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LP
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RR 374LP
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$24.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/17/2023
Reissue. A heavy old school sound reverberates from the Midlands reggae scene, one which remains unrivalled across the UK and is perfectly summed up by Capital Letters, whose mixing from 1985 is of an impeccable quality, here rereleased for reggae fans everywhere. Reality by Capital Letters should be a collectors' favorite and a new generations introduction, it is a brilliant revival of classic authentic material and overall vibrant piece of work.
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LP
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RR 369LP
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$24.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/17/2023
Reissue, originally released in 1976. Former Customs clerk Roy Reid thrilled the Jamaican music scene as a toaster, his effortless rhymes establishing a reputation on the Supreme Ruler of Sound in his native Spanish Town and later on various Kingston sets, including King Tubby's. Following a successful phase in London, he returned to Jamaica to record for various producers, having a special connection with chief hit-maker, Bunny Lee; Dread Bald Head is a rare set from 1976 with Roy toasting at Tubby's studio over some of Bunny's hardest Aggrovators rhythms as laid by Tommy McCook and team, originally for Johnny Clarke and Derrick Morgan. Essential listening.
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LP
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RR 373LP
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$24.99
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/17/2023
Reissue, originally released in 1984. Founded in 1981 in Britain's second city Birmingham, the band Sceptre were part of a thriving local music scene, a scene that for the most part revolved around live shows in the region's community centers, university campuses, pubs, and nightclubs. Neglected by major labels, many bands went unrecorded and of those that did get documented most managed to release just one or two singles. Fortunately, Sceptre recorded and released an entire album, 1984's Essence of Redemption Ina Dif'rent Styley.
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LP
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RR 347LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1978. Second album reissue for Big Joe (born Joseph Spalding in 1955), Jamaican reggae deejay and record producer, who recorded extensively in the 1970s and early 1980s. This is the follow-up to Keep Rocking And Swinging (1977), released on Live & Love in 1978 and produced by Bunny Lee. A must for all the reggae and dub fanatics out on Radiation Roots.
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LP
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RR 349LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Delroy Wilson's Captivity, originally released in 1973. Delroy Wilson was one of Jamaica's most soulful vocalists, and over a 40-year career the singer unleashed a flood of hits and a multitude of masterpieces. Born on October 5, 1948, in the Kingston neighborhood of Trenchtown, Wilson's phenomenal talent would be his ticket out of the ghetto, and his discovery by producer Coxsone Dodd in 1962 would change the path of Jamaican music. Released on Big Shot in 1973 and produced by Bunny Lee, Captivity is one of the true classics from Delroy's discography, back on vinyl for the first time since its original release.
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2LP
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RR 345LP
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One of the best-loved reggae singers of all time, Slim Smith. Responsible for many perennial hits that have remained popular with fans since their recording in the late 1960s and early '70s, Slim Smith achieved a lasting influence that trumps the brevity of his vocation and the terribly tragic death that cut everything short. This retrospective includes tracks from Slim Smith & The Uniques period such as "Let Me Go Girl", "My Conversation", and "Girl Of My Dreams". These immortal gems and more are collected on the first record of this double-disc set, giving clear indication of the group's tightness and Smith's exceptional ability in the lead. The second disc collects plenty of examples of his solo career, beginning with a tasteful version of "Keep The Light", "Love Power", and "This Feeling". The rhythms of many of Slim's best-loved records have been recycled countless times over in subsequent decades, keeping his spirit very much within our contemporary musical landscape.
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LP
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RR 358LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Ranking Toyan's Ghetto Man Skank, originally released in 1983. By the time Ghetto Man Skank appeared on Jah Thomas's Midnight Rock imprint in 1983, Ranking Toyan was already a seasoned veteran of Kingston's soundclash scene, having apprenticed with a number of smaller outfits before becoming earning a slot with Henry "Junjo" Lawes's Volcano Sound and winning widespread acclaim for his effortless, patois-laden delivery and his gruff putdowns of rival DJs. Though Toyan had already cut a number of outstanding sides for producer Don Mais, his collaborations with Lawes are undoubtedly his definitive recordings. Ghetto Man Skank stands as the very best of these. It boasts a set of simple, punishingly hard rhythms from the ace studio band The Roots Radics, which Toyan dominates with ease. His ability to spill forth unending streams of wordplay, streetcorner boasts, and infectious slogans is truly remarkable, enlivening every song on this set. Though Toyan didn't receive the same acclaim as fellow Volcano Sound DJs like Yellowman and Eek-A-Mouse, his outstanding performances on Ghetto Man Skank prove he was their equal in every respect.
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LP
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RR 361LP
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It's impossible to think about "dub" without thinking about the late Osbourne Ruddock, the great King Tubby. The singular most creative human being of the great many who've plied their trade behind a mixing desk in the name of reggae since the early 1970s. Dub may well have existed before Tubbs raised its profile to almost unimaginable heights, and it has continued to exist in the 21 years since he was senselessly slain in 1989.
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LP
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RR 362LP
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The early days of the man affectionately known to his peers as Tubbs's are chronicled in some detail in the notes to this LP's predecessor and companion volume, not unreasonably titled King Tubby Classics Chapter 1 (RR 361LP). It's unlikely that anyone who buys Chapter 2 will not already have Chapter 1, but for the few who don't it's only fair that you start the note with a short précis of the early life and career of the boy born to be king.
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LP
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RR 363LP
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When dubwise music really started to come into its own in the early to mid-70s, it made overnight stars of backroom boys who had hitherto worked behind a mixing desk to serve those who were beginning to hoist reggae to an international stardom that it had long deserved, but that it had only achieved on short and non-sustained bursts until Chris Blackwell decided to throw a lot of promotion and money at the work of Bob Marley and his fellow Wailers in 1972. Of those men, there was no bigger star than the late Osbourne Ruddock, the great King Tubby's and the man who, from a tiny home-made studio in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, Jamaica, did more than most to reposition the boundaries that production and mixing of Jamaican recordings.
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LP
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RR 368LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of John Holt's 3000 Volts of Holt, originally released in 1977. The 3000 Volts of Holt album was the third in a series of records that launched John Holt into the UK charts in the 1970s. To say that every home had a copy of a 1000 Volts and many 2000 Volts of Holt might be an overstatement but it certainly felt that way, as all good radio stations and parties seemed to have these tracks on permanent rotation. 3000 Volts of Holt was the more roots sounding of the three albums but still carried that sweetened string sound that set these recordings together.
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LP
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RR 366LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Johnny Clarke's Wondering. Johnny Clarke ruled the dancehall in the mid '70s, using the clever "Flyers Rhythms" that gave some of his tunes an edge with the sound systems. But his voice was always bigger than this and his versatility to sing a wide range of vocal styles has seen him cut through the decades as one of reggae's best voices. Produced by Bunny Lee, mixed at King Tubby's studio. An absolute reggae/roots classic.
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2LP
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RR 344LP
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Bob Marley & The Wailers are the most legendary figures to emerge from Jamaican popular music, a trio of icons that brough reggae to the broader public consciousness and helped the Rastafari faith to spread outside of their native island. Robert Nesta Marley, Peter McIntosh, and Neville O'Riley Livingston, AKA Bunny Wailer, are responsible for the understanding of reggae music itself, as well as the now-global movement of Rastafari consciousness and the general popular culture of Jamaica in a way unlike that of any of their peers. This retrospective on their '70s production, packed in a collectable double-vinyl set, provide a tantalizing glimpse of the international stardom that would soon be achieved by the group, charting some particularly fertile and evolutionary phases of their formative years. Comes with extensive liner notes by David Katz. Licensed by San Juan Music.
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LP
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RR 364LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of King Tubby Meets Scientist's compilation In A Revival Dub, originally released in 2009. Incredible collection of rare King Tubby vs. Scientist tracks. These were some of the last "classical" dub works created before dancehall ultimately mutated into a technologically-driven sound that largely did away with organic instruments and although these works already point in that direction, they still sound entirely fresh today because of the superb musicianship of the Roots Radics and the guiding hand of Jah Thomas in the producer's chair, as well as Scientist and his cohorts, working their dub magic at King Tubby's studio. Extensive liner notes by David Katz.
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LP
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RR 355LP
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Radiation Records present at reissue of Anthony Johnson's Gunshot, originally released in 1982. Anthony Johnson's Gunshot is one of the all-time, dancehall-era defining records. The driving original rhythm, expertly constructed by ace deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas with the Roots Radics at Channel One, formed a suitable platform for the strident wails of Anthony Johnson, a rising ghetto star that became one of the hottest vocalists on the evolving dancehall scene of western Kingston. Reissued for the first time after its original release on the Midnight Rock label in 1982, with remastered audio and extensive liner notes by David Katz.
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LP
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RR 356LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Bobby Melody and Singie Singie's Two Uprising Stars. Recorded at Channel One studio with the Roots Radics band. Mega rare top early dancehall LP back on Radiation Roots.
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LP
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RR 375LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Rhythmites' Integration, originally released in 1989. During the mid-1980s, Rhythmites used their music to break down racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers. Formed in the small Roman town of Bath in the west of England, Rhythmites issued a couple of tapes on UK peace punk pioneers Subhumans' label Bluurg before cutting debut LP Integration in 1989, by which time lead singer Angus Wright and bassist Clive "Flash" Gordon were injecting the Jamaican sensibility atop the English core of keyboardist Rich Patterson, future Invisible System drummer Gary Woodhouse and future RDF guitarist Murph Murphy. It's a compelling set of defiant roots with a touch of new wave, reminding of the vibrant hybrids conjured in the greater Bristol area, a worthy discovery for all fans of British reggae and rebellious late-80s post-punk.
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LP
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RR 370LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Barry Brown's Stand Firm. One of a handful of singers that straddled the divide between the late roots phase and the emerging dancehall style, Barry Brown was gifted with a distinctive high tenor that rendered his voice immediately recognizable, making a lasting impression whenever heard. His lyrics had wit, grit, and feeling, since he often spoke of the harsh realities of Jamaican ghetto life, and equally addressed the aspirations of its inhabitants and the good times they enjoyed, frequently emphasizing the irresistible pull of a soundsystem dance in his recorded work. Features the Aggrovators as the backing band. Mixed by Scientist.
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LP
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RR 365LP
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Jackie Mittoo is one of Jamaica's musical giants, a towering figure in the development of reggae whose skills as a keyboardist and musical arranger led to indelible changes in the evolution of Jamaican popular music, helping it to reach international prominence. An exceptionally-expressive player whose mastery of the organ was truly outstanding, Mittoo was also a gifted arranger with an intrinsic feel for what would work best, his key instruction giving shape to ska at Studio One and roots reggae at Channel One and other Kingston studios, as well as lover's rock at Wackies in New York and with Sugar Minott and UB40 in Britain, Jackie's own productions later incorporating far-out synthesizer experiments and vocoder techniques. Reggae as we know it would never have existed without Mittoo's essential input, making him an under-sung icon of Jamaican song. Jackie Mittoo went on to make all kinds of other incredible music in Jamaica, the UK, USA, and Canada before dying of cancer in 1990 at the tragically young age of 42; the dramatic send-off he received at the National Arena in Kingston gives some indication of the stellar status he achieved in his lifetime and the universal respect with which he was regarded. In an exemplary career full of exceptional music, Showcase, originally released on Bunny Lee's own imprint Jackpot in 1977, remains one of his greatest, an enthralling collection of stunners that shows why he will always be regarded as Jamaica's keyboard king.
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LP
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RR 353LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Jah Thomas's Dance Hall Stylee, originally released on Daddy Kool Rec in 1982. Jah Thomas was an important figure on the Jamaican music scene during both the roots era of the '70s and the subsequent dancehall decade of the '80s. Besides releasing several DJ sides of his own in the latter half of the '70s, Thomas also came into his own as one of the island's top producers for both singers and DJs. Many of these sides found their way to the dub studios of King Tubby, who transformed a wealth of Thomas' rhythms into a some of the best dub tracks to emerge from Jamaica.
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LP
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RR 352LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Delroy Wilson's True Believer In Love, originally released in 1978 on Carib Gems. Arranged and produced by Bunny Lee. Delroy Wilson was one of Jamaica's most soulful vocalists, and over a 40-year career the singer unleashed a flood of hits and a multitude of masterpieces. Born in the Kingston neighborhood of Trenchtown, Wilson's phenomenal talent would be his ticket out of the ghetto, and his discovery by producer Coxsone Dodd in 1962 would change the path of Jamaican music.
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LP
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RR 359LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Michael Palmer Meets Johnny Osbourne's Wicked, originally released in 1985. Radiation Roots continues its exploration of Jah Thomas' Midnight Rock label with the releases of this sought after and rare early dancehall album. Recorded at the legendary Channel One Studio, Osbourne and Palmer are two sublime vocalists and they are backed here by The Roots Radics, with Scientist on the mix.
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LP
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RR 354LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Early B's Sunday Dish, originally released in 1985. Earlando Arrington Neil became Early B on the Jamaican sound system scene, working his way through Soul Imperial, King Majesty, and other sets before coming to prominence in the early 1980s on Kilimajaro, where he became known as "The Doctor" for unleashing his lyrical cures on the mic. Recording for various producers from 1981, Early B reached another level upon linking with deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas in 1984, the humorous hit "Sunday Dish" leading to this explosive LP of the same name, an enduring classic of early dancehall that also features the equally hilarious "Learn Fi Drive". All killer, no filler.
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LP
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RR 357LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Junior Keatting's Weekend Lover, originally released in 1980. During the late 1970s, deejay-turned-producer Jah Thomas played a key role in the emerging dancehall movement, harnessing the Roots Radics at Channel One studio for rough-edged futuristic rhythms that became platforms for songs of everyday life. Junior Keating's solid debut LP Weekend Lover gathered popular singles such as "Watch What You Do", which implored upright living, and lovers' laments "Long Long Time" and "Something Is Bugging Me"; "Conquering Lion" showed that the versatile singer was also adept at deep roots tunes. With a tough mix by Scientist at King Tubby's studio and additional editing by Bullwackie, this superb offering is of massive appeal to all fans of late roots and foundation dancehall.
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LP
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RR 371LP
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Radiation Roots present a reissue of Laurel Aitken's The Fantastic Laurel Aitken, originally released in 1972. Remastered and expanded edition of this hyper-rare early '70s release from the "Godfather Of Ska". By 1970, Laurel Aitken was well and truly established as the "Father of British Reggae", having dominated the country's Jamaican music scene since his arrival at the start of the '60s. But having enjoyed success with every UK-based West Indian record company of note over the previous eleven years, he was no longer content with simply domestic triumphs and set his sights on conquering foreign territories. So, he took the unusual step of licensing his next album to companies in Europe and North America, while leaving his legions of British fans scrambling for the few copies available on import. Originally out on the Belgian label Hebra 42 years ago and never reissued ever since, this is one of the unmissable '70s ska classics finally back on vinyl. Includes four bonus tracks.
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