Reggae & Dancehall Vinyl 307 Items

Limited edition of 200 copies on golden vinyl.

Reissued for the first time in over 40 years, Show the World is an unrated and relatively unknown soul / reggae album from the Caribbean. Having recently been sampled by Benny The Butcher, collectors and producers are starting to pay attention to what has been an overlooked gem until now. With the album ranging from sweet soul that sounds like it could have been released on Motown in its prime, to funky numbers that could be played in clubs, to reggae that could stand alongside some of the Studio 1 releases, this is sure to please many. No filler.

Scientist was only 20 years old when, working with fellow producer “Junjo” Lawes, came up with this stunner, a sinuous groove party with cartoonlike special effects (a lots of bongs and boings like pans hitting one another, blips and squeals that sound like a Pac-Man game). All the “song” titles are references to boxing (a motif that Scientist was obviously mining for all it was worth), and all are great individual bits of dub sound that cohere into a meaningful whole.

Reissue from 1989, amazing leftfield Lovers Rock featuring extended dub version - emotional love bomb. Re-mastered and restored.

TRS Records unveils the next instalment of our Harry J reissues, shining a spotlight on the timeless classic "Callie Weed." The debate over who the lead singer is has been resolved, confirming that Jackie Bernard from the group Kingstonians is, in fact, the soulful voice driving this iconic song. Teaming up with Bernard, are friends Telford "Tilly" Nelson and Leroy Sibbles who contribute unique background vocals that effortlessly enhance Bernard's emotive delivery. Coming together to provide the instrumental backdrop was the Soul Syndicate band, enhancing the composition's depth. Reflecting on the creation of "Callie Weed," Telford Nelson vividly recalls auditioning the song on his guitar for producer Harry J in 1975. Before the official recording, Harry J reached out to Leroy Sibbles (who had just returned from living abroad in Canada) in hope to enrich the track with his distinctive backing vocals. This collaborative effort resulted in a dynamic blend, showcasing the different vocals and musical elements. It's important to note that the record was initially attributed to the 'Heptones Expression,' likely for marketing reasons. However, in reality it was Telford Nelson's composition from the beginning. As the only member of the actual Heptones involved in this recording, Leroy Sibbles contributed by providing a subtle touch of backing vocals, even though Nelson's harmonies takes precedence in the final vocal mix following Jackie Bernard's lead. Remarkably, on the Dub side, Telford's vocals are isolated in the mix, resulting in a clear and distinct presence.

“Skinhead Revolt” by Joe The boss aka Joe Mansano was first released in 1970 on the Trojan sublabel Joe as a B side to the track “Tony B’s Theme” by Joey’s All Stars. “The Thief” was released in 1969 on the Joe Label with the track “Gun The Man Down” by Dice The Boss on the flip. “Gun The Man Down” is also being repressed by us on a separate single. Both titles are British Boss Reggae classics that are very much demand.

Another inferno is ignited by the legendary producer Jack Ruby in the next installment of the reissue series. Once again, featuring the iconic Tyrone Taylor with "Birds of a Feather," whose vocals soar above a foundation of pure roots reggae, originally recorded in 1976. The heat doesn't stop there, as for the first time on 7-inch vinyl, we unleash the fury of "Death Before Dishonour," an instrumental by Jack Ruby's militant Black Disciples backing band with seriously blazing horns that leave an undeniable mark. This is the first time ever that "Birds of a Feather" and its instrumental counterpart are paired together.

"Kamikaze Dub" by Prince Jammy is undoubtedly one of the most beloved albums by dub music lovers and a record to have in every self-respecting record collection. An album for any time of the day, or season, that never bores and indeed has aged very well always amazes and stimulates.

Re-released for Jamdung distributed exclusively by Kudos in limited edition LP from the original master tapes is available again at an affordable price, but hurry!

Jamaican Dub music first appeared in the mid-70s under the guidance of the creative master mind, King Tubby. By the late 70s, two of his top co-workers, Scientist and Prince Jammy were ready to branch out on their own, and they did.

Jammy's record came out first and that's why "Kamikaze Dub" (1979) is often cited as the album that raised the bar for good. After its release, many Jamaican producers aspired to create the same swirling psychedelic minimal sound that Jammy presented on these near perfect tracks. The musicianship on here is outstanding as well, with other Dub stars taking part such as Sly and Robbie on drums and bass, Augustus Pablo on keyboards, 'Deadly' Headley Bennett and Bobby Ellis on horns, as well as many others.

Stunning cover artwork, which, like the album title and songs, is inspired by 1970s Kung Fu Movie

Essensial

There are few musicians whose music has indisputably advanced humanity. Reggae figurehead Bob Marley--a songwriter, poet, activist, and visionary--is one of them. The idea that a single-disc collection could represent the depth, breadth, and power of Marley's achievement is far-fetched, but LEGEND makes an excellent attempt. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, and the artist's different faces--revolutionary ("Get Up Stand Up"), romantic ("Is This Love"), devout Rastafarian ("Buffalo Soldier"), and prophet ("One Love/People Get Ready") are equally represented.In addition to his moving message of love and unity, Marley is a master songwriter, as the timelessness of songs like "Stir It Up," "I Shot the Sheriff," and the gorgeous, poignant "Redemption Song" proves. Of course, a true sampling of Marley's output would require some early ska material, the Wailer's debut (CATCH A FIRE), the definitive NATTY DREAD, and his later-period opus EXODUS, but LEGEND provides a highly satisfying, if brief, overview of Marley's genius. A record well suited to any location, season, or time of day, it has proven universal in its appeal. The music herein is as essential as air.

Limited edition of 300 copies on golden vinyl.

Reissued for the first time ever, Power Struggle is one of the grails of tropical record collectors. Incredible dancefloor disco, once edited by Roger Thornhill and now selling for close to $100. This is the first time the original arrangement of “dancing” has been re-released. No filler, a great listen from beginning to end, and one that doesn’t turn up often in good condition. Highly recommended, great from start to end.

Rids the World of the Curse of the Vampires (1981) not only ably displays the mix masters varied approach of, but clocks in as one of his best outings! Scientist keeps things lively with plenty of reverb and echo-treated percussion, ghostly piano parts, video game sound effects, and other various wobbly interjections from the mixing board. And adding to the record’s expert evocation of the Halloween spirit are some fiendishly voiced intros, the cover art’s cartoon potpourri of horror film characters, and the dubious claim made in the liner notes that Scientist mixed it all at midnight on Friday the 13th (reach for the flashlights kids). Along with Keith Hundson’s Pick a Dub and Lee Perry’s Blackboard Jungle Dub, this excellent Scientist release is one of the essential dub albums available.

Peak 1987 all time, top tier digital reggae. Killer one-away rhythm and awesome militant vocal from Hopeton Lindo. One of our all time favorite politically conscious reggae tunes, still relevant today. Better still, this release is taken straight from the original master tape and is nearly a full minute longer than the original release, wherein Hopeton drops a bit of our favorite dancehall vernacular. Real hardcore DKR heads will know when they hear it.

Get ready for a double dose of roots fire with the next Jack Ruby reissue! This 12" packs a serious punch on both sides. First up, the legendary Tyrone Taylor with "Move Up Black Man." Originally recorded in 1976, this anthem for empowerment is finally getting its rightful release as a single. Next up, for an absolute deep roots experience, we have "Free Rhodesia" a monumental instrumental on the "Rockfort Rock" rhythm featuring the full lineup of the Black Disciples backing band. Jack Ruby himself introduces the band one by one, and for those who remember, this track gets a mention in the iconic film "Rockers," where Ruby requests the drumming talents of the one and only Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace.

A truly exceptional song showcasing the pinnacle of Jack Ruby's productions, "Black Slavery Days" by The Skulls stands out as a remarkable gem that gained significant popularity in the Ochi Rios sound system scene. The lead singer of The Skulls, Tony Thomas, penned all their tunes, bringing his experience from singing with the original Justin Hinds & the Dominos group. This piece is a manifestation of pure 70's roots music in all its glorious essence.

Cool Rasta is an album by The Heptones, which consisted of Earl Morgan, Barry Llewellyn, and Leroy Sibbles. Brought up in the Trench Town area of Kingston, their first successful record was Fatty Fatty, first released in 1966. Since then, they have had several hits including 'Country Boy,' 'Mama Say,' and 'Book Of Rules.' At the guiding hand of top producer, Harry Johnson they recorded Cool Rasta, which came out in 1976. The title track of the album is a typical example of The Heptones at their brilliant best.

Remastered and pressed on audiophile virgin vinyl for your listening pleasure.

Two albums that shook the world! The release of these two ground-breaking dubs sets in 1975 altered the course of modern music forever. Dub From The Roots & Roots Of Dub make up a crucial selection of King Tubby’s mind-altering dub versions.
Produced by Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee – both albums are essential!

The ace reissue of these wicked dub albums collecting together classic 70's dub versions by dub pioneer and leader of ‘roots’ music in Jamaica, King Tubby! Tubby’s vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny’s vast catalogue of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a standard. All the tracks on here are versions of classic tracks from Cornell Campbell, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Linval Thompson, Derick Morgan & Hortense Ellis dubbed out by the King of Dub King Tubby!’

British-born Sheila Hylton's name is cat nip for reagge-loving record diggers. The vocalist spent much of her childhood in Jamaica and has an effortlessly soulful take on roots and lovers' rock. She recorded several albums and many singles but none are as sought after as her cover of 'It's Gonna Take a Lot of Love', which was originally written by Neil Young. An original copy of this 45rpm will cost you about a week's wages so Jaywax has pressed up this version so you can own your own mint copy. Flip it over for the instrumental dub version 'Labamba' which is laden with percussion, keys and studio trickery.

Michael George Henry (aka Ras Michael and, for this lone release, Dadawah) was born in 1943 in Saint Mary Parish, in northeastern Jamaica. Henry was raised in a Rastafari community when the religious movement was still in its infancy and marginalized within Jamaica. It was there that he began performing Nyahbinghi, the Rastafarian devotional music that combines the influences of African drumming and Black gospel. Henry found himself in Kingston in the late 1950s where he worked for Coxsone Dodd at the legendary Studio One. By 1968, he had formed the group Sons of Negus and the first overtly Rasta record label, Zion Disc. As Rasta filtered into the mainstream, Henry released more music including albums for Trojan, Dynamic and Grounation labels. Originally released in 1974, Peace And Love – Wadadasow is Dadawah’s magnum opus. Produced by Lloyd Charmers, the album features slinky basslines, wah-wah guitar, hypnotic keyboards, dubbed-out studio trickery and, of course, the propulsive drumming and rhythmic chanting characteristic of Nyahbinghi. Antarctica Starts Here presents the first widely available domestic release of Peace and Love - Wadadasow. This reissue is part of an archival series that focuses on Trojan’s essential ’60s and ’70s catalogue. Liner notes by JR Gonne.

Run Come Rally aka ‘Jah Speak with Lightning and Thunder’ 1975.

Toots and the Maytals' Funky Kingston is a brilliant reggae album and suitable for both beginners as for experienced listeners. The album was released twice and with so much success that it charted in the Billboard 200 and eventually made it to the Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Within any musical style, there are a few select works that resonate so strongly with audiences that they come to define the genre itself, taking on a mythical quality that transforms the album into something greater than the sum of its individual parts. Meets Uptown Rockers, the 1976 collaboration between producer instrumentalist Augustos Pablo and visionary dub engineer Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock, is one of those historic releases. The album, which features Pablo playing melodica, clavinet, piano and organ,
contains some of the greatest dub songs of all time, including Jacob Miller’s “Baby I Love You So,” and the darkly seductive title track. The chemistry between Pablo’s beautiful “Far East” signature sound and King Tubby’s meticulous attention to sonic detail results in an album the Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae says is “regarded by many as one of the greatest dub albums of all time.

Hopeton “Scientist” Brown and Lloyd “Prince Jammy” James both learned their dubcraft at the feet of the universally-acknowledged master of the art form, King Tubby. The 10 tracks from this classic LP from 1980 sound pretty strong in terms of style and approach, all of them are quietly brilliant, reflecting a complete mastery of the form. Rhythms are supplied by the unstoppable Roots Radics band!

10 tracks

Two albums that shook the world! The release of these two ground-breaking dubs sets in 1975 altered the course of modern music forever. Dub From The Roots & Roots Of Dub make up a crucial selection of King Tubby’s mind-altering dub versions.
Produced by Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee – both albums are essential!

The ace reissue of these wicked dub albums collecting together classic 70's dub versions by dub pioneer and leader of ‘roots’ music in Jamaica, King Tubby! Tubby’s vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny’s vast catalogue of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a standard. All the tracks on here are versions of classic tracks from Cornell Campbell, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Linval Thompson, Derick Morgan & Hortense Ellis dubbed out by the King of Dub King Tubby!’

Limited edition for Record Store Day 2023!

Fully remastered and licensed, ltd to 500 copies. Welcome to the realm of creator and mentor Michael Wadada, the man behind the exotic manoeuvres of Suns of Arqa, one of the most sought after world beat fusion project of the early eighties. His main goal was to increase the vibrations of classical Indian raga with the rhythms of Niyabinghi drumming, epitomized in England by contemporary dub producers. Released in 1980 on Manchester’s own Rock Steady Records, Revenge Of The Mozabites is an essential masterpiece paving the way for future over the border contamination. Deeply informed by cosmic mysticism the album still reverberates with the hidden sounds of earth & soul.

Another one from the fruitful collaboration with LA's highly regarded Patrick Houchen aka Shakaman. After Shakeena's “I bet you” 12" re-issue flying off the shelves, we deepen the exploration within Shakaman's treasure chest of Reggae/Dub gems with Shakeena's first and last album on Majicaa Records. Originally released in 1987, this album is a proper act of musical generosity, not so easy to point out the “hit” track here – clearly a case of all killer no filler. Unlike too many albums where the format length sadly gets the best of the artists' work, rest assured with this one you can play from the beginning to end and you'll only have to come back to flip it. The professional execution of what is hands down an ensemble of highly seasoned musicians sets the tone for the dreamy lyrics and arrangements to unravel. Besides expected reggae rhythms, Shakaman brings in other influences with subtle electro/freestyle hints that might have been hard to ignore in LA at the time. New remastered version sounding especially big and cozy on the low end. Can't go wrong!

Fully remastered and licensed, ltd to 500 copies. Cult re-issue from this short-lived Bristol project. Their debut 4-tracks EP was self-released on Restriction Records in 1984 giving birth to a collective experience fueled by several members: Andrew Clarke (amj Almighty Groove, AMJ Dub Collective) Clive Smith, Rob Smith (co- founder of the influential trip hop band Smith & Mighty), plus members of Zion Band. Produced by Mad Professor at London Ariwa Studios and featuring extraordinaire trombone player Vin Gordon aka Don Drummond Jr. (The Skatalites, The Upsetters) this quintessential mini-album merged the original Jamaican reggae-dub feel with a more contemporary approach, focusing on the experience of established British bands like Aswad and Black Uhuru.

Like Sun Ra's Arkestra and John Coltrane are to jazz, the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari are to reggae - the ultimate expression of roots music and Rastafarian ideology in reggae music, music functioning at a high level of spiritual consciousness combined with an equally avant-garde and forward-looking approach to sound.The group's stunning, unique and groundbreaking 1973 album 'Grounation', a mighty conceptual triplealbum (the first ever reggae triple!) is, similar to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On', a definitive allencompassing cultural statement of its time and place. A sprawling album of raw and unique cultural expression that combined Rastafari consciousness with deep spiritual jazz music - an absolute and essential classic of Reggae music.The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari group came into existence at the start of 1970s, the union of two artists (and groups) of equal repute - Count Ossie and his African Drums and saxophonist Cedric 'Im' Brooks' and his group, The Mystics. Both Ossie and Brooks were alumni from the great Studio One Records.

Recorded early in 1976, apparently ‘Born Free’ was never released in Jamaica, but went straight to the UK market as a 7’’ on the obscure ‘Boss’ label, and reissued as an Attack 12’’ few years later. While production details are somehow puzzling, with British sound operator Fatman sometimes credited among the producers and the riddim re-surfacing within Yabby You’s catalogue, what remains undisputed is the King Tubby’s studio stamp on the mix, emphasised by the raw cymbals on the B side. Michael Rose’s incredibly inspired voice floats over a stripped down roots rhythm singing timeless lyrics of freedom that will inspire Black Uhuru’s hits Willow Tree and Peace and Love in the Ghetto.

Tena Stelin’s ‘Wicked Invention’ is one of the most highly-sought UK digital roots reggae vocal albums, produced by Sound Iration (Nick Manasseh & Scruff), essentially, this is the vocal version of the classic dub album `Sound Iration in Dub’. This vocal set, like the vocal counterpart was released on Wau! Mr Modo in 1989. Features the sound system belters ‘Orthodox Music’, `Jah Equity’ and the title track. Limited to 500 copies only.

Album first released 1980 and now re-released on RED Vinyl! All songs are performed by Byron Lee’s Allstars. Featuring Ken Lazarus, Jo-Jo, Keith Lynn, Smokey 007, Hubert Lee and Cecil Barker. All the tracks originally recorded in the mid-Sixties, were produced by Alty East, one of the first producers of Ska in Jamaica.