Needle Time

  X-O-DUS - English Black Boys [FBN 101 UK 2021 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] X-O-Dus, originally named Exodus, were a Manchester roots reggae band with members from Hulme and Moss Side. They initially formed in mid 1975 by Honey, Leddy, Trevor Bell, and shortly after, Dave Reid. They were joined in 1978 by Ricky Jones, Johnny Caton and Gayle Reid. They changed the name to avoid confusion with a London reggae band. Their aim was to give a new, young British sound to reggae. They recorded just one 12" on Factory Records, this FAC 11. A planned follow up single and LP failed to materialise.... ...In 2012, LTM guru James Nice reached out to former frontman Wesley Ricketts who found a tape of part of the album sessions. These were released as a compact disc that year, in 2021 the five key tracks for that album plus the band's only single for Factory were released as a vinyl album in a limited run of 500 pressings. This is a nicely packaged album, complete with full liner notes on the inn...

X-O-Dus - English Black Boys [12" FAC 11 UK 1980 24-Bit FLAC] Ripped from my original Factory Records 12" pressing with dark grey textured sleeve, crackles and all. A very early Factory Records release, produced by reggae maestro producer Dennis Bovell, though I still do wonder how it would have sounded if Martin Hannett had been allowed to produce this. The flipside See Them A'Come is superb. A dubby reminder of all that was bad about God's Cop : James Anderton, and what the then Greater Manchester Police commissioner stood for (and was allowed to get away with). X-O-Dus, originally named Exodus, were a Manchester roots reggae band with members from Hulme and Moss Side. They initially formed in mid 1975 by Honey, Leddy, Trevor Bell, and shortly after, Dave Reid. They were joined in 1978 by Ricky Jones, Johnny Caton and Gayle Reid. They changed the name to avoid confusion with a London reggae band. Their aim was to give a new, young British sound to re...