Clement ‘Minkie’ Moore at Harry J’s in 1980, revisiting the tough Wickedness rhythm — also favoured by Yabby You and Alric Forbes — this time to sing. Babs Gonzales died in 1980 but his genius flourishes in the insouciant exchange between a scatting, I-Do-My-Thing Minkie and some fat, newly-added trombone.

Three edgy, hard-nosed Wackies steppers.
The propulsive version of Home To Africa here is new to the world, from the original session tapes; and twinned with a nuggety version dusted down and polished especially for this release by Lloyd Barnes himself.

One of the top, top Barringtons on Jah Life. Heavy Channel One rhythms, each quite different; with banging dubs.
Barrington has a rather general go at his dad, mister One-Foot. ‘You are my father, so give me tings, give me tings.’ ‘You don’t buy me no shoes so I can do the boogaloo.’

In the mid-seventies, Minkie’s friend U-Roy would sometimes pass him the mic during a Tubbys soundsystem set. Later, another friend, Sydney Wilson gave him a cut of the rhythm here, which he took to King Tubbys studio, to voice over. It’s tough, cavernous and concussive; the deejaying is relaxed and rough. King Tubby is no-messing at the controls. It’s in the same neck of the woods as classic Glen Brown. Ace!

Heavy, spaced-out, discombobulated rubadub cut at Munchie Jackson’s Sunshine Studio in the Bronx, in the mid-1980s, with Jackie Mittoo at the controls. Junior devotes his debut recording to a richly nostalgic, entertaining set of shout outs.
All-time killer New York dancehall. It’s a must.

Cool and deadly 80s digi out of I-Plee’s E&F Studios in the Bronx. Excellent singing, tough rhythm.

Minimal, deep, dazed roots, steeped in session vibes.
Featuring Sly and Robbie at Channel One, from the same master tape as Rocks And Mountains (and likewise a Shaka plate, back in the day).

A stupendous haul of sound-system specials and inspired experiments conjured from some of the greatest reggae rhythms of all time, from the inner sanctum of King Tubby’s studio in the mid-seventies (where Philip Smart was second engineer).
Seething with lethal touches of Tubby; dotted with head-spinning walk-ons for Hugh Mundell, Johnny Clarke, Jacob Miller and co; steeped in the genius of young Augustus Pablo, Smart’s childhood friend.
A staggering turn-up. Utterly crucial.

Riveting roots harmony reasoning over a spare, brooding dub, produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel One in the early 80s, and previously only released on dubplate.
A must.

A beautiful, close-harmony warning — loose, mystical and heavy.
The Radics at Channel One with Scientist at the desk.

Further excursions on Black Oney’s Jah Jah Send The Parson rhythm. Far I rides a stripped dub (originally for a Carib Gems LP); the straighter Oney return was first released in a tiny run of blanks.

Jubilant, party-hearty deejay cut to a thumping, body-rocking Jah Life do-over of the almighty Love Without Feeling rhythm. Sister Carol smashes it out of the dancehall and into the trees. The dub is knockout, too: raw drum & bass, in your face.
‘Mi have di potential an mi have di credential… in a dance hall, concert an’ rehearsal… mi will mash it, as per usual.’

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.

Everton is compellingly beside himself, over a dazzling, bare-bones, digi do-over of the rocksteady classic Tonight.
Previously unreleased.
Fire.

The great roots singer totally bossing this killer piece of late-eighties digi Lovers.
Like the Singing Melody excursion on the same stone-classic I Won’t Give Up rhythm, this is previously unreleased.