Friday, December 12, 2008

7" REGGAE SINGLES.



This started with some conversation over in the comments of Japanther's 'Singles Night', I mentioned that most of my 7" singles came from Kingston Jamaica, I used enjoy going there regularly and would always buy whatever was popular at that time, I accumulated quite a few. Kingston is hot, it's tropical and so in the summer every door and window is open and everyone seems to play their music loud so as you travel about you hear a wonderful cross section of all kinds of reggae and it's all on 7" singles or radio. I offered to post a few so here's some that bring back memories of many summers spent there.

1. Rock my Soul by Marcia Griffith, I'3's. Classic gospel with a twist.
2. G.P. General Penitentiary. Gregory Isaacs meditates on time spent there.
3.Get Flat, every posse get flat by The Bloodfire Posse. Came out of nowhere, who the hell are the Bloodfire Posse, nobody knew. First use of electronic distortion in reggae, biggest hit of the year, you heard it everywhere.
4. Melting Pot by Light of Love, a trio of young Kingston women, I love 'em.
5. Time by Kiddus I, I spent some time with Kiddus, he told me how he 'took up a rifle against the inequities of government', he was arrested and spent many years in jail, several in solitary. He told me of a poem he wrote the first night out of solitary where he'd been in a windowless cell, the poem was titled "I saw the moon last night", it made me weep.
6. Final Decision by Sophie George, a young ghetto girl trying to make it as a singer, she writes her own songs.
7. Roots Girl by Brigadier Jerry, Briggy tells exactly what he wants in a girl, she must be a 'roots' girl.
8. Hard Times by the 7th Extension, another group that came out of the blue.
9. Cool Runnings by Bunny Wailer, Another massive hit that everybody was singing all summer, you heard it coming out of every house.
10. Cool Runnings version, the version' was a manipulated instrumental on the B side of a single, the origin of dub.
11. Jah Jah Children by Uriel Dunkley, a singer popular with collectors but not widely known outside of Ja.
12. This little boy is Lost by Jimmy Riley, backed by the Wailers, long time great reggae artist.
13. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Big Youth, lovely lad, one of the originators of this style.
14. Outformer Parker by I Roy, another in the same league as Youth, don't ask me what the song's about, no idea.

7 comments:

Luke-sensei said...

Thanks for posting those GF, all great and the perfect accompaniment to an unseasonally hot and sunny afternoon over here. Loved the Sophie George and Brigadier Jerry tracks especially...

Anonymous said...

An anticipatory Thank You from me, gf. As I've already said to ToffeeBoy, I frustratingly haven't been able to get PodBean to play anything all weekend.

I'll be - um - saving those cuts asap. Cheers Mr.B.

Anonymous said...

Got 'em now, goneforeign. Some cracking tunes there, although with others I'm REALLY not convinced that combining reggae & synthpop works. A couple really get a DsD "Meh", and I don't normally react that badly to reggae.

Fascinating stuff though, thanks.

TracyK said...

Much as DsD said, I also have a huge aversion to the synth in my reggae and dub, so the more organic ones really floated my boat, especially the last two. Really unseasonal, but!

goneforeign said...

DsD & Tracy: Me too, I put them in only for their 'novelty' and the fact that they had such an impact on the Kingson population,
not my style but Youth & I Roy are.

steenbeck said...

Thanks, goneforeign, a wonderful list. I think the beastie boys sample #13. I have two tracks by Errol Dunkley, is that the same fellow?

goneforeign said...

Steen: Not sure if they're related, Uriel is rather obscure though of course it's possible.