Ace late-seventies roots featured in the Deep Roots documentary — so coolly poised — from the Breakfast In Bed hit-maker. Tough Dennis Brown composition, written specially for Sheila.

Mid-seventies Alvin Ranglin productions — an original LP, not a compilation — with the Revolutionaries deep in the groove, Sylvan Morris from Studio One at the controls, the Tamlins on backing vocals, and Deadly Headley and co chipping in tough brass.
Top Gregory, with classics like Jailer and Border.

Masterful Gregory from 1997, sounding spooked and hunted over a juddering, propulsive Music Works rhythm, fulgent and full-on, with deep, pounding bass, clattering percussion, parping horns, classy backing vocals and harp starbursts… top-notch Gussies.
Two extended vocal versions, and two dubs, all quite different.
Bimmety bim bim.

Tastily off-kilter mid-seventies roots excursion on Artibella.

Previously unreleased but killer.
Jah B’s singing is softly sublime; discreetly channeling Bob Marley. People have wondered whether it’s a young Jah Batta; but insiders say it’s Al Moodie, from the same session as Bull Bay Jumping.
Both dubs are genius Wackies: trenchant Utopia rhythms, with shimmering, majestic brass.

A graduate of soundsystems like Gemini and Volcano Hi Power, Little John was twelve years old when he voiced this tune, shifting its sights from snitches and stoolies, straight to the head of all party-poopers. It appeared in 1983 during Sugar’s stay in London after Good Thing Going was a national pop hit in 1980, coming on the Stoke Newington label M And M - presumably named after Minott and his then-partner, Coxsone Dodd’s niece Maxine Stowe. Appearing first with Wackies’ pink-to-orange labels, Batta’s cut is a different mix again to the version on his album. He bows to U-Roy at the start, before switching to a more contemporary delivery. Sugar is in attendance throughout, almost as if the pair were taking turns at the mic, before the dub takes over.
Two versions, different dubwise mixes of Sugar Minott’s massive Informer rhythm — both choca with living dancehall vibes and Channel One-style deadliness.
Warehouse find; last box.

Majestic and immense Cure, on The Heptones’ Give Me The Right rhythm.

Toddler at the control tower, over heavier-than-lead Roots Radics. Scientist cuts the dub right back to the bone.

Melting, copybook Lovers Rock from 1977.
Willie Lindo, Harold Butler Robbie Lyn and co at Federal. Marcia Griffiths on backing vocals. A classy Waiting In Vain.

Recorded at Bullwackies just weeks apart from Horace Andy’s Dance Hall Style: two of the very greatest vocal reggae LPs of all time.
Between stints in JA for legends like Glen Brown and Junjo Lawes, WJ commuted to the Bronx from Connecticut. With Clive Hunt in full effect, Showcase follows the six-track dubwise format of Dance Hall Style (Wayne never sounding more like Horace), including four utterly lethal Studio One versions — Azul’s killer Rockfort Rock, Sleepy’s Every Tongue (with outrageous Isleys fuzz), yet another Wackies’ Heptones via Leroy Sibbles, and a murderous Drum Song.
Hotly recommended.