Dub Disco

Continuing with yesterday's extended 12" tip, here's seven songs stretched out into discomixes and dub excursions by some of the finest producers ever to step on this planet.

I'd love to say that my shelves are crammed with well-loved and oft-played reggae and dub 12" vinyl. Sadly, not the case. Thankfully, so much has been released on CD and digitally in the last two or three decades that I've been able to regularly satisify my voracious appetite for the music and the artists and producers that created it.

 

Another hour long selection, the shortest version on here clocking in at eight and a half minutes, the longest just shy of nine and three quarters, all solid gold. And a reminder of when UB40 were really good.

 

I usually list the EP or album that the song originally appeared on. This time, I've listed the compilation that I first discovered the version on. Physical copies still out of print in many cases, but possibly slightly easier to track down...and afford.

 

Enjoy!

 

1) Prophecy (Discomix By Lloyd Coxsone): Fabian (1977)

2) Know Love (Discomix By Lee 'Scratch' Perry): The Twin Roots (1977)

3) Pure Ranking (Discomix By King Tubby): Horace Andy (1979)

4) Liberated Woman (Album Version By Mad Professor): Ranking Ann (1982)

5) Rasta Train (Discomix By Lee 'Scratch' Perry): Raphael Green & Dr. Alimantado (1977)

6) All I Can Say (Album Version By Bullwackie): Love Joys (1983)

7) The Earth Dies Screaming (12" Version By Ray 'Pablo' Falconer): UB40 (1980)

 

1982: A Slice Of English Toast: 4 

1983: Lovers Rock Reggae Style: 6

1997: Good Vibes: 3 

2005: Trojan Roots & Culture Box Set: 5

2012: Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Friends: Disco Devil: The Jamaican Discomixes: 2 

2014: 12"/80s New Wave: 7

2015: Island Records Presents Reggae Discomixes: 22 Essential Extended Mixes: 1

Dub Disco (1:02:00) (KF) (Mega)

She's My Groovy Good Luck Friend

Celebrating Janice Long, 5th April 1955 to 25th December 2021.

 

This is a later-than-usual post, for obvious reasons. I had something else lined up for today but after reading the sad news last night of Janice's passing on Christmas Day, I wanted to pay tribute instead.

 

I probably listened to Janice Long more than John Peel on Radio 1 as a teen, mainly because her evening show slot usually coincided with doing homework or otherwise avoiding my family in my bedroom. The sessions on her show were every bit as essential to my discovering new bands and artists, who have stuck with me for a lifetime. I haven't got as many Janice Long sessions in my collection as I thought, so there are some glaring anomalies (Primal Scream's Velocity Girl, for one) and this is another of those selections that doesn't begin to do justice to the breadth of Janice's shows and her passion for music.

Instead, this is quite alternative/indie-heavy and mainly focuses on 1984 to 1988, the period when I was a regular listener to her Radio 1 show. I've acquired a quite few songs retrospectively over the years, including quite a few that I didn't hear when originally broadcast (e.g. the Gold Blade track from the 1990s). I didn't follow Janice's move from Radio 1 and I've rarely listened to the radio from 2000 onwards, but it's clear from the tributes that her joy and enthusiasm for music remained undimmed. A genuine trailblazing DJ and presenter. Thank you, Janice.

 

1) Feminine Gender: Ranking Ann (4th August 1985)

2) Turkish Song Of The Damned: The Pogues (22nd October 1986)

3) Groovy Good Luck Friend: BMX Bandits (8th June 1986)

4) Christmas Mourning: Julian Cope (12th December 1984)

5) Home Is Where The Heart Is: The Chameleons (13th March 1985)

6) Ballad Of The Band: Felt (12th February 1986)

7) Winter Coat: The Bible (5th November 1986)

8) The Whole World Is Turning: Toots & The Maytals (19th August 1987)

9) Gave You My Love: Aswad (13th September 1984)

10) Ruthless: Cabaret Voltaire (10th October 1984)

11) Piece Of You: Soho (8th November 1987)

12) America: The Communards (13th October 1985)

13) Independence Day (Cover of Comsat Angels): Voice Of The Beehive (7th March 1988)

14) What Do You Mean?: The Blue Aeroplanes (15th February 1987)

15) Frenz: The Fall (13th May 1987)

16) Traumas Traumas Traumas: Marc Almond (16th January 1985)

17) Is This The Life: Cardiacs (29th November 1987)

18) The Word Around Town: David Westlake & The Go-Betweens (14th January 1987)

19) Ostrich: Danielle Dax (1st December 1985)

20) Football Hooligan: Tippa Irie (26th June 1985)

21) 5 True Believers: Gold Blade (17th March 1997)

22) Take Me To The Girl: Associates (8th September 1985)

She's My Groovy Good Luck Friend (1:22:01) (KF) (Mega)