A sweetly Christmassy, party-rocking rework of the William Bell / Booker T original.

Vernon Buckley and Gladstone Grant — by now The Mighty Maytones — produced by Sidney Crooks in the late-seventies.

Winston’s daughter, on a vintage Channel One rhythm; produced last year by Franklin ‘Steamers A Bubble’ Irving. Straight to the head of all nationalists and xenophobes.

A rockers update of Bob Andy’s almighty scorcher, mimicking Marley’s yodeling vocalese for extra authority.

The great reggae saxophonist surfing a dazzling array of immortal Glen Brown instrumentals and dubs, like Dirty Harry, Mr Bald Head Aitken, Merry Up, South East Music, Fathers Call, Music From South Side…
GB the Rhythm Master is right up there in the first pantheon of reggae producers, with the Upsetter, Niney and one or two others; stuff like Dirty Harry is the food of gods.
A deeply pleasurable set, warmly recommended.

Irresistibly bouncy, pestiferous and nostalgic do-over of the version of One Note Samba/Spanish Flea which Sergio Mendes cut for Herb Alpert, with Lani Hall singing.
Perhaps a shame Homer Simpson wasn’t in Kingston at the time.
The flip-side sets the stage for Lloyd ‘Reggae Feet’ Williams with a quick mashing of the intro to I Can’t Help Myself by the Four Tops into some chords from Rescue Me by Fontella Bass.

Killer Duke Reid productions, originally put together in 1969. Also featuring Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Rico Rodriguez and full Skatalites crew; Justin Hines, Stranger Cole and Millicent Patsy Todd.

A mostly instrumental set recorded at Treasure Isle, but released on the Canadian label Lanarc in 1969 (and tough to find till now).

Masterfully produced by Niney in 1979, the same year as Bobby Bobylon.

Freddie in his heyday like this was one of the greatest singers in reggae history.
He’s in soaring, inspirational form here, riding a hard-as-nails Niney rhythm.
The organ-led dub is dazzling. Mark Ernestus from Rhythm & Sound recently opened a set with one of its incarnations, at the already-legendary Open Ground club in Wuppertal.
Both sides, classics.

A less familiar version of one his best songs. Mournful, hurting, cautionary, super-soulful as ever.

Not a best-of compilation, this is the great singer’s fine fourth LP, squaring up to Roots in 1977, with the Revolutionaries.