Its A Botanical Roots...

 

Mid-80's roots reggae classics

Selection of blazing roots & pre-digital dancehall from the years following Bob's passing when international reggae artists still enjoyed mainstream popularity. Luminaries like Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, Peter Tosh, Barrington Levi, Junior Reid, Half Pint, Ini Kamoze, Aswad, Misty In Roots, Freddie Mcgregor & Sugar Minott lead the way.. 

A really exciting period in the annuls of reggae music

 

 

Continuous mix 2 hours

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Anyone remember Black Beat International?

I subscribed to this monthly magazine from my local newsagents as a youthman in the mid-80's - a vital link, keeping me in touch with what was happening stuck up there in rural Northumberland. It also came with superb full page posters & centrefolds to help cover my walls haha.. A glossy alternative to the weekly Black Echoes newpaper BBI likewise covered all forms of music of black origin and while not quite matching Echoes for depth of coverage, it was a pleasing, wonderfully presented publication that looked fab up there on the shop shelves back then in the golden era of printed media. Just seeing all these covers again brings it all back... So salute Black Beat International!

Freddie Mcgregor Dennis Brown & Horace Andy early 45s at Studio One

 

Spotlighting the emergence of three reggae superstars at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One

FREDDIE MCGREGOR DENNIS BROWN & 

HORACE ANDY

Charting the singers earliest singles 1965 to 1973 along with many interesting b-sides

 

Continuous mix 2 hours

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 Freddie Mcgregor, known as Little Freddie, started out on harmonies with vocal group The Clarendonians from the age of 9 and also as half of the duo Fitzy & Freddie (both with Ernest Wilson) through the second half of the 60s. He went on to have his greatest successes later in the 1970s, notably with the Bobby Babylon & I Am Ready LPs. He continued to work with Dodd into the 1980s.

Another juvenile star Dennis Brown voiced No Man Is An Island back in 1969 at 12 years old. He stayed on at Brentford Road until 1972 and much of his work from that time was compiled into 2 Studio One LPs, No Man Is An Island & If I Follow My Heart.

Horace Andy got his breakthrough in 1970 aged 19, going on to have a string of hits with Dodd through the first half of the 70's most of which are spread over three LPs, including the essential Skylarking.

Friday Night Rewind on hearticalfm.com 14 May 2021

 

 

 

Kill Dem With Good Vibrations...

 

   

Kill dem with love inspiration, good good vibration, love in our nation...

Thanks & praise for living every day

Trust in the father along life's way

That good things will come our way and I'll be a strong man one day

For the good things you do will always live with you

The bad things you do will surely follow you... to the end I say now

Kill dem with it - love inspiration, good good vibration, love in our nation...

 

Show me love & I'll give you respect

End of the day you won't regret it

Still I pray to Jah every day that you make me a strong man I say

Freddie Mcgregor

 

Continuous mix 2 hours

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Positive selection from the dawn of the 1990s with some superb performances, particularly from Freddie Mcgregor, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Jack Radics & Barrington Levy. Rasta still deh bout... The upswing in street violence a yard at that time inspired a string of really strong 'reality' lyrics, planting the seeds that eventually led to the so called 'new roots revolution' in the years to follow. 

In the ghetto man & man have to function yeah

with a little or no education 

with no form of employment

and that's the cause of miscontent

But we nah kill rudeboy, we raise dem..

Cos' each & every one is a part of the problem 

The name of the game is survival

In a society that turns us all into criminals

I watch them grow and I watch them die

As some people laugh and I see some cry

Gregory Isaacs

 Featuring several Castro Brown productions (New Name Music) taken from the Super Star Line Up LP 1991 & Jack Radics' essential Radical album from 1992

Michael Prophet, Anthony Johnson, Ken Boothe, Gregory & Cornell Campbell all recreate their classics in a fresh style for the 90's. Find Yourself by soca star Baron rides a solid dancehall rhythm and is just amazing. Introducing rising star Garnett Silk...

Friday Night Rewind show on hearticalfm.com 

31 April 2021