The words and music of Bob Marley have had a truly profound influence on the sound and style of Reggae. During his recording career, he wrote and performed some of the most enduring songs in the history of Jamaican music - a fact borne out by the music on this 3 CD set which features interpretations of his recordings by some of the most respected artists in Reggae music...
PRINCE FAR I opens the collection with the aptly titles "TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY", recorded shortly after Marley's death in 1981. Tragically, Far I (real name Michael Williams), who first began deejaying in the early sixties, was killed a few years later, a victim of a senseless murder.
After fronting female vocal trio, The Gaylettes, JUDY MOWATT embarked on a solo career around 1970, with her version of The Wailers' "MELLOW MOOD" for Sonia Pottinger among her earliest solo singles - THE GAYTONES' instrumental of the song which follows originally appeared on the flip-side of the record.Mowatt later joined Marcia Griffiths and the singer's wife, Rita to form The I Threes, who became an integral part of The Wailers' sound.
"MR CHATTERBOX" by MAX ROMEO utilises the same rhythm as Bob Marley & The Wailers' original version, cut for Bunny Lee around 1969. Romeo, who sang with The Emotions and The Hippy Boys before finding solo success with his ribald hit "Wet Dream", later recorded a number of seminal roots sides for Lee 'Scratch' Perry.
KEN BOOTHE was not only a great admirer of Marley, but also a good friend, the two having first met while both were signed to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's Studio One label in the early sixties. Boothe's considerable vocal talents are illustrated on three recordings featured on this set; "I SHOT THE SHERIFF", "AFRICAN LADY" and "NO WOMAN NO CRY", all of which were cut in the seventies.
Veteran singer, OWEN GRAY, who recorded his uplifting version of "GUAVA JELLY" in the mid-seventies began his recording career some 40 years ago, when DERRICK MORGAN was also first making his mark as a singer. Morgan had in fact been instrumental in launching Marley's musical career in the early sixties, auditioning the singer/songwriter while working as talent scout for producer Leslie Kong and subsequently recommended to his employer the young man be given the opportunity to record his debut release "Judge Not". Dating from the mid-seventies, Morgan's slightly adapted rendering of "SOME WOMEN MUST CRY" was produced by Bunny Lee, who further used the rhythm on a version by on THE AGGROVATORS, a sax-led instrumental by legendary hornsman TOMMY McCOOK entitled "THE MEDUCIA" and a further vocal rendering of the song by TAPPER ZUKIE, retitled "NATTY DREAD DON'T CRY". Bunny Lee also produced "TIME WILL TELL", "SIMMER DOWN" and "EASY SKANKING" by respected singer JOHNNY CLARKE.
Widely acclaimed as the Godfather of all Jamaican DJs, Daddy U ROY began spinning discs in the early sixties for a number of Kingston-based sound systems, before making his first record around the close of the decade. His hugely popular toasting style immediately had a dramatic impact on Reggae, with it's influence still evident in the music of today. "DREAMLAND" uses the Lee Perry-produced rhythm track of Bunny Livingstone's original, recorded some months before. The rhythm is again used on the instrumental cut by THE UPSETTERS, the producer's ubiquitous session group, who again feature on "MY SYMPATHY" (aka "400 Years Version").
THE GROOVERS enjoyed moderate success in the late sixties before cutting their revival of Marley's Rocksteady favourite "BEND DOWN LOW" for singer/producer Derrick Morgan in 1971. Shortly after the release of the recording, the group faded from the music scene, with lead vocalist, Lloyd Jackson later appearing on a number of sides by The Scorpions.
Besides his obvious vocal talents, JACKIE EDWARDS was one of the most influential and commercially successful Jamaican songwriters of his generation, with his credits including The Spencer Davis Group's 1965 international hit "Keep On Running". His admiration for Marley's work is reflected in his admirable rendering of "I'M STILL WAITING", a song first performed by The Wailers in the early sixties.
Although THE INNER CIRCLE have been one of the most internationally successful Jamaican acts in recent years, back in the mid-seventies, they were just another Reggae group trying to make a name for themselves. Their renderings of "NATTY DREAD", "THREE O'CLOCK ROADBLOCK" (aka "REBEL MUSIC") and "BURIAL" were all produced by Tommy Cowan who used the rhythm tracks of the two former recordings on "MR BIG" and "THREE O'CLOCK ROADBLOCK (VERSION)" by melodica maestro AUGUSTUS PABLO.
Disc 2 opens with the vocal and Dub versions of C. LICINGSTONE's "TRIBUTE TO BOBBY", before to moving on to "GET UP, STAND UP" by the legendary BIG YOUTH, who like his fellow deejay WINSTON SCOTLAND, first made his mark on the Jamaican music scene in the early seventies. Scotland's "SKANKY DOG" features the rhythm of Peter Tosh's solo hit "Maga Dog", which was again put to use by producer, Joe Gibbs on "MAINGY DOG" by BUNNY FLIP and "FAT DOG" by THE LOVE GENERATION.
Probably the most popular female singer of the Rocksteady era was PHYLLIS DILLON who recorded her mento interpretation of "NICE TIME" for Duke Reid shortly after the release of the Wailers' original in 1967. In contrast, RONNIE DAVIS and AL CAMPBELL, who feature on "KAYA" and "HYPOCRITES" respectively, were both major figures on the Reggae scene in the late seventies and early eighties. Davis, who had previously led The Tennors before going solo, later formed the influential Roots group, The Itals, while Campbell enjoyed considerable success as one of the most popular singers of the Dancehall era.
After performing with Byron Lee & The dragonaires, KEN LAZARUS jouned Tomorrow's Children, a group that also included the multi-talented PLUTO SHERVINGTON. Both singers later embarked on solo careers, with Lazarus cutting "DUPPY CONQUEROR" for Federal around 1970 and Shervington recording his version of "NATTY DREAD" some five years later. Two of the most obscure artists to feature on this collection are R.ZEE JACKSON, who in 1971 put together two of Marley's Rocksteady hits, "BEND DOWN LOW" and "PUT IT ON", and the unlikely named SAMBO JIM, whose whimsical working of "NATTY DREAD" dates from a few years later. If anyone out there has any further information pertaining to either recording, we would love to hear it.
The third and final disc fittingly opens with a third song paying tribute to Marley, "(MARLEY'S GONE) HIS SONGS LIVE ON", performed live by Jamaican legend TOOTS HIBBERT at Reggae Sunsplash and remixed at Tuff Gong studios.
The early careers of DENNIS BROWN and DELROY WILSON followed similar paths, with both singers making their recording debuts with Coxsone Dodd, while still only on their teens. But while Brown (whose 1993 rendering of "CONCRETE JUNGLE" is one of the most recent recordings on this collection) went on to become one of the world's most popular Jamaican performers, Wilson never truly fulfilled his potential. Despite many superb records, including his fine mid-seventies rendering of "NICE TIME", the singer's career fell into decline in the eighties and when he tragically passed away in 1995, his death went by largely unnoticed by those outside the Reggae circles.
"WAR", a song Marley based on the words of a speech given to the United Nations by Emperor Haile Selassie was later revived to great effect by former Righteous Flames front man, WINSTON 'KILLERMAN' JARRETT, while "TALKING BLUES" by THE MAROONS (aka The Cimarons), must rank alongside the best of their work.
THE FABULOUS FIVE INC. are one of the most enduring Reggae groups and are still actively making music, after almost 30 years in the business. Their upbeat version of "GUAVA JELLY" dates from the mid-seventies - around the same time talented singer/songwriter/producer, ERNIE SMITH revived "BEND DOWN LOW".
After over 35 years of making music, JOHN HOLT remains one of the world's most popular Reggae performers, having sung on scores of hits, both as solo artist and lead vocalist with The Paragons. He can be heard giving a typically impressive performance on his working of the Curtis Mayfield-inspired "KEEP ON MOVING", which first saw release in 1975.
The two remaining titles are both instrumental pieces, the first being "(I'M GONNA) PUT IT ON" by the hugely influential JACKIE MITTOO, who has been a founding member of the legendary Skatalites. Mittoo played keyboards on most of The Wailers' Studio One material in the early sixties and remained one of the most revered figures in Jamaican music until his untimely death in 1990. The track which brings this collection to a close is JOE GIBBS ALL STARS' re-working of "Duppy Conqueror", entitled, "GHOST CAPTURER", which was first issued shortly after the Wailers' original version in 1970.
trax CD 1:
1. Tribute To Bob Marley (Intro) - Prince Far I 2. Tribute To Bob Marley (Pt. 2) - Prince Far I 3. Mellow Mood - Judy Mowatt 4. Mellow Mood (Version) - The Gaytones 5. Mr. Chatterbox - Max Romeo 6. I Shot The Sheriff - Ken Boothe 7. Some Woman Must Cry - Derrick Morgan 8. Some Woman Must Cry (Version) - The Aggravators 9. The Meducia - Tommy McCook 10. Time Will Tell - Johnny Clarke 11. Guava Jelly - Owen Gray 12. Dreamland - U-Roy 13. Dreamland (Version) - The Upsetters 14. Bend Down Low - The Groovers 15. I'm Still Waiting - Jackie Edwards 16. Natty Dread - Inner Circle 17. Mr. Big - Augustus Pablo
trax CD 2:
1. Tribute To Bobby - C. Livingstone 2. Dub To Bobby - C. Livingstone 3. Get Up Stand Up - Big Youth 4. Skanky Dog - Winston Scotland 5. Maingy Dog - Bunny Flip 6. Fat Dog - Joe Gibbs & The Love Generation 7. Simmer Down - Johnny Clarke 8. Long Time No Nice Time - Phyllis Dillon 9. Kaya - Ronnie Davis 10. Hypocrites - Al Campbell 11. Duppy Conqueror - Ken Lazarus 12. African Lady - Ken Boothe 13. Three O'Clock Roadblock - The Inner Circle 14. Three O'Clock Roadblock (Version) - Augustus Pablo 15. Natty Dread - Pluto Shervington 16. A. Bend Down Low B. Put It Up - Zee Jackson
trax CD 3:
1. (Marley's Gone) His Songs Live On (Intro) - Toots Hibbert 2. (Marley's Gone) His Songs Live On (Outro) - Toots Hibbert 3. Concrete Jungle - Dennis Brown 4. Burial - Inner Circle 5. My Sympathy - The Upsetters 6. Nice Time - Delroy Wilson 7. Natty Dread - Sambo Jim 8. War - Killerman Jarrett 9. Talking Blues - Maroons 10. Guava Jelly - The Fab Five Inc. 11. Natty Dread Don't Cry - Tappa Zukie 12. No Woman No Cry - Ken Boothe 13. Bend Down Low - Ernie Smith 14. Keep On Moving - John Holt 15. Put It On - Jackie Mittoo 16. Easy Skankin' - Johnny Clarke 17. Ghost Capturer (Duppy Conqueror) - Joe Gibbs All Stars
...served by Gyro1966...
One late night a while back I headed straight into the wrong part of Manhattan to witness the first show in over thirty years by Boston's still-legendary Barry & the Remains. It was, without doubt, a MIRACULOUS event. These Remains, unashamedly crusty (and wearing the same instruments -- and probably shirts! -- they had at their last performance) simply sauntered on stage and spent the next hour plowing through a perfectly vintage- '66 set list --wherein, I'll have you realize, each and every number, INCLUDING "Like A Rolling Stone," ended up sounding exactly like "Hang On Sloopy."
trax:
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