HERE WE GO, ADD THIS ONE

Surely we've been over this before, about how deeply early bluebeat, ska and reggae were influenced by early American R & B. I'm not talking about cover versions, I'm talking about the actual rhythm and pace of the two types of music.  Rosco Gordon, an artist produced by Sam Phillips and Ike Turner, among others, is a prime example. Though, I wasn't able to find a whole lot of his stuff that would serve as good examples, I almost fell out of my chair when I ran across a record of his that I didn't know existed.  Unfortunately it's one that I wasn't able to even find a snippet of online. I found only a few online mentions and an expired auction on Ebay, and there's where the forehead slapping commenced.  The unheard song that worked me in this damn tizzy was sold for less than five bucks.  Any of you who are familiar with Gordon's output, and also happen to like ska, might commiserate with me.  The song is called "A Night In Jamaica", and here's the twist, the B-side is a version, which you'll recognize is a Jamaica thing.  Here's the super knife-twist: the record that sold for less than five bucks was released on Studio One, as in Coxsone Dodd's Studio One.  This, for me anyway, is like the R & B/ska Holy Grail.  It is kind of mind blowing that any artist would have records released on both Sun and Studio One. Granted he may not have recorded with Dodd (no clue), even if the record was just licensed by him, it's tangible proof. It's just nuts.

I've seen a smaller scan of a well centered label, and the record is credited to Gordon.

I wasn't able to find a whole lot of examples of "Roscoe's rhythm", as it's often called.  The video below touches on it, and "No More Doggin'" does as well.  Listen to that one back to back with Stranger Cole's "Rough and Tough" and you'll hear the similarity.  It's no wonder I've never gotten to dancehall and other later types of later reggae. I've been listening to Jamaican music for decades and still haven't absorbed all of the early stuff. You never graduate from this school.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen: 
Rosco Gordon - No More Doggin mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Stranger Cole - Rough and Tough mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Tommy McCook - (Music Is My) Occupation mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Rosco Gordon - Wise To You Baby mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu 
Rosco Gordon - Booted mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu 
Visit: 
Rosco Gordon - Excellent bio at The Hound Blog (Note: Song links on the post are dead)