Show Me Your Backside!

To give better praise and credit to DJ Frank's Voodoo Funk project I'm linking it here again.

http://voodoofunk.blogspot.com

Lots of surprising, unusual and gratifying images, mp3 downloads and generally vibrantly wonderful African vinyl rips...and the pic here and the subject are really red herrings. I'm sure I'll treat this greatness with more respect when time permits - but this is well nice for now...

In Search of African Vinyl

I don't know much about this film/music project apart for this trailer, but it looks to be intriguing and very enjoyable:

update: more here http://www.trotroproductions.com/Works-in-Progress.html
and Frank has his own blog here:
http://www.voodoofunk.blogspot.com/

Jamaica has still not been depleted of its vinyl musical treasures from decades past (the major difference being that in JA they are still repressing vinyl from original masters - in Africa this seems to be not the case), and it appears the time is right to save as much as possible of the vinyl output from the African nations - I would guess that the hot period for this Frank guy in the video would be the mid to late 60s and early to mid 70s. What I've heard from that time can be quite mind blowing.

The suggestion by Frank that that all western music comes from African music is a bit silly - but the fusion of existing folk songs, rhythms and melodies with imported funk and soul from the US and European pop that these African musicians made often transcended and in some ways improved on its influences. Reggae did more or less the same thing which is probably why I personally see and hear the parallel. And then some of it is just plain original and ground breaking (JA or Africa!)

Looking forward to the full length film whenever it turns up.
Looking at Frank's blog it is clear that the man is very much healthily obsessed with this music and I find the enthusiasm and the artwork for the albums and the sheer scale of his endeavour a great encouragement to hear more African music of the time.

Much to his credit Tom at Music Thing linked this video back in July. Thanks Tom.

Note: vinyl is apparently virtually indestructible certainly compared to tape or hard drives, so if you have anything nice and rare, hold on to it and look after it. And rip it (high quality) and share it...

an evening with: The Soul Brothers: Last Train to Skaville

I was very excited to get my ears around this reissue of tracks I had for the most part never heard before. Listening on the iPod I was definitely delighting in the music - so exciting to hear a track such a 'Ska-culation' and rack my brain to finally figure out that it is a loose cover of the Chantays 'Pipeline' (more on this kind of oddity at a later date I'm sure!) - but after a few tracks the novelty of the new tracks quickly waned. I was definitely conscious of the fact that I was hearing the tunes through the sound destroying ear buds that came with the pod...and then I got home and...

The remastering is thoroughly awful. I think it is a Studio One reissue, so there is not much of a surprise in this, but I have my own vinyl rips of the Carib Soul and Hot Shot LPs and they sound so bright, energetic and musical in comparison. The 'Last Train...' tracks sound pretty dead to my ears. The difference? If you must insist on removing clicks and scratches you must know what you are doing (check anything reissued by Blood and Fire who I think in most cases did and continue to do a stellar job of bringing the music to life and minimizing the extraneous vinyl noise in a subtle fashion) . If you are anything like me, you would rather have the clicks and scratches and whatever other surface noise if you can hear the music (check the podcast in a previous posting). On these tracks I can still hear the clicks but they are clearly EQed out in some blanket way - so obviously the frequencies that are the same as the clicks are also minimized. Bad news by any sonic reckoning. Much of the drums, hats and cymbals are very obviously lost and much else I'm sure...

In fairness to Studio One, we're still talking about a fairly ad hoc system of reissue from my understanding. I have Studio One vinyl that to my ears sounds like it has been ripped to tape from vinyl and then re-pressed, resulting in a weird double layer of clicks. It makes interesting listening sometimes! But when the vinyl copy is good it can be ripped and still sound vibrant. what in the name of the god of sound can be wrong with a bit of surface noise?

To add to this, I have met a few times a sound engineer who was present at a session of Studio One tape archiving (I know not the studio or circumstances but it was prob. about late 80s). He (Mike D) told me that much of the very early Studio One material was on one track paper tape (!) and that the archive process involved trying to get the paper tape to pass successfully over the heads. In many cases the tape disintegrated immediately after passing over the heads. Powdered musical genius anyone. you could sell it in bottles...

So maybe some of this Soul Brothers material fits into this category of only redeemable via vinyl.

So I would say, these are great tracks for the most part, but if you can find them on vinyl - do it. I certainly will.

And this applies to most pre - say 1975 stuff for me now. I don't have the cash but, hell, better to spend a bit on the real deal instead of a hack job of vinyl ripping.

All of that said, there are some great tracks on here and only a couple of dupes from Carib Soul and Hot Shot (one from the JM Tribute - the excellent Boogaloo track) - I recommend the music without reservation - it is wonderful but it could sound so much better...gimme the vinyl and I'll do an honest to goodness straight rip, clicks'n'all!

Side notes: If this is Jackie Mittoo at age 13+ playing and arranging, it is truly humbling! The Soul Brothers at Studio One material is a really interesting period that I would like to hear a lot more of (leave comments with recommendations please!). In this music you have Ska-becoming Rock Steady-being jazzy and loading a lot of (current at the time) pop culture than people are aware of. Make no assumptions. these kids were sophisticated. But having fun. Chicken and Booze! Alright, where's mine?

A few JA 45s

ACEtone's skinny collection of phat JA 45s

Click on the above link for lots of sweetness, a bit of righteousness, a 'ole 'eap of Jah JA music. Just part of my likka collection of JA 45s. I got some of these in Jamaica and some others in NY at the unbeatable Jammyland on 3rd between 1st and 2nd avenues.
Some of this stuff is out there on CD in some shape or form, but as far as I know some of it isn't. Still it's nice to hear it coming from the record player rather than mangled by someone who thinks he knows how it should sound (often getting it wrong).
These are directly digitized with no filtering of any sort. I minimized a few major clicks and normalized. No messing around with music destroying plug-ins.

Track list and credits as follows:

Miss Wire Waist - Carl Malcolm - Impact Records - Prod. Clive Chin
Wire Dub (with skip!) - Skin Flesh and Bone - Prod. Clive Chin
Jah Foundation - Anthony chambers - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
Jah Foundation Dub - Anthony chambers - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
In the Right Way - Rod Taylor - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
In the Right Way (version) - Rod Taylor - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
I Need Your Love - Phillip Saunders - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
I Need Your Love (version) - Phillip Saunders - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
Fancy Make Up - John Holt - Studio One - Prod. Coxsone Dodd
Fancy Make Up (part two) - Sound Dimension - Studio One - Prod. Coxsone Dodd
Ethiopian Kings - Rod Taylor - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
Ethiopian Kings (version) - Rod Taylor - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
Danger Zone - Jah Stitch - Success - E. Carter
Dub Zone - Jah Stitch - Success - E. Carter
Blood A Go Run - Prince Alla - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
Sweet Africa - Don Carlos - Thompson Sound - Prod. Linval Thompson
Sweet Africa (version) - Don Carlos - Thompson Sound - Prod. Linval Thompson
2000 Years - Phillip Fraser - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown
2000 Years (version) - Phillip Fraser - Freedom Sounds - Prod. Bertram Brown

The purpose of this podcast is to share some excellent sounds but most importantly to encourage others to support the artists listed. If anyone has a problem with this, just let me know in the comments. It is not my intention to take anything away - more to add to the legacy of these players and vocalists I love so much.

A few comments on the tracks.
Miss Wire Waist is just such a sweet track. Bought the very worn 45 from Randy's in Kingston JA. I suspect it is an ex Juke Box single (Chin family business). Picked it up in the actual studio space where it was recorded. It was a gratifying experience. So the bacon frying sounds are worth it and the bass still comes through. The dub has a skip. Sadly unavoidable. but to be in the same space as countless wonderful artists had passed through, rummaging through the 45s - an epiphany...in the same space as the track was recorded...still boggles that, that recording space was just let go. It is probably gone completely now...

Jah Foundation. Nice track. I know nothing about Anthony chambers and have never heard any mention of him which is all the more reason to like the obscurity of this. The dub is OK. Sounds like an early Jammy. I really don't know...

In the Right Way by Rod Taylor - one of the Greenwich Farm 'youth men' singers promoted by Bertram Brown. I love this stuff. Blood and Fire have release different sounding versions of this dub version. Nothing wrong with a bit of crackle.

Phillip Saunders is another unknown to me. Perhaps he is a superstar in Croatia or somewhere. I certainly hope so because I like this a lot. The dub is fairly well mutilated by surface noise, but a bit spooky sounding. Not bad at all.

John Holt's Fancy Make Up is surely and exercise in misogyny yet the voice is golden as ever. Jackie Mittoo on the organ. What more could you want? A sax break from Tommy McCook. Not on this track...
Sublime stuff this Rod Taylor track. Tubby on the dub. Nice.

Jah Stitch didn't do a lot but he was good and he has an interesting story concerning a gunshot wound to the head that he weirdly survived and came out of hospital with a different voice. I believe it...do you?

Prince Alla is one of my all time favourites. A bit trebly this. Love the riddim, loose as fuck and super drum fills. Note the possible influence of the young Jacob Miller towards the end - or is it the other way around? This is a vocal on the Only Love Can Conquer track released by Blood and Fire (Only Love Can Conquer) Support him all you can. Buy his records, even the crap ones which are actually pretty highly regarded by others. This guy is a diamond and his missus is as sweet as can be. The B-side of this 45 was some 80's DJ shite I preferred to not include...

Sweet Africa: I must have some more stuff by this guy somewhere. A nice mellow track. The somewhat dull bass line comes into its own in the dub. Drum and Bass YAH!

2000 years: Phillip Fraser again. Tubby (or assistant) shaking chains. A lovely jaunty track with a serious message. A 'ole heap of emoting going on. Nice crude gtr from chinna. The dub? Seems Tubby was high-lighting the guitar at the beginning. Nice progression to spring reverb snare. He must have really liked this song, leaving so much vocal in. It is a very 'safe' dub. Nice though...