Reggae & Dancehall 76 Items

Tuff Scout come through with some crucial riddims here from Peter Mereo and Daddy Culture. Metro goes first with his particularly natty 'Dancing Spirit', the intense vocal work never letting up over the suspenseful chords that drop in from great height. A dub version pairs things back to the heavy weight drums and bass. On the flip is 'Give Them Style', a digi-dub stepper with shiny synths bringing electric feels to the plucked acoustic guitar and lumpy drum work. All three tunes are primed and ready for sound system deployment this summer and beyond.

Obscure blank 7inch released in limited edition in 2020 and now out again after the quickly out of stock. A deep dub refix of the popular Ska and Mod song "Ghost Town" of the british band The Specials

7inch and video originally released in 2017 and now reissued by popular demand after the quickly sold out

From Trojan Records: It was the one and only Arthur “Duke” Reid who brought the Jamaican music scene to a higher level by perfecting the recording quality day by day. By the time and effort he put in producing he created some of the most important Trojan releases. The wonderful compilation Soul of Jamaica consists of music recorded in 1968 by some of the top notch musicians who were available for the recording sessions. Duke had Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, led by the Ex-Skatalite saxophone king and featuring teenage drumming sensation Paul Douglas and bass man Jackie Jackson among others. The vocal stars on this record are Alton Ellis and the Paragons, some of the well known musicians from that time. This is another fantastic compilation by the Duke.

On vinyl for the first time. First release in 2001 by Don One. 12 Beautiful Love songs by Ambilique of which most was recorded in the late nineteen ninety. All tracks on various Studio One Rhythms .

Akae Beka's inimitable style, developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings (including 2014 iTunes reggae album of the year Beauty FOR Ashes and Ride Tru). At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known and his quanity is always matched with quality, with his albums consistently featuring in the top 10 on the billboard charts reggae LPs.

A unique contribution to the sea of Akae Beka titles, this LP showcases Vaughn Benjamin in a stripped back, raw accoustic fashion. An LP which will not be easily confined to any one genre, but for the fans of Vaughns uniquly rich, deep, textrued songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies an absolute must have!

It's a little known fact that in 1969, Motown Records boss Berry Gordy organised a holiday trip to Jamaica for his label's stars. It's even less well known that while they were there, a number of those same stars worked with an up-and-coming local producer to record versions of established hits over instrumental riddims from the newly emergent reggae genre. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the plentiful supply of herbal entertainment during the recording sessions, the masters were believed lost. Until now. Happily, their recent re-discovery means you finally get to hear Uptight Boss and Beg For A Dollar - the massively crowd-pleasing consequences of giving a brace of mid-sixties Motown classics the boss reggae treatment!

Alright, maybe it didn't go down like that. Maybe the sound of this release was born instead out of people occasionally mishearing the name of Mako & Mr Bristow's 'Stank Soul Edits' series as 'Skank' Soul Edits. Which got them thinking. What would 'skank soul' sound like? Hello Trojan – meet Motown. Mojan? Trotown? Either way - reggae most definitely got soul!

Debut album from Orange County female fronted punky 2-Tone ska band who've been featured on the landamark "too Hectic: California SKA Punk" collection plus comps on Smelvis Records. Think 90's Hellcat street ska vibe, a must for fans of THE Interrupters & THE Selecter. White wax pic sleeve.

Reggae On Top 10"- Fight Fight Fight - Barry Isaac

Limited edition on purple vinyl exclusive to HHV.

Forty one years after Lee "Scratch" Perry defined dub music with his iconic 1976 Super Ape album, he returns with New York City's Subatomic Sound System to conquer the bass generation. Subatomic reincarnates the magic of Perry's Black Ark studio in Jamaica, going in heavy on Ethiopian horns & percussion, reinvigorated by booming 21st century bass & beats to capture the energy of their innovative live electronic show and vibes of the urban jungle. The original album is a cornerstone in the development of independent, producer fueled, beat and bass driven music. This new album breaks ground of its own as Perry & Subatomic create an unprecedented level of dynamic improvisation between live performers, computers, and studio manipulation, exploding traditional concepts of what is a live performance versus a studio recording.

Latest album from all-star Boston traditional ska/reggae act formed by ex members of Westbound Train and THE Toasters Ten trax of jazzy Jamaican vibes guests include Steve Jackson (the Pietasters), Alex Desert (hepcat), MR T T Bone, D. Hillyard (slackers) & THE Expanders. Repress orange wax.

All the material on Ini Kamoze’s Pirate is delivered at an assuredly consistent mid-tempo / head-noddin’ pace, and that - along with Kamoze’s distinctive mantric-like voice - becomes quite trance-inducing over the course of an entire album.

Classic UK vocal and dub LP from 1992 gets the reissue treatment from Partial Records

One of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year, Alpha Steppa Meets Nai-Jah “The Great Elephant”. TGE is the product of a year-long collaboration between renowned UK Dub Reggae producer Alpha Steppa and French-Nigerian singer / songwriter Nai-Jah. TGE tells the story of Nai-Jah’s reality growing up in Nigeria, the album paints a picture of corruption, greed, and suffering, a narrative each and everyone accross the globe can relate to. Nai-Jah points to strength through unity and provides great inspiration and hope through his thoughtful lyrics and sincere delivery. Steppas Records is overjoyed to present all 10 original vocal tracks plus the full dub album as one. A truly unique and powerful protest album sure to provoke, inspire and uplift.

Dub like it used to be from the High Note and Gay Feet labels.
A selection of rocking rhythms from The Revolutionaries masterminded by Jamaica's finest female record producer, Mrs Sonia Pottinger, and mixed by Duke Reid's nephew, Errol Brown, chief engineer at the legendary Treasure Isle studio.

2 track Single from Johnny & The Attractions released by Gay Feet/Dub Store Records.

On the 50th anniversary of the band's inception at an event in Harlem, NY to commemorate Malcolm X's birthday on 19 May 1968, influential spoken word artists, poets and commentators The Last Poets are set to make a glorious and relevant return with their first album in over 20 years, 'Understand What Black Is'.
Produced by Ben Lamdin (Nostaglia 77) and Brighton legend Prince Fatty, whose speciality is traditional reggae and dub production's, 'Understand What Black Is' is a ten-track album which speaks of a revolutionary struggle defined by both race and identity, that has never sounded more relevant. Released on Studio Rockers, there will also be an accompanying single featuring remixes of the title track "Understand What Black Is" by Mala (South London collective Digital Mystikz) and UK Dance music innovators Dego and Kaidi.
Since the initial line-up of Dahveed Nelson, Gylan Kain and Felipe Luciano formed in East Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, The Last Poets have produced under various guises over the subsequent years. However, it was their seminal output, namely 1970's 'The Last Poets' under both Umar bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole that secured their legacy, becoming one of the most important influences in early hip hop.
Throughout the last 20 years, the band have remained largely on hiatus. But their influence could still be felt with their tracks being sampled by The Notorious B.I.G, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg. Umar has recorded various solo albums and featured on Common and Kanye West's Grammy Nominated 'The Corner'. Abiodun appeared on the Red Hot Organization's album, Stolen Moments which was named "Album of the Year" by Time. He also conducts weekly open house poetry readings, where he constructively critiques upcoming poets, helping to nurture them. He has also conducted classes at Columbia University, where he teaches creative writing.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as US President in 2016 inspired Hassan and Oyewole to resurrect the group to create a brand new record, modern and edgy, and deeply relevant and reflective of our times.
Tracks on 'Understand What Black Is' include 'How Many Bullets', which bridles with defiance as Oyewole works through a litany of injustices suffered by black people in the US: " You've Tried
To Blow My Brains Out With Bigotry, Chopped Off My Wings, So I Couldn't Fly Free, And Dared Me To Be Me, Took My Drum, Broke My Hands, Yanked My Roots Right Up Out Of The Land, And Riddled My Soul With Jesus" 'What I Want To See' describes a utopia - a refuge from hurt and those who'd make "our vision blurred, and our faith obscure", whilst the title track 'Understand What Black Is' aims to transcend ethnicity: "understand what black is….It's the source from which all things come...black is a hero, not a villain."
The album even takes reference from Prince's 2003 album of instrumentals, 'News', which Hassan drew comparisons from with his own childhood experiences: "That poem took me about a year to write….I just kept writing and writing but not getting too far and then I heard that album and the musicianship was amazing. I was left wondering if it was jazz, classical, rock or maybe something new but all those images that I write about came to me from listening to that album. I loved Prince in that movie Purple Rain because my father was a talented musician but he was into brutalising Mama at times and in the movie there's a Jerome and my name is Jerome, so it was like he was telling my life story as well."
The album acts as a body of work between individual members each speaking of their own personal journeys, but feeding into the much larger narrative of struggle and oppression, alongside a fervent hunger for social change. These are struggles and tests of personal resolve that have directly shaped and moulded the bands' unique sound over the course of an impressive 50 years, and their powerful and influential commentary remains as relevant as ever.

Heavyweight digital steppas & UK dub from the mighty King Earthquake.

In 1980 Gerald Moore - of G.T. Moore and the Reggae Guitars and Heron fame - was in Kingston, Jamaica working with Lee Perry on the `Return of Pipecock Jackxon’ LP. Gerald went into Harry J’s studio with James Lascelles (Global Village Trucking Company, The Breakfast Band) and Bud Beadle (Ginger Baker & Salt) alongside members of Zap Pow: Don Grant, Cornell Marshall and Dwight Pinkney. The tapes sat around gathering dust for the best part of 40 years and are now finally unearthed. Mixed directly from the masters by Dougie Wardrop are `Jerusalem’, `Working For The Dollar’ and `Constant Spring’. Also `Utopia’ gets a fresh mix.

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).

The "Digital Revolution" occurred in the Jamaican music industry by a single rhythm called "Sleng Teng". The responsible person for the rhythm was King Jammy who was the owner and producer of the Jammys label. The label dominated the scene between 1985 and 1989, and released a vast number of material. Dub Store Records compiles the best of the 80's heavyweight Dancehall from the Jammys catalogue. The collection consists of "Disc One: Vocals & Deejays" and "Disc Two: Instrumental Dub Version". Each disc features popular songs and instrumental dub versions on the "Heavenless", "Love Punanny Bad" and "Far East" rhythms, among others. They also include rare collector's tunes like Anthony Johnson's 'Dancehall Vibes'. This is a crucial selection for all Dancehall lovers.

The rare all-Female Top 40/Reggae band in Jamaica called "PEP", and then "WOW" for "Works Of Women" released a few tunes in the mid 80's, mainly on the High Heel label. "Crisis" is a tune about poverty and the crisis that mash up all over the world in the early 80's. This is probably the hardest to find tune of the group. "Crisis" was produced by Fab 5 member Harold Bailey who tried to help the all-Female band in 1985. Only a few boxes of copies were pressed and nowadays you can't find a clean copy for less than several hundred of euros.

Scientist’s name will be found on many dub releases in people’s record collections. His connection to King Tubby is inseparable and many would say that when dub had fallen on quieter times it was Scientist who breathed new life into it. His paired down mixing style suited the new dancehall reggae sound that came as the 70’s rolled into the 80’s. This 1982 LP includes the priceless dub to Johnny Osbourne’s classic Give A Little Love, as well as further cuts to the likes of Hugh Mundell and Wayne Jarrett. Scientist is always in control! Includes 6 bonus tracks!

feat. Dawn Penn, Slim Smith, Twinkle Brothers u.A.

the 14 greatest hits

live version / jamming live version