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Ace Barrington, from the Englishman sessions; with a concussive Scientist dub.

Prime, early-eighties Barrington, expertly fronting chunky Radics on rhythms like The Russians Are Coming and Get In The Groove, in Scientist mixes. No losing with those cards.

Ishu and Xylon from Sound Iration, produced by Manasseh for Youth Sound in 1990. Quality digi UK steppers, with a nice melodica version, and a hollowed-out dub.

Terrific, resilient, rootical lovers, with backing by the Revolutionaries, recorded in the late-seventies by Sonia Pottinger for Sky Note. The same rugged rhythm as Clifton Campbell’s
A New Civilisation, devastatingly contrasted with the sweetness and vulnerability of the singing.

The legendary digital destroyer in all its original glory, including the dub; and another murderous King Culture unveiled — soulful and limber. A double-headed ronto from Toronto. Killer.

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.