Radiation Roots Roots & Culture 24 Items

LP | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Willie Williams is one of those outstanding reggae individualists who has carved out his own musical niche, making a lasting impact as a beloved roots vocalist and lyricist. His unusual vocal tone is distinctive and affecting, and he has taken a singular approach to music production which parallels his uncommon spiritual beliefs; like his friend and collaborator, Yabby You, Williams is one of a select coterie of reggae figures who wear dreadlocks and celebrate the culture of rastafari, but who reject the notion of Haile Selassie’s divinity, standing firm in their belief in Jesus Christ. He will always be best remembered for his landmark Studio One recording “Armagideon Time,” which was memorably covered by The Clash, but Williams’ career has been long and varied, his story taking in many different twists and turns. Another truly original reggae great.

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Barry Brown

Stand Firm

LP | 1985 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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One of a handful of singers that straddled the divide between the late roots phase and the emerging dancehall style, Barry Brown was gifted with a distinctive high tenor that rendered his voice immediately recognizable, making a lasting impression whenever heard. His lyrics had wit, grit, and feeling, since he often spoke of the harsh realities of Jamaican ghetto life, and equally addressed the aspirations of its inhabitants and the good times they enjoyed, frequently emphasizing the irresistible pull of a sound system dance in his recorded work.

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Early B (The Doctor)

Sunday Dish

LP | 1988 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1985 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Earlando Arrington Neil became Early B on the Jamaican sound system scene, working his way through Soul Imperial, King Majesty and other sets before coming to prominence in the early 1980s on Kilimajaro, where he became known as ‘The Doctor’ for unleashing his lyrical cures on the mic. Recording for various producers from 1981, Early B reached another level upon linking with deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas in 1984, the humorous hit ‘Sunday Dish’ leading to this explosive LP of the same name, an enduring classic of early dancehall that also features the equally hilarious ‘Learn Fi Drive.’ All killer, no filler!

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Steely & Cleevie

At The Top

LP | 1995 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1988 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Jamaica’s supreme rhythm builders during the 1980s and 90s, Steely and Clevie joined forces at King Jammy’s in the aftermath of ‘Sleng Teng,’ with Clevie on drum machines and Steely on synths, to fashion countless hit rhythms for the rising stars of the dancehall movement. Dubbist was the first Steely and Clevie dub album, an irresistible collection of tough digital dub workouts that strips bare the computerised wizardry at the duo’s core. Collecting dubs cut at various studios, including King Jammy’s and Tuff Gong, these killer dubs will delight all digital dancehall fans

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Gregory Isaacs

Private Lesson

LP | 1982 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1995 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Legendary Jamaican songsmith Gregory Isaacs' 1995 album 'Private Lesson' on Radiation Roots. The set includes laidback cuts 'Preacher Boy', 'Feeling Sad Tonight', Diplomatic Fool', 'She Doesn't Want Me', 'Slave Master' and many more.

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Triston Palmer

Show Case

Release: 1982 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Recorded in the 1982. Roots Radics backing in a dancehall style with the drums and bass of style scott and errol flabba holt on extended 12" mixes. Produced by Jah Thomas at Channel One Studio.

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Capital Letters

Reality

LP | 1978 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Big Joe

At The Control

LP | 1973 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1978 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Second album reissue for Big Joe (born Joseph Spalding in 1955), Jamaican reggae deejay and record producer, who recorded extensively in the 1970s and early 1980s. This is the follow up to Keep Rocking And Swinging, released on Live & Love in 1978 and produced by Bunny Lee. A must for all the reggae and dub fanatics out on Radiation Roots.

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Delroy Wilson

Captivity

LP | 1977 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1973 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Delroy Wilson was one of Jamaica's most soulful vocalists, and over a 40-year career the singer unleashed a flood of hits and a multitude of masterpieces. Born on October 5, 1948, in the Kingston neighborhood of Trenchtown, Wilson's phenomenal talent would be his ticket out of the ghetto, and his discovery by producer Coxsone Dodd in 1962 would change the path of Jamaican music. Released on Big Shot in 1973 and produced by Bunny Lee, 'Captivity' is one of the true classics from Delroy's discography, back on vinyl for the first time since its original release.

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John Holt

3000 Volts Of Holt

LP | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1977 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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The ‘3000 Volts of Holt’ album was the third in a series of records that launched John Holt into the UK charts in the 1970’s. To say that every home had a copy of a 1000 Volts and many 2000 Volts of Holt might be an overstatement but it certainly felt that way, as all good radio stations and parties seemed to have these tracks on permanent rotation.’3000 Volts of Holt’ was the more roots sounding of the three albums but still carried that sweetened string sound that set these recordings together.

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Johnny Clarke

Wondering

LP | 1980 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Johnny Clarke ruled the dancehall in the mid '70s, using the clever "Flyers Rhythms" that gave some of his tunes an edge with the sound systems. But his voice was always bigger than this and his versatility to sing a wide range of vocal styles has seen him cut through the decades as one of reggae's best voices. Produced by Bunny Lee, mixed at King Tubby's studio, an absolute reggae/roots classic.

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Junior Keatting

Weekend Lover

Master Of Ceremony ''Dub''

Release: 1980 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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During the late 1970s, deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas played a key role in the emerging dancehall movement, harnessing the Roots Radics at Channel One studio for rough-edged futuristic rhythms that became platforms for songs of everyday life. Junior Keating’s solid debut LP Weekend Lover gathered popular singles such as ‘Watch What You Do,’ which implored upright living, and lovers laments ‘Long Long Time’ and ‘Something Is Bugging Me’; ‘Conquering Lion’ showed that the versatile singer was also adept at deep roots tunes. With a tough mix by Scientist at King Tubby’s studio and additional editing by Bullwackie, this superb offering is of massive appeal to all fans of late roots and foundation dancehall.

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Sly & Robbie

LP | 2006 | EU (Radiation Roots)

14,99 €*

LP | 1978 | EU | Reissue (Radiation Roots)

Release: 2006 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Master rhythm duo Sly and Robbie first met on the Jamaican club scene of the early 1970s, when both were playing clubs on Kingston’s Red Hills Road. Thye began working together at Channel One studio when Sly was drummer and arranger of The Revolutionaries and Robbie the bassists mainstay of Bunny Lee’s Aggrovators and soon became the most in-demand drum and bass team on the island. This obscure dub album, originally released on the Imperial label in Canada, was produced by Lee in the late 1970s, and has the Rhythm Twins trying their hands at updating classic rhythms such as “The Liquidator,” “Death In The Arena,” “It’s Raining,” “Love Me Forever” and “My Conversation,” as well as killer cuts of Johnnie Clarke’s “Roots Natty Congo,” Gregory Isaacs’ “Storm” and an odd “Legalize It” rendition, plus some wacky between-song interjections. A must for all dub devotees.

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Shorty The President

Fire Fire

15,99 €*

LP | 1969 | EU | Reissue (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1978 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Jamaican deejay Shorty The President may have been one of the more obscure figures to rise from the Kingston sound system scene, but the impact he made on vinyl recordings during the 1970s is no less important and his work remains coveted by reggae connoisseurs. Born Derrick Thompson in rural Trelawny in 1949, like many of his peers, he moved to the Jamaican capital as a teenager in search of better opportunities. As he gravitated to the Rastafari faith, an affiliation with the sound system Conquering Lion sparked interest from producer Rupie Edwards, who produced debut hits “President Mash Up The Resident” and “Yamaha Skank.” Edwards issued debut album Presenting Shorty The President in 1976 and after sparse work for Enos McLeod, Joe Gibbs, Pete Weston, Winston Riley and Keith Hudson, sophomore album Fire Fire was produced by Bunny Lee in 1978, with Shorty riding typically tough Aggrovators rhythms of the day, including Ronnie Davis’ updated version of Bob Marley’s “Kaya” and The Cables’ “Baby Why,” Delroy Wilson’s “Have Some Mercy” and Barry Brown’s take of Wilson’s “I’m Not A King,” as well as killer cuts of Brown’s “Natty Roots Hold Them” as “Roots Man” and “Best Thing In Life” as “Do My Thing.”

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Max Romeo

A Dream

LP | 1979 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1969 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Maxie Livingston Smith became Max Romeo through his concerted courtship of a local beauty. After a difficult childhood that saw him run away from home following the breakdown of his parents’ relationship, Max became lead singer of The Emotions harmony group, with Lloyd Shakespeare, brother of future bass wizard Robbie, during the rock steady era. Following the demise of the group, in 1968, at the request of Bunny Lee, Max wrote the suggestive “Wet Dream”, inspired by the rude ditties of the lewd American r&b singer, Blowfly, but then found himself forced to sing it in the studio after rejections from better-established peers such as Slim Smith, Derrick Morgan, Roy Shirley and John Holt. Despite a BBC ban, the song topped the British charts, spawning the debut album, A Dream. Tracks like “Wood Under Cellar,” “Wine Her Goosie” and “The Horn” continued the rude theme, though songs such as “Far Far Away” and “Love” were more traditional ballads, the latter made more outstanding through vibrant Rastafari-influenced percussion; “Club Raid” speaks of Max’s survival of a punitive police bust.

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Jah Thomas

Dance On The Corner

19,99 €*

LP | 1988 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 1979 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Toaster Jah Thomas began his career on the west Kingston sound systems of the mid-1970s, making a massive splash with ‘Midnight Rock’ in 1976. After a debut LP for Channel One, his self-produced Dance On The Corner raised the bar several levels. Voiced at King Tubby’s studio, mixed by Tubby, Jammy and Scientist and edited by the King himself, the album has Thomas chatting over hard Roots Radics rhythms earlier used by Barrington Levy – the perfect platform for Thomas’ relaxed chants, vexed rants, and commentaries on Jamaican life. This is Jah Thomas at his best – a must for all fans of reggae, dub, deejay, and dancehall!

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Audrey Scott

Step By Step

16,14 €* 16,99 € -5%

Release: 1988 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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Dennis Brown

Lovers Paradise

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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One of the most beloved of reggae vocalists, Dennis Brown was more popular than Marley in his native land and rated ‘the Crown Prince’ overseas for his excellence. Lover’s Paradise is an intriguing compilation of the early 1990s, gathering work for Bunny Lee and colleagues. Along with a retitled ‘Have You Ever,’ and ‘Wild Fire’ in the guise of the title track, there is a mix of agreeable love ballads, including Dennis’ takes on Carlton and the Shoes’ immortal ‘Love Me Forever,’ and originals such as ‘Woman I Tell You No Lie’ and the devotional ‘Wolga Nagga Fire,’ plus there’s a hot cut of ‘Sleng Teng’ too. D Brown fans take note!

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Early B

Immortal

16,14 €* 16,99 € -5%

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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During the early 1980s, stylistic dancehall toaster Earlando Neil became Early B chatting on the sound systems Soul Imperial Hi-Fi and King Majesty, consolidating his reputation on the mighty Kilimanjaro. Scoring many hits before his untimely death in 1994, the posthumous compilation Immortal was compiled by Ossie Thomas, the producer of some of B’s greatest work; highlights include the smash hit ‘Gateman Get Fraid,’ the desultory ‘Imitator,’ the sadly prescient ‘If You A Coward Leave Out Badness’ and the salutary ‘Honourable Nesta Marley.’ Highlighting Early B’s lyrical prowess, Immortal lives up to its title for sure.

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Crucial Vibes

Control Yourself

LP | 1988 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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A gifted guitarist and singer-songwriter, Lascelles Beckford has a long history in reggae. After playing with Harold Butler in the late 1970s, Beckford began fronting Crucial Vibes, based in Old Harbour, west of Spanish Town, the band making waves in Canada in 1983. One of the leading Jamaican backing bands of the mid-1980s, debut album Control Yourself is an excellent blend of hard-hitting roots tunes, protest music and sophisticated love songs, all driven by their excellent musicianship, with the percussionist Skully and saxophonist Dean Fraser adding exquisite touches. Quality from start to finish – one for all roots connoisseurs.

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Gregory Isaacs

New Dance

Release: 1988 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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One of the most popular and high profile of Jamaican reggae vocalists, Gregory Isaacs was a rough diamond who clawed his way out of the harsh western Kingston ghetto with an instantly recognisable voice that was wonderfully emotive, expressing both his toughness and determination for betterment, as well as the bleeding heart of a vulnerable lover. New Dance is one of the excellent mid-1990s dancehall albums expertly produced by Anthony Dehaney, alias Bunny Gemini, working as usual with the Firehouse Crew, this time with Fatman Thompson of King Tubby’s studio at the mixing desk and guitarist Lascelles Beckford of the Gifted Roots band as special guest. As usual, Gregory rides the rhythms with considerable aplomb, feeling completely natural atop the hard-edged rhythms and tackling a range of topics along the way. Much of the album deals with love lost, love gained, and love deferred; ‘Say A Special Prayer’ revamps the evergreen ‘Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On’ and ‘New Dance’ salutes the allure of dancehall music in the open air. This is one of Mr Isaacs’ better offerings from the mid-1990s, worth getting to know if you’re not already familiar with it, and a must-have if you’ve worn out your original copy.

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Barry Brown

Love And Protection

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Barry Brown was one of the handful of upcoming artists that came to define the emerging dancehall style as a singer with a distinctive high tenor that was instantly recognizable, and one which inevitably made a lasting impression on the listener. His lyrics were witty, gritty, and full of gusto, typically addressing the trials and tribulations facing the underprivileged, but also celebrating the positive aspects of ghetto life, including the irresistible lure of the local sound systems, the need to enjoy a loving relationship with a woman, and the various other joys one may encounter along the way. Most of the work on Love & Protection, an intriguing compilation that surfaced in the mid-1990s, brings us back to Barry Brown’s peak period as heard on the Cool Pon Your Corner and Far East LPs, along with the original unembellished mixes of two EPs released by Black Roots, as well as some harder to trace material, such as the vibrant digital title track. Running the gauntlet from ‘reality’ tunes to dance numbers to songs of loving romance and everything in between, it ultimately emphasizes Barry Brown’s impressive versatility, highlighting the important role he played in the shift from roots to dancehall.

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Dennis Brown

Love Is So True

LP | 1983 | EU (Radiation Roots)

Release: 2023 / EU

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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One of the greatest reggae singers of all time, Dennis Brown made an incredible impact during a career that spanned four decades, his reign cut short by his tragically early death from a collapsed lung in 1999, aged just 42. First released in 1995 under the title Take A Stand and also known as Temperature Is Rising, the album Love Is So True was expertly produced by Anthony Dehaney, alias Bunny Gemini, at the Record Factory studios in Kingston, then home to some of the better dancehall being cut in Jamaica. Along with saxophonist/arranger Dean Fraser and the Fire House Crew and ‘Rhythm Twins’ Sly and Robbie, the featured musicians include the stalwart keyboardist Ansel Collins of “Double Barrel” and “Stalag” fame, guitarist Lascelles Beckford and bassist Danny ‘Axe Man’ Thompson of the Gifted Roots band, trumpeter David Madden of Zap Pow, and keyboardist Dennis ‘Jah D’ Fearon. The keen musicianship brought forth by these players helped coax the best out of Brown on songs such as “Never Let Your Heart Be Troubled,” which rides a tough re-cut of the “Full Up” rhythm, and “Temperature Is Rising,” on a durable re-cut of the “Far East”/“Jah Shakey” rhythm; “A Little Respect” makes use of a bouncing update of “Pressure And Slide,” the meditative “Sea Shore” is on a great dancehall cut of “Real Rock” and the anti-rude boy “Gangster” is voiced on a beautiful dancehall interpretation of “Freedom Blues.” There’s even a dancehall take of the Beatles’ “You Won’t See Me,” delivered as only Dennis Brown can, as well as a likeable re-make of Dennis’ own “Have You Ever.”

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U Brown

No Stoppin' This Music