead Reggae 1969 can be found Trojan's impressive double-CD Dancehall '69: 40 Skinhead Reggae Rarities (issued back in 2003), this particular comp is really worth acquiring on vinyl, as you would be hard-pressed to find any used copies of most of these original singles. (I immediately picked up this record when I saw that it included Max Romeo and The Hippy Boys' phenomenal "Clap Clap," which isn't for sale anywhere on Discogs.) In addition to their common musical sub-genre, what connects the songs on Skinhead Reggae 1969 is that all of them were produced or financed by Bunny "Striker" Lee in the late 60s/early 70s and oftentimes these recordings involved many of the same musicians. (It's also worth remembering that Bunny Lee co-wrote and produced Judge Dread's massive skinhead/rude reggae hit "Big Seven"--#8 on the UK charts in 1972.) Skinhead Reggae 1969's highlights include the Bunny Lee Allstars' "Warfare," "Annie Pama" (an instrumental version of The Maytals' "Monkey Man"), and "Revenge of Eastwood" (which versions Prince Buster's incredible "Drunkard Psalm" and is one of many skinhead reggae tracks that falls into the spaghetti Western reggae category--see The Hippy Boys below); King Horror's "Cutting Blade" (King Horror was Laurel Aitken's musical alter ego); Max Romeo's "Melting Pot" (a cover of Blue Mink's song which, as good intentioned as it was, ironically manages to be racist in its promotion of racial integration); The Des All Stars' "Walk with Des"; The Hippy Boys' "Peace Maker" and "Death Rides a Horse"; and Lloyd Charmers' "In The Spirit." Since we're on the topic of skinhead reggae, if you ever come across Dawning of a New Era: The Roots of Skinhead Reggae don't hesitate to buy it--most of these cuts don't appear on any other skinhead reggae comps, Trojan or otherwise.

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Reggae/Dub Producer/Performer Dennis Bovell Releases "A to Z" 40-Year Career Retrospective!

Dub master, Lover's Rock pioneer, sound system operator, producer, sound engineer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and performer Dennis Bovell has just released A to Z, a 26-track collection of his music from the past 40 years, through his Old School Bandcamp page. A to Z includes dub, roots reggae, Lovers Rock, ska, and soca tracks--some of which have never been previously released.

If you're unfamiliar with Bovell's career, he has performed and produced with such diverse and acclaimed artists as his band Matumbi, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Madness, Hollie Cook, Prince Fatty, Boy George, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Alpha Blondy, Janet Kay, Errol Dunkley, Johnny Clarke, Riuchi Nakamoto, Fela Kuti, The Slits, Steel Pulse, Edwyn Collins, Arcade Fire, Joss Stone, The Pop Group, Golden Teacher, and many more.

If you're interested in collecting even more of his music, you should also seek out these relatively recent and all-out stellar compilations of Bovell's material: Mek it Run and Decibel: More Cuts and Dubs, 1976-1983 (both on Pressure Sounds) and Dub 4 Daze (Glitterbeat), which we reviewed earlier this year.

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Mojo Feature on the Birth of UK Reggae

In addition to a feature on Bob Marley's eventful 1976 in JA, the September 2016 issue of Mojo contains a fantastic article on the late '70s home-grown British reggae scene wittily titled "Chant Down Albion." Using the April, 23, 1979 Special Patrol Group assault on the People Unite community center in Southall, London as a focal point (where anti-racist/fascist locals had fled a police riot after a National Front rally and an Anti-Nazi League counter-protest), the piece goes on to explain how the pervasive racism/oppression these black, British roots reggae musicians experienced from the police (who used the notorious Sus law as an excuse to stop and harass any non-white person), right-wing politicians, and many of their fellow countrymen led them to create some of the most powerful and political-charged reggae songs of the time. Highlighted acts/musicians include Misty in Roots (whose manager and studio engineer were seriously injured by the SPG attack--in addition, almost the entire band was arrested in the raid and their keyboard player left the band after spending several months in jail; Misty's recording studio was destroyed; and the SPG even smashed their records), Steel Pulse, Aswad, Dennis Bovell, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and reggae-loving punks The Ruts (Misty in Roots paid for their first recordings and "In A Rut" was the first release on the People Unite label; "Jah War" was a tribute to Misty's manager who was brutally beaten by the SPG).

There's one error to be aware of in the article--Rock Against Racism was not a campaign of the Anti-Nazi League, but its own organization that often held joint protests with the ANL.

Ska fans will also want to know that the free "Jamaican Explosion" CD that accompanies this issue contains a mix of familiar and somewhat obscure early 1960s material from Laurel Aitken, Prince Buster and The Blue Beats, Roland Alphonso, The Folkes Brothers, Byron Lee and The Dragonaires, Rico, Jimmy Cliff, Don Drummond, Lord Creator, Derrick and Patsy, and more.

Just a reminder--this is old-school media. There's no online version of the magazine. To read the articles, you have to buy a physical copy...

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Rebel Music: Empire of Two's "Let Us Live"

In response to the series of ongoing, completely unwarranted, high-profile police shootings/killings of American black men (there was just another terrible shooting last week in North Miami), Dunia Best and Aram Sinnreich of Dubistry (billed here as Empire of Two) wrote and recorded "Let Us Live" in July 2016 at the Institute for Popular Music in Bochum, Germany, with the help and contributions of Hans Nieswandt, Arno Kro, Fab Horn, and others including Best's and Sinnreich's own children. It's a terrific, stripped down reggae tune whose vocals are a passionate and forceful plea to society (and its agents) that we recognize black people's humanity and everyone's basic, elemental right to live (enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."). "Let Us Live" is also a chant of sorts--to ward off this plague of violence and death that is inflicted on our fellow, non-white Americans.

"Let Us Live" keeps with the proud ska and reggae tradition of creating powerful protest songs in response to police brutality directed at non-white communities (see Bob Marley and The Wailers' "I Shot the Sheriff," Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves," Peter Tosh's "No Mercy," Max Romeo's "Three Blind Mice," The Ruts' "SUS," and "Jah War," or Ruts DC's "Smiley Culture," Linton Kwesi Johnson's "Sonny's Lettah," "Reggae Fi Peach," and more, Vivien Goldman's "Private Armies," The Specials' "Do Nothing," The Selecter's "Bristol and Miami," or "Breakdown," The Toasters' "East Side Beat," and many, many others).

Let Us Live

"Everybody screams
At their laptops and TVs
But policeman ears, they hear no sound
Even when the father pleads
For his children on his knees
They don't see a man, they just see brown

Then they shoot him in the chest
And the shoot him in the legs
And they shoot him in the back
And they hear the voices beg
"Please don't kill my father
Let him live, let him live!
Please don't kill my father
He has so much to give!"

Everybody screams
At their laptops and TVs
But policeman ears, they hear no sound
Even when the daughter pleads
She did nothing on her knees
They don't see a girl they just see brown

Then they beat her on the chest
And they beat her on the legs
And they beat her on the head
And they hear the voices say
"Please don't kill our daughter
Let her live, let her live!
Please don't kill our daughter
She has so much to give!"

Everyone believes
What's on their laptops and TVs
And policeman ears they hear no sound
Even when our voices plead
We did nothing on our knees
They don't hear a world, they just hear brown

Then they beat us on the chest
And they beat us on the legs
And they beat us on the head
And they hear our voices say
"Please don't kill our mother
Let us live, let us live!
Please don't kill our mother
We have so much to give!"

Don't kill our mothers and
Fathers and
Sisters and
Brothers
Cousins, aunts, uncles
Grandfathers and 'mothers
Don't kill our neighbors and
Lovers and
Millions of others
Let us live
Let us live"

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Duff Review: Dennis Bovell "Row, Row, Row" b/w "River Dub" Single

Old School 
2016
Digital/limited edition 7" vinyl

(Review by Steve Shafer)

In addition to the relatively recent and all-out stellar compilations of his material from Pressure Sounds (Mek it Run and Decibel: More Cuts and Dubs, 1976-1983) and Glitterbeat (Dub 4 Daze), master reggae songwriter, performer, and producer Dennis Bovell (Matumbi, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Madness, The Slits, Pop Group, Fela Kuti, I-Roy, Hollie Cook, Prince Fatty, Boy George, Alpha Blondy, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and many more) has begun re-issuing cuts from his very rare and largely out-of-print back catalogue via his Old School Bandcamp page.

While most of these re-releases have been digital-only (and with the caliber of his work, we'll take whatever we can get!), Bovell has started issuing what may be the first of many more tracks on vinyl through his own Old School label. The extraordinary roots reggae song "Row, Row, Row" originally saw light of day back in 1978 as the Dennis Matumbi "Rolling Down the River" 12" single on the Serious Business imprint. This is the first time this track has appeared on 7" vinyl (it also can be found as "Rowing" on the insanely good Decibel: More Cuts and Dubs, 1976-1983 compilation) and I believe this is the first appearance of "Rowing Dub."

The wonderfully hypnotic, persistent, and seemingly unending bass line that "Row, Row, Row" is built around mirrors the (hopefully) long, unwritten journey for meaning and purpose in one's life that is alluded to in the lyrics: "Row, row, row/Rowing down the river/My god, I'm step, step, step, stepping/Out into the sea/I was born by a river/And just like that river/I got to keep on moving on/Keep on moving on/I ain't got nobody/Who I can call my own/I guess I've been moving/Ever since the day I was born...I rowed by a mountain/One fine day/I asked a wise man/To show me the way/He said, "Row on your boat/And look for yourself/Then come back to tell me/What you have learned..."" The equally terrific "River Dub" is a remix of the dub portion of the Decibel version of "Rowing."

Let's hope that Bovell has plans to release more vinyl gems like this from his vault very soon...

The Duff Guide to Ska's 2015 Year in Review, Part 3!

LPs once came with dance instructions...

(By Steve Shafer)

I'm still playing catch up on all the releases that I meant to review in 2015. So, here's the latest batch of my quick takes on great ska albums from 2015...

Chris Murray Combo: Buckle Up CD (Unstrictly Roots) -- While one is more likely to catch Chris Murray doing his fantastic one-man ska band thing (at least beyond Southern California), it's a real treat to hear him backed once again by the tight rhythm section of Ben Farrar on drums and Eddie Lozoya on bass on the Chris Murray Combo's second album, Buckle Up (Unstrictly Roots). It's a carefully crafted album full of upbeat, warm, mostly sunny, and exceedingly catchy--love all of those vocal harmonies!--vintage-sounding ska songs about seeking, being in, or experiencing the pain of being without love (see "Toothbrush," "What Will Come," or "Forget Your Love"), as well as striving to navigate life with one's head high and soul intact ("Ready," "When Your Someday Come"). And even though the brilliant "Ain't No Joke Being Broke" sounds like it could be a Depression-era track from the American Songbook, its lyrics place it firmly in the 21st century: "I'm a King Cobra dreaming PBR, 7 Gs at 20 APR/Yes, indeed, the only thing I need is more mouths to feed/See, I'm down on my knees, 'cos praying's free/Ain't no joke being broke." Anytime you put it on, Buckle Up will lift you up if you're down and give you an excuse to dance with joy--get this album!

Dennis Bovell: Dub 4 Daze LP (Glitterbeat) -- This is a phenomenal new compilation of unreleased dub tracks and alternate mixes of old/classic cuts from the archives of the great Dennis Bovell, one of UK's premier roots reggae, dub, punk, and post-punk producers/songwriters/musicians (who was guitarist and songwriter for Matumbi, one of England's best reggae bands, and worked with Linton Kwesi Johnson, I-Roy, The Slits, Pop Group, Orange Juice, Madness, Viv Albertine, Joss Stone (!) and many others). What particularly sets Bovell apart as a dub creator is his method of deconstructing (and re-assembling) a song that always allows for crucial aspects of the original track's melody to survive and flourish in their new environment. Because of this, with some careful listening, you can discern which tracks are (superb) alternate versions of dubs from the late '70s and early '80s: "Dub Affair" is reconstructed from "The Grunwick Affair," "Zaion Dubb" is a take (duh) on "Zion Dub," "Top Level Dub" is sister to "Higher Ranking," "Physics of Dub" is related to "Scientific," and ""Tuned Dub" is descended from "Harmonizer Dub" (all of these are found on Pressure Sounds' fantastic Decibel: More Cuts from Dennis Bovell 1976-1983 compilation double LP). Of what I think is the unreleased material, "Tumbledown Dub's" almost spaghetti Western sounding piano and bass is a real standout. Depending on where you live, this LP (there's no CD or digital album) may be a bit hard to find--it's on a small German label--but Dub 4 Daze is a must-have for dub fans and worth every penny spent importing it!

Leo and the Lineup: Hit the Streets LP (Jump Up Records) -- I heard it straight from the man--Copenhagen's Leo and the Lineup are Chuck Wren's new favorite band, which is saying a lot, since he probably hears more ska from all corners of the globe than anyone else around in his roles as ska label head, radio and club DJ, and voracious record collector. The band's stellar, tightly-wound, soulful, dirty reggae, 2 Tone concoction--which places them in the same territory as bands like The Caroloregians, Babylove and the Van Dangos, and if your ska memory goes back that far, Napoleon Solo and The Deltones--is completely winning. The album is full of striking, instantly memorable songs like the gorgeous but melancholy "Life Goes By," the shimmering good times now painful gone in "Memories of Summer" ("I was the king, you were my queen/Now I'm the court jester...all that is left is a fool with memories of summer"), the fantastic Jackie Mittoo-ish instrumental "Dirty Pockets," "Baby Please" (which reminds me a bit of The Rolling Stones' "Miss You"), and a sincerely sweet ballad (complete with strings!) about a toddler named "Molly Girl" ("She's a chubby chunk of genuine love...walks right into your heart"). Fans of The Pietasters should be sure to check this one out, but ska fans of every persuasion will find a lot to like on Hit the Streets.

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska's Part 1 and Part 2 of this series! More reviews are to come!

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