03.07.13 - Female Artist Salute w/ Grace of Spades

LISTEN TO THE ARCHIVE AT JAMAICAROCK.COM

On this week’s Jamaica Rock, Queen Majesty celebrated Women’s History Month with an all-female artist show. Fellow female reggae selector and vinyl collector Grace Of Spades once again joined Queen Majesty in the second hour with her favorite tunes by ladies, sisters, empresses and more. This is technically the second annual all-female Women's History month show from Queen Majesty & Grace of Spades, you can check out last year's show HERE.  Nuff respect to all of the female dj's, selectors, singers, musicians, artists and all big women doing there big thing. I apologize if we did not big you up on the air but please know that we salute you!

02.28.13 - Channel One Special

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Channel One is regarded to be one of the most important studios in the history of reggae. Its location was in Maxfield Avenue, Kingston, Jamaica.

The label was owned and launched by the brothers Joseph and Ernest Hookim in 1972. Joseph opened the studio with Bunny Lee and Syd Bucknor as the first producer respectively engineer in the studio.

In early '73 the drummer Sly Dunbar came to the studio and joined the in house backing band, The Revolutionaries. During the coming years the studio built its name as one of the best studios in Jamaica. Artist who recorded there during these times were Delroy Wilson, Leroys Smart, Junior Byles and Horace Andy.

In 1976 the Mighty Diamonds released their hit "Right Time" which was a well deserved major success for the studio who by now had started to dominate the chart - as they would the coming next years. The Channel One studio was known for reusing old Studio One riddims - something that would be a fundamental part of the dancehall style.

The studio is also regarded to have pioneered the use of 12" singles in Jamaica when they started to issue the discomix 12" in the mid 70's. "Truly"by the Jays (1976, Channel One) is often referred to as the specific first 12" discomix release.