Greetings,
It was July 2, 1988. Late Sunday Night/early Monday Morning. I jumped in my car and drove from my apartment by the University of Utah campus downtown to community radio station KRCL 90.9FM.
Unloaded a suitcase full of CDs and a crate full of LPs. At 3 am on a hot summer night, I cued up Black Uhuru’s “What Is Life” from the album that made me a Reggae fanatic – Anthem.
Drop the needle pon the record and that began a 30 year legacy of Reggae Radio.
<Sunday Night/Monday Morning, July 2, 1988; 3-6AM, debut of 3 o’Clock Roadblock on KRCL; 30 sec.>
I had returned that Sunday afternoon from a massive cratedig in the Bay Area. Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkely, Mill Valley, El Cerrito, Oakland, Santa Cruz.
I was glad my car didn’t break down. It would be bad juju to be late for my debut radio show. Not to mention how would I keep two crates full of vinyl from melting on the side of the road somewhere.
Ronald. Wilson. Reggae. 666 as the Rastas might say. Not I ‘n’ I. I didn’t see eye to eye with Ronnie politically, but I am forever grateful to him as the benefactor of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives, even if it was a misuse of funds.
The 80’s were a time you could get more student grants than student loans. Tuition was a fraction of what it is today. That left me about $2k left over to front load music for a Radio show. LPs and these recent creations called CDs. I was format agnostic. Good Reggae for the masses.
And I have Ronald Wilson Reagan to thank!
<Ronald Wilson Reagan – benefactor of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives; 2 min.>
So from July 2, 1988 to July 14, 2018 – 3 o’Clock Roadblock (July 1988-August 1989) to Smile Jamaica (Oct. ’89), let’s celebrate with the Sequel to my 30th Anniversary showcase (cd versions) from 2 weeks ago.
All vinyl this time out!
<Who wants to live in a world without bass? 30 sec.>
bless, Bobbylon
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: 30 Years of Vinyl: July 14, 2018; 83 sec.
Set 1:
- Prince Far I – Reggae Music; Free From Sin (Trojan ’79 UK vinyl: 30 years of Reggae Vinyl
- Black Beard – Electrocharge; I Wah Dub (More Cut) ’80 UK Dub Album of the Hour
- Jah Lion the Humble One – Dis Ya Sound; The Humble One (Virgin Frontline) ’78 UK
- Sister Carol – Principle; Liberation For Africa (Serious Gold) ’83 DC
- Zap Pow – Irie Land; Reggae Rules! (Rhino) ’80 US 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
- Bunny Wailer – Love Fire; In I Father’s House (Solomonic) ’80 JA
Set 2:
- Peter Tosh – Get Up Stand Up; Dealing With the Shytstem (bootleg) 11/5/82 at the Roxy; LA CA
- Sophia George – Tenement Yard; Fresh (Winner) ’85 UK
- Eek a Mouse – Do You Remember; Skidip! (Greensleeves) ’82 UK
<The Middle Passage; 54 sec.>
- Jah Shaka – Revelation 18; Hits From the House of Shaka (Jah Shaka) ’85 UK
<Revelation 18 and UFOs; 18 sec.>
Set 3:
- Casselberry & DuPree’ – Coming in From the Cold; City Down (Icebergg) ’86 Milwaukee; Bob Marley cover
- Gregory Isaacs – Mothers Day; Reggae It’s Fresh (Tad’s) ’88 US
- Itals – Herbs Pirate; Brutal Out Deh (Nighthawk) ’81 St. Louis herb tune
- Musical Youth – Pass the Dutchie; 12″ (MCA) ’82 UK; youth update of Mighty Diamonds Pass the Kutchie
- King Tubby Meets the African Brothers – Original Sound; In Dub (Nature Sounds) 70’s Dub Album of the Hour
Set 4:
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – One Love; Wailing Wailers (Studio One) ’65 JA
- The Meditations – Do Mama Do; Message From the Meditations (United Artists) ’76 US
- Lovindeer feat. Wailing Souls; Man Shortage; De Blinkin’ Bus (TSOJ) ’82 JA
- UB40 feat. Chrissie Hynde – I Got You Babe; 12″ (DEP) ’85 cover of Sonny & Cher
Set 5: Heavy politics set
Papa Kojie & Blue Riddim – Nancy Reagan (ORA International) ’85 US
<Man a fight man over lollipops; 33 sec.>
- Pablo Moses – Bomb the Nation; Tension (Alligator) ’84 Chicago blues label
- The Wild Bunch – Mr. President; Wild Bunch (Ariwa) ’84 UK female group
- Ruffy & Tuffy – If the Third World World War is a Must; Climax (Black Star) ’88 Finland; twin youths
<World War III: No Cold War 2.0; 89 sec.>
Set 6:
- Jimmy Riley – Sweet Sensimilla; Put the People First (Shanachie) ’82 US herbtune
<North Dakota legalization in 2018; 37 sec.>
- Anthony Johnson – Dread Locks; Reggae Feelings (Vista Sounds) ’83
- Zema – Blood Money; Zema (Melchizedek) ’86 SoCal female
- Black Survivors – President; 12″ (Witty) UK
- Sly & Robbie – Plastic Dub; Overdrive in Overdub (Sonic) Dub Album of the Hour
Set 7:
- Sister Netifa – Woman Determined; Women Determined (A Luta) ’89 UK female dub poet
- Carlton Livingston – Call of the Rastaman; 100 Weight of Collie Weed (Greensleeves) ’84 UK
- Junior Delgado – Disarm the World; High Times All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’85 Chicago blues label
- X-O-Dus – See Them a Come; 12″ (Factory)*80 UK
Set 8: Mutant Dub
<What is Mutant Dub? 18 sec.>
- Singers & Players w/ Sister P – Holy Scripture; Vacuum Pumping (ON U Sound) ’88 female tour of the Bible: Mutant Dub Set
- Alpha & Omega – Africa; Watch and Pray (A & O) ’88 UK trance dub
- The Clash – This Is England; 12″ (CBS) ’85 UK picture sleeve
- Bim Sherman & Akabu – Stop That Train; 12″ (ON U Sound) ’80 UKKeith & Tex update
- Steel Pulse – Heart of Stone; Reggae Fever (Island) ’80 UK Request
Words of Wisdom:
Smile Jamaica 