March 14, 2004
C90 Roots.
A Reggae tape I made four years ago. Hit the Woebot icon above! Let's go!
00.00 Jackie Mittoo: Hi-Jack
My first exposure to Studio One at a party in Manchester in 1991 where I was DJ-ing Bleeps in the cellar. The bass on the Coxsone tracks was in an entirely different range of the frequency to where I'd previously found bass in seventies rockers. Kinda punched you in the chest. I love a bassline you can hear being clipped.
02.07 John Holt: Ali Baba
Holt's phrasing and timing on this Treasure Isle classic are spectacularly sensitive. Mime this, it's fun!
04.46 Joe Higgs: Hard Times Don't Bother Me
Didn't Higgs have a hand in tutoring Bob Marley? This from the quite lovely "Life of Contradiction" LP.
08.13 Harry Mudie/King Tubby: Where Eagles Dare
Tubbs had meaningful relations with a whole heap of producers. This is almost symphonic. And looooong...
14.30 The Wailing Souls: Real Rock
I SO rate this lot. Like Leroy Smart's vocals they're not glutinous in the least, something quite unique in their delivery I can never put my finger on.
17.31 Zap Pow: The River
My fave roots track period. Lee Perry at his absolute apogee. Harmonies seem to happening on about eight plains.
20.58 Jackie Mitto: Hairy Mary
Much later Mittoo, again psychedelic without being dubbed-out. Ever so slight jazz tinge to this. Shimmering organs.
23.52 Fred Locks: Black Star Liners
Bit of a classic. Super spooked tuning.
26.32 Dillinger: Truth and Rights
"Dillinger entered looking dapper in a blue track suit with a pair of shoes tied by the lace slung round his neck, Dillinger greeted Jammy who looked up and remarked on whether or not the footwear was new, Dillinger sharp as a ratchet blade replied, "Yeh man, me got me new shoes and the talking blues." Dave Hendley.
32.34 The Wailing Souls: I've got a burning fire.
Another AMAZING track from this lot.
34.38 Winston Scotland: Buttercup
Brother Jess might recognise the hook off this as used on the Brainkiller's "Screwface." He might even know this track! My copy here on the genius Pama imprint.
37.04 Tapper Zukie: Viego
Clement Bushay's production on "Man Ah Warrior" is sweet, crisp and light. Recently reissued, the "Music of the Most High" release masterminded by Lenny Kaye with its beautiful cover photo of a lockless Tapper by Robert Mapplethorpe is rare as hen's teeth. Zukie is sometimes dismissed by Roots afficionados, I lurve his singjay tone.
39.44 The Agrovators: West Dub
Mash up vinyl here. The bottom note on this, where the rudderless melody swirls into an impossibly involved pool, before snapping up into an euphoric high echo, is one of my all time favorite musical moments. Just goes to show how Tubby could make a track.
42.04 Pablove Black Bagga and The All Stars: After Christmas
I play this to everyone. Apparently Shaka used to mash up this old Studio One dubplate all the time.
46.04 Treasure Isle Dub: Dub So true
Very early Tubby, but a towering monster. Lovely vocals here too.
48.10 Jo Jo Bennett: Leaving Rome
An early Harry Mudie track. The super soupy string undercut by the bath-time bird whistle. Like the Mittoo stuff here, instrumental Reggae that's crazy without being dubbed out.
50.41 Scientist: Bad Days Dub
Scientist off the "Scientific Dub" LP. Brad Osbourne's riddim. I like the Clocktower riddims, why Bullwackie gets all the hype I dunno.....
54.55 Cornell Campbell: The Sun
Lovely. Nice to hear him still working, the Rhythm and Sound thing he did was the best of the series. Like Horace Andy he has a high open voice that's rough yet tender.
58.02 Burning Spear: Creation Rebel
The Spear's first record is essential.
1.00.32 Alton Ellis: Set a better example
Punchy rocksteady. Keening vocals from The Flames.
1.03.07 The Royals: Sufferer of the Ghetto
Roy Cousins' recordings are really crafted, quite different to most Reggae of the period where the artists are shuttled in, do their thing over pre-ordained backing tracks and leave by the back-door.
1.06.28 Dennis Alcapone: Dancing Version
Adore the way Dennis leaps into the blue with his "Yeah yeah yeeeeeeaaahhhs."
1.08.37 Linval Thompson: I Love to smoke Marijuana
Classic innit. I used to love to smoke marijuana ;-)
1.11.53 Keith Hudson: I broke the comb
He's a really weird character the dark dentist of dub. How the record companies ever thought they might have another Marley with him is impossible to understand.
1.14.29 Tapper Zukie: Ital Pot
Something deeply unworldly about this Yabby U riddim (U under-represented here, along with a whole lotta folk, it's just a fekkin' mixtape, it's not the best of reggae you loser!), the way the chorus springs from the abyss of the mix. From the LP Jon mentioned here Penny Reel writes the notes on this, didn't you get in trouble with him Jon?
1.17.28 Nicky Thomas: Lonely Feeling
A Joe Gibbs Amalgamated-era production. I've always liked this. Really crunchy.
1.19.51 Prince Jazzbo: Pepper
He's no I Roy. However, in one of his "routines" Mark E Smith's goes on about how rubbish Jazzbo is. Bollocks! Jazzbo is great! Smith doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.
1.22.50 Glen Brown: Black Dub
Godhead.
1.26.10 Big Youth: Dreadlocks Dread
Never gone a bundle on live Reggae recordings (totally beside the point innit) though check THIS! Dem's lungs! First four rows flattened.
Stop.
Posted by Woebot at March 14, 2004 11:06 PMwell what can i say.
i didn't know MES doesn't rate Jazzbo, buffoon! Jazzbo pisses over the Fall so MES can fuck off.
Posted by: scott at March 15, 2004 08:37 AMThis looks great! Lotsa my faves and lots of things I shall look forward to hearing for the first time when I get home. People need to check the Dr Alimentado cut of 'ali baba' which is on "best dressed chicken". I did (briefly) get into trouble with Penny Reel for ripping off his big NME soundsystem piece at uncarved: http://www.uncarved.org/dub/splash/
In the same vein as putting mp3s on one's site I really believed he wouldn't mind and never bothered to track him down to ask. We have subsequently made up, though - I think we were both a bit confused about the other's modus operandi to be honest. I was dumb, and he had been ripped off by a lot of other people. He's a brilliant writer and it's gutting that he doesn't find much work these days. Check his book on Dennis Brown for sure.
Posted by: john eden at March 15, 2004 09:32 AMthat
i love to smoke marijuana
is that the one sampled on that hardcore tune then
i lke to smoke marijuana
it gives me a deep meditation
eh eh is it is it?
Posted by: luke at March 15, 2004 10:34 AMEden completely OTM about Alimantado's way with 'Ali Baba', see his 'i shot the barber' choon. wicked.
Posted by: scott at March 15, 2004 11:26 AMto luka
yeah that's the one. what a tune!
isn't penny reel also the name of duke reid's first record as producer too - filthy record that.
choyce! i'd like to hear that. have you got the hardcore version as well then? that's round about the time i started to listen to pirates if i remember right. well good!
Posted by: luke at March 15, 2004 02:32 PMYou've exceeded your maximum number of streams.
Posted by: ethan at March 16, 2004 03:17 AMto ethan
that means that my server wont allow any more people to log onto to the stream without causing it to slow down for the other people "locked on."
you'll just have to come back later when it's less busy.
Posted by: Matt Woebot at March 16, 2004 07:53 AMIt's a good selection. Lots I don't know well (as ever) along a few classics (Linval Thompson in particular).
Shame you didn't mix it up a bit more (this'll get me into trouble with Eden!). Makes a very nice AIFF on my hard drive, may burn a copy for the wife to listen to (even Macs can easily record RM streams -- using WireTap -- make of this what you will...)
It'sa little like my Tons of Boxes mix, can't remember if this was up on Bassnation but I must put in on the new site...
Posted by: paul "Hook! Hook! Where's Hook"!" meme at March 16, 2004 01:27 PMKiller mix! But if that's Tappa in the Mapplethorpe photo on Man Ah Warrior I'll eat my tam.
Posted by: luc at March 17, 2004 02:49 AM