Part one of the four part series. This was my first take at this theme. I had been vibing with a cat that lived upstairs from me, simply know as Krab, about the connections between reggae and soul music. He is a serious head, with stacks of vinyl singles collecting on every spare surface of his domicile. Old school deep soul classics and unknown gems. After a late night session spinning tunes, I decided to do a focus show on the connections between reggae and soul. Over the course of the next year, I did four shows on that theme, the first of which your tuning into now...

Part two of the four part series. Back after a bit of a break. I had to remix the second half of this show since I lost the original recording, so it took a bit to get around to doing so since I was out of the country for a month.

Now that I've had a chance to remix the second half of the show, its ready for you all. Decent little mix in a soul reggae combination style.

Part three of the four part series. More nice tunes featuring the connection between soul and reggae music. What more can I say..

The fourth part of a four part series (but the first I'm posting) featuring the connections between American soul (and R&B and Funk and...) and Jamaican reggae (and rocksteady and ska and...)

I'll let the music speak for itself.

In the last few shows, I've been stretching out more and focusing on artists that didn't grab my attention right away. Al Campbell was one of those artists. I had a few things from him, but hadn't listened to it too much and I didn't really know his work. For this show, I went through his tunes and put together a selection of the ones that caught my attention.

You'll hear some of his earlier tunes with producer Phil Pratt, as well as a few things with Coxsone Dodd and even his own productions. Campbell seemed to hit his stride in the late 70s and into the early 80s as he warmed up the dancehall scene. We don't leave that era untouched!

I've had a few requests to post this show, so I'll share it with you all. Earth and Stone was a group comprised of Albert Bailey and Clifton Howell that did a stint at Brentford Road before heading to Channel One in 1973 to record for the Hoo Kim brothers. On this show you get to hear a nice variety of tracks laid down by the studio band called the Revolutionaries. Enjoy these sounds of Channel One...

This set again owes a great debt to Pressure Sounds for their lovely reissue of the Kool Roots album.

(I must admit that I forgot to take the album Earth and Stone did with Phillip Frazer to the radio station that day, so it isn't featured on the show as it should be.)

Johnny Osbourne... He got his start working with the group the Sensations and cutting an album for Winston Riley. He also falls into what seems to be a trend with the artists I feature... early works at Studio One before branching out to works with a bunch of other producers.

One thing that sets Johnny Osbourne apart from most of the artists that I feature on my show is that much of his greatest work comes after the 70s had passed when he started working with producer Junjo Lawes. Along with his vocal versions there are many prime Scientist dubs to accompany his vocals. On this show I even (gasp) play Slent Teng for the first time in the history of my show. Osbourne really made his name in the early 80s dancehall period and voiced a lot of popular riddims. To showcase this, I do a nice run of riddims that Osbourne touched towards the end of the show. So, sit back, turn it up and check out the sounds of one Mr Johnny Osbourne.

For more info on Osbourne, see his web page:
http://www.johnnyosbourne.com/

Errol Dunkley... An often overshadowed singer who crafted a number of unique soulful tunes over the years. He paid his dues making tracks with the usual suspects, including his debut with Prince Buster and his first hit "You're Gonna Need Me" with Joe Gibbs. On this show, this track is mixed with other versions such as the original from Delroy Wilson at Studio One, and his later remake of the tune which was the first hit for the African Museum label (that he started with Gregory Isaacs.) In addition to Errol Dunkley's work with Bunny Lee and Coxsone Dodd, this show features work he did with producer Jimmy Radway such as his 1972 tune "Black Cinderella." (which leads off the show.) Throughout the remainder of the show we cover a variety of his efforts including some of the work he did with Count Shelly and others.

Derrick Harriot started off as a vocalist in the group Jiving Juniors, before going on to sing as a solo artist and produce other artists. His productions range from rocksteady to early roots. This show focuses on the variety of tunes that Harriot produced in the usual algoriddim style...

Vivian Jackson, the man known as Yabby U, is the focus for the show. This was my first take on his works, covering what was some of the most obvious (to me) tracks, and getting to know his music.

For this mix, I start off with a Bob Marley classic that has sound connections to a Yabby U track, a little something called Crazy Baldhead. After the Wailers version, I hit the Johnny Clarke remake, then into the dub. Chant Down babylon Kingdom is the next from Yabby. Next riddim, the anthemic Conquering Lion, voiced by Vivian Jackon and the Ralph Brothers. After a few versions we move to a Heptones riddim, Heptones Gonna Fight. After the original, we hear Michael Prophets retake and the Yabby U produced dub. After that, the pre-Black Uhuru Michael Rose piece Born Free and the rolling dub. Then to Wayne Wade's Gang War along with the dub and DJ versions. Up next a track I've been looking for a better copy of, Warrior No Tarrier by Tony Tuff and of course the dubs (with a train wreck mix in, but hey it was live!)

Moving on, Yabby hits you again with Go to School Jah Jah Children (Africa). Nice dub ensures, with Leroy Smart waging his opinion of Gamblin. After that, some more from Yabby U, some the tracks he produced for Michael Prophet, and a few other riddim runs to wrap out the show.

Yabby U aka Vivian Jackson. A top notch producer and vocalist with some of the heaviest reggae sounds known to mankind. When I first got my hands on Blood & Fire's Jesus Dread compilation of his work, it simply blew my mind.

On these two shows, I go through a range of his vocal tracks and productions. This show covers most of thge bases I didn't cover in the first show: a few of the foundation cuts like Jah Vengance, Fire In A Kingston, before a mix of a Linval Thompson vocal and Yabby versions. Throughout the show, I'm basically seeking out connections beyond what I played on the first show.

Tappa Zukie is a talented toaster and producer in the work of reggae music. Born David Sinclair in 1955, he began his music career working for sounds systems, including the Maccabees Sound System where he caught the eye of producer Bunny Lee. After a diversion in the UK where he put his first tunes to wax (resulting in the album "Man A Warrior"), he returned to Jamaica and recorded a few DJ tracks for producers such as Yabby U. Soon afterward, he began putting together his first album with tracks made available to him by Bunny Lee, Ossie Hibbert and Joseph Hookim. These tracks resulted in his album "MPLA." He also set up his own label, titled "Stars" and began producing artists such as Errol Dunkley and Ronnie Davis. After heading to the UK again, he set up a distribution deal for his label and first self produced album.

Over the course of the next few years Tappa put out a number of albums and produced work by such artists as Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Cornell Campbell, Knowledge, Mighty Diamonds, Dennis Brown and others.

There's two stories about how Tappa Zukie got his nickname. One goes that it was comprised of "Tapper" a nickname is grandmother gave him and "Zukie" from the name of the gang he ran with as a youngster. The other story goes that it came from a charachter in a Western TV show or movie named Zukie that was a bartender, and therefore a "Tapper" because he tapped a keg...

For this show, I concentrate on the tracks I didn't select on the first show I did featuring the work of Tappa Zukie. I of course couldn't resist starting off with one of my favorite tunes, "Natty Dread A Weh She Want" by Horace Andy on Alton Ellis' Hurting Me riddim. We then got into a number of things Tappa Zukie DJed on for Bunny Lee, as well as track Zukie produced.

There's not much to say about Gregory Isaacs that you can't find elsewhere. He's a vocalist I avoided for a number of years, thinking that he was all about love songs and mediocre tracks from the eighties. After digging into his repertoire, I came to appreciate the wealth of rootsy tunes he laid down in his early years.

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[original radio broadcast 11.11.2005]

Once I dug into Gregory Isaacs early work, I found there was too much content to cover in just one show. So here's two shows worth of prime Gregory Isaacs tunes...

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[original radio broadcast 12.09.2005]

The Gladiators was comprised of Albert Griffiths, Clinton Fearon, and Gallimore Sutherland for most their run as a group. As a band they also recorded riddims for producers like Lee Perry, Yabby U and Coxsone Dodd. On this show, I run through a number of their early works with Coxsone Dodd and also showcase their work with Prince Tony, along with dropping in a few other tunes along the way.

I first encountered their work with Prince Tony and was taken aback by their beautiful but tough vocal harmonies. I hope you come to enjoy their work as much as I have.

For some more information, check out this excellent interview of Clinton Fearon

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[original radio broadcast 03.05.2004]

The Royals... The foundation of The Royals was a man named Roy Cousins. He was in the group with Errol Wilson, Keith Smith and Berthram Johnson. They had their first sessions recording in 1967 with Studio One's Coxsone Dodd. As The Tempests, they laid down a track titled "Pick Up the Pieces." Dodd sat on the tune and didn't release it.

After working with Dodd, the Royals went on to work with producers like Joe Gibbs, Byron Smith and Lloyd Daley. Eventually Roy Cousins stepped up and began producing most of the tracks put out by the Royals with money he earned working in the Post Office. In 1973, Roy Cousins produced a rerecording of "Pick Up the Pieces" and it hit. This allowed Cousins to leave his job at the Post Office and focus on producing full time.

Other than the Royals, Cousins went on to produce a number of other artists such as The Gaylads, Cornell Campbell, Don Carlos, Earl Sixteen and DJs like Prince Far I, Charlie Chaplin, Jah Stitch, and others. In the future, I'll do another show featuring some of these other productions put together, but for now, I want to expose you to the magical work of the group called The Royals.

I bookend this show with the original and retake of the track "Pick Up the Pieces" In the beginning, I run the original take of the riddim done for Coxsone Dodd. Then I get into a track or two of their cuts done for producers Duke Reid and Lloyd Daley. After that, its into the work produced by Roy Cousins. To conclude the show, I get into the retake of "Pick Up the Pieces" that hit big and finish with a few quick retakes of the riddim.

This show is based heavily on two albums put out by the label Pressure Sounds, so if you enjoy this show, please support these reissues.

Pick Up The Pieces
Dubbing With The Royals

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[original radio broadcast 01.19.2007]

Freddie McKay. I didn't know much about his music, but I heard a lot of good things about him, so I put a show together focusing on what he did and discovered what the fuss is all about in the meantime.

Freddie got his first big hit, "Love is a Treasure", with Duke Reid at Treasure Isle, while his first album, named after another hit of his "Picture On the Wall", was released by Studio One.

On this show, I start off with a remake of Burning Spear's Creation Rebel produced by Ossie Hibbert (proceeded by the original of course.) Then into his two early hits mentioned above (playing the Coxsone version of "Love is a Treasure", not the Duke Reid version.) Throughout the rest of the show, you hear tracks produced by such diverse figures as Glen Darby, Eddie Wong, Warrick Lyn, Leonard Chin and others.

I hope you enjoy this introduction to Freddie McKay.

(Listening back, I realized that "Jah Help the People" is Freddie McGregor, not Freddie McKay... damn.)

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[original radio broadcast 04.16.2004]

Roy Francis was another one of those producers that I overlooked as I began learning about reggae. Eventually Blood & Fire and Motion Records put out compilations of his productions for the label Phase One. Despite these two strong recommendations to explore his work, I shyed away from buying the disc seeing that it was coming from a reggae group called the Chantells. After hearing a tune from the selections of Papa Dave from Reggae Explosion, called "Waiting In The Park", I was hungry to hear more.

These tunes are mostly put together by the Revolutionaries with Ernest Hookim at Channel One. If you're enjoying these sounds, seek out the two albums linked to above. I must also recommend the X Ray Version of Phase One.

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[original radio broadcast 02.21.2003]

Producer Phil Pratt, one of those early producers that can escape your attention if you aren't aware of what you're listening to when you're hearing some of the early tunes from your favorite artists. I first came accross his work via a crackly single on the Sunshot label featuring Big Youth's DJ version to Ken Boothe's Artibella, which he remade for Phil Pratt after doing it first at Studio One with Stranger Cole.

Needless to say, that's the first track I got into on the show. Throughout the rest of the show a lot of big vocalists make appearances with early work in their careers. John Holt make appearances with tracks like "Strange Things" (and the ensuing riddim run), and "My Heart Is Gone." Dennis Brown contributes "Let Love In" and an early version of "What About the Half?" Horace Andy brings you "Riding For A Fall" and "Get Wise." There's also some early tunes from artists like The Heptones, Al Campbell, Pat Kelly, Roman Stweart and DJs like Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone, I Roy and U Roy.

I should also recommend the Firecorner Phil Pratt Show Unfortunately, the audio is RealAudio and link to the playlist is broken at the moment, but if you tune in you'll hear them doing their usual top notch job.

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[original radio broadcast 06.28.2002]

This show features the sounds of the Wailing Souls, the group that Winston "Pipe" Matthews formed the core of for many years. In the early days, he got his start with a group called the Schoolboys and they did some work for Prince Buster. Later the group became the Renegades, and included Lloyd "Bread" McDonald and George "Buddy" Hayes. They recorded a number of tunes for Studio One. Eventually Buddy Hayes left and Oswald Downer and Norman Davis joined the group and they produced singles for Studio One under such names as the Wailing Souls, The Classics, Pipe & the Pipers, etc.

Eventually, the line up was back to Winston "Pipe" Matthews, Lloyd "Bread" McDonald and future Black Uhuru member Rudolph "Garth" Dennis. This line up recorded around the late 70s and early 80s. During this time period the group recorded for Joseph Hookim at Channel One and later went on to work with Henry Junjo Lawes.

Enjoy the sounds of the Wailing Souls...

View the Wailings Souls MySpace profile for up to date info on the Wailing Souls...

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[original radio broadcast 01.05.2007]

So, the two hours of Wailing Souls I played at the radio station just didn't give me enough time to play everything I wanted to play, so this was a special mix I put together in my lab to feature all the tunes I wasn't able to play on air. This mix focused more on the later works of the Wailing Souls, including tunes they did with the Revolutionaries at Channel One and with Junjo and the Roots Radics.

Its a bit of an experiment for me, being that I'm not on air at the radio station, I can have a bit more fun on the mic. Let me know what you think of this mix compared to my other "on air" mixes.

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[mixed for podcast 01.08.2007]

Horns have always been an important part of reggae music and are one of my favorite elements of the riddim. This show intends to showcase the presence of the horn in a variety of heavy roots tunes.

For this show, I start off with one of my favorite intro tunes from Tommy McCook & the Aggrovators, and move on to feature more horns versions of roots tunes from a variety of artists and producers. Throughout the show, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon, Bobby Ellis, Carl Bryan and others get their chance to shine.

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[original radio broadcast 04.01.2005]

Once again, one of those old time singers that formed the foundations of reggae music. Delroy Wilson had a story like many other legends, starting off with a ska tune for Coxsone Dodd in 1963 aimed at Prince Buster. The tune, "Joe Liges" was written by a young guy named Lee Perry (you might have heard of him.) Delroy went on to see his first album "I Shall Not Remove" released in 1966. Throughout his career, he covered many soul tunes from artists in the states, and made a name for himself in this vein.


Now, here's where I am going to critisize the man. For me, most of the time when I hear a Delroy Wilson tune, I want to skip to the next tune. Delroy Wilson had a tendancy to try to imitate souls singers, but with a very cheesy effect. To me, it sounds like a Elvis kind of swagger that would fit right in for Las Vegas lounge act.


That being said, I try to find the gems that he did create for this two hour excusrion into his tunes. Starting it off, one of my favorite tunes Keith Hudson laid down, "The Exile Song" a remake of (something). Throughout the show, I also play a bunch of tunes that other artists later covered. Despite the hesitation I feel about Delroy Wilson, I give him the Selection from Iman for you to judge for yourself.

View the Setlist

[original radio broadcast 03.03.2006]

Ken Boothe is yet another of the great foundation singers of Jamaica. He got his start as many other did in the ska and rocksteady days creating a sound modeled on some of the great soul singers from the US. In his early days he worked together with Stranger Cole as Ken & Stranger. As with many others, he earned his chops with the legendary Studio One, working with Coxsone's crew until 1970. Along the way he also recorded a few singles for Sonia Pottinger, before moving to Leslie Kong and other producers such as Bunny Lee, B.B. Seaton, Keith Hudson, the Chin brothers, Phil Pratt, Niney and Lloyd Charmers.

For this show, I start off with the incredible song "Peace Time" recorded for Jack Ruby. After that, its into another classic, "Artibella" that he did originally with Stranger Cole, before rerecording it with Phil Pratt. We continue on with more from the Coxsone days, with tracks like "Feel Good", "Set Me Free" and others.

So enjoy what this man is putting on, the sounds of Mr. Ken Boothe...

View the Setlist

[original radio broadcast 08.19.2005]

Alton Ellis. Man, he was one of those singers that came in the vein of soul and R&B and could croon with the best of them. In his early days, he was the Alton of Alton & Eddie, along with Eddie Perkins. He got his start with producers like Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd, and produced a wealth of hit tunes in the rocksteady era.

For this show I start the ride with one of his top tunes, "I'm still In Love With You," done originally at Studio One and relicked for Joe Gibbs by Marcia Griffiths. (Sean Paul recently brought this riddim to prominance again.) Moving on, I focus on a lot of his Studio One tracks and remakes, like Horace Andy's remake of the "Hurting Me" riddim for Tappa Zukie called "Natty Dread a Weh She Want." There's also a massive tune for Keith Hudson, "All We Need Is Love." Alton also worked for other producers like Harry Mudie, but we don't stray too far from the core body of his work on this show.

View the Setlist

[original radio broadcast 10.31.2003]

Cornell Campbell is one of those sweet sounding roots singers that got his start as a child in the early days. In the late 50s, he worked for Coxsone's sound as a printer. He really got going in music when he formed the Sensations with Jimmy Riley and Buster Riley. Buster's brother Winston Riley was a singer with the Techniques and producer along the way.

Along the way, Cornell worked with a wide range of producers, Winston Riley, Coxsone Dodd, Bunny Lee, Dennis Bovell, Linval Thomspon, Ossie Hibbert, Joe Gibbs, Junjo Lawes, Tappa Zukie, Roy Cousins and others.
On this show, I start off with one of the big big riddims Cornell voiced at Studio One called "Stars." After that we get into a remake of an Impressions tune titled "Queen of the Minstrel." Throughout the rest of the show I'm playing a mix of works he did at Studio One, as well as tracks put together for producer Bunny Lee and others. Sit back and enjoy the sounds of Cornell Campbell...

View the Setlist

[original radio broadcast 08.08.2003]

Keith Hudson has got to be one of my favorite producers. Like Lee Perry, he didn't always hit the spot, but when he did, he hit it hard. Keith Hudson, the man known as the Ghetto Dentist, rumoured to have installed Big Youth's red, green and gold fronts. His sound is unique, sounding like the man is a bit haunted at times, especially on tunes like "Darkest Night On A Wet Looking Road."

I start off the show with some of his earlier scorchers, floating on through to the darker sounds that he created half way through the show. Have a listen to these crucial sounds, sounds of the man known as Keith Hudson...

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[original radio broadcast 03.04.2005]

As I've been working through my collection preparing for some shows focusing on Lee Perry, I came accross the sounds of Mr. Max Romeo. He got his start back in the day working with the vocal group called the Emotions and later went solo. In his early days, he worked with Ken Lack of the Caltone label, then on to Bunny Lee, Niney and Lee Perry. His tune Wet Dream for Bunny brought him to worldwide acclaim, and after some change of perspective he hit it big again with Rasta influneced work done for Lee Perry.

For this session, I figured I'd open up some of his beautiful work for all of you to hear. I start off with some top tunes from his days with Lee Perry, including my own little remix of "Smokey Room," then on to his big tunes "Chase The Devil" and "One Step Forward." His tune "Valley of Jehosaphat" is definately one of my favorites, primarily due to the dread horns.

For an excellent interview of Max Romeo that puts a lot of these tunes in context, please check out

Max Romeo Interview


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[original radio broadcast 12.08.2006]

The Abyssinians first recorded at Studio One in 1969, laying down their classic anthem Satta Massagana, which means "Give Thanks" in the Ethiopian language of Amharic. The group is composed of Bernard Collins and the Manning brothers, Donald and Linford. The Manning brothers' other brother Carlton was a talented singer at Studio One and leader of the group "Carlton & The Shoes" that included brother Linford.


This show features the sounds of these Manning brothers. I start off with some numbers recorded by Carlton & The Shoes at Studio One, then work into the sounds recorded by the Abyssinians. Sit back and enjoy these hymns of Rastafari...


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[original radio broadcast 01.20.2006]

Mikey Dread got his start in radio back in the early 70s and was a crucial part of getting reggae music out to the Jamaican masses. He eventually began voicing his own tunes and later went into production. He's still around and performing, so check him out if you enjoy these tunes...

For more info, or to buy his music, please visit http://www.mikeydread.com

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[original radio broadcast 10.28.2005]

This session featured the sounds of Little Roy, an under represented artist in the world of roots music. At the top of the show, I start off with a riddim that he did the original vocal to, a track called Tribal War, that was recorded with Lee Perry in the early years of the Black Ark. After that we get into a variety of other related tracks, many from the two excellent compilations put out by Pressure Sounds [www.pressure.co.uk]

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[original radio broadcast 11.24.2006]

Producer Harry Mudie... Crafter of such legendary riddims as Drifter, Heart Don't Leap, Let Me Tell You Boy and Love Without Feeling. For this session I ride some of these powerful riddims for your listening pleasure...

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[original radio broadcast 11.14.2003]

Sounds from the singer Leroy Smart... Leroy Smart was one of those vocalists that got their start off back in the day with tunes for producers like Jimmy Radway. He also did a lot of tunes at Channel One and worked with some other big producers like Bunny Lee. In any case, here's Leroy Smart, showcase style...

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[original radio broadcast 09.05.2003]

For this episode we focus on the sounds of producer Bertram Brown and the Soul Syndicate. Bertram Brown ran a label called Freedom Sounds and put together quite a few nice albums featuring sounds from artists like Phillip Fraser, Rod Taylor, Prince Alla, Earl Zero, Sylvan White and others...

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[original radio broadcast 08.06.2004]

This show was a tribute to the man Coxsone Dodd. He was at the helm of the empire they called Studio One, and though he wasn't usually the one in the studio all the time, his leadership of Studio One had a huge impact on reggae music. For this set, I focus on my favorite tunes coming out of Studio One. They aren't always the classic tunes associated with Studio One, but these are some of the ones I love the most. Starting it off, a tribute to Dodd, Joe Higgs' "There's A Reward" After that we get things running with Mighigan & Smiley's "Compliment To Studio One" where they talk about going down to check Papa Dodd.

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[original radio broadcast 05.14.2004]

Sounds from the man John Holt, former leader of the group The Paragons. John Holt was one of those vocalists whose work spanned the 60s through 80s and beyond. On this show you'll hear hits and bits from his early days at Treasure Isle with Duke Reid, sounds from his time at Studio One, songs for producer Harry Mudie and other tracks like those done at Channel One with the Hookim brothers.

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[original radio broadcast 07.11.2003]

Vocalist Barry Brown was the focus of the day... Barry Brown was one of those singers I hadn't heard about until I had been listening to reggae for some time. Eventually I started hearing about some of the work he did with producer Bunny Lee and heard some of the heavy tracks he did on tracks that had originally been voiced by Horace Andy.


For this show, I start off with his classic Studio One cut, "Far East" moving through the versions including the scorcher from Channel One. Throughout the show, I run riddims from Bunny Lee, Jah Thomas, Sugar Minott and others. Check it out...

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[original radio broadcast 06.27.2003]

Joseph Hill, a legend among legends, passed away August 19th, 2006. This show is a tribute to him and his group Culture that included Albert Walker and Kenneth Dayes.

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[original radio broadcast 09.01.2006]

This show was inspired by the sounds of the man Joe Gibbs, alongside Mr. Errol T, who was his partner-in-crime. I basically was riding some of the riddims that Joe Gibbs, and his band known as the Professionals, created and recreated.

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[original radio broadcast 12.12.2003]