Name: V.A. - Step Forward Youth
Brand: Greensleeves
SKU: 613286
Price: 24.99 EUR
Availability: InStock

I Mo Jah / Phillip Fullwood

Rockers from the Land of Reggae / Words In Dub

2CD | 2018 | EU | Original (Pressure Sounds)

17,99 €*

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Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Reggae & Dancehall

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The 100th release on Pressure Sounds is the brilliant set of I Mo Jah's ‘Rockers from the Land of Reggae’ and ‘Words in Dub’, as two single vinyl releases, and a double cd. It's surprising that these two albums have not been re-released before, as both albums are seriously sought after. There will be 3 bonus tracks on each of the CDs. The albums come with full sleevenotes with excellent sound quality. The CD pack includes a full package with graphics and the usual high quality annotation and mastering. _____ . ______
Notes for the two albums:

A contemporary of Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus, Eric Donaldson and Freddie McKay, Philip Fullwood started out composing for Studio One and playing percussion for Burning Spear.

Both "Rockers from the Land of Reggae" and "Words in Dub" were backed by Sly & Robbie, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Clive "Azul" Hunt, Bingy Bunny and Flabba Holt, among others.

The striking sleeve of "Rockers...", in black and white with green handwritten typography, told the story of Jamaica, with Arawaks overseeing the arrival of Christopher Columbus’ ship Santa Maria, whilst between two sound systems the dreads were dancing and smoking a spliff under a tree. The art was drawn by Magnus Johnstone, a painter and deejay who presented the radio show ‘Reggae Mukasa’ on WMBR, and would later become the foremost champion of the burgeoning hip hop scene in Boston.

“When I made "Rockers from the Land of Reggae" I was taking about 500 to Jamaica and I was told I had to have a license to go through the customs. I got fed up and I just leave the album with them. They wanted me to get a license and all them things, and I said ‘Why I want a license to bring my own thing to Jamaica?’. They said no, so I leave them at customs. I don’t know what happened to them. Maybe they sell them. And that was the end of it. I give the rest of them to Chin Randy’s in Jamaica Queens to distribute.”

And so "Rockers from the Land of Reggae" soon vanished into obscurity. By 1983 Phillip Fullwood had settled permanently in the US and virtually retired from music. Over the years, partly fuelled by its extreme rarity, the album’s reputation has grown immensely, and original copies now command a very high price. Phillip is thrilled that this reissue will now expose it to a wider audience.
“Life happen that way. I got kids and grandkids. I’m just a small guy who was with Spear and just tried to do my thing, like everybody else in the entertainment biz. My occupation, my passport you know says entertainer. Wishing a t’ing, yunno.”

"Words in Dub", the highly unique set, released in a stark hand-printed sleeve, comprised self-produced rhythm tracks and some donated by friends, such as ‘Africa Rock’, a dub of ‘See Dem Da’ (Jah Marcus Roots 7”) by Burning Spear, with member Rupert Wellington on lead vocals. The first side also featured dubs of Purple Lights’ ‘Pestilence’, fronted by the singer Bangie, and ‘Revolution’ by Jah Blue & The Originals, who included Winston Rodney’s brother. ‘Reorganize The Race (Marcus Say)’, with its dense layers of digital reverb in the intro, later features singing about ‘weeping and wailing’ also by Jah Blue & The Originals, though the vocal cut was never released. Several rhythms would later get a do-over by Phillip’s American-based group I-Mo-Jah, perhaps the most thrilling being ‘Jah Say Love’, rerecorded by I-Mo-Jah as ‘Peace & Love’. ‘Hotter Fire In Babylon’ is a dub of Burning Spear’s ‘Spear Burning’ (Spear 7”), and the album closes with ‘Bubbling’, a dub of ‘Maybe’ (Yah Congo 12”) recorded by Phillip’s long-time friend Eric Donaldson.

The original recordings were primarily laid at Channel One with Barnabas and Crucial Bunny at the mixing board, with ‘Hotter Fire In Babylon’ recorded at Randy’s by Chin Randy himself, and ‘Bubbling’ at Dynamic Studio. The final dub mixes were done at Channel One and also at the legendary Black Ark by Phillip Fullwood’s own hands.

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