Links was an artists’ cooperative, formed in 1968 by The Gaylads, Ken Boothe, The Melodians, and Delroy Wilson, fed up with getting ripped off by Studio One and co. They did everything themselves — hiring Dynamic / Wirl studios, printing up labels, organising the pressings, and distributing in person to Kingston record shops — in the teeth of peeved obstructiveness from other labels, producers, and radio stations. Many of their 45s were blanks, hand-stamped with BB Seaton’s home address: ‘Links Records, 39 Wildman Street, Phone 24954’.
The backing band was probably Lynn Taitt & The Jets to start, giving way to the Conscious Minds (with Joe White and Ken Boothe on keys), whose instrumental Something New is one of the highlights here, featuring killer guitar and trombone by Harris Seaton and Derrick Hinds.
Links was short-lived; ironically unable to cope with the success of a Melodians’ hit entitled It Comes & Goes.
It’s a fascinating story, and this is top-notch rock steady; the first compilation of the dozen or so Links releases. Scorchers by Conscious Minds, The Melodians, Randall Thaxter, and Ken Boothe — doing his best Otis Redding — steal the show.

The classic set of Scientist / Roots Radics dubs, originally out on Starlight Records in 1981, now matched with its vocal counterparts, including previously unreleased cuts by Junior Reid and Ranking. The vinyl comes with a two-feet-square colour poster of Tony McDermott’s cover art.

The classic set of Scientist / Jammy / Roots Radics dubs, originally out on Starlight Records in 1982, now matched with its vocal counterparts, including previously unreleased cuts by Hell & Fire, Sister Nancy and Papa Tullo. The vinyl comes with a two-feet-square colour poster of Tony McDermott’s cover art.

A set of four Jammys dub-plates, courtesy of Dub Store, Tokyo.

Soulful, enraptured excursion on God I God I Say, with a lovely melodica dub.

Knockout eco-roots. Shaka liked it so much he put it out himself.

Two excellent, righteous vocal cuts to a tough, downtempo, rootical rhythm, in a brief respite from dancehall at Tubby’s HQ.
Latest in Dub Store’s lip-smacking series of Firehouse dub plates.

Heavy Lloydie Coxsone production (with Sly, Horsemouth, Malawi, Bagga, Chinna, McCook and the rest), featuring Shaka favourites like Homeward Bound and Voice Of The Poor. Tougher than the classic Black Star Liner album.

In his dazzling, rubadub flow, with intricate rhyming, lavish word-play and off-the-wall allusiveness, his genial socialism and jubilant, green-fingered vegetarianism, his knockabout sense of humour and all-round irrepressible good vibes, Ranger is the peerless heir to U-Roy and Dennis Alcapone… and the most diplomatic of envoys for the new dancehall styles just around the corner. He’s undervalued because of a perceived lack of gravitas, but he’s one of the all-time great deejays, and this is his best work.
Have a listen to the musical shock attack Automatic: over Take A Ride, no less, he bundles the Last Poets into a breakneck stream of consciousness, with walk-ons for Marcus Garvey, Bag O Wire, and Garvey’s secretary Mother Muschett; Dovecot Memorial Park and Madison Square; a bad boy who doesn’t know Ranger’s dad is a cop; succinct advice like ‘natty don’t play card inna Babylon yard’; a big baboon in the light of the moon, a broken chair, a felt hat, an anchor you can’t conchor…
“Everybody was wondering why I sounded different. And the reason I sounded different was through I did grow in England and I have the English accent and when I speak you can hear every word I am saying clearly. It was a plus for me. And then through I liked to write poetry and write songs, you know I’m a writer, I stick to the topic from start to finish.”
And the musical rhythms are a preposterous fish-tea tidal wave of Studio One classics (plus a Shank I Sheck): Take A Ride/Truths & Rights, Real Rock/Armageddon Time, One Step Beyond, Hot Milk, Throw Me Corn, Never Let Go, Full Up, Please Be True, Things A Come Up To Bump.

So let the good time roll, with Sir Coxsone at the control. When Ranger talk, the dance it have fe cork.
Deliriously enjoyable. Terrific cover art, too.
Very highly recommended. Five ribbits, five bims, five flash-its, five oinks.