Roots & Culture 162 Items

Back to back two Killer 60s soul to reggae instrumental monsters - versioning Young-Holt’s classic Soulful Strut and Booker T and the MGs Seminal Time is Tight!

Recorded at Harry J & Channel One in 1982 with iconic musicians as China Smith, Flabba Holt, Robbie Shakespear, along with Norris Reid and Delroy Williams on backing vocals.The album include a recut of the classic "Java" and the singing of Hugh Mundell on "Ratafari Tradition". Reissue with the artwork of the original Jamaican press.

Greatest dub album ever. Combination between the "Far East" style of Augustus Pablo playing Melodica, Clavinet & Organ and Dub's master Osbourne Ruddock aka "King Tubby's". Featuring the finest Jamaican musicians, Aston & Carlton Barret, China Smith, Vin Gordon, Bobby Ellis...Mixed at King Tubby's Studio in 1976. Produced by Augustus Pablo. A must have !

Lily Of Da Valley is the first full-length album from Jesse Royal, who in his short career so far, has already been featured in Vogue magazine, had a Vice TV episode appearance, a #1 Jamaican single, and over 8 million views on a single video. Keeping authentic reggae music alive is Jesse Royal's mission as he continues on the legacy of the late greats Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jacob Miller, to name a few. Jesse Royal's restless musical drive paired with profound music, prolific lyrics and socially-conscious messages has him regarded as the next reggae star to emerge from reggae's birth land of Jamaica.

Deep instrumental & dub album. Recorded in 1978 in the best Jamaican studios, including Lee Perry's famous "Black Ark" along (as always !) the cream of the musicians including members of "The Wailers". Pablo mystical & meditative sound take us far away, to the ethiopian roots.

Record is close to VG+.
Cover as new with slightly dented corners.

Find the most beautiful pieces of the Reggae legend "Bob Marley" reinterpreted by the Jazz scene. A selection of the most beautiful covers from "I Shot The Sheriff" to "Sun Is Shining" or "Jammin'" and "Jammin'". "Buffalo Soldier" with Pink Turtle, The Holmes Brothers, Sly & Robbie, Kim Waters...

It's been a long journey from the day in Nigeria when we found, inside an Alpha Kuffa - Messiah I sleeve, a blank test press of the Yangaman Bob Lp with a little Top Rank sticker on it to the day we met the producer, the great and brilliant George Dureke, who gave us the test presses of the remaining unreleased albums from his Top Rank label, till to the complicated audio Restoration handled by Colin Young and Bassi Maestro. After two years of hard and intensive work it's finally arrived the time for this compilation to be ready and see the light! Eight Unreleased Digital Roots tracks made in Nigeria in the late 80s, never released or pressed, if not on a couple of test presses made on recycled plastic. Surely it includes some of the most interesting Reggae Music made in the Roots Land call Nigeria! Now Ready to be spreaded worldwide!

The reggae rocker, Courtney John unleashes his new album, Ecosystem, born from a collaboration with the French label Soul Man Records which also produced the successful album Reggae Loves Soul!
With this new LP, recorded and mixed between Kingston and Paris, Courtney John has created a lyrical painting of our world, hosted by a classic early reggae sound that will appeal to reggae aficionados and a wider audience of music lovers…

Limited edition for Record Stoe Day 2017!

Mungo’s Hi Fi are at the controls delivering their latest productions featuring megatons of talent from a dream lineup of MCs. Mungo's Hi Fi champion the evolution of reggae, dub and dancehall music and are reinvigorating soundsystem culture.

Recorded at Black Ark, Ariwa and Channel 1

The Hempolics return with ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, the follow-up to their triumphant 2017 album which won them accolades including a BBC 6 Music ‘Album Of The Year’ selection. The new release builds on their trademark mash-up sound of reggae, dub, soul and pop but explores new territories with elements of hip-hop, shoegaze and trip-hop welcome additions to the mix.
As with Volume 1, the release is underpinned by the masterful production of main man Grippa – an engineer who cut his teeth working with Faithless – and he’s once again joined by unmistakable Hempolics vocalists Dandelion and Nubiya, who continues to turn heads with her Amy Winehouse meets Hollie Cook timbre.
Highlights of the album include the upbeat soul and reggae hit ‘Play On’, the trip-hop meets dub-influenced single, ‘Full of Surprises’, and the British reggae-funk stomper ‘Bongadashi’. ‘Gotta Thing’ sees the band deliver a fast hip-hop house track laced with classic Hempolics’ reggae flavours, vocals courtesy of Miami rapper Cojack, whilst ‘Place Is Here’, written by Grippa alongside Faithless vocalist Pauline Taylor, is a 90’s shoegaze influenced cut with a languid psych groove.
These releases are to be collected, and hopefully Volume 3 isn’t too far away.

This is the first volume of the HOT Sauce compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels between 1965 and 1975. The initial plan is for at least 3 albums of 14 titles. HOT Sauce Volume 1 features Rocksteady, Boss Reggae, early Dub & early Reggae outstanding original Jamaican tracks including rare songs, overlooked gems, hidden treasures and some hits. The record labels showcased on the first volume are Attack, Amalgamated, Black Swan, Blue Cat, Downtown, Doctor Bird, Duke, Grape, High Note, Randy’s and Trojan. The tracks here have been selected according to their musical interest firstly, their rarity, and their complementarity. These tracks are all outstanding tracks, “killer tracks”, there are no “fillers” whatsoever. Particular attention has been paid to the way the songs are sequenced (or “mixed”) so that the album builds up nicely and gradually, generally starting with the Rocksteady songs on the A side and the 70s songs on the B side. HOT Sauce is a musical journey across the early Reggae UK labels and across different Jamaican musical genres & talents and the way they interact together. Since the early 70s “Tighten Up” series, no compilation have really explored these labels in depth on vinyl…

A third and final volume of Jamaican doo wop & R&B records taken from the late 50s and early 60s.

These records represent a period in which sound-systems were beginning to dominate the island, with Duke Reid and Sir Coxsone Dodd stepping up their rivalry by beginning to make and release their own records rather than rely on US imports for use in their dances. Many of these records are definitely more-or-less imitations of the American records, as the uniquely Jamaican ska sound was yet to take hold - however many of the future stars of ska, rocksteady and reggae were beginning to cut their teeth in the industry on these records, incl. Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Derrick Harriott and more, and provide a unique view into the fledgling independent record industry culture in Jamaica that would prove to be unbelievably prolific and unparalleled for an island of it's size.

Long established as one of New Zealand’s finest acts, South Pacific reggae-soul legends The Black Seeds return with their long awaited 6th studio album ‘Fabric’.

While firmly based in the island grooves that inspired the birth of the band nearly two decades ago, The Black Seeds’ sound casts a wide net, layering funk, soul, Afrobeat, and other eclectic elements over their dub/reggae foundations. It’s “contemporary groove music with influences from soul and funk and reggae rhythms – and even rock...” explains guitarist/vocalist Barnaby Weir.

Lead track “Better Days” is a Black Seeds classic and an exciting taster of what is to come from the new record. Rich with chugging guitars and soothing vocals, the track is warm with a positive message: “Better Days are calling, lonely nights are leaving. I see better Days, are just around the corner. No it wont be long till something good happens for ya.”

Described by Clash Magazine as “one of the best live reggae acts on the planet,” The Black Seeds legendary eight-piece live show infuses raw en¬ergy and good vibes wherever they go, fueling multi-platinum sales and a growing worldwide following. With countless sold out tours behind them and performances at many of the world’s leading festivals, The Black Seeds will be bringing touring the new record around the world this summer.

Green Vinyl.
Record is close to NM.
Includes original insert.

Following 2 acclaimed first editions, Stix Records presents the 3rd volume of its Disco Reggae compilation series.

Like previous one, the 9 tracks comp is made both from productions of the home labels now sold-out as vinyl, and from brand new exclusive music by the like of Taggy Matcher, Mato or newcomer Rosemary Martins, taking over classics titles from Donna Summer, Stephen Encinas, Roberta Flack, Herbie Hancock, Steve Parks, or Inner City.

The perfect soundtrack to extend the summer!!

"None A Jah Jah Children" collects the eight best tracks from the two longplayer "Rastafari" and "Kibir-Am-Lak" that Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus made for producer Tommy Cowan in the 1970's, all tracks re-mastered by Kevin Metcalfe. This are nyah chants made sound system ready by the Talent Corporation with the heavyweight musical back-up of Robbie Shakespeare, Peter Tosh, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Robbie Lyn, Tommy McCook, Carlton "Santa" Davis and the Sons Of Negus with the all the various drums like the 1st, 2nd and 3rd funde, akete bass drum, repeater, bass funde and trap drums. The original recordings happened at Dynamcic Sound and at Joe Gibbs studios. The LP-Vinyl includes also a nice printed inner sleeve with images and linernotes by Harry Wise

Released in 2017, the much-talked-about Yasuyuki Horigome & THE NEW Shoes "Aliens (Lovers Version) (12")" will be re-released by Urban Discos in limited quantities! The flip side features a dub version of the song, as on the first pressing. It was re-cut from the original master and retains the 12" 45rpm spec.

Limited Edition EP, Tribute to Stare McCallum. Four deep roots titles from the 70's with extended version.

Debut vinyl album from Boston's top roots dub reggae band, whose sound is truly of another time and place. Deeply in debt to the original Jamaican engineers of the 70s who turned mixing consoles into the lead instrument, the Vipers drop steady drum & bass rhythms w/ post punk attitude.

This Road' is the debut LP by one-to-watch Denise Sherwood, which features writing, production and instrumental contributions from Adrian Sherwood (On U Sound), Lee "Scratch" Perry, Mala (Digital Mystikz, Deep Medi Music), Mark Stewart (The Pop Group, Mark Stewart & The Maffia), Skip McDonald (Tackhead, African Head Charge, Little Axe) and Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, Tackhead). In addition to this extended family who came together to help her talent flourish, the album also features drums by the late Style Scott, who the singer lovingly recalls as my "my beautiful uncle." Portraying dark themes and damaged characters through an empathetic filter of bittersweet optimism, 'This Road' is a work of contrasts, which musically matches the mixed emotions felt in life. Bass pressure, contemporary club beats, nourishing roots music, sumptuous instrumentation and accessible, pop-schooled melodicism are woven together by her soothing but heavy-hearted voice, which is perfectly matured and full of depth. Saturated in vibes and an ingrained cognitive understanding of recording, 'This Road' is in part the product of childhood/teenage osmosis spent imbibing the sounds at her father Adrian Sherwood's On-U Studios. The impressionable youth gained an unparalleled education in music and also human nature, living in a house/studio where Lee Perry, Neneh Cherry, Jah Wobble, Big Youth, Little Annie, Style Scott, Tackhead, Bim Sherman and countless more made tracks. Like an epic coming-of-age movie focussing on Denise's part in the ongoing On-U chronicles - charting her changing roles as daughter, musician, mother, lover and more - it's little wonder 'This Road' is both contemporary and timeless, spanning time like a family tree.

Year 1964. Almost out of nowhere, the little-known and regarded director Sergio Leone transposes into a western key a film by Akira Kurosawa, and by putting together all the right pieces, adding a bit of intuition, lays down new rules for the 'spaghetti western' genre, giving way to an endless series of imitations.

"A Fistful of Dollars" would not have the same impact without the inimitable music written by Ennio Morricone, who had curiously been an old elementary school Leone’s classmate. The main soundtrack themes were chosen from two arrangements that Morricone had already drafted two years earlier; once removed the lyrics and added the unmistakable whistle of Alessandro Alessandroni, the spaghetti-sound was finally complete!

The film was an incredible success, and projected Leone, Morricone, and in particular the actor Clint Eastwood into the Olympus of the Great. The soundtrack was released for the first time the following year (1965), along with the one of Sergio Leone's subsequent work "For a Few Dollars More".

This new edition sees the original seven tracks of the score in a completely new layout. The format is a 10" 45rpm LP, with a 26x26cm miniposter attached. Clear vinyl edition.

This album here is a lightning roller coaster musical journey through the music of Studio One, the most important record company in the history of Jamaican reggae music. Ska and Rock Steady feature from the greatest names in reggae: The Skatalites, The Maytals, Marcia Griffiths and The Heptones alongside vocal and roots styles from Horace Andy, Willie Williams and Wailing Souls; DJ and dancehall styles from Michigan and Smiley, Prince Jazzbo and Lone Ranger; plus some wicked instrumental and dub. It's all here! 100% essential foundation style.

"play ON MR. Music”, one of the legendary songs from the recording scene of the documentary film ‘roots Rock Reggae’, which fascinated reggae fans all over the world, is finally available on record! This is a compilation of recordings from the Black Ark Studios during the heyday of the maverick Lee Perry.

One can imagine these words echoing in the wizard's mind of teacher and keys and synth man Nathan Spicer just before conceiving this, his "never meant to be released" masterpiece dub experiment. He, along with the lions share of the members of his Seattle-based funk/afrobeat group, Polyrhythmics, render a profound dub album as majestic and dynamic as if the members each had simultaneously recieved this missive from on high. Was it King Plachacha himself that dubbed these funk squires as true knights of the coming Pleiades/Earth 4th dimensional consciousness ascension portal event? The music seems to indicate so. As soundsystem technicians/prophets who came before such as Tubby, Perry, Scientist, and Pablo, Rezin Tooth and engineer/bass player Jason Gray succeed in manifesting a sonic blueprint of this possible fourth dimensional realm where peace and enlightenment flow freely as the true currency of the universe. Fellow Funk parishoners in this holy temple of dub are Ben Bloom (strings), Grant Schroff (drums and symbols), Lalo Bello (percussion) Art Brown (reeds) Elijah Clark (horns). Yes, praise the lord, Spicer et al did heed the call and indeed dubbed themselves. And you are now holding in your hand the Chronicle of their efforts. Rezin Tooth lays their new album of contemplative dub upon dub's mighty altar as an expression of their reverence to this beguiling and communal Jamaican art form. With this offering, they take communion with dub's sacrament from the basements and sound systems of planet earth and tape-echo it back out to the Pleiades. -Lucky Brown

Record is close to NM!

A definitive guide to Dancehall Reggae! Over 30 killer tracks from Yellowman, Eek a Mouse, Gregory Isaacs, Tenor Saw and loads more.

The Uprising Tour ran in Europe from May to July 1980 with five further dates in the USA in September. It was Bob Marley’s last tour before his tragically early death in May 1981 at the age of just 36. A few days after the release of the “Uprising” album Marley played this now legendary live show from Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle on June 13th. Bob Marley is on superb form and delivers a set of hit singles and classic album tracks. His energetic, charismatic performance gives no indication that he was already ill with the cancer that would take his life less than a year later and this release is testament to his spirit and his musicianship. This special 3LP edition is released to celebrate what would have been his 75th year.