FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE DEPOT

If you don't follow the chaotic politics of the United States, you might not have heard that Donald Trump was making a speech roughly a week ago and the presidential seal that was displayed on a screen behind him was not the official seal. (If you know all about that skip this paragraph.) It had been altered displaying a two headed bird as seen on the Russian flag, instead of the traditional (single headed) bald eagle that's supposed to be on the seal. In addition, the traditional thirteen arrows representing the original thirteen colonies of the U.S. that are normally in the left talon on the eagle were replaced by golf clubs. The olive branches normally in the right talon were replaced with a wad of cash. In the banner of the seal that normally says "E pluribus unum" ("out of many, one" in Latin) it said "45 es un títere" which in Spanish is "45 is a puppet" (Trump is the 45th president, or at least that's what he thinks he is). The person responsible for the projection of the wrong seal was fired. (The whole story can be read at the BBC website.)

Photo: Ken Feinleib

Long backstory, I know, but here's the good part. Last night Blondie was playing in Camden NJ, and included their cover of the John Barry penned theme from the James Bond film "From Russia With Love", which has been in their set for at least a year. About 40 seconds in, the screen backdrop behind them reprised the fake seal as a triptych, an intentional dig at Trump. The crowd erupted with applause. This almost makes up for "Heart of Glass".

Check this video that appeared a couple years ago. It's a doctored expertly edited clip showing the FBI taking down Michael Fynn, Steve Bannon (with James Comey watching), Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner, and finally Donald Trump, with "To Russia With Love", the original version, as a soundtrack. It's like an updated version of the cut and paste type thing ala Jamie Reid's "God Save The Queen" artwork.

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Listen:

Matt Monro - From Russia With Love mp3 at Tumblr From the original soundtrack
Roland Alphonso - From Russia With Love (streaming) at YouTube Studio One!
Video:
Blondie - From Russia With Love (live) at YouTube At 1:24, seals obscured by camera overexposure
Blondie - From Russia With Love (live) at YouTube At :13, a better shot from a different angle.

CLOCK OUT, DAD!

To quote a former roommate, "It's Saturday, you fuckhead!" He actually said that, years ago, at a loud Saturday afternoon party that was descended upon by angry neighbors. What he so eloquently expressed could be loosely translated as "Relax, it's the weekend, we have a license to party."

I was feeling like it was high time to do an informative post, all chocked full of factoids and stuff. But then I started my Friday evening listening to ska. To paraphrase my my old roomie, it's Friday you fuckhead.

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Listen:
Prince Buster - Enjoy Yourself mp3 at Audio Drums

Don Drummond - Alipang mp3 at Groove Addict

The Skatalites - Exodus mp3 at Iniva (?)

Roland Alphonso - Lee Harvey Oswald mp3 at Soul Garage

Carlos Malcolm and His Afro-Jamaican Rhythms - Ska-mania mp3 at Basement Rug 1962

More:

Tons more in these past posts.

DODD'S MOB

If you have any vintage reggae in your collection, chances are you have some Sound Dimension. You might not have any records credited to them, but believe me, you've heard them. They were the house band at Studio One, one of the most active labels from the early sixties through the late seventies, and arguably the most important label and studio in the history of the genre. Initially led by organist Jackie Mittoo, Sound Dimension had a rotating line up comprised of reggae's heavy hitters, notably Leroy Sibbles (bass), Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace (drums), Ernest Ranglin (guitar), Cedric Brooks and Roland Alphonso (saxophone), Vin Gordon (trombone), and Bobby Ellis (trumpet).

Prior to 1967, with a slightly different line-up, they were known as the Soul Vendors. As the story goes, Jackie Mittoo toured England with the band, and when they returned guitarist Rick Frater brought home an echo effect branded Sound Dimension. Viola! A new name for the band was adopted. (A rare Coxsone Dodd screw up. What name could possibly be better than the Soul Vendors?) They're all over everything. If you know anything at all about reggae, you know that riddims (rhythms), particularly the good ones, are used again and again, oft times for decades. Such is the case with Sound Dimensions'. Their tracks were practically a template for the genre.

Here's a mish mash, with a few of the lesser know tracks, along with a few some of you will know well. You fiends should check out "El Cumbanchero" by Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernandez. It's the song that "Rockfort Rock" is based on.

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Listen:
Soul Vendors - Swing Easy mp3 at DJ No DJ
Soul Vendors - Musical Happiness mp3 at DJ No DJ
Sound Dimension - Rockfort Rock mp3 at Leave You Wanting Less
Sound Dimension - Drum Song mp3 at Leave You Wanting Less
Sound Dimension - Congo Rock mp3 at Roots and Culture
Sound Dimension - Swell Head Part 2 mp3 at Roots and Culture Vocal: Burning Spear
Sound Dimension - Moan and Groan mp3 at Roots and Culture
Sound Dimension = Great Mu Ga Ru Ga mp3 at Roots and Culture
Rafael Hernandez - El Cumbanchero (streaming) at YouTube

LIKE THIS, KA-CHINK, KA-CHINK,...

Well dip me in it, I've been fucking around this place for how long, and never had a post featuring the Skatalites? How does that happen? They were like ground zero. Right there when mento and rhythm and blues got chummy, absolutely the shit in the pre-rock steady, pre-reggae days of Jamaican music. The original line-up included the horn section of Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond and Tommy McCook, the holy trinity of Jamaican brass. And Jackie Mittoo on keys, who would become one of the most influential keyboard players in the history of reggae. They initially recorded with Coxsone Dodd (not a bad place to start), followed by Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, Randy Chin and Prince Buster, among others. I don't care if some of you think this is elementary. Listen to it, cop to it, or just get out of here. I don't care. I'm a wild man.

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Listen:
The Skatalites - Guns of Navarone mp3 at Plain or Pan
The Skatalites - Exodus mp3 at Iniva (?)
The Skatalites - James Bond Theme mp3 at a Bond fan site
The Skatalites - I Should Have Know Better mp3 at Fantastic Weapon
The Skatalites - Rockfort Rock mp3 at Job.Yipikai (?)
The Skatalites - Ska-Ra-Van (Caravan) mp3 at Tanyao (?)
The Skatalites - Fidel Castro mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Video:
The Skatalites - Dynamite (?) at YouTube 1980s incarnation
Visit:
The Skatalites - Official site
The Skatalites at Wikipedia

LET'S DO IT THIS WAY

If you ever wanted to hear the evolution of rhythm and blues into ska in just a few songs, a good place to start is with records that feature saxophonist Roland Alphonso. Originally a jazz man, he started playing sessions in the pre-ska days of Jamaican music. His first recordings were produced by Coxsone Dodd (Studio One), in 1956. Those recordings were lost on their way to New York to get mastered. The injustice, eh? Imagine that, your first recordings... poof, gone. He was later one of the founding members of the Skatalites, the archetypical ska band, and when they petered out, the Soul Vendors. The Soul Vendors are like godhead around here. One of the preeminent reggae backing bands of all time, like the Booker T and the MGs of Studio One.

Listen to these songs and you'll get an idea of how those first few years of ska evolved. It's like turning over an engine for the first time. Really? I don't know, sounded good.

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Listen:
Roland Alphonso and the Blues Blasters - Proof Rum mp3 at Hear Say
Roland Alphonso and the Studio One Orchestra - Cleopatra Rock mp3 at Club Clortez
Roland Alphonso - Lee Harvey Oswald mp3 at Soul Garage
The Ska-Ta-Lites - Leave Me Alone mp3 at Soul Garage
Visit:
Roland Alphonso - Bio at All Music
  

BEST DRESSED MIX IN TOWN

Sometimes I get lazy. When that happens on the same day I run into a good mix, it means I'm going to be having something for dinner that doesn't start out as a frozen block of food. So tonight, I'm just going to tip you to someone who apparently has good taste, because they put together a damn fine selection of twenty two choice cuts of reggae from the golden era, from 1963 to 1976. This is good stuff and and even if you have a semi-deep reggae collection yourself, there's probably a few you haven't heard.

The particular mix that got me sidetracked is all reggae, but I dug around a little further and ran into other stuff of different genres that are equally choice.  Here's a couple reggae cuts from that mix and a couple from the reggae mix. Extra bonus points for them making these available as single cuts (right click the song titles), and the mix as a download or streaming. A reminder: I don't know how many of you actually dig through the sites that I link to, but you really ought to, particularly when I point out that someone has a lot of good stuff. Hear Say has good stuff. 

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Listen:
Kari Brian and the Afrokats - Money Generator mp3 at Hear Say
Ken Boothe - Ain't No Sunshine mp3 at Hear Say
Roland Alphonso and the Blues Blasters - Proof Rum mp3 at Hear Say
Soul Vendors - Swing Easy mp3 at Hear Say
Mixe:
For the Right Time - 22 Reggae cuts at Hear Say Individually or as a mix.
Visit:
Hear Say
Earlier reggae posts

JAMAICAN ICING

Years ago, I was lucky enough to see Burning Spear live with Bobby Ellis, the great reggae trumpet player, in his band. It was the first time it slapped me in the face, the crucial role of horns in reggae, because, holy shit, did the presence of Ellis ever elevate the sound of that band on that particular night. The local reggae radio show aired an hour of the show a few days later and I taped it. I listened to that tape over and over and what I came away with is that, at that point in Burning Spears' career, Ellis' playing was essential to his sound, as much as the rhythm section. I've had a soft spot for horns in reggae ever since.
 

Here's one each from four of the best: Ellis, Tommy McCook and Roland Alfonso, both saxophonists, and Don Drummond, trombonist; all reggae icons. These cuts are all top notch, as in really, really good. Listening to them back to back with change your mood.

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Listen:

Bobby Ellis and the Desmond Miles Sevens - Step Softly mp3 at Club Cortez 1967

Tommy McCook - Tenor On Call mp3 at J-Bird 196?
Don Drummond - Don Cosmic mp3 at Rasta Geeks 1961
Roland Alphonso and the Studio One Orchestra - Cleopatra Rock mp3 at Club Clortez 196?