"...Life Of
Opportunity..."
Centred
round the magical output of Trojan’s catalogue from the late 60ts up to about
1975 (see list below) - these CD reissues are not haphazard cash-ins. Each is
tastily done, reasonably priced, have properly expanded booklets with newly
researched and updated liner notes, often offer two albums onto 1CD or
one-album with a huge number of bonus tracks - and some give label rarities
their digital debut after decades languishing in the vaults. And all of it
mastered from best sources by one of the top Audio Engineers out there – Andy
Pearce – a name more commonly known for his decades of work on a huge array of
artists under the Universal umbrella.
For
this release we get one of Trojan's true Kingston hit-makers – Desmond Adolphus
Dacres - or DESMOND DEKKER to you and I.
NOTES:
The Leslie Kong produced "Double
Dekker" was first issued in 1973 as a 28-Track double-album featuring 16
unused tracks recorded by the artist in 1970 mixed in alongside all his hit
single-sides to date and other rarities. The original 1973 vinyl double album
contained 28-tracks, this 2018 CD reissue offers only 22? The six missing cuts
are the his chart hits "007 Shanty Town", "Israelites",
"You Can Get It If You Really Want", "Pickney Gal",
"Peace On The Land" and "I Believe" - all of which have appeared
on the recent August and September 2018 CD reissues for Dekker (see 3 and 4 entries below in this 2018 reissue series).
So
as not to duplicate tracks fans have already bought, Doctor Bird has replaced
them and added on the bonus cuts instead thereby offering something long
deleted made available again. Of the six Bonus Cuts – the first track
"Generosity" was the non-album B-side of his 1969 hit "Pickney
Gal" originally issued on Pyramid PYR 6078 - whilst the other five -
"Pickney Gal (aka "Come Here") (Alternate Version)", "Hippopotamus
(Alternate Version)", "Licking Stick (Alternate Version)",
"Reggae Recipe (Alternate Version)" and "Father Noah" first
appeared on the 1997 CD compilation "First Time For A Long Time: Rarities
(1968-1972)" on Trojan CDTRL 379 - now given a fresh airing here (first
digital outing for the "Double Dekker" set). Here are the Licking
Sticks...
UK
released Friday, 23 November 2018 - "Double Dekker" by DESMOND DEKKER
on Doctor Bird DBCD-018 (Barcode 5013929271838) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD
Reissue that offers you 22-Tracks of his 28-Track 1973 double-album originally
on Trojan Records TRLD-401 with six bonus tracks (see notes above re track list
- 77:11 minutes):
1.
It Meik
2.
Look What They're Doing To Me
3.
Please Don't Bend
4.
My Reward
5.
Little Darling
6.
Life Of Opportunity
7.
When I'm Cold
8.
Archie Wah Wah
9.
Hippopotamus
10.
Warlock
11.
Licking Stick
12.
What Will You Gain
13.
Trample
14.
The More You Live (aka "Live And Learn")
15.
Go And Tell My People
16.
Reggae Recipe
17.
Yakety Yak
18.
The Song We Used To Sing (aka "Where Did It Go")
19.
The First Time For A Long Time
20.
Stop The Wedding
21.
Mother Nature
22.
Life Hope And Faith
(See
notes above re track list)
BONUS
TRACKS 2018 CD REISSUE:
23.
Generosity
24.
Pickney Gal (Alternative Version)
25.
Hippopotamus (Alternate Version)
26.
Licking Stick (Alternate Version)
27.
Reggae Recipe (Alternate Version)
28.
Father Noah
The
12-page booklet is a fantastic affair - new liner notes by Soul expert and
Reggae aficionado/long-time writer associate with Ace Records – TONY ROUNCE.
Each page is festooned with trade adverts and reviews, the four label sides of
the double-album repro'd on a single leaf, rare worldwide picture sleeves for
the "It Miek" single, nine label repros for singles on Pyramid,
Trojan and Ember, and even an 8-Track cassette for the 1973 twofer. But best of
all is one of my fave-rave Audio Engineers at the helm - ANDY PEARCE - who
along with his engineer partner Matt Wortham has done Lee Perry, The Upsetters,
Treasure Isle box set and wads of huge Rock names like Free, Rory Gallagher,
Budgie, Wishbone Ash, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Mott The Hoople and so on...
Fantastic
cuts like "Warlock", "Life Of Opportunity" and "Reggae
Recipe" stem from the 1970 sessions - but I also dig the sevens
"Licking Stick" from November 1971 on Trojan TR 7847 and its equally
cool B-side "Live And Learn" (aka "The More You Live").
Others include "The Song We Used To Sing" from December 1970 on
Trojan TR 7802 and the compilation title tune "The First Time For A Long
Time" – a 1973 B-side to "It's Gotta Be Me" on Trojan TR 7876. A
huge array of stuff and all it sounding as good as gold...
Desmond
Dekker passed in 2006 and this rather brill little CD reissue does his memory
and chart importance proud. Well done to all involved for treating his
underestimated musical legacy with such affection...
2017 and 2018 Doctor Bird Records CD Reissues
(Featuring Larges Amounts of Trojan Records,
(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 & 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)
