Superb rock steady, from the dark end of the street. Recorded for Sonia Pottinger, on the eve of Delano Stewart’s leaving the group to join Lee Perry. So nice The Heptones did it twice.

Perfectly irresistible, bumptious girl-pop from Judy Mowatt’s group.

Two fine sides of expert, Curtis-inflected soul-reggae.

Very nice, evocative mixture of ska, meringue, swing and co, from 1960, suited and booted by Dub Store.

OG had been a UK-resident for five years by the time of this Brenton Wood cover, recorded here during the Soul Vendors 1967 tour. (One night Jimi Hendrix was the support.) A Procul Harem on the flip.

Excellent, sombre version of The Temptations’ civil rights smash.
Same tune both sides.

Juggernaut version of the Four Tops, with Ike Bennett at the organ leading Ilya Kuryakin on the flip.

Sweet, uptempo rock steady from Henry Buckley, in 1968, with backing from The Gaylettes. A more rootsy, Biblical edge to the B-side, which was originally coupled with Roland Alphonso’s How Soon.

Herman Sang (from the Jiving Juniors) was at Brentford Road from the start, in the late-1950s.
This is wistful organ-combo r&b — pre-ska — with some sweet calypso jazz on the flip.

Characteristically melancholic, wise, masterful singing.
With a bumptious, flirtatious Valentines.