Pete S

It is a pop song, a classic pop song, that's where I know it from - the top 20 in 1971. Didn't say it was a "Northern Soul Classic". Never even heard it played at a Northern Soul event.

Absolutely Russ. Have to admit it sounds great on one of my old tapes though, the night Archie Bell played there in 1977, place was packed and atmosphere was great. Sounds pretty poor nowadays though whereas Run Baby Run still sounds like a classic.

Stereo version comes off the UK London LP issued when the single was a big reissue hit.

That was played on the tail end of Crying My Heart Out, late 77/early 78. Also one called Too Good To Be Forgotten I think.

Same reason as I let all my records go - if I don't sell records, I don't have any money to support me and my family! I got another copy anyway, a mint minus one, might have been the one you saw, had it about 2 months now.

I don't touch drugs - not for over 10 years - I can't sit through Roots because it's so boring and how can a white working class bloke from Wolverhampton identify with some Jamaican Rastas who praise an obscure Ethiopian leader, live in poverty, want to burn down Babylon and go back to Africa? There's just nothing there for me to relate to. I like some commercial tracks and lots of dub from the 70's, I was into Reggae from the very early 70's, bought as much as I could as a schoolkid, I have a fair few compilations, to each his own but Roots Reggae is just not a type of music I like or enjoy.

What gear?

THE HEPTONES - A CHANGE IS GOING TO COME - STUDIO ONE SO 2005 (1967) This has been top of my wants list ever since I sold my last one 6 years ago, a truly beautiful track with velvet-like vocals from Leroy Sibbles and an unusually understated Studio One backing with very little brass apart from a sax, and some interesting percussion with bongos to the fore. This is not the Sam Cooke number, it's a Heptones original about a man who's going to get even with his woman if she doesn't change her cheating ways. Beautifully sung, with superb harmony backing. The flip side, "Nobody Knows", is the familiar tale of being cast aside by friends when you have no money. It's nearly as good as the A side. KING STITT - KING OF KINGS - CLANDISC CLA-223 (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKF1joluw8U "You say you rule the nation with version, well I'm the king of kings, and I rule kingdoms" exalts The Ugly One, kicking off a truly brilliant DJ version of Monty Morris' gorgeous "Tears In Your Eyes", the B side to "Say What You're Saying". King Stitt half shouts and half sings this one and the strong melody of the original backing track means it sticks in your mind long after it's over. Best release on Clandisc for me, and a very tough one to find, my only previous copy was a white label pre and I regretted selling that for a long long time. ROLAND ALPHONSO - MUSICAL RESURRECTION - GAS 112 (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSYb0B9KS4 An instrumental masterpiece from Roland Alphonso, improvising over the backing track of Pat Kelly's "Never Give Up" and featuring some fantastic sax and organ work. The official A side is "1000 Tons Of Megaton" which is a cracking version of "Everybody Needs Love", but this side coms up top for me by a long chalk. Production credits go to D. Morgan but I'm pretty sure it's actually B. Lee at the mixing desk. BUSTERS ALL STARS - JET 707 - BLUE BEAT BB 261 (1964) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pew2PVevKxMNow we really are talking. This one is up there with the very best ever Ska instrumentals, I don't know anyone who's heard this that doesn't like it. Basically it's a Ska reworking of "The Peter Gunn Theme" but with some blistering Skatalites solos, the guys take it in turns, so trumpet, sax and trombone all get a chance to make themselves heard, accompanied by handclaps and drums, this one is hot it almost melts your turntable. And unlike the highly rated "Vera Cruz", this one doesn't break down into a mess of free jazz solos with all the soloists playing in a different key.

CORNELL CAMPBELL - GIVE ME LOVE - GREEN DOOR GD.4057 (1973) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-_Z07eAho4 Me, I don't go much for 70's reggae, I find a lot of it just dull and unimagintive, but now and again a shining gem of a record makes it's way into your consciousness, and here is such a record, made all the more special due to the fact it had a touch of mystery behind it. I first heard this record at some time in the mid 80's I think. I'd bought a couple of records from a jumble sale (remember those?), one was Frank Cosmo on Island, the other was a John Holt single on Ackee called "Ecstacy". Anyway I'd never heard either but I knew Frank Cosmo would be an early Ska tune and John Holt would probably be a pleasant reggae love song. When I played the John Holt record I remember thinking it sounded nothing like him, and it was an instantly catchy, soulful number with almost doo-wop harmony backing. In short, it was amazing. In the 90's I somehow managed to discover that the record was actually not by John Holt, instead it was a Cornell Campbell 45 and should have been issued on the Green Door label. The Ackee copy was a mispress. Anyway my mispress copy got sold with one of my early collections, when I had a little money to get a few tunes back, I kept buying copies of "Ecstacy" by John Holt in the hope that one would be the mispress! None were. Then, maybe 7 years ago, I found a proper Green Door copy which I eagerly snapped up, and then later sold, regretfully. Two years ago I found another "Ecstacy" copy which I still have, and then last month, Ebay USA turned up only the second Green Door copy I"ve ever seen, so I bought it from a guy in Jamaica for about $20. Happy days. Anyone want my spare copy? THE TECHNIQUES - YOU DON'T CARE - TREASURE ISLE TI-7001 (1967) For a lot of people, the opening notes to this stellar track can only mean one thing; "Barbwire" by Nora Dean, and rightly so, seeing as she almost charted with her bizarre song about a boy with barbwire in his underpants back in 1969-70...but that intro belongs to THE greatest Rocksteady record ever made, it was a close run thing between Alton Ellis's eponymous classic and this one but "You Don't Care" wins it for me because of that awesome, lilting rhythm, the brilliant backing vocals and an astonishing lead vocal from Pat Kelly - this record has the whole package and I'd class it as being in the 20 best recordings of any type of music ever made. Treasure Isle music to me is music made in heaven, it never grows old and it never goes out of fashion, it's timeless. "You Don't Care" started life as a Curtis Mayfield penned number recorded by The Impressions as "You'll Want Me Back"and there's also a nice, later version by Major Lance. Both are great but neither are as good as this one. Links to both versions above. DERRICK HARRIOTT - BEEN SO LONG - BIG SHOT BI 511 (1968) If there's a better early Reggae 45 than this I'm yet to hear it. One of the maybe three or four records from my old collection that I had to get back come hell or high water, I finally got it back last week, cost a pretty penny mind but it was well worth it. The song was originally a late doo-wop hit for The Pastels featuring Dee Irwin on vocals. Derrick's version obviously updates it by doubling the pace, but the call and male backing response of the title is still present and both versions are supremely soulful, plus there's an extremely catchy organ riff to spice up Derrick's version. All the time the chopping, "Sufferer" type rhythm is propelling the song along and I can honestly say that this is - in my opinion - one of the best 10 Jamaican records ever made, it's one of those you can play, put the needle back on and play again, and do this again and again... I've put a link to both Derrick Harriott's version and also The Pastels original BIG YOUTH - COOL BREEZE - GREEN DOOR GD.4051 (1972) Many Derrick Harriott rocksteady classics were recycled during 1972 and 1973 and turned into DJ classics, mainly by Scotty but also with this one-off from Big Youth riding the "Stop That Train" rhythm - and very effective it is too. Mixing Youth's chatter with a few excerpts from Keith & Tex's original vocals, this is possibly the best of all the Harriott DJ records with the exception maybe of Scotty's "Sesame Street". Scotty's best known track, "Draw Your Brakes" is of course another version of this rhythm and was very popular due to it's use on "The Harder They Come" film soundtrack. "Cool Breeze" is better though.

A few more from me AUGUSTUS PABLO - TOO LATE - TROPICAL AL 025 (1973) A quite stunning melodica version of Alton Ellis' classic "Too Late To Turn Back Now". There's not much else to say really, it's beautiful, as is the original. Never thought I'd be reviewing a record on the Tropical label as everything I've seen on it before hasn't been of great interest. BOB ANDY - I'VE GOT TO GO BACK HOME - ISLAND WI-3040 (1966) A marvelous Studio One production from the period when Ska was morphing into Rocksteady, a short 6 month period which I, but nobody else, calls the 'Rude Boy' period - these records have a distinctive sound of their own. Brilliant song, great vocal, lovely backing. Among the persons who played on I've Got to Go Back Home were drummer Joe Isaacs, Ronald Alphonso on saxophone, Eric Frater on guitar and Jackie Mittoo on keyboards, also handling the rhythm arrangement. The rhythm was recorded and he laid the vocals on a Sunday night. Bunny Wailer and Vizion did harmony (info from Jamaica Gleaner) THE SKATALITES - BALL O' FIRE - ISLAND WI-207 (1965) A ferocious 100mph Ska instrumental from The Skatalites which is easily in the top 10 Ska insts of all time, the sharp eared amongst you may notice that the main riff from this one was sampled by Chaka Demus & Pliers on there huge 90's hit "Tease Me". A stupendous record, possibly bought to many people's attentions on a superb Trojan compilation from early 1969 entitled "Guns Of Navarone" but consequently left off the cd reissues. ERNEST WILSON - SHE'S SO FINE - AMALGAMATED AMG 837 (1969) One of the more obscure releases featured in this session, this is generally reckoned to be Glen Adams and not Ernest Wilson, to add to the confusion, the official A side (a rather too frantic reggae version of "Private Number") is credited to Ernest Jones! Why did they make it so hard for us LOL? Anyway, "She's So Fine" is a lovely Rocksteady tune cut the previous year by Bunny Lee (I think) and features a catchy chorus and an excellent vocal from the multi-talented Mr. Adams. PAT KELLEY - I AM COMING HOME - GAS 125 (1969) This was the follow up to the brilliant "How Long Will It Take", a record which sold thousands of copies on release but was kept from the charts due to most sales being in specialist shops. The next single was a version of The Casinos' classic "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (mistitled on this 45 of course as "If It Don't Work Out") and that was a great choice as it's a fine record. But the track on the B side is even better, and what makes it interesting is that I can't for the life of me find out what the original version of this number is - or even if there is an original - writer credit is P. Kelley but did Pat write it? If he did, he composed an out and out classic, more in keeping with "How Long" that the official A side of this. I'd love to have heard a 'strings' version of this one. Anyway look out for this, you should be able to get a copy for under £20 and I don't think you'll ever regret it, two truly superb sides for the price of one.

Don't worry about that mate, sell yours if you can, I can't do anything til I pick this one up and going by the weather, it may be a few days. Appreciate the gesture though, thank you.

It's the strings that make the record great I think, the original is good but the strings version is so much better.

Yep it was a great list until you listed that one...

It's a good idea Blake but at the end of the day, every record we've spoken about on here can be found on youtube and download in 10 seconds if required, it's easier just to list titles of the great records and let people download them. Just my opinion, don't shout at me

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There's no Jiving Juniors release from the UK that didn't come out in Jamaica as far as I can see from the discography.

I bought one off Swoz 3 years ago maybe 4 but can't remember who I sold it to.

Yes. You'd have to pay me a lot of money to sit through more than 5 minutes of Roots Reggae.

Not really - all the UK labels made both variations so that jukebox operators could knock the middles out.

They did but that was mainly around 69-70 when the producers could afford to come over here themselves to speak to Trojan and Pama.

I'll definitely have a copy of this for sale next week but not seen it yet so can't give you a price and condition, sorry...expecting it monday or tuesday

Anyone seen the documentary or heard of this guy, sounds like an interesting story and mentions a couple of names we are familiar with https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/10477/

Because they licensed music in from all manner of Jamaican labels, in the first year alone mainly Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid so they wouldn't have been able to get those until the 50 year thing applied as the Coxsone and Treasure Isle labels and subsidiaries were still active and releasing new and mainly reissue material of their own.

The Larry Santos and Jon Ford versions are probably about as hard to find as each other but the Jon Ford demo is extremely rare. What people don't realise is that the demo is a different mix to the issue, you need them both to compare but the version on the issue is more powerful than the demo. I've had two demos and maybe four issues, probably the same with Larry Santos. Dave I might have told you this already but I've actually spoken to 'Jon Ford', he was also known as 'Eli Bonaparte', had a minor hit on Decca. He lives in Penn. I asked him if he had any records and he said that the only copies around where some that the Nita Anderson booking agency had to hand out back in 1970.