Tomorrow Is Promised To No One

We're well overdue for some reggae and dub sounds and, given the past 18 hours of continuous rain here at home, time to generate some indoor sunshine at least. Today's selection is fifteen tracks spanning six decades in a smidge under sixty minutes.

A Happy Dub from 1975 will immediately sound familiar. Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators deliver a dub of I'm Gonna Put It On (Feel The Spirit) by Johnny Clarke from the same year, itself a version of Put It On by Bob Marley & The Wailers, with a liberal helping of Ring Of Fire by Johnny Cash for added flavour. Very tasty indeed.

 

It's not the only cover: in addition to African Head Charge's electronic dub spin on a traditional song, Val Bennett covers The Dave Brubeck Quartet, whilst Radio Riddler (aka Brian Leiser and Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals) deliver some Purple Reggae with a cover of Prince & The Revolution.

 

There are a few remixes thrown in from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s by François Kevorkian, Mad Professor and Central Nervous System, alongside the original masters Bunny Lee, King Tubby and Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

 

Adrian Sherwood is at the controls for three tracks: a couple of stone cold classics from African Head Charge and Singers & Players and a new song from Country Dub artist Jeb Loy Nichols from the latest (volume 8) in the excellent Pay It All Back series on On-U Sound.

 

Playing this on a soggy Sunday morning had the desired effect: twenty five minutes in, the rain stopped and the sun started to pierce through the haze. May the sun shine brightly - but not searingly - on your day, wherever you are.

 

1) A Happy Dub: Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators (1975)

2) What Does A Man Do All Day?: Jeb Loy Nichols (2022)

3) Getting Cozy (12" Mix By Phil Mathias): The In Crowd (1979)

4) Give You All The Love (Mad Professor Dubtronic Mix): Mishka (1999)

5) The Russians Are Coming (Cover of 'Take Five' by The Dave Brubeck Quartet): Val Bennett (1967)

6) Stebeni's Theme (Cover of traditional song): African Head Charge (1981)

7) Rasta Congo Dub: The Congos (2006)

8) Roots Radical (12" Version By François Kevorkian): Jimmy Cliff (1983)

9) Dub So: The Upsetters (1978)

10) My Woman (Part 1): Bim Sherman (1979)

11) Show Us The Way: Dennis Brown (1975)

12) Take Me With U (Cover of Prince & The Revolution): Radio Riddler ft. Deborah Bonham (2014)

13) Make A Joyful Noise: Singers & Players (1984)

14) D-60 Fights The Evil Force (Dub) (Remix By Central Nervous System aka Joe Fearon): The Dead 60s (2005)

15) Ordinary Version Dub: Impact All Stars (1973)

1967: The Russians Are Coming EP: 5 

1973: Java Java Java Java: 15

1975: Just Dennis: 11

1975: King Tubby Meets The Agrovators At Dub Station: 1

1978: Think So EP (by The Meditations): 9

1979: Getting Cozy / Marcus Garvey Back In Town EP: 3

1979: Lovers Leap: 10

1981: My Life In A Hole In The Ground: 6 

1983: Treat The Youths Right EP: 8

1984: Leaps & Bounds: 13

1999: Give You All The Love EP: 4 

2005: The Dead 60s / Space Invader Dub (ltd 2x CD): 14

2012: Dub Feast: 7

2014: Purple Reggae: 12

2022: Pay It All Back Vol. 8: 2

 

Tomorrow Is Promised To No One (59:59)

Always Be At Peace With Your Soul, You Were Never Alone

To ease you into the weekend, a selection of dancehall grooves from the 1990s, featuring three UK Top 5 hits (Dawn Penn, Bob Marley & The Wailers and Aswad), one Top 15 single (Sly & Robbie) and, surprisingly, one Top 40 (Mishka).  

 

I say surprisingly for the latter, as I remember rolling my eyes when I first saw the video for Give You All The Love on The Chart Show. Adding grist to the mill, it was released in 1999 by a then-sinking Creation Records (they sunk that same year). A few years later, I spotted the CD single in a record shop and it was the remixes by Mad Professor and Bristol legends Smith & Mighty - and the 50p price tag - that convinced me to give it another go. I'm glad I did; I generally skip the album version, but the remixes are great. For all you trivia fans out there, Miska is the brother of Heather Nova.

In just under an hour, you get the brilliance of Adrian Sherwood, Bim Sherman and Jah Wobble, a 'lost' Marley song rediscovered a decade after his passing, and a version of Aswad's 2nd biggest hit that may appease those who thought they'd sold out by getting Beatmasters to remix the main 7" and 12" singles. Danny Red may be familiar to any of you with a copy of Leftfield's incredible Leftism album, as he contributed vocals to Inspection (Check One).

 

I don't usually comment on the accompanying photo but, in keeping with the relaxed rhythms of today's selection, I was working in Coleford the other day, a town in the heart of the Forest Of Dean. In a similarly relaxed style, I was tickled to see that they've been in no hurry to take down their Christmas neons. Either that, or it's taking this sentiment far too literally...

 

1) Solid As A Rock (Hexadecimal Remix Full Length By Steve Osborne): Bim Sherman (1996)

2) Night Nurse (Jah Wobble 12" Mix) (Cover of Gregory Isaacs): Sly & Robbie ft. Simply Red (1997)

3) Mammoth Galactica (Album Version By Audio Active & Adrian Sherwood): Audio Active ft. David Harrow (1995)

4) You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (Extended Mix By Steely & Clevie): Dawn Penn (1994)

5) Iron Lion Zion (12" Mix By): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1992)

6) Riddimwize (Part II - Re-Assess Your Style) (Remix By Nick Manasseh, Martin Madhatter & Peps): Danny Red (1994)

7) Shine (Majorwad Mix By Aswad & Carlton 'Bubblers' Ogilvie): Aswad (1994)

8) Give You All The Love (Smith And Mighty Club Mix): Mishka (1999)

 

Always Be At Peace With Your Soul, You Were Never Alone (53:39)