Play List 31/08/06

You're Wondering Now - Andy & Joey (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Baby Elephant Walk - The Skatalites (The Rough Guide to Ska CD)
Skaravan - Roland Alphonso (Top-Deck Ska 45's Box 7", Top-Deck)
A Little Mashin' - Bunny & Skitter (The Rough Guide to Ska CD)
Johnny Cool Man - The Maytals (Beverly's 7")
Soldering - Desmond Dekker (Gaz Mayall Top Ska Tunes CD, Trojan)
Broadway Jungle - The Maytals (Blue Beat 7"/CD-R)
Western Flyer - Baba Brooks (Sufflin' On Bond Street, Trojan)
Collie Foot - Baba Brooks (Four Seasons LP, King Edwards)
Collie Bud - Skatalites (Randy's 7")
Woman Come - Marguerita (More Intensified Vol. 2 LP, Island)
Islam - Prince Buster (Islam 7"/CD-R)
7 Wonders of the World - Prince Buster Allstars (King of Ska CD, Jet Star)
If You Want Pardon - Higgs & Wilson (Blue Beat 7"/CD-R)
Saturday Night - Joe Higgs (Islam /CD-R)
I Am The Song (The Prophet) - Joe Higgs (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
You Hurt My Soul - Joe Higgs (Island 7"/CD-R) *
The Wave of War - Joe Higgs (Sioux 7"/CD-R)
More Slavery - Joe Higgs (Micron 7"/CD-R)
Happiness Is My Desire - Leroy Smart (Fe-Me-Time 7")
No Love - Leroy Smart (Dread Hot In Africa 2LP, Makasound)
No Love Version - King Tubby's (Dub Done Crazy CD, Blood & Fire)
Channel One Under Heavy Manners - Prince Jammy (Dub Gone 2 Crazy CD, Blood & Fire)
Mother Liza - Leroy Smart (Keep the Pressure Down CD, Fe-Me-Time)
Without Love - Leroy Smart (Well Charge 7")
Nice Up the Scene - Leroy Smart (World Wide Success 7")
She Just A Draw Card - Leroy Smart (Tad's 12")
Respect to Jammy's - Leroy Smart (King Jammy's Presents Dub Plates Vol.1 CD, Melodie)
Hackle Dem - Thriller U (Firehouse 7")
Fever - Horace Andy (Legends of Reggae Vol.6 CD, Artists Only)
Pumpkin Belly - Tenor Saw (Jammy's 7")
Nuff Respect - Lady G (Music Work's Show Case 88 LP, Greensleeves)
* Audio Download

Links for the week:
Dance Crasher's Rocksteady to Roots podcast
Prince Buster reissues on D&B Far East Records
Joe Higgs Respect is Overdue and an article on his influence on Bob Marley

The Resurrectors

The Resurrectors will be playing at the Woollahra Hotel on 31 August and at the Beach Road Hotel, Bondi, on September 21. Check 'em out. Also check their new album out on Future Classic

Also two gigs you might want to check this Saturday nite.

Deliver Me from My Enemies

Latest reissue from Blood and Fire is definitely one to get. Builds on their previous releases of stunning material from Producer Yabby You (King Tubby's Prophecy Of Dub, Jesus Dread, Trinity's Trenchtown Determination and Dub It to the Top). So if you like your roots deep...

Check Blood and Fire or Matsuli Music for more info

Play List 24/08/06

Iron Bar / Mas Charley Bell – Hubert Porter (Take Me To Jamaica CD, Pressure Sounds)
Argument – Vin Gordon (Fighting Dub 1975-1978 CD, Hot Pot)+
Message from the King - Prince Far I (Message From the King CD, Frontline)
I’m Not Ashamed - Culture (Two Sevens Clash CD, Shanachie)
Version - The Mighty Two (No Bones For The Dogs CD, Pressure Sounds)+
Two Sevens Clash - Culture (Two Sevens Clash CD, Shanachie)+
Fulfilment - The Mighty Two (No Bones For The Dogs CD, Pressure Sounds)
Iron Sharpening Iron - Culture (Harder Than The Rest CD, Frontline)+
Money Girl - Culture (Live in Africa CD, Nocturne)+
Skyjack - Bongo Gene Campbell (Pressure Sounds 7")
Close the Gate Dread – The Travellers (Pressure Sounds 7")
Cape to Cairo – King Tubby (Pressure Sounds 7")
Diverse Doctrine – Ras Ibuna (Pressure Sounds 7")
Super Star – Hortense Ellis (Ja-Man 7")
Blood Dunza - Blazing Fire (Ja-Man 7")
Love Jah Always – Rod Taylor (Ja-Man 7")
You're Going Away / Musical Discussion – Rod Taylor (A Lone Productions 10")
Fisherman Style – U Roy (Congos Music Works Int. 7")
Live Good Today – Prince Jazzbo (Blood and Fire 7")
Feed the Nation - Big Youth (Congos Music Works Int. 7")
Fisherman Riddim (Congos Music Works Int. 7")
Africa – Lloyd Hemmings (Solid Roots 7")
Boxer Dub - Skin Flesh & Bones (Fighting Dub 1975-1978 CD, Hot Pot)
My Father’s Land – Ripton Hylton (Eek A Mouse 7")
Creation – Eek A Mouse (Eek A Mouse 7")
Tek Wey – Eek A Mouse (Blacker Dread 7")
Got To Be Free – Lloyd Brown (Pickout 7")
Ganja Farmer – Marlon Asher (Carribean Underground 7")
Sensimila – Buju Banton (Powerlink International 7")
Eye For An Eye - Prince Buster (Blue Beat 7" / CD-R)*
No More - Don Drummond (Gaz Mayall Top Ska Tunes CD, Trojan)
+ Sound Samples
* Audio Download

Link of the week: Lee Perry in the Black Ark
My release of the week: Leroy Smart - Dread Hot In Africa Originally release in 1977 on Burning Sounds I've just picked it up and am really enjoying it.

Joseph Hill

Joseph Hill of Culture has passed away. Another legend gone. A Tribute Book has been set up. Check it out. You'll also find an obitury in the Gleaner. Culture's website is here. There is also some discussion, recollection and links at the OZ Reggae and Blood & Fire boards, and another nice tribute at Distinctly Jamaican Sounds

I will drop a few Culture tunes this Thursday in memory of the man.

(picture taken by Derrick Bergman of G0NZ0 Media)

Play List 17/08/06

Revolution Conference - Prince Jammy (Dub It to the Top CD, Blood & Fire)
Deliverance Will Come - Dennis Brown (Visions of Dennis Brown LP, Joe Gibbs)
Soldier of Jah Army - Earl 16 (Soldier of Jah Army CD, Patate)
I'm A Free Man - Freddy McKay (Pressure Sounds 10")
Ain't No Sunshine - Ken Boothe (Darker Than Blue CD, Blood & Fire)
Best Dressed Chicken - Dr Alimantado (Best Dressed Chicken CD, Greensleeves)
River Stone - Zap Pow (LMS 7")
Keep The Pressure Down - Errol Dunkley (Keep The Pressure Down CD, Black Solidarity)
Get Ready - Delroy Wilson (Darker Than Blue CD, Blood & Fire)
Darker Than Blue - Lloyd Charmers (Darker Than Blue CD, Blood & Fire)
Instrumental (PK/Honest Johns 10")
Israel - Dennis Brown (Natty Congo 12")
Unity - Meditations (Wambesi 12")
Look Out For the Devil - Junior Dan (Hi-Try/Honest Johns 10")
Golden Snake - Johnny Clarke (The Hudson Affair 2CD, Trojan)
Joshua Words - Johnny Clarke (Jackpot 7")
Magnum Force - Vin Gordon (Trojan 10")
Mutiny - Niney the Observer (PK/Honest Johns 10")
Cheer Up Black Man - Morvin Brooks (Roots Techniques CD, Pressure Sounds)
Righteous Kingdom - The African Brothers (Black Roots 7")
Starlight - Tony Brevett (The Legendary Skatalites in Dub CD, Motion)
Behold A Dub - Amanda All Stars & King Tubby (Rough Guide to Dub CD, Rough Guide)
Warning - Desmond Young (Keep The Pressure Down CD, Fe-Me-Time)
Version (Fe-Me-Time 7")
Bubble - Clint Eastwood (Manzie 7")
Get Up Stand Up - Delton Screechie (Nigger Kojak 7")
Virgin Girl / Lovers Take Over - Eek A Mouse / Lue Lepkie (Joe Gibbs 12" / CD-R) for Jase
Time So Hard - Derek Lara (Guiding Star 7")
Shank Kai Shek - Bobby Ellis (Treasure Isle 12") *
* Audio Download

The Marquee

Well last Saturday's dance at the Marquee was huge! First class selections from Fire House and Top Ranking Sound, great mic work from Ras Curry and MC Sabotage, a big bad sound - plenty of enthusiam and fun all round. Was so pepped up I was still able to do the City to Surf on a few hours sleep (but then I am a mad bastard). Firehouse will be doing another one at the Marquee on Saturday 23 September - Entertainment, a DJ Showcase.

This Saturday Nasty Tek do Dancehall Reggae Bounce 18 at Hermann's

Play List 10/08/06

Black IPA - Lee Perry (The Wonderman Years 2CD, Trojan)
Callying Butt - The Upsetters (Words Of My Mouth CD, Trojan)
Ganja Smoke - Ward 21 (John John 7")
World In Trouble (Vibronics 'Skaboom' Remix) - Ranking Joe (Fleximix 7") for the Professor
Discovery - Marcia Griffith, Buju Banton, Tony Rebel & Cutty Ranks (Penthouse 7")
Crooked Ways - Jah Mason (Heights of Heights 7")
The Truth - Johnny Osbourne & Buro Banton (Massive B 7")
Lovely Day - Chopa Chop (Riddim #1 CD)
Gangsta Roll - Tanya Stephens (In Time Music 7")
After Sex - Tanya Stephens (Mixing Lab 7")
Be Strong - Sizzla (Soul Deep CD, Greensleeves) for Blake
Drop Leaf riddim (Don Corleon 7")
I Love Jah - Beres Hammond & Flourgon (Fire House Special)
World A Jamrock - Ini Kimoze & Damian Marley' (Punchline 7") for Jase
Systems - Julian Marley (Ghetto Youths 7")
Stop I Cant - Jah Mali (1st Foundation 7")
Revolution - Jah Cure & Chaka Demus (Flash Records 7")
Jah Bless Me - Jah Cure (Henfield 7")
State Of Emergency - Jnr Reid (Gibbo 7")
State of Emergency Dub Mix - (Gibbo 7")
Grow Your Locks - Cocoa Tea (Best of CD, Xterminator)
Hard Man Fe Dead - Prince Buster (Tougher than Tough 4CD, Island) for the Professor
Confucius - The Skatalites (Roots of Reggae II CD, Music Club) for the Ambassador
Overflow - Lilly White & Sound Dimension (Tribute to Peckings CD, Studio One)
Party Time - The Heptones (Studio One 7")
Ten To One - The Madlads (Coxsone 7")
Love Me Forever - Carlton & the Shoes (CD-R)
Conspiracy - Yami Bolo (Blood & Fire 7")
Run Come - Jah Stitch (Addis 7")
Hungry - Fantan Mojah (Down Sound 7")
Down In The Ghetto - Bounty Killer (Kingston 11 7")
Losing Themselves - Lutan Fyah (Addis 7")
IPA Skank - The Upsetters (The Wonderman Years 2CD, Trojan)

Mighty Sparrow

The calypso king plays at the Enmore Theatre, 9 September 2006

Early bird tickets for this performance are CLOSING THIS SUNDAY 13th August. Tickets now at the special price of $55* ($15 discount !) Full adult price $70 +BF

More info here

Coming up...

Well last weeks show was all old stuff, so this week I thought I would drop a lot more recent 7"s, plus some classics of course...

Robojase of Bass Culture tells me that for "this week I will be dropping new style... Jungle, Dancehall, D+B, Digi-dub etc... After that the following Bass Culture will be back to the Ska, Roots etc!"

Firehouse meet Top Ranking Sound

Should be a beauty! For more info check Firecorner and Top Ranking Sound

If you cant wait till Saturday for some live stuff, the Resurrectors have a Thursday night residency in August at the Woollahra Hotel. Or alternatively there is Caribbean Thursdays at Jackson's on George with Spin D Music

Play List 3/08/06 - Studio One Special

Street Doctor - Prince Francis (Studio One DJs CD, Soul Jazz)
Miss Lou Ring Ding - Big Youth (Natty Universal Dread 3CD, Blood & Fire)
Ranny A Rock Miss Lou - Jack Sowah (7", Thunder Bolt)
War Crimes - The Special AKA (2 Tone: a checkered past 2CD, Chrysalis)
Exodus - The Skatalites (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Fidel Castro - The Skatalies (Foundation Ska 2CD, Heartbeat)
Shockers Rock - The Skatalites (Studio One Scorcher 3LP, Soul Jazz)
Chicken Scratch - Lee Perry (Chicken Scratch CD, Heartbeat)
Six & Seven Books Of Moses - The Maytal (Tougher Than Tough 4CD, Island)
Arte Bella - Ken Boothe & Stranger Cole (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Killer Diller - The Skatalites (Foundation Ska 2CD, Heartbeat)
Eastern Standard Time - The Skatalites (Foundation Ska 2CD, Heartbeat)
Money Generator - Karl Bryan & the Afrokats (Studio One Scorcher 3LP, Soul Jazz)
The Song My Enemy Sings - Joe Higgs (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Addis Ababa - The Skatalites (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Addis Ababa - Willie Williams (Studio One Roots CD, Soul Jazz)
You Found Heaven - Devon Russell (Studio One Funk CD, Soul Jazz)
Psychadelic Rock - Sound Dimension (Mojo Rocksteady CD, Heartbeat)
I Hold the Handle - The Heptones (Young Jamaica LP, Studio One)
Whipping the Prince - Alton Ellis & the Soul Vendors (Mojo Rocksteady CD, Heartbeat)
Born To Love - Slim Smith (CD-R)
Hip Hug - Slim Smith (10", Music Lab)
Put It On - The Wailers (Studio One Ska CD, Soul Jazz)
Lady In The Red Dress - The Gaylads (Young Jamaica LP, Studio One)
Skylarking - Horace Andy (Skylarking CD, Melankolic)
Crab Walking - Prince Jazzbo (CD-R)
Rocking Time /Pepper Rock - Burning Spear / Prince Jazzbo (Creation Rebel 2LP, Heartbeat)
Mean Girl - Larry Marshall (Presenting CD, Heartbeat)
Natty Farmyard - Prince Far I (Studio One DJs CD, Soul Jazz)
Pirate - Rapper Robert & Jim Brown (CD-R)

Reggae Like Dirt

Huge world of Jamaican sounds out there, with the Internet as a fantastic resource. So here are some recommendations.

Radio
Apart from our humble little show, Lawless Street, if you are in Sydney you should check Bass Culture (which mixes it up with soul, funk and punk), Fire on the Wire, Basslines and Black Roots Music & Oration on Koori Radio 93.7FM (Saturday 12-2pm). If elsewhere in Australia check Oz Reggae to see what is going to air near you. For podcasts etc. check a thread at DJ Greedy G's board. Definitely check the audio at Fire Corner too.

Gigs
Not just for the living room and the web! Get out there and support people putting on shows. Sydney's scene is starting to bloom. Enjoy yourself (its later than you think). Check Oz Reggae and I will also try to put stuff up here.

Links
Check the links I have put up and the links at those sites too. There is some beautiful stuff out there from people that really know and love the music.

Discussion
Some great discussion boards out there too. My faves are Blood & Fire, Oz Reggae, DJ Greedy G's, and the SNWMF.

Books
"The Rough Guide to Reggae" by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton is a must. Their "Reggae: 100 Essential CDs" is also a good guide. Penny Reel's "Deep Down With Dennis Brown" is a beautiful book, as is Beth Lesser's "King Jammy's". Dave Katz has also put out two books that are a goldmine of information - a biography of Lee Perry called "People Funny Boy", and a more general history called "Solid Foundation". Then of course there are magazines, zines, web sites and sleeve notes to fill ya head with!

Shopping
If you want to pick up reggae in Sydney you should check Good Groove or the Darlo Barber, just around the corner in Victoria Road. Also there is Unsound down in the Hunter Arcade. So Music in Newtown also stocks a good range of reggae CDs, and you can find other good stuff scattered around the place (Redeye, Hum, Fish, Egg, Recycled Records). For Shopping on-line I've always found Ernie B's great. Also worth checking Reggae Revive and Soundquake, which both have sound samples.