Free Jah Jah Children (Militant Roots 2)

Militant Roots Pt. 2

More tuff late-70s selections, again many in extended discomix format. The music was changing towards the end of the decade as the new dancehall sound began to emerge though roots & culture still carry the swing. UK-based reggae groups like Aswad & Misty In Roots also gained greater recognition bringing with them a whole different vibe

 

 
Free Jah Jah Children!

Continuous mix 2.5 hours

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Rewind Show on rastfm.com 21 Feb 2020

Tracks mostly from 1976-80 though 2 or 3 were recorded earlier. Quite a few Joe Gibbs Errol Thompson productions, also some Channel One, Talent Corp, DATC & Rockers Int. releases. Check Ferris Thomas' heartical Set Up Yourself for Gibbs. Original 1978 7'' mix of Bob Marley's Rastaman Live Up.

One time in the 90s I came across a heap of reggae records at a junk shop in Turnpike Lane London. So I made a b-line for a cashpoint and bought up the whole lot: I ended up giving the man £70 for well over 200 70s & 80s lps & 12''. That was a day I'll never forget! Loads of really crucial stuff. Among them was the Ghetto-Ology Dub album JA pressing. I already had the vocal lp so I was made up. But what an organic album sleeve!!

This copy actually has a perfect inaudible scratch on one track that loops the beat and it always took me ages to notice. A visiting friend once noted 'man, that's a really psychedelic dub!' It always caught me out haha...

Militant Roots Ina Discomix Style

Late 70s roots selection in a discomix style
1977-80 a golden era of militant and creative reggae music

Vocal & dubwise

Continuous mix 2hrs

Rewind Show on rastfm.com 14 Feb 2020

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Its been great to revisit some of the music that we all loved best in our youth and I don't often play classic Burning Spear, Pablo Moses, Twinkle Brothers or Ijahman these days.

Features several excellent New Town Sound productions recorded exclusively for Trojan Records when the label belatedly turned to roots rockers during its final days. Also several superb Burning Spear and Royals tracks, not to mention the 'voice of thunder' Prince Far I. Big Youth's Political Confusion on the Love and Livity with the Jewels is pure fya as is the Observers' cut of Satta

Cover art borrowed from the Spear Institution 7'' sleeve
Watch out for part 2 coming soon...

Roots of Tamoki Wambesi with Roy Cousins

 TAMOKI WAMBESI IN ROOTS

with Roy Cousins & The Royals

Comprehensive selection of Cousins productions mid-70s to mid-80s. Strictly conscious vibes. Backing by the Roots Radics & the Revolutionaries (aka Force Of Music) and largely recorded at Channel One. As you'd expect Roy Cousins focused predominantly on vocal productions with their dubs though deejays Prince Far I, Jah Stitch, Baba Dread, I Roy and resident in-house chanter Charlie Chaplin spice things up. Watch out for some really serious dub versions...

Continuous mix - 2 hours 50 mins - 88 tracks.

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Rewind Show on rastfm Friday 7 Feb 2020

The man likes to recycle backing tracks though he almost exclusively used originals, including classic Royals riddims. So no shortage of version excursions here; I had to be selective or we'd have gone on and on... While the mix is not in strict chronological order, we begin mainly with some heavy 70s roots before moving on to his popular roots-dancehall selections from the early 80s later on. 

Four man group The Royals truly are one of reggae's most underrated and overlooked greats. They are a bit of an acquired taste and, like Prince Lincoln, can take a few plays to really penetrate but perseverance brings reward... With Cousin's deep & penetrating lyrics, his falsetto tones and the group's expressive delivery they rivaled the Abyssinians and Carlton & His Shoes and at their rootsiest were even comparable to the great Burning Spear.

Forming in 1964, they released only a handful of singles ska to reggae. They went on to record four LPs between 1977 & 1981 and three of these are real gems - Pick Up The Pieces (songs from 1972-77), Israel Be Wise and Ten Years After. They also voiced one masterpiece at Studio One - the original Pick Up The Pieces.

Keith Hudson Dark Prince of Reggae 1971-84

Keith Hudson the Dark Prince of Reggae

Freedom Movements mix 1971-84

2 hours of leftfield experimental roots reggae from the master producer and artist. While the focus is mostly on his own works a number of his best productions for other artists are included, like Horace Andy, Big Youth, I Roy, U Roy, Delroy Wilson, Count Ossie and Militant Barry, with nuff version excursions. Vocal & dubwise... Studio getting kinda cloudy!

Continuous mix 2 hours

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Rewind Show on rastfm.com 2 Feb 2020

Hudson started out in production around 1970, initially on some older riddims that had been donated. He released a string of lps after 1972, including an incredible 'concept album' with the stunning title - the black breast has produced her best: flesh of my skin, blood of my blood and one of the first dub lps - Pick A Dub - with his studio band the Soul Syndicate. The Rasta Communication & Brand (the dub version) lps from 1977-78 are seminal deep roots reggae with exceptionally strong lyrics and tight production. He also recorded a deejay album with Militant Barry on the same set of backing tracks. Tough. 

I also included 2 tracks from the posthumous Tuff Gong album with Family Man & various Wailers, complete with King Jammy dubs. Keith Hudson passed away in 1984 before the recordings could be finished, completing only 6 tracks.

Trademark heavy-duty rhythm tracks like the Nuh Skin Up, Melody Maker, Darkest Night, Place In Africa, Riot, Rockfort Rock, Ace 90 Skank, Rasta Country, Felt The Strain, Rasta Communication, I'm Not Satified and 2 well crucial riddims, Satan Side & Don't Think About Me (I'm Alright), that were both voiced by Horace Andy & Earl Flute

The Hudson sound is not always to everyone's taste 
Love it or leave it the man left us an incomparable musical legacy