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Lee 'Scratch' Perry is perhaps the best known Jamaican producer of all, who started out on his own in 1968, after working briefly for Joe Gibbs. The following year Trojan launched the UK Upsetter label for his output, which between then and 1973, resulted in around a hundred singles (including a Top Ten hit). Perry's output has been phenomenal over the years, and it would be impossible to cover everything here. However, we have attempted to sample some of the more interesting sides from his earlier period on the first four tracks. Whilst Hail Stones and Black Ipa are examples of Perry's short association with the late great King Tubby between 1972 and 1973. At the end of the year, Scratch opened his own Black Ark studio, and embarked on a truly golden phase. The music he created there, now ranks amongst the most collectable in Jamaican music, and has attracted a near cult following. Green Bay Incident and Dub And Praise are sampled from this period. For more Lee Perry please refer to Trojan's catalogue, which includes numerous releases from the producer. CLANCY ECCLES started out as a singer (and tailor) in the early Sixties, before turning to production work later in the decade. Surfacing at the end of the Rock Steady period, Clancy helped shape the new Reggae sound, which he brags about on Bag A Boo (aka Don't Brag Don't Boast). Like Lee Perry, Trojan also launched a subsidiary label in 1969, for Clancy's output in the UK (Clandisc). One of his biggest hits during this period was with his own Fatty Fatty, which became a firm Skinhead favourite. Although a close association with one of Jamaica's main political parties around the time of the 1972 election, helped him score another huge hit with Rod Of Correction, it subsequently stifled his career. The tracks featured here, provide a cross-section of his work, and includes the big sellers Herbsman Shuffle and Holly Holy. In addition, we have sampled a track from Cynthia Richards (Foolish Fool), who launched her career with Clancy, and the producer's own duet with DJ King Stitt, on which they reminisce about the Kingston music scene. For more of Clancy's music see CDTRL 262. Alvin Ranglin is something of an unsung hero within Jamaican music. He started out as a founder member of The Maytones, but left the group to concentrate on producing their first records. From there it was a short, but inevitable, step into full time production work. The GG Records subsidiary label was launched by Trojan in 1970. Between then and 1973, the label maintained a solid reputation for excellence. With the exception of Rack-A-Tack (issued on Grape), which is a version of Eric Donaldson's Lonely Nights, all the tracks in this Ranglin selection are drawn from the GG label. They include a sample from DJ Charlie Ace, who established himself through his work with the producer, plus the aforementioned classic Lonely Nights, and a rare cultural cut from Max Romeo & Glen Adams on Jordan River. For more Ranglin productions check out the Producer Series set Too Good To Be Forgotten (CDTRL 362). In addition, Ranglin's work with The Maytones can also be found on Trojan's Brown Girl In The Ring release (CDTRL 363). HARRY JOHNSON, commonly known as Harry J, originally started out as a musician. However, the band he was in folded, leaving him responsible for the HP payments on the instruments. Learning an important lesson, Harry saved up enough money to go back into the music business, but this time as a producer. His first session (supervised at Studio One by Bob Andy) provided a hit, with No More Heartaches by the Beltones. From there, he never looked back. In 1969 he scored an international hit with Liquidator, and went on to build his own studio, which was used extensively by artists such as Bob Marley & The Wailers. The tracks featured here include the original cut to Liquidator by Tony Scott (What Am I To Do), as well as a later version from Val Bennett, originally released in the UK as Return Of The Liquidator. It appears here under it's Jamaican title of Tons Of Gold. Also featured are Lloyd & Carey over a Joe Higgs vocal, and DJ Scotty (David Scott) toasting over Lorna Bennett's hit cover of Breakfast In Bed. For the Harry J. Producer Series release, check out Return Of The Liquidator (CDTRL 412). Our final presentation comes from Joe Gibbs, originally a qualified electronics engineer, whose first production was Roy Shirley's classic Hold Them (included in this selection). Before long, Gibbs had launched his own Amalgamated record label, based at his electrical shop in Kingston. By the late Sixties he'd become firmly established, scoring big hits with Stranger & Gladdy, Errol Dunkley, and the Pioneers. During this period, Lee Perry joined Gibbs to help out on the production work, followed later by Niney. In 1968 a UK Amalgamated label was launched by Trojan's sister label B&C, which was used for the producers output until 1970. After this, Trojan released work on the Pressure Beat label briefly the same year, reviving it again for a time in 1972. The company's current presentation of the producer's vast output over the years, can be found on a number of releases. For more Joe Gibbs check out: CDTRL 261, 277, 390, 392, 394, & 395. Chris Pete (Let's Catch The Beat) |
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DISC 1 |
DISC 2 |
DISC 3 |
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NINEY:
LEE PERRY: |
CLANCY ECCLES:
ALVIN RANGLIN: |
HARRY J:
JOE GIBBS: |
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Time - 52:45 |
Time - 41:31 |
Time - 50:19 |
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All material © Copyright Trojan Records |
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TROJAN
PRODUCER SERIES BOX SET (TRBCD010) - TROJAN'S PRODUCER SERIES
was launched in 1988, as part of the company's ambitious, and highly
popular re-issue programme. This set is intended to provide a
sampler to the series. We open with the work on Niney The Observer,
who started out producing sides for Joe Gibbs, before striking out
on his own. His first hit was with Blood And Fire, versioned
here as Brimstone And Fire (just one of many cuts to the
rhythm released by Niney at this time). Working closely with Lee
Perry over the next few years, Niney quickly established himself as
a heavyweight, scoring with his own particular brand of rebel music.
Greater success followed in the mid Seventies, when he began working
with Dennis Brown, resulting in a string of hits for the singer, and
in 1975 when he produced one of the first Dub albums to be released
in the UK (on Trojan's Attack subsidiary). All of the aforementioned
are illustrated here in the track selection, but for more
comprehensive listening check out CDTRD 409 (Disc 1: Dubbing With
The Observer), plus the Producer Series sets CDTRL 263 and TRLS 273.