Sorry Dom…

Occasional Albums Thing 057 - Various Artists “Studio One Rockers”

A friend was working for a promotions company in ‘that’ London, pushing new releases to chain shops, radio stations, magazines etc. on seeing him one time he handed me a fist full of CD’s, presumably ones he was working on, with a “here you go, have a listen to these”. I dutifully did just that. One of them was this very compilation on Soul Jazz Records, and it’s OK I have bought it on vinyl since. 

It’s an all over the place collection of tracks recorded for and by the great Coxsone Dodd at his famed Studio One label (often described as the Motown of Jamaica) and studio, one of, if not the, most important studios in the history of Reggae music. Backing tracks from Dodds Studio One are still used today. If you’re ever around Shepherds Bush in London you have to visit Peckings Records in Askew Road. These days it’s run by Chris Peckings but was originally opened, in 1974, by his Dad George who came to London from Jamaica in the early 60’s. Mr Peckings Snr was a friend of Coxsone, having been a partner in a sound system with him, and when he emigrated to London he did a deal with his friend to be the exclusive distributor of Studio One material in the UK. Part of that deal is still in place and Peckings Records still release new records using original Studio One backing tracks.

This is a collection of Reggae in transition, moving from the Ska and Blue Beat of the 60’s though Rock Steady and onward toward the Roots sound that would dominate Reggae music through most of the 1970’s. It runs the gamut of styles from Horace Andy’s rock steady-ish “Skylarking” (and it’s Dub “Crabwalking” by Prince Jazzbo),which, although it sounds much earlier, was recorded in 1971, through to early roots cuts in Johnny Osbourne’s “Truth And Rights”. It being issued by Soul Jazz all the inclusions are aimed firmly at the dancefloor.

It all kicks off on Sound Dimensions 1968 single “Real Rock”, a bostin’ instrumental take on the classic “Armagideon Time”. Freddie McGregor’s “Bobby Bobylon” is proto-roots, while Johnny Osbourne’s “Truth And Rights” is early for the style but still full on Roots. Lennie Hibbert’s “Village Soul” is just that, Soul rather than Reggae but a lovely Jazzy instrumental all the same. Brentford Allstars give us “Greedy G”, possibly the first Funk/Dub crossover. Another instrumental, Jackie Mittoo’s “Hot Milk” bears a striking resemblance to the earlier “Real Rock”/“Armagideon Time” groove. The Skatalites “Phoenix City” is classic Ska. We are also treated to the original recording of Dawn Penn’s, later, huge UK hit “No, No, No” and get me onto rattling about the history of that tune and we could be there for quite some time. Just before Dawn, Michigan & Smiley deliver a cross between Toasting and Rapping on “Eye Of Danger”.

BTW that initial CD release my friend handed me, I sold it on in the great early 2000’s CD cull. The next time I saw Dom, that being my friends name, he asked if I still had it and could he have it back. I hadn’t realised he’d want it back and so did the honourable thing…and denied any memory of ever owning such an item…sorry Dom…

Sound Dimension “Real Rock” - https://youtu.be/04fXIXUbFkk?si=iyv3GAaErg6FEj4r