Roots & Culture 226 Items

With the fantastic 'Black Rabbit,' dub don Prince Fatty masterfully navigates the realms of dub and reggae, infusing each track with his signature vintage sound and infectious grooves. The single is a great trip through rich basslines, swirling echoes, and soulful melodies that all showcase Fatty's exceptional production skills and deep understanding of Jamaican music traditions. From the laid-back instrumentals to his lively vocal performance, this tune has timeless charm and undeniable authenticity so is a testament to Prince Fatty's enduring influence in the contemporary reggae scene.

Reissue of this 1982 Reggae classic!!

Fully remastered and licensed, ltd to 500 copies. Reissued here for the first time, in an extended version, the UK reggae band’s only album, originally released on Ball Record in 1978. One of the best-kept secrets of the late 70’s/mid 80’s British reggae scene who, with Steel Pulse, competed for the title of best reggae band in Birmingham. The album includes these eight tracks plus both sides of the bands final single and a brace of previously unreleased tracks.

Soundway Records completes the Lord Echo album collection, finally reissuing the second album in the trilogy from the in-demand New Zealand multi-instrumentalist and producer. Originally released in 2013, ‘Curiosities’ is now available as a DJ friendly double LP for the first time.
The entirely self-produced album blends jazz with disco-tinged neo-soul, reggae and classic afro-beat in effortless manner - and joins the dots between the more downtempo first album ‘Melodies’ and the disco, electronic, club-ready of his third album ‘Harmonies’.
The album also features a dub-funk cover of Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has A Master Plan”, with vocals from Lisa Tomlins.

First single from Ekowmania's upcoming album "Dr. Afrodub" is the grand Roots/Reggae track "Kwame Nkrumah". This Jimi Tenor production is simply a classic Roots track thatmight have it all; tight big horns, riding drums, a strong voice and magnificent backing choir support elegant and Class-A song writing rarely surfacing in our days. B-side of this 7" is a DJ Sotofett Mix where only the vocals, choir and horns are used for full effect choral version. Ekowmania aka Ekow Alabi Savage from Ghana is the drummer and percussion player in KabuKabu who plays with Jimi Tenor since almost 20 years. Also he is one of the founding members of one the first Afro-Reggae bands in Germany back in 1982. Album released by Ronet Records later in 2024.

New one-off press limited edition transparent orange coloured triple vinyl edition (+ download code) of Soul Jazz Records long unavailable Studio One Scorcher featuring a blistering collection of rare and classic cuts recorded at Studio One. Studio One Scorcher is one of the most important collection in Soul Jazz Records" Studio One series, bringing together an unmissable collection of stand-out cuts from many of the finest players ever in Jamaica and in reggae music. Featuring The Skatalites, Jackie Mittoo, Tommy McCook, Cedric Brooks, Tommy McCook, The Sound Dimension, Don Drummond, Brentford Road All Stars

The album classic was originally issued in 1977 in Jamaica only and 20 years later in 1997 released by the Blood & Fire label as the outstanding but now deleted "Heart Of The Congos". VP Records' sub-label 17 North Parade release now the definitive 2017 re-mastered 3CD / 3LP deluxe edition put together with both respect and gratitude to that illustrious antecedent.

This new 3 disc-set and 3LP-Vinyl-set is the first to feature the now almost impossible to find, original mix of the album, unavailable since producer Lee Perry withdrew the set in 1977 following the refusal of Chris Blackwell's Island Records team to licence the album (Disc 3), together with the more well-known mix, dubs, disco mixes, seven and twelve inch versions and "Don’t Blame It On I" an overlooked previously unreleased track unearthed (Disc 2) and the 'Blood & Fire' Kevin Metcalfe master (Disc 1).

Reissued for the first time on vinyl, here's Jamaican reggae singer George Faith second album, originally released on Hollywood Records in 1979. Amazing soulful reggae melodies backed by the likes of Sly & Robbie, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Tommy McCook, Earl "Chinna" Smith and more. Produced by the one and only Bunny Lee at Harry J Studios, and mixed by Scientist at King's Tubby's Studios!

Soul Jazz Records" long out of print classic "Studio One Funk" collection is being re-released in three new one-off limited-edition coloured pressing 18th anniversary format editions! Studio One Funk is made up of rare and unreleased Reggae Funk from the vaults of Studio One. Ever since the birth of Funk in America, the sound has been an ever-present ingredient in the melting pot of Studio One"s musical output.

Reggae and Jamaican music have long embraced a symbiotic relationship with the movies. Rooting back to the island's golden era, countless arrangements have either been direct covers, or inspired by, the musicality and mood found in both cinema and television. These reinterpretations would become part of the backbone of the instrumental sound that accompanied the Jamaican record industry's acceleration from the mid-60s and beyond. Talented young musicians, rising from Alpha Boys School and the early studios of Coxsone, Duke Reid and others, found a showcase for their unique playing style on hundreds of different recordings, while appealing to the country's own love affair with Westerns, James Bond canon, and other rebellious themes and motifs that were projected from Hollywood during this time.
In this same tradition, in a new interval, arrives the debut release of Anant Pradhan and Larry McDonald, the latter a master percussionist with direct participation in some of Jamaica's earliest recordings. McDonald, although often uncredited, was a legitimate influence in helping to bridge the Afro-Caribbean sound from calypso into ska and later reggae with his iconic style on hand drums and percussion. A kindred spirit of McDonald, despite 50 years separating them, Anant Pradhan is a bonafide member of the next generation. Although this is his first "solo" record, the talented saxophonist has already played on dozens of incredible sessions for the likes of Victor Axelrod, The Inversions, Andy Bassford, Channel Tubes, Ralph Weeks and Combo Lulo. As an official member of the current touring group of the legendary Skatalites, Pradhan has honed his musicianship under some of the greats of reggae music. His particular soulful, instrumental arrangements are an homage to that influential era of Jamaican music. Pradhan and his band's performance retain the skill and innovation of the old vanguard, and like the generations before, capture a magic that may only be possible when cinema goes reggae.
A cult favorite from A Nightmare Before Christmas, Danny Elfman's "Sally's Song" was immortalized in Tim Burton's 1993 classic stop-motion film. It's immediately recognizable in all its haunting charm, and now, Pradhan and McDonald have managed to transform it into an irrefutable reggae classic, reinvented with its melancholic lead sax and bombastic percussion. The prolific Henry Mancini is already entrenched in the Jamaican canon, yet nobody has knowingly attempted to recreate one of his most magical numbers, "Meglio Stasera" aka "It Had Better Be Tonight," that of the riveting one-take scene in 1963's The Pink Panther. The galloping percussion of the original is transposed through a cloud of smoke, slow and low in a roots style at the hands of McDonald. Pradhan's sax leads the way over the locked-in rhythm section, both deep and cheeky all at once. These first two productions of Anant Pradhan and Larry McDonald are a deserving entry into the canon of reggae covers, and are equally adept to be heard on the screen and or at the dance alike.

With Happy Hour, her ravishing new LP, Hollie Cook matures into the queen of modernday "lovers rock"... the lush girly harmony reggae style beloved in Britain since the 1970s. Evolution rings from the bittersweet opening title track; tender yet assertive, Hollie's voice caresses evocative lyrics through the arrangement's tumbling changes. Hollie dares to invite listeners into her true personality through these alluring songs, which she co-produced with her General Roots band members Ben Mckone and Luke Allwood, and executive producer Youth. "Particularly with the songwriting, I was trying to really push myself and be open, to not be restricted in any way. I have always been a fan of theatrical pop music and wanted to experiment more with the song form." Indeed, the dizzying arrangement of "Gold Girl" shows Hollie as boldly orchestrated, cinematic. "Now I don't shy away from it when I want to be dramatic," she declares. Full of emotion, leaning into healing and understanding, Hollie's lyrics on Happy Hour speak directly to our pain and confusion and steer us towards resolution on tracks like "Moving On," "Unkind Love," and "Love in the Dark." Touring as a teenager with punk legends The Slits encouraged the fierceness within her sweetness. Hollie's mentor was Ari Up, the band's lead singer and a lifelong friend of Cook's parents (Sex Pistols drummer Paul and her singer mother Jeni). "My father always said I would be a singer. But I discovered lovers rock on my own. I heard it on pirate radio and at friends', and I was bewildered, enchanted," she recalls. "The Slits are the reason I have pursued this career. I was surrounded by powerful women at a young age, and when my time came, I was never fazed by male dominance. They were my wall of courage." From those feisty roots, Hollie has only grown. Her soulful directness on Happy Hour is relatable and authentic.

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2022.

Liam Bailey Follows Up His 'Ekundayo' Album With This Heavy Hitting Remix 7" Featuring Two Absolute Legends.The A Side Is A Remix Of Champion Featuring Black Thought Of The Roots. Black Thought Kills The First Verse Finding The Pocket Over The Leon Michels Produced Reggae Banger Designed To Bust Up Woofers And Blow Out Dance Floors. Liam And Thought Combine To Sing Praises To A Woman Worthy Of All The Admiration They Can Muster, And In Doing So, They Take What Was Already A Classic To Another Level.The B Side Is Straight From The Far Flung Corners Of Outer Space. Producer Leon Michels Strips Down And Revamps The Album Cut Ugly Truth, Making Room For The Most Special Of Guests, The One And Only, Mr. Lee "Scratch" Perry. The Upsetter Switches Between Singing And Talking, One Minute Proclaiming His Powers And The Next Playing With The Title Of The Original Tune. Some Proper Lee Perry Business Alongside The Already Unstoppable Chemistry Of Liam Bailey And Leon Michels...An Absolute Big Crown Surehot.

Barry Biggs hit song from 1976. On the flip, Clarence Wears guitar version. Both (vocal & guitar) followed by its dub.

Jah Cure is a musical adventurer, exploring rhythms, moods and meaning with his latest album "Royal Soldier", his first longplayer since "The Cure" in 2015. Jah Cure writes songs about love and consciousness and reality. His music moves between classic roots and smooth R&B and often challenges the boundaries of the reggae genre, his presence and influence among Caribbean fans has reverberated around the globe and earned him top status among reggae artists internationally. The music videos for set-up tracks "Telephone Love", "Risk It All" and "Marijuana" are all +1 million streams on YouTube. Guest appearances on "Royal Soldier" include Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley, Popcaan, Melanie Fiona, Mya, Phyllisia Ross, Tory Lanez two special multi-feature tunes with Yami Bolo, Junior Reid & Capleton ("Street Kings") and Dru, Sketch Carey & Alx ("Eyes On Your Body")

Four years ago, Liam Bailey visited NYC from his hometown of Nottingham, England to write and record songs with Truth & Soul (Jeff Silverman & Leon Michels), that could help secure him the ever elusive major label deal. Shortly after the group met, an instant chemistry led to a series of reggae and soul songs that have been long-time favorites at T&S headquarters. Soon after his visit, Liam Bailey signed to Polydor Records. This is the first 45 from an upcoming series of Liam Bailey singles on Truth & Soul.

company sleeve

Jackie Mittoo is one of the defining figureheads of reggae music !From forming The Skatalites, at age 15, alongside Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook and others, to his work as writer, arranger, producer at Studio One records during the sixties, writing and playing for artists such as Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths and The Heptones (to name a few), to his career as a solo artist as well as leader of bands such as The Soul Brothers, Soul Vendors and The Sound Dimension, Jackie Mittoo is at the heart of reggae music. He was one of the instigators of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae. In the seventies, DJ music and Dancehall were based upon classic rhythms of the sixties, many using the instrumental tracks that Jackie Mittoo created at Studio One at this time.This compilation features the work of Jackie Mittoo at Studio One. It features music recorded as a solo artist (as opposed to the numerous singers that he accompanied). Most of these are taken from his recordings in the mid-sixties where he was recording on an almost daily basis at Studio One"s Brentford Road studios developing the funky reggae sound that was his trademark.Jackie Mittoo is as much an icon of Reggae as he is to fans of Funk music. He is without doubt the funkiest keyboard player ever to come out of Jamaica!