"...Rightful Ruler..."
In the world of Reggae
(especially Jamaican Reggae) – two names elicit a certain knee-trembling
excitement amidst arthritic old-fart collectors like me. And this fabulous
April 2019 Doctor Bird Records 2CD reissue out of the UK offers up truck loads
of both – the magical Pama Records label - and the wonder-kid Producer and
Arranger, the rightful ruler himself - Lee 'Scratch' Perry. It’s enough to make
me throw my spaghetti at a Western. So what’s on offer partner?
For a few dollar more you
get two hugely sought-after British-issued Pama Records LPs from 1969 and 1970
(pricey and so rare on original vinyl) bolstered up with a whopping 24 Bonus
Tracks featuring period productions by Perry, much of it making its digital
debut after half a century in genre obscurity (48 tracks in all remastered by top
Audio hero Andy Pearce). Time to don the poncho, holster the pistols, spit on
mangy dogs and get to the big shots within...
UK released Friday, 5 April
2019 (12 April 2019 in the USA) - "Clint Eastwood/Many Moods Of The
Upsetters" by THE UPSETTERS (featuring LEE 'SCRATCH' PERRY) on
Doctor Bird Records DBCDD-034 (Barcode 5013929273436) offers 2 x 12-Track LPs from 1969 and 1970 originally on Pama Records (UK) Remastered onto 2CDs with A Further Twenty-Four Period Bonus Tracks and plays
out as follows:
Disc 1 (62:36 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 12 are
"Clint Eastwood" by THE UPSETTERS (1969 UK MONO LP on Pama Records
PSP-1014)
Tracks 5 and 10 exclusive to
the LP, other 10 tracks were UK 45s as noted
Side 1:
1. Return Of The Ugly - THE
UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 18, A)
2. For A Few Dollars More -
THE UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 12, A)
3. Prisoner Of Love - DAVE
BARKER (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 20, A - for B see Track 19 Disc 2)
4. Dry Acid - COOL STICKY
& THE UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 19, A)
5. Rightful Ruler - U ROY
with COUNT OSSIE & THE UPSETTERS
6. Clint Eastwood - THE
UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 21, A)
Side 2:
7. Taste Of Killing - THE
UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 13, A)
8. Selassie - THE REGGAE
BOYS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 19, B-side to "Dry Acid" -
see Track 4 for A)
9. What Is This (Ba Ba) -
THE REGGAE BOYS (1969 UK 7" single on Gas GAS 135, A - original credited
as "Ba Ba")
10. Ain't No Love (aka I've
Never Found A Girl) - WINSTON HOLNESS
11. My Mob - THE UPSETTERS
(1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 13, B-side of "Taste Of Killing",
for A-Side, see Track 7)
12. I've Caught You - COOL
STICKY & THE UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 18, B-side of
"Return Of The Ugly", for A-side, see Track 1
BONUS TRACKS – DISC 1:
13. Down In The Park - THE
INSPIRATIONS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 11, A)
14. Strange Whisperings -
THE WEST INDIANS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 16, A)
15. Hard To Handle - CARL
DAWKINS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 16, B-side of "Strange
Whisperings" by The West Indians - for the A-side, see Track 14
16. (No) Not Me - THE
ETHIOPIANS (1968 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB-1172, A - credited as
"Not Me")
17. Facts Of Life - THE
MELLOTONES (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 18, A, for B-side, see Track 20)
18. Can't Get No Peace -
MONTY MORRIS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 12, B-side of "For A Few
Dollars More" by The Upsetters, for A-side see Track 2 on Disc 1)
19. Freedom Train - ERNEST
WILLIAMS (1969 UK 7" single on Crab CRAB 17, A)
20. I'll Be Waiting - THE
TERMITES (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 18, B-side to "Facts Of
Life" by The Mellotones, for A-side, see Track 17 on Disc 1)
21. Love Oh Love - THE
INSPIRATIONS (1969 UK 7" single on Camel CA 11, B-side of "Down In
The Park", for A-side, see Track 13 on Disc 1)
22. A Broken Heart - BUSTY
BROWN (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 10, A)
23. Cut Down (On Your Speed)
- THE ETHIOPIANS (1969 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB-1172, B-side of
"Not Me", for A-side, see Track 16 Disc 1)
24. Anyway - LLOYD DOUGLAS
(1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 6, B-side of "I Can't Take It
Anymore", for A-side, see Track 2 on Disc 2)
Disc 2 (63:52 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 12 are
"Many Moods Of "The Upsetters"" (1970 UK STEREO LP on Pama
Economy SECO 24 in Stereo)
Tracks 1 and 4 to 12 are
exclusive to the LP - Tracks 2 and 3 were also British 45s as noted below
Side 1:
1. Exray Vision - THE
UPSETTERS
2. I Can't Take It Anymore -
DAVID ISAACS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 6, A, B-side is Track 24 on
Disc 1)
3. Soul Stew - THE UPSETTERS
credited as MEDETATORS on the original 45-label (1969 UK 7" single on
Punch PH 23, B-side to "Ram You Hard" by John Lennon and The
Bleechers, for A-side, see Track 21 on Disc 2)
4. Low Lights (I'll Be
Waiting) - THE UPSETTERS
5. Cloud Nine - CARL DAWKINS
6. Beware Fade - THE
UPSETTERS
Side 2:
7. Serious Joke - THE
UPSETTERS
8. Goosy - PAT SATCHMO
9. Prove It - THE UPSETTERS
10. Boss Security - PAT
SATCHMO
11. Mean And Dangerous - THE
UPSETTERS
12. Games People Play - THE
UPSETTERS
BONUS TRACKS - DISC 2:
13. Set Me Free - DAVE
BARKER & THE UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch PH 25, A - credited
on original 45s as "Shock Of Might (Vocal)" but is "Set Me
Free”)
14. Tribute To A King - BUSTY BROWN (1969 UK
7" single on Punch PH 10, B-side to "Broken Heart", for A-side,
see Track 22 Disc 1)
15. Lennox Mood - LENNOX
BROWN & UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 21, B-side of
"Clint Eastwood", for A-side, see Track 6 Disc 1)
16. You Betray Me - DAVE
BARKER & THE UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch PH 22, A)
17. Never Get Away (Caught
You Red-Handed) - ERIC DONALDSON & THE WEST INDIANS (1969 UK 7" single
on Punch PH 9, B-side to "Hello Dolly" by Pat Satchmo, for A-side,
see Track 22 Disc 2)
18. Feel The Spirit - THE
UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch PH 27, B-side of "The
Result", for A-side, see Track 23 Disc 2)
19. Soul Juice - BUSTY BROWN
& THE UPSETTERS (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 20, B-side to
"Prisoner Of Love", for A-side, see Track 3 Disc 1)
20. Will You Still Love Me
(Tomorrow) - DAVE BARKER & THE UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch
PH 22, B-side to "You Betray Me", for A-side see Track 16 Disc 2)
21. Ram You Hard - JOHN
LENNON and THE BLEECHERS (1970 UK 7"s single on Punch PH 23, A-side, for
B-side "Soul Stew" by THE UPSETTERS credited as MEDETATORS, see Track
3 Disc 2)
22. Hello Dolly - PAT
SATCHMO (1969 UK 7" single on Punch PH 9, A, for B-side see Track 17 Disc
2)
23. The Result - THE
UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch PH 27, A, for B-side see Track 18
Disc 2)
24. Shocks Of Mighty [aka
Hit Me Back] - DAVE BARKER & THE UPSETTERS (1970 UK 7" single on Punch
PH 25, B-side to "Shock Of Might (Vocal)" on the original 45 but the
song is "Set Me Free", for A see Track 13 Disc 2)
The 12-page booklet is the
usual feast of memorabilia - the Side 1 and 2 labels of the two rare LPs on
Pama and Pama Economy are pictured on Page 2 (not things you see every day of
the week). There are black and white photos dotted throughout the text of key
players like Eric Morris, The Inspirations, Lee Perry with The Pioneers, Eric
Donaldson and of course LP himself. You get two full-page displays of those
gorgeous Punch, Camel, Doctor Bird and Gas Records single labels (nine to each
page) – British-pressed 45 rarities with their mottled punch-hold centres that
are so hard to find. DAVID KATZ provides the superb liner notes – deep level
info on both albums and the manic two years that surrounded them, Lee Perry’s
early career of brilliance, legacy and so on. And finally there is an advert on
the rear inlay of some of the DB releases mentioned in my list below.
New mastering comes by way
of my fave Engineer ANDY PEARCE – a gent with a huge Rock catalogue to his name
and now, a huge spread of these new Trojan and related releases as well. But
even with the best will in the world, almost all of this was recorded in Aunty
Flo's Bargain Bucket Basement Studio for three schillings and no pence when
there wasn't an electricity-black-out. Anyone expecting Audio miracles can look
elsewhere - but given that - when the volume knob goes up - the power and sheer
atmosphere of this infectious music is both cool and fabulous. For sure, the
audio here is not anything like the whack a body gets off the original
British-pressed 45s, and some titles are so rare there are no tapes and the
notes admit vinyl dubs, but even then – this is the best I've ever heard these
recordings sound. You may to adjust your Supertramp expectations down to 2 on a
scale of 10 – but these rarities have been sympathetically handled by a label
that gives a monkeys. To the aces and the braces...
Turning up sometime in late
1969 - the Mono "Clint Eastwood" album features 10 singles from
Pama's subsidiary labels Punch, Camel and Gas with two newbees tagged on, one
to each side. And like Trojan's popular LP "Return Of Django" -
Pama's album title was blatantly tapping into the Sergio Leone spaghetti
western film craze taking cinemas by storm (Lee calling Mister Eastwood his
favourite cowboy). Perry's rhythm section (also known as The Hippy Boys)
consisted for the most part of Glen Adams and Alva 'Reggie' Lewis on Organ,
Guitar and Vocals with Bassist Aston 'Family Man Barrett and his
Brother/Drummer Carlton Barrett. Side 1's opener "Return Of The Ugly"
gives us the familiar Skinhead rhythms - an organ shuffling alongside a
vocalist giving it some "...ah ha..." every few seconds. We're
helpfully informed on the next Upsetters cut that for a few dollars more we can
be lying on the floor (how very thoughtful of them), while Dave Barker has a
seriously good stab at cult Soul Vocalist on his "Prisoner Of Love" -
a commercial slice of wickedness that should have broken through to the Pop
charts. U Roy and Peter Tosh lend Tribe of Juddah vocals to "Rightful
Ruler" but my fave cuts are the vocally-sporadic instrumentals "My
Mob" and "Dry Acid" - driving organ dancers - the former with
Bad Manners type 'pick it up, pick it up' scat vocals.
Of the exclusive LP cuts,
Winston Holness's "Ain't No Love" turns out to be a reggae slant on
the Eddie Floyd Stax Records classic "I've Never Found A Girl (That Loves
Me Like You Do)" that does the original proud. But again (as with so many
of these chocker 2CD sets) - the Bonuses from 13 to 24 are shockingly good and
I'd argue a better LP that the issued one. The "Love Me Two Times"
Top A&B-side Single Award goes to Eric Donaldson's sweet vocals fronting
The West Indians on their "Strange Whisperings" b/w a very cool cover
of Otis Redding's sure "Hard To Handle" on the flip-side by Carl
Dawkins (Camel Records CA 16 from 1969). Disc 2 simply coughs up a further hour
and a bit of the same feel-the-spirit Reggae and Ska and many in Stereo -
sweet.
I'm eating up these Doctor
Bird 2CD reminders (as I’m sure other fans are too) and this is easily another
winner/reissue of the year. Recommended big time...
2017 and 2018 Doctor Bird Records CD
Reissues
(Featuring Larges Amounts of Trojan Records, Treasure Isle, Pama 60s & 70s etc)
(Featuring Larges Amounts of Trojan Records, Treasure Isle, Pama 60s & 70s etc)
1. BOB ANDY & MARCIA
GRIFFITHS - Young, Gifted And Black/Pied Pier (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-014 -
Barcode 5013929271432)
2. ERROL BROWN/THE REVOLUTIONAIRES
– Dubb Everlasting/Dub Expression [1977 and 1978 High Note 2LPs on 1CD]
(November 2017, Doctor Bird DBCD-07 – Barcode 5013929270732)
3. DAVE & ANSEL COLLINS
– Double Barrel (June 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-016 - Barcode 5013929271630)
4. DESMOND DECKER & THE
ACES – Action!/Intensified (August 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCD-025 – Barcode
5013929272538)
5. DESMOND DEKKER – You Can
Get It If You Really Want (September 2018 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-015 -
Barcode 5013929271531)
6. DESMOND DEKKER – Double
Dekker [1973 UK 2LP set onto 1CD] (November 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-018 –
Barcode 5013929271838)
7. PHYLLIS DILLON – One Life
To Live (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-021 – Barcode 5013929272132)
8. ETHIOPIANS – Reggae
Power/Woman Capture Man (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-10 – Barcode
5013929271036)
9. MARCIA GRIFFITHS –
Naturally/Steppin’ [1978 and 1979 2LPs on 1CD] (August 2017 CD, Doctor Bird
DBCD-002 – Barcode 5013929270237)
10. DERRICK HARRIOTT &
THE CRYSTALITES – Psychedelic Train (October 2017 CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-05 –
Barcode 5013929270534)
11. HARRY J. ALL STARS -
Liquidator (June 2008 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-012 - Barcode
5013929271234)
12. JUSTIN HINDS & THE
DOMINOES – From Jamaica With Reggae (February 2018 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird
DBCD-09 – Barcode 5013929270930)
13. THE KINGSTONIANS –
Sufferer (September 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-03 – Barcode
5013929270336)
14. THE MAYTALS – Monkey
Man/From The Roots (July 2018 2LPs on 1CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-017 – Barcode
5013929271739)
15. THE PIONEERS – Long
Shot/Battle Of The Giants (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-019 – Barcode
5013929271937)
16. THE UNIQUES - Absolutely
The...Uniques (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-011 - Barcode 5013929271135)
17. THE UPSETTERS – The
Upsetter/Scratch The Upsetter Again (October 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-022 –
Barcode 5013929272231)
18. THE UPSETTERS – Return
Of Django/Eastwood Rides Again (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-013 - Barcode
5013929271333)
19. VARIOUS – Dancing Down
Orange Street [Trojan 1969 LP] (September 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-04
– Barcode 5013929270435)
20. VARIOUS – Gay Feet,
Every Night (October 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-06 – Barcode
5013929270633)
21. VARIOUS – Greater
Jamaica Moonwalk Reggae/Reggay At Its Best (October 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird
DBCDD-030 – Barcode 5013929273030)
22. VARIOUS – Hot Shots Of
Reggae (November 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-08 – Barcode 5013929270831)
23. VARIOUS – King Size
Reggae (November 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-026 – Barcode 5013929272637)
24. VARIOUS – No More
Heartaches/What Am I To Do? [2LPs from 1969 and 1970 onto 1CD] (August 2017,
Doctor Bird DBCD-01 – Barcode 5013929270138)
25. VARIOUS [Duke Reid and
Treasure Isle Productions] – Soul Of Jamaica/Here Comes The Duke (August 2018 2CD
Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-024 – Barcode 5013929272439)
2019 Doctor Bird Records CD
Reissues
1.
ROLAND ALPHANSO & THE ORIGINAL ORCHESTRA – ABC Rock Steady (April 2019
Expanded 2CD Set with 43 Bonus Tracks, Doctor Bird DBCDD-023 – Barcode
5013929272330)
2.
DENNIS BROWN – Just Dennis/Deep Down (April 2019 2CD Expanded Set, Doctor Bird
DBCDD-027 – Barcode 5013929272736)
3.
ERROL BROWN & THE REVOLUTIONARIES – Culture Dub & Medley Dub (12 July
2019 2CD Expanded Set with 25 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-038 – Barcode 5013929273832)
4.
ERROL BROWN & THE SUPERSONICS – The Treasure Dub Albums Collection (13
September 2019 2CD Expanded Set with Eight Previously Unreleased, Doctor Bird
DBCDD-043 – Barcode 5013929274334)
5.
ALTON ELLIS – Greatest Hits/Mr. Soul Of Jamaica [known as Greatest Hits in the
UK] (11 October 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 47 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-045 –
Barcode 5013929274532)
6.
THE ETHIOPIANS – Engine No. 5 (17 May 2019 1CD Expanded Set with 17 Bonus,
Doctor Bird DBCD-035 – Barcode 5013929273535)
7.
THE GAYLADS – Fire And Rain (14 June 2019 1CD Expanded Set with 13 Bonus,
Doctor Bird DBCD-036 – Barcode 5013929273634)
8.
JOHN HOLT – Like A Bolt (January 2019 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-029 –
Barcode 5013929272934)
9.
THE MELODIANS – Rivers Of Babylon (9 August 2019 Expanded 1CD Set with 15
Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCD-041 – Barcode 5013929274136)
10.
DERRICK MORGAN – Moon Hop/Derrick Morgan In London (April 2019 Expanded 2CD
Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-032 – Barcode 5013929273238)
11.
DERRICK MORGAN – Derrick Morgan And His Friends (12 July 2019 Expanded 2CD Set
with 24 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-039 – Barcode 5013929273931)
12.
SONIA POTTINGER – Put On Your Best Dress: Ska & Rock Steady 1966-1967 (14
June 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 35 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-037 – Barcode 5013929273733)
13.
LORD TANAMO & FRIENDS – Festival Jump-Up [1965] (15 November 2019 Expanded
2CD Reissue of 1965 LP with 40 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-046 – Barcode 5013929274631)
14.
LINVAL THOMPSON – The Linval Thompson Trojan Roots Album Collection - Including two
LPs by Big Joe And The Trinity called "African Princess" and "Rock In The
Ghetto" and one Linval Thompson LP called "I Love Marijuana" (11 October 2019
Expanded 2CD Set with 10 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-044 – Barcode 5013929274433)
15.
LINVAL THOMPSON & THE REVOLUTIONAIRES – Negrea Love Dub/Outlaw Dub [1978 and
1979] (15 November 2019 Reissue featuring 2LPs onto 1CD (no bonus), Doctor Bird
DBCD-047 – Barcode 5013929274730)
16.
THE UPSETTERS featuring LEE 'SCRATCH' PERRY – Clint Eastwood/Many Moods Of The
Upsetters (April 2019 2CD Expanded Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-034 – Barcode
5013929273436)
17.
VARIOUS – The Down Town Albums Collection [Down Town Label] (February 2019 2CD
Set, Doctor Bird Records DBCDD-020 - Barcode 5013929272033)
18.
VARIOUS – Gay Jamaican Independence Time – Boom Sha-Ka-La (17 May 2019 2CD
Expanded Set with 35 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-028 – Barcode 5013929272835)
19.
VARIOUS – Greatest Jamaican Beat... (March 2019 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-033
– Barcode 5013929273337)
20.
VARIOUS – Independence Jump Up Calypso (9 August 2019 2CD Expanded Set with 46
Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-040 – Barcode 5013929274037)
21.
VARIOUS – The Treasure Isle Ska Albums Collection (January 2019 2CD Set [4LPs
and more], Doctor Bird DBCDD-031 – Barcode 5013929273139)
22.
VARIOUS – You Can’t Wine/Music Alone Shall Live (13 September 2019 2CD Expanded
Set with 33 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-042 - Barcode 5013929274235)
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