What a record. The studio debut of the mighty Daddy U-Roy in 1969, sparring with Val Bennett over Old Fashioned Way, both of them wigging out like a couple of beboppers, with the ghost of John Holt on the backing tape. “The studio is kinda cloudy,” reports U-Roy — and everyone sounds lit but utterly inspired. Pure vibes.
“My first tune I ever do was Dynamic Fashion Way with Keith Hudson, and then I do Earth’s Rightful Ruler for Scratch. Those tunes didn’t get very far, them sell a couple hundred.”
Cornerstone stuff. Show some respect and chuck your bootleg.

Monumental Tubbys digi terror. Tougher than Lee Van Cleef. Heavier than lead and cold as ice.

Gorgeous singing by Carlton (from Carlton & The Shoes and The Abyssinians), with tasty nyabinghi drumming in the accompaniment.
“I was writing songs but I didn’t record until 1968. I did one song for Lee Scratch Perry. He gave me £5 and then I didn’t hear anything more about it. Then I went down to Mrs Pottinger, did one song for her named Live and Love on the Gay Feet label. It was played on the radio for a couple of days and it wasn’t going anywhere really because she had some good artists down there at the time and they did some songs that were doing well, so my song wasn’t getting much promotion and it wasn’t being played. I think I heard it twice on the radio and then I didn’t hear it anymore.”

Pure loveliness, deep and stately.
Plus Patsy dishing it straight back to Johnnie Taylor on the flip, with a reworking of Blues In The Night.

A top-notch selection of High Note and Gay Feet rhythms, expertly mixed the old-fashioned way by Duke Reid’s nephew, Errol Brown.

Brilliant toasting and singing by the likes of Prince Hammer, Echo Minott, Trinity and Lee Van Cliff, over gold-plated Roots Radics rhythms. A precious blend of heavier-than-lead roots, new-thing dancehall flow, and youthman promotion, curated by Hammer himself in 1982. Deeply enjoyable from start to finish.

Typically fine singing, over crisp, bare Tubbys digi, with strong backing vocals on both sides.
Hey Mr. Cop is a draft of the song he recorded for Bunny Lee, over Rumours; the flip does over his Jammys smash.
Dubplate action.

Gripping, up-in-your-face account of the story of Judas. Full-on Keith Hudson roots.
And an unmissable nugget of flute-led JA funk, by the Soul Syndicate, on the flip.

Hard to resist Junior Murvin in this teasing, saucy mood, on a lovely nyabinghi rocksteady rhythm.
With an alternate take.

Agony aunts Clifford Morrison and Dada Smith from The Bassies, with George Blake replacing Leroy Fischer, in 1969. Cornerstone moonstompers, both sides.

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.

Tremendous, tormented, abject vocal to Melody Maker, with a heavy dub — for the label Hudson co-ran with Gleaner journalist Balford Henry.
Via the safe hands of Dub Store in Tokyo.

Irresistible 1950s mento — singalong tunes, ebulliently performed, over-spilling with scandal, smut and impudence, sex, dancing and booze, word-play, jokes and up-to-the minute social commentary, and general love for life.

Ace early Tubbys digi — stripped and moody — with fine, amusing vocals.

Tough, dismissive, soundboy digi. A King Tubby dubplate from 1986.

Irresistible reggaeficatory bazookaings of Manu Dibango’s Soul Makossa, upping the old-school funk, and garbling extra mamas.

Hymning the power of reggae, over a re-licked, surging Conquering Lion, with worrisome Tubbys bass. The dub is here.

The great singer addressing false authority, apartheid and the squandering of black lives. The rhythm is Tubby’s ace, ominous, digi re-working of Yabby You’s Conquering Lion.
Dubplate business from Dub Store in Tokyo.

Two goes, both brilliant, featuring ace trombone. The first take carries the swing, with its wailing, soul-jazz organ more to the fore.

A rollicking organ-and-drums grounation workout.
Plus Ken Boothe taking liberties with Nat King Cole’s Hazy Lazy Crazy Days Of Summer.