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CD
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RR 338CD
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$15.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 10/16/2020
Radiation Roots present a reissue of Dillinger's Top Ranking Dillinger, originally released in 1977. One of Jamaica's most popular "deejays" or rappers, Dillinger was one of the few Jamaican sound system toasters to rise to international prominence as a recording artist during the mid-1970s. Born Lester Bullocks in 1953, he was raised by his grandmother in a peripheral neighborhood located on the outskirts of Kingston. After moving into a tough ghetto area in western Kingston, he became a protégé of Dennis Alcapone, the star deejay on an influential set called El Paso, and was known as Young Alcapone until the maverick producer Lee "Scratch" Perry renamed him Dillinger, cutting a dozen or so tracks at Dynamic Sounds studio in 1973, of which the most noteworthy was "Dub Organiser," which saluted King Tubby and his sound system. Recordings for Phil Pratt, Augustus Pablo, The Abyssinians, and GG Records led to an impressive album for Studio One, but it wasn't until he began recording for Ossie Hibbert and Joseph Hoo Kim at Channel One that the world took notice, following the dramatic success of Island's CB200 album and its breakthrough hit, "Cokane In My Brain." The album Top Raking Dillinger was produced by Bunny Lee in 1977 and sees the toaster in fine rapping form over some of Lee's toughest contemporary rhythms, including Ronnie Davis's "Hard Times" for "Rat A Cut Bottle" and Johnny Clarke's update of Alton Ellis's "Cry Tough" for "Ranking Of The Past." There are also roots mutations of past classics, including Cornell Campbell's take of Bob Marley's "War" for "War Is Not the Answer," Johnny Clarke's version of "Waiting In Vain" for the cheeky "Check Sister Jane," a cut of The Silvertones' "Smile" as "Three Mile Rock," a horns-laden take of the perennial "Get Ready" as "Judgement Day Rock" and a version of "Melody Life" as "Don't Watch Your Wife."
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GET 54099LP
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RSD 2019 release, re-released. "By the 1970s Reggae had spread from Jamaica and become an international phenomena. Enter Dillinger, who rose up with the El Paso Sound System as part of the second generation of Jamaican toasters. His name came from American gangster John Dillinger at the suggestion of none other than Lee Perry (who produced his first album). A deal with Island Records followed, with sessions happening at Channel One Studios with Joseph 'Jo Jo' Hoo Kim producing. Recording at Channel One in mid-70s meant Dillinger and Jo Jo were tapping into an immense talent pool in the form of The Revolutionaries, the studio's in-house band. CB 200 features contributions from Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, Ansel Collins, Sly Dunbar, and Tommy McCook among others. The release also brought forth the career defining cut 'Cokane In My Brain', a hit record on an international basis. Despite the success of CB 200 and 'Cokane In My Brain' the release has remained out of print in all formats since the mid-1980s. Get On Down is about to change that, with their Record Store Day 2019 reissue of this too often overlooked Reggae masterpiece."
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RR 332CD
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Radiation Roots presents a reissue of Dillinger's Marijuana In My Brain, originally issued in 1977. In the early 1970s, top-ranking toaster Lester Bullock got his start on the El Paso sound system in the mean streets of western Kingston. Initially known as Young Capone, since he was a protégé of the better-established Dennis Alcapone, he was renamed Dillinger by Lee 'Scratch' Perry, the first producer to record a significant number of tracks with the youth. "Dub Organiser" and "Tighten Up Skank" were somewhat popular when released in 1973 and there were individual tracks cut for Phil Pratt, Augustus Pablo, Prince Tony Robinson, and Joe Gibbs, as well as Studio One, who issued his debut LP, Ready Natty Dreadie, in 1975. By then, Dillinger was recording a series of singles for hit-making producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee, particularly on Johnnie Clarke's rhythms, though recordings for Channel One and the CB 200 album were what catapulted him into overseas consciousness in 1976, once the outstanding single, "Cocaine In My Brain," reached the European pop charts. Marijuana In My Brain dates from 1977 and placed the toaster over some of the Striker's hottest rhythms, previously utilized for Clarke scorchers like "Satta" and "Poor Marcus" (along with the odd Ronnie Davis track); Clarke's reading of "Going To A Ball" is here transformed into an ode to the Bouncing Ball, then one of the most popular clubs for black Londoners, and his "African Roots" anthem gets the Dillinger treatment too. Of course, the title track was the biggest hit of the bunch, an ode to the 'wisdom weed' driven by cosmic space synth overdubs.
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RR 332LP
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LP version. Radiation Roots presents a reissue of Dillinger's Marijuana In My Brain, originally issued in 1977. In the early 1970s, top-ranking toaster Lester Bullock got his start on the El Paso sound system in the mean streets of western Kingston. Initially known as Young Capone, since he was a protégé of the better-established Dennis Alcapone, he was renamed Dillinger by Lee 'Scratch' Perry, the first producer to record a significant number of tracks with the youth. "Dub Organiser" and "Tighten Up Skank" were somewhat popular when released in 1973 and there were individual tracks cut for Phil Pratt, Augustus Pablo, Prince Tony Robinson, and Joe Gibbs, as well as Studio One, who issued his debut LP, Ready Natty Dreadie, in 1975. By then, Dillinger was recording a series of singles for hit-making producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee, particularly on Johnnie Clarke's rhythms, though recordings for Channel One and the CB 200 album were what catapulted him into overseas consciousness in 1976, once the outstanding single, "Cocaine In My Brain," reached the European pop charts. Marijuana In My Brain dates from 1977 and placed the toaster over some of the Striker's hottest rhythms, previously utilized for Clarke scorchers like "Satta" and "Poor Marcus" (along with the odd Ronnie Davis track); Clarke's reading of "Going To A Ball" is here transformed into an ode to the Bouncing Ball, then one of the most popular clubs for black Londoners, and his "African Roots" anthem gets the Dillinger treatment too. Of course, the title track was the biggest hit of the bunch, an ode to the 'wisdom weed' driven by cosmic space synth overdubs.
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RR 304CD
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Dillinger's Answer Me Question, originally released in 1977. Trained in the art of deejay toasting by the legendary Dennis Alcapone, Lester Bulllock initially called himself Alcapone Junior, until maverick record producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry renamed him Dillinger in the early 1970s, following his success on a west Kingston sound system called Smith the Weapon, based in the ghetto of Payne Avenue. Perry cut Dillinger's first dozen tracks, and there was early work for other producers such as Prince Tony, Augustus Pablo, Enos McLeod, and Phil Pratt; then, Dillinger's debut album, Ready Natty Dreadie (1975), was a local hit for Studio One, but the CB200 set for Island catapulted him to international prominence. Yet, the Dillinger material with the roughest edge was always produced by Bunny 'Striker' Lee, as this LP, Answer My Question, so amply demonstrates. First issued in the Netherlands on the Scramble label in 1977, it shows Dillinger on fearsome form, his relaxed rhyming toasts tackling sound system matters, the Rastafari lifestyle, action movie subplots, the highs and lows of romantic relationships, the need to help the less fortunate, and other burning issues of the day with biting wit and verbal dexterity, all delivered over tough Aggrovators rhythms - including an unusual cut of the "Three Piece Suit" rhythm.
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RR 304LP
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LP version. Radiation Roots present a reissue of Dillinger's Answer Me Question, originally released in 1977. Trained in the art of deejay toasting by the legendary Dennis Alcapone, Lester Bulllock initially called himself Alcapone Junior, until maverick record producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry renamed him Dillinger in the early 1970s, following his success on a west Kingston sound system called Smith the Weapon, based in the ghetto of Payne Avenue. Perry cut Dillinger's first dozen tracks, and there was early work for other producers such as Prince Tony, Augustus Pablo, Enos McLeod, and Phil Pratt; then, Dillinger's debut album, Ready Natty Dreadie (1975), was a local hit for Studio One, but the CB200 set for Island catapulted him to international prominence. Yet, the Dillinger material with the roughest edge was always produced by Bunny 'Striker' Lee, as this LP, Answer My Question, so amply demonstrates. First issued in the Netherlands on the Scramble label in 1977, it shows Dillinger on fearsome form, his relaxed rhyming toasts tackling sound system matters, the Rastafari lifestyle, action movie subplots, the highs and lows of romantic relationships, the need to help the less fortunate, and other burning issues of the day with biting wit and verbal dexterity, all delivered over tough Aggrovators rhythms - including an unusual cut of the "Three Piece Suit" rhythm.
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KSLP 028LP
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LP version. 2011 release. Dillinger is one of the most consistently successful DJs to come out of Jamaica, fondly remembered for his massive "Cocaine in My Brain" hit from the great CB 200 album and the later-reworked "Marijuana in My Brain," which gave Dillinger crossover hits in both England and Europe. But the versatile DJ has many more strings to his bow. Dillinger (born Lester Bullocks, 1953 Kingston, Jamaica) began his musical venture around 1971, working as a DJ to Sound Systems run by Prince Jackie and El Brasso. 1974 saw his first vinyl release in the form of Freshly for producer Yabby U and in 1975 he came out with the great Brace a Boy for the young Mr. Augustus Pablo. But his first album release was through Coxsone Dodd's Studio One set-up, where he let Dillinger fire some vocals over classic rocksteady rhythms. It took the form of "Ready Natty Dreadie." It was his time at Joseph "Jo Jo" Hookim's Channel One Studio that produced his second album set, the timeless 1976 classic CB 200. It contained three big singles in "Plantation Heights," "Cocaine in My Brain" and "Crank Face." The reworked "Marijuana in My Brain" even became a #1 hit in Holland in 1979. This set of tunes come from his classic '70s period when Dillinger could do no wrong. Alongside the big "Cocaine" and "Marijuana" hits, the great opening track "Love Is All I Bring" sees him working over Alton Ellis' "Still in Love With You," which Itself turned into "3 Piece Suite." On "Money Alone Is Not All" he works over Barry Brown's "Mr. Money Man," and on "Hear and Deaf" he works over Johnny Clarke's "Nobodies Business." "King Pharaoh Was a Baldhead" has him working Frankie Jone's "Jesse Black" cut. "Concubine" reworks the Mighty Diamond's "Mother Winney" and "Time So Hard" sees Dillinger telling it like it is over Ronnie Davis' original " Time So Hard" cut, empathizing the points in fine style. A classic set of tunes from the master of rhyme himself.
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ATTACK 023CD
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"Dillinger started his career in 1971 as a DJ on the sound systems of Prince Jackie and El Brasso. Initially he use to imitate the popular DJs of the time like U Roy, Al Capone, and Big Youth before forging his own unique style. After meeting up with Bunny Lee he went on to make some hits, many of which you will find on this album."
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