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musicology #134

theGood,Bad&theUgly #1

(Augustus Pablo – Cassava Piece)

this weeks selection is a project that themusicologist first played around with 10 years ago when the ‘techne’ was beginning to make it possible to ‘mix & blend’ media together.

the impact of the spaghetti western on contemporary street culture cannot be overestimated. especially in Jamaica where the ‘gun-man’ was beginning to dominate in the wild west atmosphere of Kingson’s shanty towns.

The Good The Bad & The Ugly, (the third film in the trilogy), was released in Italy at the end of 1966 but took a year to be released around the world, (opening in America in Dec 1967), widely criticised for it’s gratuitous violence, (amazing when you consider that Vietnam was in full swing), it was an instant success and inspired a  whole generation of  youngbloods which continues to this day.

Tarantino called it “the best directed film of all time”

Apart from masterful direction by Sergio Leone it also featured the atmospheric brilliance of Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack, (there is very little dialogue in the film), and great performances from the ‘Anti-Heroes’ Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef.

for themusicologist the only film with a comparable impact, (on the streets), was Scarface.

the Kung Fu films of the 70’s and early eighties were influential but The Good, The Bad & The Ugly and Scarface are beyond compare when it comes to influence. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Jamaica, especially in directing the music and the cat responsible for cementing this ‘gunman style’ was none other than Augustus Pablo. this 1972 cut on his brothers Rockers label follows on from the Lee Perry tradition of utilising the western theme and the only thing left for me to say is…

“when you have to shoot, shoot…don’t talk”

musicology #132

instrumentalsweek #5

(Rupie Edwards All Stars – Your New Love)

penultimate cut on the players selection and it’s another pearl from Jamaica. a Winston Wright organ led version of one of themusicologists favourite pieces of early Reggae, singer Dobby Dobson’s top ranking song ‘Your New Love’

although a singer of some fine songs Rupie Edwards was and is better known for his skills as a producer, having worked with such luminaries as Johnny Clarke, The Heptones, Gregory Issacs, the great Joe Higgs and foundation DJ’s U Roy and I Roy, (to name a few), and his contribution to the development of ‘Dub’ is sometimes overlooked. before the ‘version’ became the standard B-Side to every Jamaican 45, Rupie Edwards was experimenting with the instrumental and this one is an example of his capabilities.

(Probable Session Line Up)

Saxophone – Tommy McCook
Trombone – Vin Gordon
Drums – Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis
Guitar – Hux Brown
Piano – Gladstone ‘Gladdy’ Anderson
Bass – Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson
Organ – Winston Wright

musicology #123

socialcommentaryweek #3

(Earl Sixteen – The System)

one of themusicologists favourite pieces of social commentary from 1994. a 45 on the appropriately titled Voice In Progress label

listen tune..

musicology #120

jamboree #7

(Derrick Harriott – No Man Is An Island)

tasty slice of the Jamboree pie from Mr ‘One Stop’. Vocalist, producer and ‘Reggae’ pioneer whose contribution to the development of Jamaican musicology from the earliest days, (with the Jiving Juniors 1958-62), right through the Ska and Rocksteady periods and into the sound we know and love today deserves honouring.

from the 1976 LP.. Music For Midnight Lovers

“No man is an island, no man stands alone,
treat each man as your brother and remember that each man’s dream is your own”

musicology #115

jamboree #2

(Michael Israel – Badness)

day two of the jamboree with a ‘one tune’ tribute to Jamaican Music ambassador and long time musicologist Michael ‘Mikey Dread’ Campbell who, sadly, succumbed to a Brain Tumor, 10 days ago….never knew the man but know, appreciate and value the man’s music

Respect is due…Rest In Peace.

musicology #113

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #36

(New Establishment – People Skanking)

final cut from Jackie and the last of the six/six/six. it was a toss up between this and a tune called Wall Street, (which is one of my personal favourites), but I went with this one because, for me, it sums up perfectly how music can give you the strength, (and courage), to keep on ‘stepping’ in the right direction. One of those ‘call to arms’ tunes that not only communicates but also delivers…another diamond from the Studio1 showroom that does exactly what the title suggests.

just leaves me to thank you all for listening and the six artists;

Sam Cooke / Stevie Marriott / Alton Ellis / Curtis Mayfield / Paul Weller and Jackie Mittoo for providing the ammunition over the past six weeks to ‘lick shot’

musicology #94

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #17

(Alton Ellis – Sun Of Man)

I was out last Saturday night celebrating what I sincerely hope is the start of something BIG for a valued friend who deserves all the success that comes his way. the cat is a constant source of inspiration and I would like to thank him for his support and for showing a way to navigate through these troubled times.

I mention this because it was much later on in the ‘wee wee hours’ of said night while kicking back at a pals house that I attempted to put on a Studio1 compilation, (The soul of Studio1, I think?), that was laying around…But there was one person, (not the man above I hasten to add), who objected with words to the effect of:

“not Reggae…anything but Reggae, I can’t deal with it…just not tuned in to it”

I was tempted to get all Socratic on the unit and challenge him on what he actually meant by those words…but in the spirit of the evening, I let it go..

don’t get me wrong…I’m certainly not suggesting that everyone has to like or listen to any and every form of music but to dismiss it purely because of what you think it might be is, for me, a mistake.

the point I suppose I’m making is that music belongs to us all no matter what our colour, class or creed and Alton Ellis is an emotive singer, full of pathos and musicology that deserves to be heard. a singer, songwriter and performer of the highest calibre who has been an important and valued teacher on themusicologists journey and no matter how many visits he gets this week continues to be a rock on which to tie my musical anchor apoun.

Mid seventies selection on the new york based ‘Clintones’ label.

musicology #93

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #16

(Alton Ellis – I’m Still In Love)

a piece of Valentines day musicology delivered by Mr Soul of Jamaica…Alton Ellis.

if it sounds familiar but you can’t quite place it this is the original cut to Trinity’s top ranking Saturday night special ‘Three Peice Suit’ which in turn spawned the more well known cut by Althea & Donna ..’Uptown Top Ranking’

musicology #92

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #15

(Alton Ellis – Hurting Me)

next piece from Mr Ellis…yet another Brentford Road, (Studio1), diamond.

one from out of the top drawer..with what sounds like the Heptones on backing vocals..definately Leroy Sibbles on the ‘four string’ delivering the essential bassline vibes.

Studio1, (and Leroy Sibbles in particular), pioneered the bass as an essential reggae ingredient. before him the bass was almost inaudible..maybe it was due to the fact that not only was Leroy Sibbles an all round musicologist in charge of arrangement, production, (after Jackie Mittoo left for Canada), and vocal duties but he was also resident bass player at the peak of the Studio1 sound.

stands to reason that he would favour the bass drenched approach, (although the ‘ganja’ must have had something to do with it too !!), anyway hold this top ranking cut sung by Alton with all the soul a man can muster…no wonder he was known as Mr Soul Of Jamaica…a richly deserved title…one of themusicologists favourite reggae cuts, slides into the dubwise..dancehall, discomix style.

musicology #91

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #14

(Alton Ellis – You Make Me Happy)

day two of the Alton selection is a piece from the early 70’s cut for Jamaica’s dominant production house, Coxsone Dodd’s Studio1. After a succesfull spell at rival Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle singing rocksteady classics Alton returned to Studio1, (I imagine), as the sweet and heavy sounds coming out of Brentford Road at that time were second to none, (Treasure Isle was also on it’s last legs)

With musicologists such as Jackie Mitto and Leroy Sibbles, (to name but two), at the controls the Studio1 sound had evolved into something special as well as unique and no studio could contest Dodd’s during this period. (it would take Channel 1, structured on the Studio1 sound, to try and wrest control from Coxsone in the mid 70’s),

Alton and Coxsone collaborated successfully at the birth of the Jamaican music industry in 1959 and although there would have been no love lost due to their previous financial dealings both knew their musical ‘onions’ inside out and had great respect for each others musical knowledge so a reunion was always on the cards…Alton Ellis had a very special quality that few possess, namely to make any tune sound like his own..

this song, (extended dancehall ‘discomix’), co written by Brenda Holloway and Frank Wilson, was made ‘famous’ by the group Blood, Sweat & Tears but for themusicologist Alton’s is the one that does it most justice…

for another example of the man’s special quality check Alton’s rendition of the Bee Gees song Massachusetts, (musicology #60), thrown down during ‘coversweek’

musicology #90

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #13

(Alton Ellis – If I Could Rule This World)

this week it’s the turn of ‘Mr Soul of Jamaica’, the legendary Kingstonian..Alton Ellis.

foundation reggae artist who has been recording authentic Jamaican music since the late 1950’s !!

starting out his recording career with Coxsone, (Dodd), before he had set up Studio1, Alton Ellis has been at the forefront of Jamaican music for almost half a century and stands as tall as any other artist Jamaica has produced. name checked by most, if not all, of the Jamaican singers that followed as an inspiration, Alton recorded and worked with all the major players of the Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae periods..musicians, producers, engineers..have all been touched by the mans qualities. you don’t come by the name ‘Mr Soul’ for nothing…(checkback to the first of the six/six/six artists..Sam, (Mr Soul), Cooke. musicology #75-83)

setting the tone for the coming week of Jamaican musicology this piece is taken from his 1967 album ‘Mr Soul Of Jamaica’ produced by rock-steady king Duke Reid the ‘Trojan’ and backed by Tommy McCook and the Supersonics

just like to mention that Alton is, (hopefully), recovering from treatment for a serious life threatening illness and if any one is in contact with him please let him know that this weeks tribute to a legend on themusicologist is all about him and his musical legacy..wishing and hoping for a full recovery

musicology #74

newyearboogie #6 (Horace Andy – Problems)

penultimate piece from the newyearboogie selection and then it’s into the oneartistspecial rundown.

this one from Horace Andy is a tune that’s been in my possesion for more than 20 years, (how time flies!!), and is from the early days of my quest for reggae knowledge..it’s a Leonard ‘Santic’ Chin production from the mid 70’s on Keith Hudson’s Atra Label…one of two different, (but equally boss), tunes by Horace that go by the same name. the other being an Augusto Pablo production for his ‘Rockers’ Label, which is a different tune entirely.

Many’s the time this tune has lifted the problem monkey off me back with it’s simple message of faith and determination in our ability to overcome…”no matter how dreary the situation is and how difficult it may be”. one of the vibes that attracted me to reggae is the sincerity and honesty that comes across in much of it and this one is a prime example…

for themusicologist a foundation reggae tune.

musicology #71

newyearboogie #3 (Johnny Clarke – Age Is Growing)

been involved in a lot of interesting debates over the last few weeks one of which concerned themusicologist and how it was/is evolving…..

allow me to elucidate…the early posts, (musicology #1-7), were raw, intense, deeply personal and provided a much needed outlet for expressing how it felt to be, once again, staring into the abyss and as music has always provided themusicologist with a most effective outlet for emotional expression the musical diary was born.

but when you find yourself on the ‘hill and gully ride’ as sure as day follows night, up follows down. and the next stage of evolution took themusicologist on a journey from down low to up high which just goes to show that “joy and pain are like sunshine and rain”

without getting too philosophical I suppose this could be seen as striking the eternal balance..or to put it another way the polarisation of extremity…hmmmm.

don’t get me wrong, ‘hill and gully’ has a lot going for it but, as I’m sure you will agree, it’s a hard road to travel and has just as many, if not more, pitfalls associated with it than ‘slow and steady’.

it’s like riding a wave, sometimes you can stick to it like glue and you feel invincible and nothing or no-one can stop you. other times the wave comes crashing down and it’s immediate wipe out …. but I suppose if you ride like lightning, stands to reason that you’re more likely to crash like thunder.

in a sentance, themusicologist is a soundtrack to an existence…and as the only thing constant in life is change so the message is always changing but, there is always a message there.

so, with that ‘off me string vest’ back to newyearboogie…

this piece, sung from the heart and mind of roots and culture legend Mr Johnny Clarke, is from the very special and life changing year of 1995 when it appeared as if by magic on the occasion of my first born child ..

“man don’t run around every day wasting time, man don’t sit around every day, watching the days go by…just think of the youts cos there’s a lot to be done” …

true enough it kicked themusicologist up the arse back then so what better way to confirm and reiterate the direction of 2008 than with this prime slice of musicology. Winston ‘Niney’ Holness production on his own Observer label. proof, if needed, that music will always be there to deliver inspiration.

musicology #56

coversweek .. day #4 (I Shall Be Released – Heptones)

“I see the light come shining from the west up to the east … anyday now, anyday now… I shall be released”

top ranking piece of Studio1 ‘ sufferers’ action from one of the great Jamaican vocal groups. Leroy Sibbles was also musical director, arranger, bass player, producer, (along with Sylvan Morris) and all round musicologist for the Brentford Road powerhouse after Jackie Mittoo had packed his bags for Canada in 1971.

the lyrics are courtesy of Bob Dylan who may or may not have been aware of this cover due to the non existent copyright laws on the island … but i’m sure he would have approved as the group certainly brought something new to the song.

musicology #54

coversweek .. day2 (Soulful Love – Pat Kelly)

moving into the sweet sounds of Jamaica with this ‘Father Curtis’ penned tune. Originally sung by the Impressions in 1970, (if memory serves me right?) this piece produced by the man known as Phil Pratt. Sung by the majestic Pat Kelly, released in Jamaica on the SunShot Label.

for themusicologist it has all the attributes .. lyrics, vocals and production combining to deliver pure harmony….

listen tune..

musicology #37

doublebubble .. day3

(Bob & Marcia – Always Together)

one of themusicologists favourite duets. this time from 1970 and the island of Jamaica. epitomising the sound of late 60’s early 70’s reggae and one that many a genuine rudeboy/skinhead would have moved to down at El Partido.

I have 3 versions of this, the UK mix/the dancehall 12″ and this one which, after much deliberation is the one that has come out on top. I love the 12″ just as much but it’s more of a specialists cut, (9 mins long), made for playing ‘in the dance’….

the male singer in the duet is also the songwriter, (one of Jamaicas finest poets), and I would imagine, for this session at least, is heavily involved in arrangement, production and final mix down. no prizes for guessing that its yet another Studio1 production.

musicology #17

(Carlton & His Shoes – This Heart Of Mine)

majestic piece of reggaematical musicology for our listening pleasure.

no surprise that the cream of Jamacia’s musicologists are sitting down on this session as the harmony speaks for itself.

musicology #13

(Alton Ellis – Its Too Late To Turn Back Now)

Believe me when I tell you .. it’s not easy choosing what piece to throw down. seems like every time I set myself to post, something more suitable appears, (that’s what comes of listening to music day and night I suppose !!)

Not that I’m complaining as music is nutrition for the soul but personally I find it very easy to get ‘lost in music’ which is fine if theres nothing else that needs doing but in this age that luxury is for the few, (and I’m not one of ’em!!)

Hold this majestic piece of Sunday afternoon lovers from the vaults ..