Sanctuary Records Group - Trojan

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Trojan 12" Box Set

Released on 22 April 2003.

"Primarily focusing upon the material issued on Trojan's own 12 inch singles issued during the latter part of the seventies and early eighties, this compilation features 30 superb mega-mixes of some of the biggest Reggae hits of the day. Included are many of Jamaican music's biggest names, including Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs, John Holt and Lee Perry, with the majority of tracks featured previously unavailable on CD. This is surely one of the greatest collections of extended Reggae cuts of all time"

 

I enjoyed this set very much as it featured some of the Disco Mix Extended versions of theses songs. Some of them petered out into insignificance and mybe don't do much at home but out the extended mix allowed for creative dub Dj's or toasters to take over. In retrospect some of the extensions are valid, some less so.

 

However before I start to review the key cuts I have to mention one track that passed me by or didn't stick in my head. If the latter shame on me but I Will Never Change/Version - Cornell Campbell & The Aggrovators is absolutely phenomenal. The vocals on this are so soulful with sweet harmonies, it really is a hairs on the back of the neck job. More Lovers than Lovers and more Rockers than Rockers, soulful in the extreme.

 

The album kicks off with the obligatory Bob Marley, Small Axe/Battle Axe – Bob Marley & The Wailers & The Upsetters. Derrick Harriott always puts in faultless vocal performances and this slow and sexy rendition of Let Me Down Easy is no exception.

 

Hurt So Good/Loving Is Good - Susan Cadogan & The Upsetters is one that realy cuts loose on a discomix, a favourite song of mine by Katie Love and the Four Shades of Black (and not Millie Jackson) but still sounds good with Susan's shrill and non octave challenging style.

 

More great vocals on the slow grooving Rock A Bye Woman/Version - Freddie McKay and Love Me Girl/Version - Leroy Sibbles illustrating that there were still song great songs around in the middle ground between Lovers and Rasta. This groove continues on both Just Say Who/Version - Delroy Wilson & The Aggrovators and Moving Away/Version - Dennis Brown & The Observers aalong with the aforementioned Cornell. All conscious people here but all excelling on downbeat love grooves with the vocals to the fore. A run of five good songs that will take some beating.

 

The distinctive voice on Materialist/Poor Man Style - Horace Andy & The Observers. This is where more conscious lyrics come in and more adventurous and provoking dub and echo.   Clap The Barber/Run Bald Head Dub - Michael Rose & The Observer Band – distinctive voice but not one of his best, neither is You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine/Version - John Holt & The Aggrovators version of Lou Rawls, although a cracking bassline, and the song did meet with some success.

 

DISC 2 starts with a master cut, more of the great DB - Wolf And Leopard/No Conscience - Dennis Brown & The Observers, again a slow reggae beat allowing Dennis's vocal to ease over this enduring masterpiece. I’m Still In Love/Three Piece Suit is a rhthm that is well known and popularised by the number one hit by Althea & donna, but this version predates it by Marcia Aitken & the excellent DJ style of Trinity also on show. One of the most memorable and biggest around back then was the Cool Ruler himself Gregory Isaacs and Never Be Ungrateful/Dub is so typical. Then madness takes over!   Bionic Rats - Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & The Upsetters.

 

Typically one of these sides would be 5 orr 6 minutes but Worth Your Weight In Gold - Delroy Wilson is extended to over 9, and a soulful delight it is too, over 5 minutes of Southern Soul tradition and then taken over by Gussie's studio antics.

The next three tracks have big name vocals and Prince Jammy at the controls - You’re No Good - Ken Boothe & Prince Jammy - Born Free - Michael Rose & Jammy -  Stand And Look - Dad Brown, th elatter track being particularly nice.  

Never Give Up In A Babylon - Pancho Alphonso & The Revolutionaries is a sweet Rasta calling tune.  Another sweet tune is Lightning And Thunder/Ball Of Fire - Bim Sherman from a time when Bim was enjoying particular (UK) success.  David Isaacs resurfaces in late 1979 with Just Like The Seawith Ting A Ling Jah Thomas .

DISC 3:

Money In My Pocket - Dennis Brown & Prince Mohammed, no comment needed but still sounding good and I still love that changeover to the Prince. Colour Of The Rainbow - Dave Richards was one out of leftfield that is worthy of attention this time round if rasta is your sensibility. Another one with a second showcase is Bim, illustrating his popularity of the day, and we're about 1979 now with Why Won’t You Come On

Caution - The Sowell Radics is one of those sounds of the day, pounding undernath the arches at Carnival. We're deep in Linval Thompson territory now and bring on sweet Barry Brown, hard edged bassline, heavy dubs and dancehall style - Cool Pon Your Corner, and then the hard, real hard militant stylee of Pop No Style - Linval Thompson. More dancehall with Pretty Woman - Eddie Fitzroy

Personally I would have chosen the original cut but nonetheless the anthemic Kouchi Vibes/Pass The Knowledge - The Mighty Diamonds is a superb piece.

The Sugar man hit pay dirt a few years earlier but this from his debut Trojan Ghetto-Ology - Sugar Minott. Another voice that was huge at the time was Tristan Palmer and I still recall to this day slates coming down in a Rodigan soundclash back then, can't recall if it was this one but it could well have been, the distinctive Settle Down Girl.

Closing in fine style with If I Didn’t Want Your Loving - The Majesterians.

A cracking showcase, fine indeed.

3-CD SET

  DISC 1:

  Small Axe/Battle Axe – Bob Marley & The Wailers & The Upsetters

  Let Me Down Easy/Version - Derrick Harriott & The Crystalites

  Hurt So Good/Loving Is Good - Susan Cadogan & The Upsetters

  Rock A Bye Woman/Version - Freddie McKay

  Love Me Girl/Version - Leroy Sibbles

  Just Say Who/Version - Delroy Wilson & The Aggrovators

  I Will Never Change/Version - Cornell Campbell & The Aggrovators

  Moving Away/Version - Dennis Brown & The Observers

  Three Blind Mice/Three Times Three - Leo Graham & King Tubby & the Upsetters

  Materialist/Poor Man Style - Horace Andy & The Observers

  Clap The Barber/Run Bald Head Dub - Michael Rose & The Observer Band

  You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine/Version - John Holt & The Aggrovators

  DISC 2:

  Wolf And Leopard/No Conscience - Dennis Brown & The Observers

  I’m Still In Love/Three Piece Suit - Marcia Aitken & Trinity

  Never Be Ungrateful/Dub - Gregory Isaacs

  Bionic Rats - Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & The Upsetters

  Worth Your Weight In Gold - Delroy Wilson

  You’re No Good - Ken Boothe & Prince Jammy

  Born Free - Michael Rose & Jammy

  Stand And Look - Dad Brown

  Never Give Up In A Babylon - Pancho Alphonso & The Revolutionaries

  Lightning And Thunder/Ball Of Fire - Bim Sherman

  Just Like The Sea/Ting A Ling - David Isaacs & Jah Thomas

  DISC 3:

  Money In My Pocket - Dennis Brown & Prince Mohammed

  Colour Of The Rainbow - Dave Richards

  Why Won’t You Come On - Bim Sherman

  There’s A Song - Pat Kelly

  Caution - The Sowell Radics

  Cool Pon Your Corner - Barry Brown

  Pop No Style - Linval Thompson

  Pretty Woman - Eddie Fitzroy

  Kouchi Vibes/Pass The Knowledge - The Mighty Diamonds

  Ghetto-Ology - Sugar Minott

  Settle Down Girl - Tristan Palmer

  If I Didn’t Want Your Loving - The Majesterians

 

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