Greetings,

Happy Bob-ruary, Jah-bruary, Herb-ruary!

 

I have been doing Roots Reggae Radio for about 27 years now. Thousands of hours and most of it is devoted to Heavy Roots

<Smile Jamaica – The King’s Music, Jamaican Blues>

Smile Jamaica’s prevailing themes for 25+ Years:

• socialism (small s) – Reggae the music of the community. The music of the Underdog. Universality for sure-ty. No isms and schisms!
• Rastafari – I am myself not a Rasta but consider myself a Rasta empathizer who acts as a missionary for Jah’s Gospel and let you decide. It’s good enough just to enjoy the inspiration of the lyrics along with the groove of the Beat.
• Politrix and politics – I did political interviews for 9 years as The Angry Liberal. Reggae music was talking about what Occupy Wall Street championed 40 years before the Greenspan Recession. Reggae music totally influenced my personal politics of peace and love to all. No war, no racism, no sexism, no exploitation

The one music sub genre I play somewhat sparingly is Lover’s Rock. Romantic Reggae. I will play romantic tunes if it has a hard riddim. But  lyrically that’s never been a big motivator.

Every Saturday I bring down about 200 pieces of music. I get to play about 33 per week (Natch!) The gems I pull out of the crate tend to be Orthodox Roots and earsplitting Dubwize.

<At the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: I put the Fun in Roots Fundamentalism>

Don’t kid yourself. There is plenty of great Lover’s Rock in the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. I played the best of it for 3 Hours – Lover’s Rock Showcase.

<Smile Jamaica: Happy Valentine’s Day; 20 sec.>

Smile Jamaica Annotated Playlist: Jah-bruary 14, 2015: Happy Valentine’s Day; 33 and 1/3 sec.

Set 1:

• Melodians – Passion Love; Irie Feeling (RAS) ’83 DC Vinyl
• Black Slate Meets Soul Syndicate – Moodie in Dub (Moodie) ’78 Dub Album of the Week
• The Dynamics – Whole Lotta Love; Version Excursion (Groove Attack) 2007; Led Zeppelin cover feat. Female vox
• Aswad – Star of My Show; To the Top (Simba) ’86 UK; Aswad means “black” in Arabic, Amharic

<Out of thousands, one of the first 10 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives – Aswad “To the Top”; 22 sec.>

• Lacksley Castell – Princess Lady; Princess Lady (Negus Roots) ’83 youth voiced singer

<Reggae History Lesson: Only the Good die Young – Lacksley Castell; 24 sec.>

• Maxine Miller – How Many Times; Showcase (Wackie’s) ’80 Brooklyn vinyl; Bob Marley cover
• Johnny Clarke – No Woman No Cry; Jah Live (Music Club); Marley covers CD

 Set 2: 

• Prince + Princess Buster – Ten Commandments of Man to Woman; Woman to Man; Sings His Hit Song Ten Commandments (RCA) ‘67

<Answer Record: Lover’s Quarrel? 19 sec.>

• Dennis Brown – If I Had the World; Complete A & M Years (A & M)

<Crown Prince of Reggae: Dennis Brown; 29 sec.>

• Dillinger – Take Care of Your Wife; King Pharaoh (Blue Moon) ’84 UK vinyl over Melody Life

<Dillinger’s Marital advice: Don’t stab your wife with a knife! 19 sec.>

 Set 3: Wailers Family Tree

• Marcia Griffiths – Melody Life; Naturally (Shanachie) ’78
• Judy Mowatt – Love Seed; Mellow Mood (Ashandan) ’75 JA vinyl
• Rita Marley – Play Play; Rita Marley (Trident) ’80 UK vinyl
• Bob Marley & the Wailers – Is This Love; Africa Unite (Tuff Gong) Request

 Set 4:

• Bob Marley & the Wailers – There She Goes; Mellow Mood (Toplin) doo wop style
• Aisha – Love Is So Simple; High Priestess (Ariwa) ’88
• Ken Boothe – My Love; The Black Album (Trojan); McCartney cover on Beatles Reggae CD

<Smile Jamaica Conspiracy Theory: Lennon’s assassination led to Ebony & Ivory; 26 sec.>

• Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse; 12” (Island) ’80

Set 5: Rated R

<Rated R – for Roots!>

• Johnny Osbourne – Ice Cream Love; Biggest Dancehall Anthems 1979-1982 (Greensleeves) ‘80

<Ice Cream Love – Oral Sex metaphor? 14 sec.>

• Cassandra – Thank You For the Many Things You’ve Done; Babylon Soundtrack (EMI) ’80 UK

<Reggae History Lesson: Lover’s Rock in UK; 13 sec.>

• Dub Tonic Kru – Sunshine Girl/Rub a Dub Love; Dub Tonic (Dubtonic Kru) 2011
• Heptones – Soul Sister; Legends From Studio One (Trench Town) JA vinyl; Allen Toussaint cover

<Secret History of Jamaica: Ice Cream Love; 29 sec.>

Johnny Osbourne – Ice Cream Love Lyrics

I don’t want no ice cream love,
That’s too cold for me, little girl.
I don’t want no ice cream love, girl can’t you see?

I want a love that’s warmer than the summer sunshine,
I want a love that’s as warm as mine,
Because my love, is warmer than a chocolate fudge.
Because my love, is warmer than a chocolate fudge.

And that is why, I don’t want no ice cream love,
It is too cold for me, girl.
I don’t want no ice cream love, it is too cold, can’t you see, little girl?
I don’t want no ice cream love,
It’s too cold for me.

Love in the winter,
Should be warmer than the summer sun..
But if you’re giving me a ice cream love, little girl, that’s no fun,
And that is why I say,
Because my love, is warmer than a chocolate fudge.
I say, my love, is warmer than a chocolate fudge.

No-no-no, ice cream love, too cold for me.
No-no-no, ice cream love at all.
No-no-no-no.. ice cream love,
It’s too cold for me..

Set 6:

• Yellowman – Morning Ride; Biggest Dancehall Anthems 1979-1982 (Greensleeves) ‘81

<Yellowman not talking about his daily commute!; 29 sec.>

• Beres Hammond – My Whole World; Soul Reggae (Wait a Bit) ‘79
• Meditations – Stranger in Love; History of Tamoki Wambesi (Tamoki Wambesi); Roy Cousins prod’n
• Martha Velez – Happiness; Angels of the Future/Past (Sire) ’76; Rocker does Rita Marley feat. The Wailers/Lee Perry; 19 sec.

Set 7:

• John Holt – Have You Ever Been in Love; Special Request to All Music Lovers (Hitbound) Lovers Rock compilation
• The Gaylads – Little Candle; Vision of Reggae (Tamoki Wambesi) Roy Cousins prod’n; UK Vinyl
• 15 16 17 – Girls Imagination; Magic Touch (DEB) ’77 UK female family; Just My Imagination update; 19 sec.

• Barrington Levy – I Love I Love You; Poor Man Style (Trojan) ’82 UK vinyl
• Mighty Diamonds – Pretty Woman; Indestructible (Bad Gong); Best of 

Set 8: Mutant Dub Lovers

<You’ve got Dubstep inna mi Lover’s Rock; 15 sec.>

• Hollie Cook – Shadow Kissing; Hollie Cook (Mr. Bongo); Mutant Dubstress Lovers Set. Dawta of Sex Pistol
• Likkle Mai – My Old Flame; Roots Candy (Beat) 2005; Jah-ponese female

<Jah-ponese songbird; 19 sec.>

• New Age Steppers feat. Ari Up – Some Love; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) UK vinyl female vox; Chaka Khan cover
• Sevendub – My Only Lover (Unauthorized Mix); Dub Club Edition (Collision) 2005 Jah-many
• Singers & Players – Thing Called Love (Don’t Fight); Revenge of the Underdog (ON U Sound) ’82 UK
• Bob Marley & the Wailers – Waiting in Vain; Dreams of Freedom (Axiom) ’97 Bill Laswell: Ambients Translations of Bob Marley in Dub