Spine-tinglingly yearning, yet dignified, rootical rocksteady classic — one of Phil Pratt’s top tunes, limpidly delivered by Lynn Taitt — with an ace Tommy McCook version.

Dead moody Lovers. A worrisomely loose, rumbling, mid-eighties Channel One rhythm, seamed with a squashed steel-drum sample, unfurled like spells.
‘Everything will be alright,’ sings Hopeton about his prospective date, but it doesn’t sound like it.

A perfect nugget of vintage digi. Chambers’ expert sing-jaying snags your attention — an inner city blues, with premonitions of ICE — over a tight, buoyant rhythm. Paired with its tough dub, for the first time.

Gorgeous roots. Seemingly sardonic and above-it-all but utterly trenchant. All the singing is sublime, including the back-up. The gentle nyabinghi percussion and keyboard stabs are beautifully restrained, as Sylvan Morris brings his genius to the mix. Same dub as the original 45. A stone classic. We could listen for days.
Plus the 12 Tribes launch a two-headed-shark attack on the flip, featuring maestro Pablove Black. No less than an instrumental cut to George Beaufort’s insurgent Reaching Our Goal, and a sick synth excursion on the revered Black Star Liner rhythm.

The original JA mix, and Sid Bucknor’s UK remix for the Atra label, just down the road from us in West London. From 1975, twixt Flesh Of My Skin and Brand. Chinna and the Soul Syndicate, the Barrett brothers, Candi McKenzie… Rawly, uncomfortably compelling; discombobulating and moody as hell.

Ace, loose, mystical roots, with slacky-tidy guitar, and Jarrett pouring himself into the mic. Plus a thumping dub led by saxophonist Jerry Johnson.

Dark, menacing and pained; wonderful Upsetters, always timely.

Killer, rugged, deep, seventies roots.
B/w a mento-style sufferers, originally released on Ackie in 1969.

Superb Blood & Fire selection of scattered late-seventies outings, all in discomixes. Treasures include the opener, Reggae Rhythm, with its blaring horns, originally out on Trio International; the 12” mix of Pure Ranking by Jammy, at Tubby’s; and the deadly triumvirate of Everton Da Silva productions — Youths Of Today, Don’t Let Problems Get You Down, and Mr. Bassie.