Magnificent, hypnotically insurgent, boogie-down bubblers, with Sugar Minott at the mic, leading burnished horns and dapper, soulful backing vocals. Like a cross between Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and Armagideon.
Jerry Johnson heads out on the flip: a killer uptempo instrumental, with swirling brass over a pared-down, propulsive rhythm.

On the Chopper version of Billie Jean.

A melodica instrumental right up there with his very best cuts. A lot more exalted — Rockers International style — than his Studio One killers.

Ducking and diving between London and Kingston JA, Winston Edwards cut the Melodian on the monumental Conquering Lion rhythm in the mid-70s, covering Eddie Floyd. Dark, hurting and self-disgusted… bad tune.

On Little Roy’s Christopher Columbus.

Two previously unreleased sides by this compelling singer: Get Up Natty was cut at Channel One in the mid-eighties, with backing by the Gifted Roots Band, featuring some sick synths and effects; No Peace is new, with Icho still in fine voice, debuting a rhythm by Danny Bassie from the Firehouse Crew, and Channel One legend Barnabas.

Chinafrica was Wayne Chin’s next project, after his group Creole disbanded in the early-eighties.
Two shark-attack do-overs of foundational tunes, startlingly different: a deadly, sick, atmospheric Declaration Of Rights, with shades of Wackies; and a sprightly, in-your-face, digi Baba Boom Time, originally stepping out on Thunderbolt in 1987.

‘Double-sided murder Wackie’s from 1978. Originally released on the Jumbo Caribbean Disco label from Brooklyn. Big Leg Mary is on the same rhythm as Wayne Jarrett’s killer Come Let’s Go. Wasn’t It You is a different cut from the earlier one on the Senrab label, but equally lethal. Both sides fully smoked-out dubwise trademark Wackie’s style, and essential.’

Biff, baff, boof.
Two hunks of deep Wackies roots; and an amazing, previously unreleased coup de grace.
First off, a haunting, dazed, raving account of being kicked out of a squat; with heavy bass, killer organ, sublime backing vocals, and a hurting, searing Stranger Cole. ‘We’ve got to find a better place.’
Then a tough instrumental outing on the same deadly, signature Wackies rhythm as Clive Hunt’s Black Rose, by Wanachi.
And on the flip: stark, visionary, semi-acoustic primitivism, from the same drama school as early Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus.
Unmissable Wackies.

The drummer of the Gladiators Band and the Upsetters, recording with his own Solid Foundation Band at the Black Ark in the down-time of a Junior Byles’ session. A rework of The Animals’ version of an English folk song, with a leg-up from Byles’ own A Place Called Africa. Originally released on Sight’N'Sound, by Studio One.
Lovely, mystical roots, with an ace dub, touched with unmistakable Perry genius.

Creole’s personal rough mixes of sides recorded at the same late ‘70s session as the Channel One killer Beware.
Fishers Of Man is an extended mix, and Walls Of Jericho is teamed with a version retrieved from dubplate, adding synth.

An intrepid, winning survey of Wackies’ precious first forays in Digi. Old boys Horace Andy and Milton Henry deal the aces. Step forward, Chris Wayne.
With three previously-unreleased sides.
Silk-screened sleeve.

Sweet, hymnal, one-away two-parter from Elijah, out in the seventies on the New York label Waricka and in the UK on Ackee. KC White has a version, too; also available from Digikiller.

First time out for both sides, including dubs.

First time out for this Paragon’s feeling excursion on the same Java re-lick as Roman Stewart’s Rain A Fall.

A previously unreleased mix of the great man toasting over a one-away Satta excursion, for Lloydie Slim; and a previously unreleased dub.