12.05.13 - Tribute to Junior "Soul" Murvin

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Singer Junior Murvin, born Murvin Smith, best known for the reggae single Police and Thieves, has sadly passed in Jamaica. The Jamaica Observer reported that he died at Port Antonio hospital on Monday.

The artist, who was thought to be between 64 and 67, began his career as a lounge singer in Portland parish in Kingston and went on to perform under the name Junior Soul. He recorded music for more than 30 years, and broke out of the local Jamaican scene with the 1976 track Police and Thieves, a song that outlined the police brutality and social unrest of the time, and became synonymous with the riots of Notting Hill carnival in the year that it was released.

Murvin worked alongside legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry on the single and his debut album, also titled Police and Thieves, which was released on Island Records in 1977. The single found a new audience through the punk movement, and was famously covered by the Clash.

The singer had five children and eight grandchildren.

10.24.13 - Strictly Jammy's

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Strictly Jammy's selections for you this show, as I am a big fan. I start out with some early Prince Jammy dub alongside King Tubby, then move into some of my favorite roots then dancehall. Happy Earthstrong out to him, October 26th. Check the playlist and the archive above.

06.06.13 - Black Roots, Sugar Minott, Nitty Gritty, Junior Reid

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Deadly Dragon Sound had recently painstakingly reissued Nitty Gritty's "Every Man A Seller" on Sugar Minott's Black Roots label. I took this opportunity to showcase some more killer tunes on this label, more tunes by Nitty Gritty and the prolific Sugar Minott as well as big tunes off of his other Youth Promotion label. I then found out that it was Junior Reid's Earthstrong and he fit in perfectly with this set. Some of my favorite songs by Reid were also produced by Sugar Minott and all three of these artists often ran the same riddim with King Jammy. Included also are a couple of Junior Reid's own productions. All respect. Check the playlist and the archive.

08.23.12 - Tenor Saw, 80s Digital and More

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Tenor Saw

Clive “Tenor Saw” Bright was raised in the Payne Avenue district of West Kingston. His first single, “Roll Call” was recorded in 1984 for George Phang’s Powerhouse label, on the “Queen Majesty” rhythm. He moved on, with his friend Nitty Gritty, to work with Sugar Minott’s Youth Promotion sound system and label, having hits in Jamaica with “Lots of Sign”, “Pumpkin Belly”, “Run Come Call Me”, and “Fever”. His most successful single, however, was “Ring the Alarm”, voiced over the “Stalag” rhythm for Winston Riley’s Techniques label. The singles’ success saw Tenor Saw work with Prince Jammy, recording “Pumpkin Belly” on Jammy’s (then) new “Sleng Teng” rhythm. Further hits followed in 1986 with “Golden Hen” (on the Uptempo label), and Minott issued Tenor Saw’s debut album, Fever, that year. In common with most dancehall albums of the period, most of the rhythms were digital copies of older tunes from the 1960s and 1970s, usually produced originally by Coxsone Dodd or Duke Reid. Thus, “Shirley Jones” versions Keith “Slim” Smith’s “Rougher Yet”, and “Eeni Meeni Mini Mo” versions “Real Rock” from Studio One, while “Roll Call” versions The Techniques’ “Queen Majesty” from Duke Reid, while “Lots of Sign” versions “Tonight” by Keith & Tex, produced by Derrick Harriott. - (from Last.fm)

Thinking of Tenor Saw this week, then when I looked him up online I had noticed that he passed away in August of 1988. I decided to do a show on him, some of my favorite 80s digital productions from huge talents such as King Tubby and King Jammy, as well as artists from this era and a few songs about artists passing too soon, that Tenor Saw is mentioned in.