Reggae’s very core is built on the version going [...]]]> Since I’ve decided to get my ass in gear and write some more stuff on this blog I’ve come up with a new semi-regular feature that I’ll call — wait for it —Version Galore! Original right? Well that’s kinda going with the new theme of the feature.

Reggae’s very core is built on the version going back to the earliest days of course. Taking soul and R&B hits or anything else really that the producers and artists heard being piped in from the states or that was brought back on vinyl on the many trips people like Clement “Coxsone” Dodd of Studio One label fame – IE: The Godfather, made to the states to find the latest U.S. hits for their respective sound systems, were ripe for a cover.

Artists were covering anything and everything as the recently independent country and quickly enlarging new music industry were hungry for home grown music and what did they have but songs they heard – until that is they had enough talent built up to create their own songs. Covers and recording new versions of old tunes or using old rhythms on new cuts has always been a staple of the recording industry – not strictly a Jamaican phenomenon.

The first track to launch this new feature comes from Cynthia Richards doing her version of “Foolish You”. Why this track? Well I was looking around the web and came up on a cover version by Sublime which made me think – so here you go.

First a little background on Cynthia (taken from Wikipedia): Born in Duhaney Park, Kingston, Jamaica, in 1944, Richards attended the Denham Town Primary School where after impressing teachers with a performance at an end-of-term concert she was encouraged to appear on the Vere Johns Talent Show.

While working as a magistrate’s clerk, she continued her career, working in the 1960s with Bobby Aitken’s Carib Beats band and later the Falcons (with a young Dennis Brown), Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, and the Mighty Vikings. She recorded her debut single, “How Could I”, in 1969, produced by Coxsone.

Although this wasn’t a success, it brought her to the attention of Clancy Eccles, who produced “Foolish Fool”, which became a major hit in Jamaica. She also recorded as one half of the duo Cynthia & Archie. She moved on to work with several producers, including Duke Reid, for whom she recorded “Jungle Fever”, “Sentimental Reason”, and “Aily I”, the latter a hit with UK reggae audiences in 1972. Other producers she worked with included Alvin Ranglin and Larry Lawrence, before moving into self-production with singles such as “Mr. Postman”, and had further chart success in Jamaica with her version of The Staple Singers’ “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)”.

She was voted Top Female Artist of 1973 in Jamaica and toured with Dennis Brown and Toots and the Maytals. Later in the 1970s she worked as a backing singer, contributing to Beres Hammond’s 1976 album Soul Reggae and Pat Kelly’s 1978 album Lonely Man.

Check out the many versions of “Foolish You” below.

Original 1969 Version by Dee Dee Warrick

Cynthia Richards Reggae Version

Sublime Cover

and here’s a wicked cut by a more recent band showing the longevity of some simply “sublime” (pun intended) hits. Over 40 years and some cuts just keep finding new fans.

The wonderful (and we can’t say that enough) DanceCrasher site updated their long running list of 100 greatest Rocksteady tunes back in December but we didn’t get it posted here so we’ll make up for it now. They present another amazing collection of label art, stories and sound clips of some of the most outstanding [...]]]>

The wonderful (and we can’t say that enough) DanceCrasher site updated their long running list of 100 greatest Rocksteady tunes back in December but we didn’t get it posted here so we’ll make up for it now. They present another amazing collection of label art, stories and sound clips of some of the most outstanding tunes ever recorded. Be sure to let em know what you think about those tunes too! Check out the list including hits from Techniques, The Ethiopians, The Uniques, Ken Parker, The Melodians and more here www.dancecrasher.co.uk.

As the story states: his involvement in the 1972 recording session was somewhat impromptu. “I came down here with, Millie [...]]]> There was an interesting piece in the Jamaica Observer about the classic Count Prince Miller cut “Mule Train”. This was a hit back in the day and still gets a spin sporadically in the clubs today.

As the story states: his involvement in the 1972 recording session was somewhat impromptu. “I came down here with, Millie Small, Charles Hyatt and Jackie Edwards to do a show…and Jackie was recording for Bunny Lee at Federal. I was leaving the following day and Jackie said, ‘come with us down the studio nuh Prince’. When I went down there I saw Familyman….Aston (Barrett), Chamers and a couple of others guys from the Wailers. And they were so glad to see me and right away dem sey ‘gi mi a piece a di Mule Train man a long time we nuh hear dat yu nuh Prince,’ and they start to play Mule Train. And I just go behind the mike and Blurr!!!!…..and sing Mule Train and leave the studio,” recalled Count Prince Miller.

As happens pretty regular enough, especially in the early Jamaican music scene, it was a cover given a reggae twist. In this case of an older cowboy hit having been recorded by the likes of Frankie Laine, Bing Crosby, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Vaughn Monroe.

FOR THE COLLECTORS: Produced by Jackie Edwards, it was originally released in the UK on Trojan Records (TR-7824) in 1971. I also have it on a Jamaican Jaguar pressing (J-05) from around the same time. It’s interesting to note that as the label shows it’s a Walt Disney Publishing tune. Trojan Records and Walt Disney – now there’s a combo!

www.discogs.com

Here is the Count himself discussing a new remix that came out.

READ MORE: www.jamaicaobserver.com

Derrick Morgan also recorded his own version on the mule train riddim changing it slightly to “Reggae Train” which he has performed to this day. You can find a pretty good pressing of this version on a Striker Lee re-issue.

And just for a little fun here is Bing Crosby’s version for your listening pleasure.

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

www.musicaloccupation.com

www.roots-archives.com

Just a note that Los Angeles based act The Lions, the group that released one of the best collections of the last five years “Jungle Struttin”, are hard at work on a brand new collection [...]]]>
Alex Desert (Hepcat), Deston Berry (Hepcat) & Malik Moore fronting for The Lions @ The Dub Club/ Photo Courtesy of OldHCDude

Just a note that Los Angeles based act The Lions, the group that released one of the best collections of the last five years “Jungle Struttin”, are hard at work on a brand new collection and it will be even better then the last. I can say that having heard a cut already. They are recording with various JA legends including Leroy Sibbles of Heptones fame!

This makes me look forward to later this year even more. The last collection kind of took LA by storm really surprising more then a few heads who had not heard of the band as they were very new on the scene having only played a few gigs at that time.

The band is made up of various long time professionals from Breakestra, Connie Price and the Keystones, Rhythm Roots All-Stars, Orgone, Sound Directions, Plant Life, Poetics and Macy Gray just to name a few though so we won’t expect anything less.

We did a listening party at the time of the release and it was a blast. Can’t wait to hear the finished goods on this one!

Check out this video of them playing the Sunset Junction in Silverlake.

The will be playing at the Continental Room in Fullerton on March 12th. It’s always free there and loads of fun so check it out if you can.

“Jungle Struttin” still available from Ubiquity Records, itunes & emusic and I highly recommend it.

Stay tuned for more……..

Great reggae classic “Hot Bomb” by I Roy & The Jumpers Green Door/ Trojan Records (GD-4030A) 1972

and here’s one from me to you.

The Mexicano with a [...]]]> A friend posted this video to facebook and I thought I’d give her some props for such a great classic cut. Here you go Hepkitten – This one’s for you!

Great reggae classic “Hot Bomb” by I Roy & The Jumpers
Green Door/ Trojan Records (GD-4030A) 1972

and here’s one from me to you.

The Mexicano with a message for I Roy & Prince Jazzbo “Cut Throat”
Angen label (ANG-111) 1974

THE MEXICANO [Roots Archive Entry]

and for good measure here’s another cut from The Mexicano who doesn’t look very mexican from the looks of it above.

The Mexicano “Move Up Starsky (I’m Still Waiting)”.
The first of only two releases on the BAAL label.
(BDN 38037) 1976

Daptone Records, home to Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, the greatest hustlin’ live band working the clubs today was recently hit by some very large A$$HOLES!

“Friends and associates, As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, [...]]]>

Daptone Records, home to Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, the greatest hustlin’ live band working the clubs today was recently hit by some very large A$$HOLES!

“Friends and associates,
As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we can only guess what’s missing from some mic drawers and cabinets.

P.S. On a lighter note, it seems like the burglars did drop a few
items in order to lift Alex’s old safe out of here, which was VERY
heavy, VERY unwieldy, and also VERY EMPTY!”

If you have any info to help, try contacting Daptone.

www.savedaptone.com