The Original Dancehall King In Full Effect
Next week VP Records’ 17 North Parade imprint will be dropping an epic Yellowman double-disc compilation called Young Gifted & Yellow. (And it’s only right, since the albino OG was the first dancehall superstar, and he’s still doing his thing to this day. ) The box set also includes a DVD that’s full up with vintage video footage of the dancehall king doing his thing, and we’ve got your sneak preview right here. Video After The Jump… (more…)
Category: Foundation
Classics
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WATCH THIS: Yellowman “Don’t Bun It Dung” Live at Reggae Sunsplash ’88
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FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The Wailers “Concrete Jungle” (Original)
The Raw UnCut Verson Of One Of Bob Marley & The Wailers Hardest Tunes
With tomorrow, April 13th making it 40 years since arguably one of the most important reggae albums ever released, we here at Boomshots dug in the crates and pulled out the original cut of “Concrete Jungle” off the 1973 ground breaking record “Catch A Fire.” What most would notice at first is that the original doesn’t feature Wayne Perkins’ iconic guitar intro and three cord octave. A little bit of history here, Chris Blackwell the then founder of Island Records pegged Perkins’ to do overdubs of “Catch A Fire” to make it sound more Rock in an attempt to appeal to more audiences. Like most of the tracks on “Catch A Fire,” “Concrete Jungle” was recorded well before Bob and The Wailers were signed to Island. Take A Listen To Reggae History After The Jump… (more…)
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Bob Marley’s “Catch A Fire” Turns 40
Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell Speaks On The Record
This week (April 13th to be exact)marks the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley And The Wailers “Catch A Fire.” Often credited as one of the first reggae albums to gain international acclaim as well as to many one of the greatest albums of all time in any genre, but most importantly the one that propelled Bob Marley into stardom. Already with three studio albums under their belt Bob Marley And The Wailers signed with CBS Records and hopped on a plane and headed to the UK to work with Johnny Cash on the soundtrack for the film Want So Much To Believe. Bob and friends encountered an obstacle when financing for the film ran short, they now found themselves stranded in the UK without money and worse, a way back to Jamaica. As fate would have it Jah smiled on Bob and the Wailers through Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, a fan of the group, connected through a mutual friend and subsequently signed Bob Marley and the Wailers to the then indie label Island Records. On the occasion of Catch a Fire’s 40th anniversary, The Boom Box sat down with the man largely credited as the one who “discovered’ Bob Marley” about the making of the record. (more…)
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HEAR THIS: Gregory Isaacs “Night Nurse” (Strip Mix)
Necessary Mayhem Remixes The Cool Ruler
Curtis Lynch Jr. has been serving up bass-heavy dancehall tracks with next generation UK artists for a hot minute now. But his latest production on the Necessary Mayhem imprint is very much on the classic tip. Gregory Isaacs Remixes brings the Cool Ruler’s catalog into 2013, reworking those Roots Radics and Sly & Robbie tracks with heaping mounds of bass and fresh new frequencies. Check out what he did with “Night Nurse,” in this exclusive Boomshots premiere. Audio After The Jump…
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Sturgav Hi Fi and Volcano Hi Power at the 02 Academy
Two Big Sounds Rock Brixton Easter Weekend
When you’re talking about classical roots rock rub-a-dub sound systems, there are no more celebrated names in the dancehall of fame than King SturGav Hi Fi and Volcano High Power. Sturgav was established by Daddy U Roy, the legendary DJ who made his name on King Tubby’s Home Town Hi-Fi but went on to create a sound system of his own to provide a means for younger aspiring talents to develop their microphone skills.
Volcano was founded by the late great Henry “Junjo” Lawes, one of the most renowned producers of the 1970s and 1980s. His music formed a bridge between the roots reggae of Studio One and Joe Gibbs and the dancehall era. Immortal selections like Cocoa Tea’s “Sonia” and Yellowman’s “Zunguzunguzeng” made the Volcano label a trusted brand for any selector looking to pick up a certified boomshot to drop in the dance.
Bank holiday weekend saw Bagga John Productions pull it all out of the bag as they brought these two legendary sounds to the O2 Academy Brixton. But it wasn’t enough just to bring the champion sounds to the stage—they also brought some serious talent to rock the mic live and direct. Singers like Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul and Little John joined forces with DJs like Yellowman, Brigadier Jerry, General Trees, and Little Twitch. And of course Daddy U Roy himself worked the stage making this session a night of sweet nostalgia for longtime dancehall fans. The venue was heaving, the crowd excited, emotional and thirsty.
The girls went wild when Little Twitch gyrated to “No Licky Licky” and they mobbed Cocoa Tea when he reached out to touch the crowd. Some tears were also shed during his version of “Jamaica Farewell.” And when Yellowman came on it was a #f*ckingproblem!! He lapped the stage with jumps and sprints; his trainers hardly touched the floor. One other small problem—although Cocoa Tea sang brilliantly, he stormed off the stage in frustration with the mix he received from selector Danny Dread. #SelectorDontF*ckAroundAndMashUpTheDance. However the music went on and everybody went home with their fill of sweet rub-a-dub vibes. You know what they say—there’s no business like dancehall business. Video After The Jump…
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Konshens Pays Respect To 47 Reggae Superstars Who Paved the Way
Who And Who Rates As An Icon Inna The Business?
Remember when Shabba Ranks dropped that tune “Respect“? “Step by step you haffi climb the ladder / The elders you haffi show respect fah.” It’s plan to see that Konshens got the message. He may be on top of the game now, but he’s not one of those “likkle entertainers” who lose sight of the fact that their opportunities came from icons before him. The Dancehall artist recent single, “Icon,” on the Bad Bounce riddim, pays tribute to a long list of certified icons, all of whom helped “put the spotlight on we island” and established the worldwide success of Jamaican music.Audio & Photo Gallery After The Jump… (more…)
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Jimmy Cliff Says Reggae Grammy Should Be Televised
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Wins Best Reggae Album Grammy—But He’s Not Satisfied
When the Beatles imagined being over the hill and out of it, they sang a song called “When I’m Sixty-Four.” But reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has reached that ripe old age and he says he’s “just getting started.” Cliff won the best reggae album Grammmy for his 2012 release, Rebirth, outdoing stiff competition from The Original Wailers, Sean Paul, Sly & Robbie, and Toots and the Maytals. But he’s not satisfied with being nominated… or even with winning. Jimmy Cliff wants to win on TV. “It’s a nice thing to be nominated for a Grammy,” he told CBSNews.com. “However, I do think that people ought to see me on TV, accepting the Grammy. Not the way it is being done at the moment for a reggae Grammy where you just hear about it. It’s about time they show me on TV.” Read More After The Jump…
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WATCH THIS: Bunny Wailer “No Woman No Cry”
Original Wailing Wailer Sings A Marley Classic And Chats With RGAT
Bunny Wailer’s been in the news lately for his criticism of Snoop Lion. Snoop will reportedly be traveling to Jamaica soon to hold a reasoning with Jah B and work through their issues. In the meantime here’s a look at the original Wailing Wailer doing what he does best. Video After The Jump…
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Reasoning with Dennis Emmanuel Brown
The Crown Prince Would Have Turned 56 Today
The first of February marks the beginning of Black History Month and Reggae Month. It’s also the birthday of the late great Dennis Brown, known to reggae lovers as the Crown Prince. (If only because Bob Marley was the undisputed King, although Marley himself gave Dennis maximum respect.) The immortal voice that sang “Love and hate can never be friends…” and so many more classics was first cut on vinyl at Studio One. His first release was “No Man Is An Island,” which connected instantly and made him a child star. DBrown would go on to achieve international renown with his 1972 smash “Money In My Pocket,” which entered the UK pop charts. It was a British TV crew that shot the invaluable footage that follows, for their 1982 Channel 4 documentary Deep Roots Music—and yes this is the same interview sampled for the intro to the Damian Marley & Nas Boomshot “Land of Promise.” Check it out while you put one in the air for the Crown Prince. Video After The Jump… (more…) -
HEAR THIS: Freddie McGregor “Equal Rights”
A Fresh Take On A Studio Classic Off The New Album, Di Captain—In Stores Today
“These songs were very specially chosen,” says reggae stalwart Freddie McGregor of the selections on his latest album, Di Captain. The album’s title refers to Freddie’s signature hit “Big Ship,” also the name of his renowned Kingston recording studio, whose name has been kept hot by his music-making sons Stephen “Di Genius” and Chino. “We took the greatest pains in making sure these would be classic songs that will last for a long time. I chose songs like ‘Equal Rights’ because I love the message and because the youth need to hear it. Featuring live bass and harmonies by former Heptones frontman Leroy Sibbles himself, this remake of a song that was first released in the midst of the Civil Rights struggle is more than a cover version; it’s a celebration. Audio After The Jump… (more…) -
HEAR THIS: Barry Brown “Make It With You” and “Sister Magling”
Rock & Groove To Two Channel One Classics From The Crucial Right Now Album
The Jamaican roots reggae vocalist Barry Brown is best know for his clasic “Far East” but before his untimely death he left a rich legacy of music to keep his name alive itinually. Case in point: the little-known Right Now album, an overlooked treasure that was recently reissued by Greensleeves. This Jah Screw production was record, voiced, and mixed at Channel One studios with killer riddims laid down by Roots Radics and the We The People band. These sounds are so nice we had to give it to you twice. Audio After The Jump… (more…) -
“Rockers” Now Streaming Online
Classic of Reggae Cinema Hits The Interwebs
This past August the Brooklyn Academy of Music hosted a festival of great Jamaican films including Theodoros Bafaloukos 1978 classic Rockers. Perhaps no other movie packs more legendary cameos and classic performance sequences into a slice of ’70s Kingston street life. In case you couldn’t make it to Brooklyn to catch this classic of reggae cinema on the big screen, fret not. Our peoples at Noisey have got the film streaming online for free, so you can catch Leroy Horsemouth Wallace and a cast of thousands on the laptop or mobile device of your choice. Video After The Jump… (more…)