Greetings,

March 14th. That was the last time I ‘n’ I set foot in the Temple of Sound: KRCL. The beginning of the pandemic and then a few days later the Utah Earthquake.

A full 3 months of Living Room Editions out of the Secret Dubratory of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives.

Stitching the shows together from home was a nice way to fill the time spent under quarantine. But it did take a lot of time:

• Upload song, move it into place on digital editor
• Record set breaks with a decent but not great USB microphone
• Edit it all together into 6 x 30 minute sets
• Upload to cloud storage so Program Director can add it into the queue

I ‘n’ I would venture out at 4pm Saturday, (in my brand new Subaru Legacy) and run my weekend errands just like a regular Smile Jamaica listener. Just me and a few other intrepid souls on the Covid deserted roadways.

What’s not to love? I ‘n’ I could do this forever. Except…..

In the Ark-Ive, I ‘n’ I don’t have a wheel of steel connected to my laptop. That knocks about half of my potential out of rotation for homegrown shows.

The joy of taking  the record out of the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, back queuing the song to start crisp. The warm rumble as the song kicks into life.

April slides into May. I’m getting antsy. Gentle inquiries about when KRCL deejays could return. Not yet. Not yet.

“I’ll go first. I’m too ornery for the Covid.”

Okay, okay. Grumble grumble.  Then I ‘n’ I get the green light.

Rules for in-station deejays:

• Only  1 deejay per day allowed live in the studio
• Masks worn except when announcing
• Wipe down surfaces
• Wear gloves. Couldn’t queue records with two gloves, so went “commando” on my “queue” hand to find the right starting point
• Disposable microphone “condom”
• Studio keyboard wrapped in shrink wrap, so kept a playlist off my Ipad

Great to have a microphone that didn’t pop my “P’s”.  Just came off the road ferrying my parents from Sun City West, AZ to Fort Benton, MT. Little cratedig in Missoula with my down time.

The days, weeks, months, slide together. So what should I do in my first live Smile Jamaica in 90 days?

Missed out on Mother’s Day Showcase because of lack of vinyl capacity. Let’s do Father’s Day!

So there I am juggling wax: 7″, 10″, 12″, LP. Even CDs. Back to my motto: No digital for I ‘n’ I

Hailing up the fathers! Then I ‘n’ I get a  phone call. “Uh, according Google, Father’s Day is next Sunday.”

In radio, you are taught to never call attention to your mistakes. So I ‘n’ I just soldiered on knowing  that by the time you get this Ark-Ive link, it will be properly Father’s Day Weekend.

Just as I ‘n’ I ….errr, planned it. Yeah!

bless, Bobbylon

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: June 13, 2020 – Father’s Day Showcase; 2 min. 27 sec.

Set 1:

•  
• The Wailers – Hallelujah Time; Burnin’ (Tuff Gong) ’73
• IInd Street Dreds  – Culture Rock; Dub of the 70’s (Atra) UK vinyl dub album of the hour
• Charlie Ace – Father and Dreadlocks; 7″ (Studio One)
• Black Roots – The Father; In Session (Makasound) ’85
• Big Youth – Papa Was a Rolling Stone; Reggae Phenomenon (Trojan) ’77
• Fort Knox Five – Papa Was Stoned; Radio Free DC (ESL) 2008 DC dubbers
• George Nooks – Created by the Father; 12″ (Joe Frazier)

Set 2:

• Prince Alla – In My Father’s House; Sweet Sensation (Cornerstone) ’84
• Israel Vibration – Universal Father; Why You So Craven (RAS) ’81
• Sister Carol – Mi Love the Father; Lyrically Potent (Heartbeat) ’96
• Lascelles Perkins – Our Father; (Voice of Voice) ’70
• Michigan & Smiley – Sugar Daddy; 12″ (RAS) ’83 dj duo

Set 3:

• Errol Dunkley – Created by the Father; Darling Ooh  (Attack) ’72
• Lone Ranger – DJ Daddy; DJ Daddy (Techniques) ’84
• Dennis Alcapone – Me and My Father a Spar; Good Old Days of the 70’s (Teams)
• Fred Locks – Moving With the Father; Culturally (Tan Yah) ’95
• R. Zee Jackson – Come Now Father; 10″ (Sip a Cup) 2005 UK

Set 4:

• Aswad – In My Father’s House; Rebel Souls (Mango) ’84
• Michael Robinson & XLR – Mother and Father; 7″ (Horse) ’75
• The Ethiopian – Heavenly Father; Return of Jack Sparrow (Nighthawk) 8’7
• Alton Ellis – Papa; 7″ (Clintones) ’75

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

• Don Carlos – Ababa John I (Father Majesty); Spread Out (Burning Sounds) ’83 UK
• Merger – Father’s Children;  Prisoner of Your Love (Takoma) ’84 US
• Winston Reedy – Message to Father; Dim the Lights (Inner Light) ’85 UK
• A. Doeman – Heavenly Father; Jah Jah Come Now (I & I Sound) 80’s LA

Set 6:

• Ky-Mani Marley – Dear Dad; 12″ (Shang) ’99
• Queen Majeeda – Oh Daddy; Conscious (Heartbeat) ’93
• Gregory Isaacs – Created by the Father; Cool Ruler (Virgin Front Line) ’78
• The African Brothers –  Lead Us Father; Want Some Freedom (Easy Star) ’74

Set 7:

• Derrick Morgan – Don’t Call Me Daddy; (Imperial) ’80 Can.
• Johnny Clarke – Don’t Call I Daddy; Don’t Trouble Trouble (Attack) ’75
• The Slickers – Papa Was a Rolling Stone; 7″ (Ice)
• Sylford Walker – My Father’s Homeland; Lambsbread International (Blood & Fire) ’79­­

Set 8:

• Linton Kwesi Johnson – Reggae Fi Dada; Making History (Mango) ’84
• Linton Kwesi Johnson – Reggae Fi Dad; Live A Capella (LKJ)
• Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus – Don’t Sell Daddy No Whiskey; Love Thy Neighour (Live & Learn) ’79 nyahbinghi
• ­­­The Maytals – Daddy; Sensational Ska Sensation (Jamaican Gold) ’65
• Desmond Dekker – Honor Your Mother and Father; Anthology (Trojan)
• African Head Charge – Healing Father; Songs of Praise (ON U Sound) ’90