reggae music

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 #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’