To kick off the reinvigorated Video Flashback we’re going with a sublime cut on Crab with the Viceroys singing “Work It”.

And as a bonus here’s another live video (See Below) of her performing her hit on Canadian TV in 1964. The text posted with the video sums it all up pretty well and I include it here with respect to SoDamnYeah.

Millie Small’s singing career began when she was still a teenager. She became a popular artist in the West Indies and was one of the few female performers to be involved in the branch of R&B music that grew in those islands, called ‘Ska’.

Her early local successes were made as half of a duet called ‘Roy And Millie’. The other half was called Roy Panton. She recorded as half of ‘Owen & Millie’ (Owen Gray) and ‘Jackie & Millie’ (Jackie Edwards).

These record releases were on labels like ‘Studio One’, ‘Island’ and the legendary ‘Blue Beat’. In fact she was to become known in the West Indies as the ‘Blue Beat Girl’ and ‘Ska’ is still known by many people as ‘blue beat’.

Millie was brought to Britain during 1963 by Chris Blackwell, who later made an effort to promote Reggae in the UK. Her first UK release ‘Don’t You Know’ owed less to her Ska background, being accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Lord Rockingham’s Harry Robinson. It didn’t sell too badly but Millie’s unique high pitched style wasn’t enough to get it into the chart.

However, her second release was a stronger song and was based more closely to the West Indian rhythms she was accustomed to. It became a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number 2 in the U.S. chart as well as in Britain.

Sadly, despite the great success of the record, it did not set a new musical style in people’s awareness. ‘My Boy Lollipop’ was simply regarded by most record buyers at the time as an item of delightful, but lightweight ‘pop’ . (Incidentally the record is alleged by some to have a young Rod Stewart on harmonica).

Although she had a couple of further minor hits, she never managed to consolidate her famous smash. She remained in the public conscience for a long time and was also regarded by many as a role model.

Well the Trojan subsidiary Summit has an amazingly simple and yet very colorful label that mezmorizes as it spins on the table. As the name implies it’s a mountain summit and thus there is a snowcapped mountain top in almost garish muted tone colors. Gotta love it!

[Photo from Tapir's.]

The Melodians, arguably the finest rocksteady group, were formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston in 1965 by Tony Brevett (brother of Skatalites bassist Lloyd Brevett), Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton. In 1966 The Melodians made their recording debut with Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s Studio One label with the releases “Lay It On” “Meet Me”, “I Should Have Made It Up” and “Let’s Join Hands (Together).”

From 1967 to 1968 they had a number of hits on Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label, including “You Have Caught Me”, “Expo 67″, “I’ll Get Along Without You”, and “You Don’t Need Me.” After recording “Swing and Dine” for producer Sonia Pottinger, they recorded their biggest hit, “Rivers of Babylon” for Leslie Kong. This song became an anthem of the Rastafarian movement, and was featured on the soundtrack for, The Harder They Come.

After Kong’s death in 1971, they recorded for Lee Perry and Byron Lee’s Dynamic Studios as well.
[From Wikipedia]

Here’s “Rivers of Babylon” (Summit/ Trojan label SUM-6508) 1970.

She is known as Reggaedelic having used that as her stage name and she used to run a website by that name. While the website is gone her name lives on. Here is the inspiration she took her stage name from in the form of the Clandisc release by The Dynamites. The Dynamites were the studio band for Clancy Eccles cutting the classic hits “Herbsman Regage” and “Vigorton Two” and “Fire Corner” both with King Stitt among many others.

Read more about the Dynamites at Roots Archives: www.roots-archives.com/artist/212
Say Hi to Nina at www.myspace.com/reggaedelic.