Tommy McCook & The Supersonics ‎– Greater Jamaica - Moonwalk Reggae (1970)

Tommy McCook, born in 1922, was one of the great heroes of Jamaican music.  In 1963 he formed the Skatellites, one of the great names in early ska music, before pulling together the Supersonics in 1965.  The Supersonics became the house band at Duke Reid's studio and were backing band on many reggae and rocksteady hits in the mid to late sixties.
This album is just gorgeous and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have:



Tracklist

01 Stealing Stealing
02 Lock Jaw
03 Moonlight Groover
04 Funkey Funkey Reggae
05 Quando Mi Amor
06 My Girl
07 Drink Milk
08 Only A Smile
09 Drink Milk
10 You Were To Be
11 Stealing Vol 2
12 Moon Invader
13 Moon Walk

Get it HERE (mediafire) or HERE (adrive).

The Wailing Souls - Wailing Souls (Studio One Roots Reggae)

This 1975 Studio One compilation collects a number of sides the legendary vocal group, The Wailing Souls, recorded with Sir Coxone Dodd in 1969 and 1970.  This is sweet roots goodness that might just help knock the rough edges off your day.



Tracklist:

01         Back Out With It    
02         Mr. Fire Coal Man    
03         Run My People    
04         Thou Shall Not Steal    
05         Row Fisher Man    
06         Real Rock    
07         Got To Be Cool    
08         Pack Up    
09         Can't Catch Me    
10         Hot Road

Get it HERE.

Scientist - Crucial Cuts Vol. 2 (1986)

Scientist is a true innovator in the world of dub reggae.  He was and electric wizard, a protégé of King Tubby, and a fearless vampire killer.  Pour yourself a rum, sit back and check out these crucial cuts.

Tracklist:

01         13 Bread Lane Dub         
02         11 Guava Road Dub         
03         Ethiopian High Priest         
04         The President         
05         Forgive Them Oh Jah         
06         Everlasting Version         
07         Knock Out Version         
08         King Sturgav         
09         People's Choice, The Lion        
10         Dub The Daughter

Get it HERE.

Ruts D.C. - Present Rhythm Collision Volume 1

The Ruts were a very popular UK punk band famous for catchy tunes such as Staring at the Rude Boys:

or Babylon's Burning:

The group's lead singer, Malcolm Owen, died of an overdose in 1980, but the remaining members changed the group's name to Ruts DC and fell further into the reggae that had always deeply influenced the Ruts' sound.  Rhythm Collision Vol. 1 was their first collaboration with Peckham dub master, the Mad Professor, and it is an astonishing album of cuts  blend dub and funk whilst also managing to maintain a punk sensibility.

I was very excited when I found this one at my local boot sale a couple of weeks ago, and I hope you will share in a bit of that excitement.

Check out Push Yourself - Make it Work:

Tracklisting:


01         Whatever We Do (Inst.)        
02         Militant        
03         Push Yourself - Make It Work        
04         Rhythm Collision        
05         Accusation        
06         Pleasures Of The Dance        
07         Weak Heart Dub        
08         Love & Fire

Get it HERE.

Macka B ‎– Looks Are Deceiving (1988)

FIYAH!
This is another heavy Mad Professor production from the late '80s.  Fans of his tripped out digi-dub sound should find plenty to enjoy here, but in addition you get Macka B's fearsome toasting.  Macka B stood out from other UK dancehall toasters because of the clear political and spiritual messages he delivered, and the wry sense of humour in his songs.  Check it:


Tracklist:

01         Looks Are Deceiving        
02         Badder Than Jah        
03         Proud To Be Black        
04         Unemployment Blues        
05         What's He Done?        
06         Joker        
07         Drink Too Much

Get it HERE.

More crap than you can ever imagine...another Snap, Crackle & Pop mix

I'm enjoying making these mixes so here's another one:

More crap than you can imagine.... by Mr Tear on Mixcloud

If you like it and want to take it out, you can download it HERE.

Tapper Zukie - Peace in the Ghetto

 

Tapper Zukie was one of the most popular roots artists of the mid to late '70s, both here in the UK and in Jamaica.  In 1976 he was the warm up act on Patti Smith's UK tour.

This 1978 album sees the man in fine form toasting over some familiar tracks (I'm sure many listeners will recognise the fabulous 'Ghetto Rock').

Tracklist:

01    Peace In The Arena         

02    The City Of Mount Zion         
03    Ghetto Rock
04    Tribute To Steve Biko    
05    Dangerous Woman         
06    Get On The Double         
07    Praise Jah In Gladness         
08    Peace In The City         
09    Bimbo Bimbo

Get it HERE.

I Seek to Know this World

Here's this week's exciting flea market find, a lovely album by The Doves. This crackly old (1979) record is full of some bubbling Nigerian reggae/funk/highlife grooves with plenty of wah-wah and mooginess. You can read more about the group over at Comb & Razor.

Tracklist:

01 Life Is Gone
02 I Seek To Know This World
03 Strange Land
04 True Love Is Gone
05 The Urge To Sing Our Music
06 Living Together
07 I Shall Be Free
08 Lawrence Rest In Peace

Get it HERE.

Junior Delgado - More Treasure Found (1997)

This is a fabulous compilation of roots reggae tracks from Oscar Hibbert aka Junior Delgado. Most of the songs were produced by the man himself however there's also some fantastic productionsfrom roots superstars Lee Perry, Niney the Observer and Dennis Brown. This fella had a phenomenal voice, rich and gravelly like he spent many an hour on the chalice.

"Delgado is best known for the dancehall hit Trickster, which introduced him to the mainstream in the mid 1970s. Later that decade, he had Top 20 hits in Merry Go Round and Fort Augusta which were produced by Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

He also wrote songs for his good friend, Dennis Brown, Jacob Miller and Althea and Donna.

Saxophonist Dean Fraser, who played on Merry Go Round, remembered Delgado as a "hardcore protest singer". Added Fraser: "He never had many big hits in Jamaica but he always had a good following in England."

Delgado was born Oscar Delgado Hibbert at Luke Lane in downtown Kingston. In a 1994 interview with The Gleaner, he said his first recording was the song Reaction which came in 1970 for producer Joe Gibbs.

He continued to record for Gibbs as a solo act and with the harmony group, Time Unlimited, releasing several grassroots hits like African Sound and 23rd Psalms.

But, his first major hit came alongside the teenaged Brown with whom he struck up a solid partnership in the mid 1970s, recording a cover of The Heptones' Party Time, which was done for Brown's DEB label.

Trickster was Delgado's biggest hit song as a solo artiste for DEB, which was followed by Tition, a critique of corrupt politicians.

In the late 1970s, Delgado hooked up with Dunbar and Shakespeare, then the hottest production team in reggae with their revamped Taxi label. Merry Go Round and Fort Augusta remain two of Delgado's biggest hits.

Delgado lived in England for much of the last 20 years, touring Europe and working as a producer. Among the acts he produced for his Incredible Music label were singers Michael Rose, Frankie Paul and Yami Bolo."

­ Howard Campbell

The zip file is hosted on a different file hosting site so please let me know if there are any problems with downloading and stuff.

Tracklist:

01 Warrior No Tarry Ya
02 Thinking
03 Storm Is Coming
04 Chant Chant Chant
05 Run Run
06 Every Natty
07 All I Have Is Love
08 Tichion
09 Mr. Preacher Man
10 House Upon A Rock
11 Freedom Train
12 Life Ain't So Easy
13 Huff An Puff
14 Hypocrites
15 23rd Psalms

Get it HERE.

Yard Style Christmas - Various Artists (1981)

We're full of the Christmas spirit here at the Snap, Crackle and Pop HQ. The sloe gin is flowing and I've just thrown another log on the fire. I thought I should share the love so here is some festive roots reggae for y'all.

Tracklist:

01 The Tamlins & Trinity - Silent Night
02 Barrington Levy & Trinity - I Saw Mommy Kiss A Dreadlocks
03 Home T-4 & Trinity - Dub It For Christmas
04 Carlene Davis & Trinity - Santa Claus Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto
05 Barrington Levy & Trinity - Flash Your Dread
06 Jah Irie Chorus & Dean Fraser - Sensimilla

Get it HERE.

Tony Tuff (1980)

I picked up this lovely slab of roots reggae a few days ago in a local charity shop and thought that this warm April evening would be as good a time as any to share it with you. The Gladiators back Tony Tuff on all these supertight tunes, and production is shared by Yabby You, King Sounds, Mafiatone and Tony Tuff.
Come hear the monolithic, dubby whump of Sweet Maureen, you might like it:


Tracklist:

01 Don't Follow Bad Company
02 Jah Almighty
03 Rumors Of War
04 Lovers Rocking & Skanking
05 We Want No War
06 I'm So Glad
07 Gimme Wha' Me Want
08 Sweet Maureen
09 Now I Know

Get it HERE.

Tiger - Mi Name Tiger (1986)

Lovely bit of ragga and dancehall from 1986. You know you want it. Pom Pom!
(insert sound of airhorn here).

The man got style, and here he is tearing up the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1987:


Tracklist:

01 No Wanga Gut
02 Mi Lover Mi Lover
03 Puppy Love
04 Na Lef Ya So
05 Don't Be Greedy
06 Tiger Talking
07 The Works
08 Follow Mi Model
09 Move Up
10 Me Name Tiger

Get it HERE.

Scotty - Unbelievable Sounds (Trojan 1988)

Sweet reggae and rocksteady sounds from the very early '70s. This'll help ease you through the winter nights.

Tracklist:

01 Draw Your Brakes
02 Children Children
03 Penny For Your Song
04 Jam Rock Style
05 I Worry
06 Musical Chariot
07 Sing Along
08 Rosemarie
09 Sesame Street
10 Lonely Man
11 Riddle I This
12 Monkey Drop
13 I Count The Skank
14 Clean Race
15 Skank In Bed
16 Unbelievable Sounds

Get it HERE.

Total Recall Vol 2 - Various Artists

I've been immensely enjoying the beautiful, clear blue skies and sunshine over the past couple of weeks and this here album has been a perfect accompaniment to the balmy heat. It's a very enjoyable compilation of Jamaican Dancehall hits from the late '70s up to the mid '80s, and every track's a winner. All the songs were produced by the late, great Henry 'Junjo' Lawes and if you're interested, you can find out more about him HERE.

Tracklist:

A1 Michigan & Smiley - Diseases
A2 Josey Wales - Woola Woope
A3 Sinbad - Fisherman Style
A4 Lee Van Cliff - Boom Salute
A5 Tayon - Stylee
A6 Josey Wales - Leggo Me Hand Gateman
A7 Eek-A-Mouse - Wah Do Them
B1 Michigan & Smiley - What Type Of World
B2 Nicodemus - Boneman Connection
B3 Josey Wales - Bobo Dread
B4 Charlie Chaplin - Bubbling Telephone
B5 Tayon - Barry G
B6 Michigan & Smiley - Come When Jah Call You
B7 Sister Nancy - Dance Pan The Corner

Get it HERE.

Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton (1985)

I'm afraid I've been having trouble uploading to Mediafire at the minute, so this great album's been uploaded to Rapidshare. Sorry in advance to anyone who finds themself having to wait to download this. But I will say, this on IS worth a little wait...absolutely fantastic British reggae from straight out of the Ariwa studios in Peckham. Pato Banton works some lyrical magic over the Professor's super tight digital dub workouts. My favourite tune on the album is 'My Opinion', it has this violin snaking about in the background that just makes me go weak at the knees:

Tracklist:

01		Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton
02		Gwarn! (Go On)
03		Nuff Kind Of Dread
04		King Step
05		Give Me Oil
06		My Opinion

Get it HERE

Mataya Clifford - Star Fell from Heaven (1976)

This is a weird, mixed up mess of loads of different sounds and styles, all of which must have filtered through the ears of Mataya Clifford during his 1970s in Ladbroke Grove. The music here is sometimes kind of funk-rock, sometimes soulful and awash with mad strings, there's some reggae influences in there, and then the whole lot has this SOUND that is very pub-rock, or maybe influenced by the Notting Hill community bands of the period. I don't know. Maybe its none of these things and just some shonky old record I found in a flea market.

You decide:

Tracklist:

01. Star Fell From Heaven
02. Black Woman

03. Things Are Going My Way

04. Amazing Grace

05. Mama (Stay A Little While)

06. Just A Little Love

07. Running

08. Little Girl

09. Lost Child

Get it HERE.

Guns of Navarone - Various Artists (Trojan Records 1969)

Picked this one up last week in the bargain bin of a second hand record shop in Brighton. The record is in pretty awful condition and the recording has a few skips and jumps, I imagine its seen its share of parties for this a great compilation of fantastic ska and reggae tunes. Some, like the title track or 'Bonanza Ska', will be familiar to many, but others are wonderfully obscure. Baba Brooks' jazzy sound was a revelation to me upon first listen, and I'm also loving the Skatalites' 'Ball O' Fire'.

Tracklist:

01 Skatalites - Guns Of Navarone
02 Baba Brooks - Bank To Bank Part 1
03 Ike & Crystalites - Illya Kurayakin
04 Tommy McCook - Saboo
05 Carlos Malcolm - Bonanza Ska
06 Baba Brooks - Vitamin A
07 Lyn Tate & Jets - Something Stupid
08 Flames, The - Broadway Jungle
09 Tennors, The - Copy Me Donkey
10 Roland Alphonso - El Pussy Cat
11 Eric Morris - Penny Reel
12 Soul Brothers, The - Sound Pressure
13 Lyn Tate & Jets - Napoleon Solo
14 Skatalites, The - Ball O' Fire
15 Baba Brooks - Guns Fever
16 Baba Brooks - Bank To Bank Part 2

Get it HERE if you don't mind a bit of crackle and pop.

Bad Brains - Rock for Light (Abstract 1983)

The power of Bad Brains' classic 1983 hardcore album has not diminished over the years. Lightning fast and taut like razor-wire this record helped to define the sound of American punk. While Rock for Light is available on CD, the version that you can buy is completely different to this vinyl release. The CD contains 20 songs, most of which are significantly faster than the original recordings.
Check out this clip of a 1982 live show at New York's CBGB's. Total chaos:



Tracklisting:

1. Coptic Times
2. Attitude
3. We Will Not
4. Sailin' On
5. Rally 'Round Jah Throne
6. Right Brigade
7. F.V.K.
8. Riot Squad
9. The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

1. Joshua's Song
2. Banned in D.C.
3. How Low Can a Punk Get?
4. Big Takeover
5. I and I Survive
6. Destroy Babylon
7. Rock for Light
8. At the Movies

Get it HERE.

Scratch the Upsetter - Revolution Dub (Anachron 1990)

"This is dub revolution: music to rock the nation"

Originally released in 1975, Revolution Dub is Lee Perry's landmark dub album. The record is the result of years of experimentation in his Black Ark Studio, exploring the phonic possibilities of the mixing desk and twisting the music of The Upsetters into impossible shapes. The group's easy rhythms are stripped bare and splashed with fragments of vocal or dialogue from a broken television set that burbles away in a forgotten corner. The whole thing is a bit reminiscent of the feeling you get when you sit in a dark room on a very sunny day.

Tracklist:

01 Revolution Dub
02 Woman's Dub
03 Kojak
04 Doctor on the Go
05 Bush Weed
06 Dreadlock Talking
07 Own Man
08 Dub the Rhythm
09 Rain Drops

Get it HERE.

Animal Records - Various Artists (Animal 1982)

Lovely compilation of stuff from Chris Stein of Blondie's Animal Records label. Great tracks from The Gun Club, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Iggy Pop and James White and the Blacks. Snuky Tate was new to me, and I Don't Know Samba is a pretty messed up percussion thing, while Babylon Under Pressure is weird no wave dub. Not sure about Walter Steding though.

Here's some little tasters for you. First up, some of that lowdown swamp rock fromTav Falco, playing live on some late night poker show in 1999:


This is the Gun Club preaching the voodoo blues at the Hacienda in 1983:


Here' s a clip from Downtown 81. This film was shot in the '80s, starred Jean-Michel Basquiat and featured a host of New York musicians and artists including Fab Five Freddy, James Chance, Debbie Harry and DNA. This clip features James White and the Blacks and Walter Steding in the Mudd Club:


Tracklist:

01 The Gun Club - Run Through the Jungle
02 Walter Steding - Dancing in Heaven
03 Panther Burns - Panther Man
04 Iggy Pop - The Horse Song
05 The Gun Club - Like Calling Up Thunder
06 Panther Burns - I'm On This Rocket
07 Iggy Pop - The Villagers
08 Walter Steding - All the Way
09 Snuky Tate - I Don't Know Samba
10 James White & The Blacks - The Twitch
11 Snuky Tate - Babylon Under Pressure
12 James White & The Blacks - Irresistable Impulse

Get it HERE.