Unsung Champion

45 minutes of Faithless for no other reason than "Why not?"

No epic-length cuts here, a few remixes, a fistful of hits, loads of guest vocalists and at the centre, the trinity of Rollo, Maxi Jazz (RIP) and Sister Bliss.

Enjoy!

1) Fatty Boo (Extended Version ft. The Hiites) (2005)

2) Insomnia (Original Radio Edit) (1995)

3) Hour Of Need (Skinny Mix By Matt Benbrook ft. Jamie Catto & Rachael Brown) (1999)

4) Crazy English Summer (Album Version ft. Zoë Johnston) (2001)

5) Killer's Lullaby (Nightmares On Wax Mix By George Evelyn) (1999) 

6) Muhammad Ali (Radio Edit ft. Pauline Taylor) (2001)

7) Miss U Less, See U More (Single Mix ft. LSK) (2004)

8) Reasons (Saturday Night) (Album Version ft. Ian Dury) (2005)

9) If Lovin' You Is Wrong (Cleaned Up Edit ft. Pauline Taylor) (1996)

10) We Come 1 (Wookie Rmx By Jason Chue) (2001)

11) Bring My Family Back (Album Version ft. Rachael Brown) (1998)

 

1995: Insomnia EP: 2

1996: If Lovin' You Is Wrong EP: 9 

1998: Sunday 8pm: 11

1999: Saturday 3am: 3, 5

2001: Muhammad Ali EP: 6

2001: Outrospective: 4 

2002: Reperspective: The Remixes: 10

2004: Miss U Less, See U More EP: 7 

2005: Fatty Boo EP: 1

2005: Forever Faithless: 8 

Unsung Champion (45:07) (KF) (Mega)

Fearlessness

After a week of bombarding you with music from this year, time for a trip in the Dubhed time machine (one careless owner, 23 million years on the clock, needs some re-upholstery and an oil change).

Materialising in 1977, your soundtrack today is 15 songs spanning punk, dub, alternative, (Egyptian) reggae, lovers' rock and most definitely not a Christmas song from Neil Young, handily split into two sides for your listening pleasure.

Settle back with a pack of Rowntrees Tots, a can of Blue Raspberry Panda Pop and a copy of 2000AD or Blue Jeans and enjoy the music before the sugar-induced coma hits.

 

Side One

1) Screwed Up: Menace

2) Judgement Dub: Tapper Zukie

3) Nightclubbing: Iggy Pop

4) Cheat: The Clash

5) Rasta Dub: Lee 'Scratch' Perry

6) Bored Teenagers: The Adverts

7) Star Of Bethlehem: Neil Young

8) We Are The One: The Avengers

Side Two

1) Sweet Gene Vincent: Ian Dury

2) Neat Neat Neat: The Damned

3) Zion Gate: Yabby You

4) Alison: Elvis Costello

5) Reuters: Wire

6) Egyptian Reggae: Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers

7) Someone To Love Me: Candy McKenzie

Side One (22:17) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (22:36) (KF) (Mega)

Bass, The Final Frontier

Celebrating Robbie Shakespeare, 27th September 1953 to 8th December 2021.

I read the sad news less than an hour before posting this, so today's selection is particularly on the fly and, like Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Richard H. Kirk previously, how do you begin to do justice to an artist whose contribution to music has been so vast, so far reaching?

I couldn't avoid including some of the obvious choices that will have been popping up all over the internet in the wake of his passing, but I've tried to include some less well-known pieces, whether as Sly & Robbie, providing essential bass to iconic songs or at the controls, producing and remixing. If Robbie Shakespeare had 'only' been a bass player, he would still be a legend. His impact on my musical education and the sheer joy of hearing him in perfect harmony with Sly Dunbar gets me every time.

 

1) Legalise The Dub: Sly & Robbie Meet Bunny Lee (2002)

2) Fu-Gee-La (Sly & Robbie Mix): Fugees (1996)

3) Dub The Government: Sly & Robbie (1997)

4) Sound Man Style (Prince Jammy Presents Uhuru In Dub With Sly & Robbie): Black Uhuru (1982)

5) Night Nurse (Sly & Robbie Dub Mix): Sly & Robbie ft. Simply Red (1997)

6) Aux Armes Et Cætera: Serge Gainsbourg ft. Sly & Robbie, Ansel Collins & The I Threes (1979)

7) Private Life (Long Version By Chris Blackwell & Alex Sadkin) (Cover of The Pretenders): Grace Jones ft. Sly & Robbie (1980)

8) Superthruster (Album Version): Sly & Robbie & Howie B. (1999)

9) Spasticus Autisticus (12" Version): Ian Dury ft. Sly & Robbie (1981)

10) Ruined In A Day (Rhythm Twins Dub By Sly & Robbie): New Order (1993)

11) Mop Head: Sly & The Revolutionaries (1977)

12) Strange Turn: Adrian Sherwood ft. Sly & Robbie (2003)

13) Getting Hot (Original 12" Version By Steven Stanley): Gwen Guthrie ft. Sly & Robbie (1983)

14) Boops (Here To Go) (Vocal 12" Version By Bill Laswell): Sly & Robbie ft. Shinehead & Bootsy Collins (1987)

 

1977: Go Deh Wid Riddim: 11

1979: Aux Armes Et Cætera: 6 

1980: Warm Leatherette: 7

1981: Spasticus Autisticus EP: 9

1982: Uhuru In Dub: 4 

1983: Padlock EP: 13 

1987: Boops (Here To Go) EP: 14

1993: Ruined In A Day EP: 10

1996: The Score: 2

1997: Dub Rocker's Delight: 3 

1997: Night Nurse EP: 5

1999: Drum & Bass Strip To The Bone By Howie B.: 8

2002: Sly & Robbie Meet Bunny Lee At Dub Station: 1 

2003: Never Trust A Hippy: 12

 

Bass, The Final Frontier (1:00:39)