KRCL is able to spin Smile Jamaica because of its Non-Profit license. That means 2 shows in the Spring and 2 in the Fall are devoted to listener pledges so I can get 60 months of creative roots and dubbers.
Since my livelihood is a sound editor, it is easy for me to hunker down in my own studio, The Secret Dubratory,
to craft what I call Digital Dubplates so I have weekly content (1 million minutes listened on Mixcloud!) on the Smile Jamaica Podcast.
April is Cannabliss!
bless, robt
0-30 min.
Rita Marley – One Draw 12” Mix; Big Blunts vol. 1 (Tommy Boy) ‘81
Fun Boy Three – Farmyard Connection; Waiting (Chrysalis) ’81 – two farmers named Peter and Bob
Kid Loco – Here Comes the Munchies; Kill Your Darlings (Division One) 2001 mutant dub
Search Boys – Searchin’; Up in Smoke Soundtrack (Warner Bros.) ’78 Cheech & Chong on old Coasters R& B
I know it’s spring when I have to go to the pharmacy for that behind the counter Claritin D
Love that extra hour of daylight on Smile Jamaica
I am going through a home remodel and have packed up my records until my room addition is completed. As I pack I pull out gems.
Musical nostalgia. Most of the shops I stocked the Ark-Ives from are long gone. Everything else is pieced out as single items on ebay.
Bim Sherman Century bought for $20 from UK now fetches $1250 on ebay.
When I started collecting Reggae in the mid 80s, people would sell their entire black collection for seed money for these new novelty items: the compact disk. So I scooped up as much Reggae vinyl as Ronald Reagan’s student loan check would allow. Bargain basement price.
I have records I bought for $4 in perfect condition that sell for $400 now in lousy condition.
In 2017 of all ironies: The Compact Disks is going the way of the dodo and vinyl (and vinyl only Record Huts) are coming back.
bless, robt
An unpaid intern hard at work in the Smile Jamaica Ark-ives
Smile Jamaica Ark-ives: March 18, 2017 – highlights 54 sec.
Set 1:
Jennifer Lara – Rocking Tonight; Presenting Jennifer Lara (Studio One) ’81 JA vinyl
Africjam – Woman I Love; Instrumental Dub Reggae Music ’93 UK vinyl; Dub Album of the Hour
<Guiltiness riddim shower; 27 sec.>
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Guiltiness; Exodus (Tuff Gong) ’77 riddim shower (1) – vox
I Roy – Commandment Ten (Guiltiness); Ten Commandments (Virgin Front Line) ’80: riddim shower (2) – deejay
Christine Miller – Warmonger; 10″ (Backyard Movements) 2003 UK militant steppers
in the original 10 Reggae purchases of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives
Set 5: Vinyl is Vital Set
Bim Sherman & the Voluntary – Keep You Dancing; Century (Century) ’84 UK ON U Sound
<Bim Sherman record worth $1250; 1 min 12 sec.>
Time Unlimited – Devil’s Angel; Devil’s Angel (Live Wire) ’84 JA
Jennifer Lara – Hand to Mouth; High Times All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’85 Chicago
Dennis Brown – Hallelujah; Wake Up (Natty Congo) ’85 JA
The Gladiators – You Can’t Say That I’m Lying; Show Down vol. 3 (Hitbound) ’84 NY
Vinyl going for $1250 on ebay
Set 6:
Chris Hinze feat. Peter Tosh – Silver & Gold; Kings of Reggae (Keyman) ’80 Dutch jazz flute player w/ Word, Sound & Power
<Dutch flautist with Sly & Robbie + Peter Tosh; 44 sec.>
Joan Armatrading – I Can’t Lie to Myself; Walk Under Ladders (A & M) ’80 feat. Sly & Robbie
Pfaff Family Dog – Two Hits and the Joint Turned Brown; Marijuana’s Great Hit Revisited (Re-Hash) ‘92 Dillard Hartford Dillard bluegrass/reggae herb tune
Chariot Riders – Sanford and Son; 12” (Crystal) ’79 cover of Quincy Jones TV theme
Scientist – 11 Guava Road Dub; King of Dub (Kingdom) ’81 Dub Album of the Hour
“You’ve got Swiss Miss inna mi Jamaican rum”; 28 sec.
Prince Buster – Police Trim Rasta; Sister Big Stuff (Sunset) ‘72
<Reggae History Lesson: Police would shave Rastas in jail as a religious insult; 36 sec.>
Aisha – Glorify His Name; 10” (Ariwa) 2005
Yodel-a-ee-hoo!Set 8: Mutant Dub
Set 8: Mutant Dub
Systemwide – Gilgamesh; Live de International Festival de Jazz (BSI) 2002 Mutant Dub Set
<The original Sumerian flood story; 80 sec.>
Abassi All Stars feat. Sis Sanae – Free jah Dub; Dub Showcase (Universal Egg) 2005 UK
Matty G – Sensimilla; Bay Area Dub Step vol. 3 (Full Melt) 2011 herbtune
Tena Stelin – I.D. Chip; 10” (Dub Corner) 2007 UK – conspiracy theory
Black Uhuru – Journey; Red (Mango) ’80 request
Sumerian hero Gilgamesh. So bad ass he kept a lion as a kitty
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It was Chinese leader Mao Zedong who said Women Hold Up Half the Sky. I was inspired by what I saw during the International Women’s Day celebrations and remembrances.
As many specialty shows I have done over the Years (Mutant Dub, Jah-loween, 4:20, Marley Tributes), I had never done a full on Women’s Reggae Special
I have been doing radio for almost 30 years. No one has really critiqued or analyzed how i program Smile Jamaica in decades. So I can get into ruts like anyone else.
Reggae music is a largely male, Rasta music form. I don’t play much romantic Reggae, which is where quite a bit of female Reggae fixates.
It was probably around Iraq War 2.0, if I remember correctly, I was slinging Roots and got a phone call from a listener. Woman said to me, “I love Smile Jamaica but you don’t play very much women’s Reggae.”
I took that criticism to heart and ever since I try to juggle at least 1 female tune in my four song sets. And it certainly isn’t tokenism. It’s just methodically harvesting all my Dawtas out of my massive archives of CDs, LPs, 10″ and 12″ and 7″ 45s. Now I can rotate in the best Roots with Quality female artists.
What I call Roots Dawtas or Mutant Dubstresses.
Livicated to all the wives, mothers, dawtas, grandmothers, sisters, nieces, girlfriends and friends.
bless, robt
Annotated Playlist for Smile Jamaica: March 11, 2017 – Roots Dawta Showcase; 1min 10 sec.
Set 1:
Natural Beauty – Nice Up Dancee; Nice Up Dancee (RAS) ’86
Thievery Corporation feat. Racquel Jones – Road Block; Temple of I & I
Winter is when I usually spend the most time in my Ark-Ives. Organizing, sorting, reminiscing about how and where I bought these musical curios.
I had a couple days off and was really in a vinyl listening mood. After 30 years on the shelf, the vinyl still sounds criss as the Rasta might say (aka crisp).
Doubt any of these are readily found on .mp3 and not many on CD. Gems and obscurities for surety!
bless, robt
No brittle 1’s and 0’s for I ‘n’ I
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: March 4, 2017: Vinylicious!; 37 sec.
Set 1:
Natural Roots – Children of Jah; Natural Roots (Only Roots) ’84 Fr. – Vinyl is Vital Show
Jah Shaka – Zulu Chalice; Sensi Dub vol. 5 (Original) ’91 Dub Album of the Hour
The Morwells – Educate Your Mind; Best of (Nighthawk) ’81 St. Louis
Matumbi – Music in the Air; Seven Seals (Harvest) ’78 UK green vinyl
Mighty Diamonds – Stand Up to Your Judgement; Stand Up to Your Judgement (Hitbound) ’78 JA: Request
The Jay Tees – A Prayer to Jah; Pirates Choice (Studio One) ’81 JA female duo
The best thing about February? Only 28 days of Winter. Every Saturday it gets a little lighter later in the show. Soon come Spring weather and maximum daylight.
So until we can put our winter gear away, let’s run the bass for put a smile pon your face!
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-bruary 25, 2017; 45 sec.
Set 1:
Lawrence H – Love Jah; Studio One Sales Conference (Studio One) ’75 JA vinyl
Herbie Mann & the Tommy McCook Band – Ob la Di, Ob la Da; Herbie Mann Reggae (Atlantic); ’74 Vinyl Dub Album of the Hour; New Orleans flutist
The great thing about the Digital Media Age and Social Media, if I take a week off the radio, I can still mash up Roots for I ‘n’ I from the comfort of home.
Enjoy my favorites from the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives
Living room kinda cloudy!
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica Digital Dubplate – Roots Roulette:
0-30 min.
Thievery Corporation feat. Lou Lou Ghelichkhani; Temple of I & I (ESL) brand new DC dubbers w/ female vox
Jolly Brothers – Oppression; Conscious Man (Seven Leaf) ’78 Lee Perry/Black Ark
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Exodus (Kindread Mix); Why Should I (CD Single) (Tuff Gong) ’92 rmx
Ijahman Levi – Zion Train; Haile I Hymn (Island) ’78 feat. Steve Winwood on keys
Sheryl Lee Ralph w/ Cedella & Sharon Marley – (I’m Hurting Inside); Mighty Quinn Soundtrack (A & M) ’89 Bob cover
Aswad – Nuclear Soldier; To the Top (Simba) ’87 UK
Brand new good for you: Thievery Corporation – Temple of I & I. All killer, no filler!
30-60 min.
Dennis Brown – Should I; Words of Wisdom (Shanachie) ‘79
Wailing Souls – Things and Time; Very Best of the Wailing Souls (Greensleeves) ‘77
Blood Sisters – Ring My Bell; Hustle! (Soul Jazz) ’79 Anita Ward disco cover
Don Carlos – Crucial Situation; Prophecy (Blue Moon) ‘84
The Gayladds & Baba Dread w/ Roots Radics – Little Candle + Candle Version; Understanding (Tamoki Wambesi) ‘80
Gideon Jah Rubbaal – Judgeman (sic) Time; Free Us Now (ACL2000) ‘77
Keith Hudson – Rasta Communication; Rasta Communication (Greensleeves) ‘78
African Head Charge – Hymn; Songs of Praise (ON U Sound) ’91 mutant dub world sounds
Afro Omega – Love Emergency; Love Emergency (Afro Omega) 2008 SLC mutant dub w/ female vox
Gregory Isaacs – Sad to Know You’re Leaving; Night Nurse (Mango) ’82 lovers rock
Linton Kwesi Johnson – Fite Dem Back; Forces of Victory (Mango) ’79 UK dub poet
Sri Lankan Dubstep
90 min. – 2 hr.
Ini Kamoze – General; Mini LP (Mango) ’84
The Archives feat. Ichelle Cole – Boof Baff; The Archives (ESL) 2012; ½ of Thievery Corp w/ female vox
Mike Brooks – Feeling of Reggae; Rum Drinker (Teams) ‘79
Matty G – Sesimilla; Bay Area Dubstep vol. 03 (Full Melt) 2011 mutant dub herbtune
Sheriff Lindo & the Hammer – Skydubbing; Ten Dubs that Shook the World (EM) ’88 Jah-stralia Dub
Destroy Babylon – Nuh Skin Up; The Shadow Army (MusicADD) 2008 Mutant dub cover of Keith Hudson; Waltham MA band
Sister Carol – Wild Thing; Something Wild Soundtrack (MCA) singjay to Troggs classic
2 hr – 2 and 1/2 hr
Winston McAnuff – Fear; Diary of the Silent Years (Makasound)
Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood (A Fistful of Peanuts); Laika Come Home (Virgin) 2002 remix set
Lily Allen – Nan You’re a Window Shopper; Alright, Still (Capitol) 2007 UK pop singer hates her grandma
Mighty Diamonds – Cat O’ Nine; Ice on Fire (Virgin Front Line) ’77 Allen Toussaint prod’n
Bad Brains – To the Heavens; God of Love (Maverick) ’95 Punk Reggae
Jacob Miller & Fatman Riddim Section – Healing of the Naiton + Joshua “A” Loaf; Jacob Miller Meets the Fatman Riddim Section (Crocodisc) ’78 herbtune: Rev. 22:2 – And the leaves of the tree are the healing of the nations (2 and ½ hr.)
8 down, 42 to go!
2 and 1/2 – 3 hr.
Hollie Cook – 99; Twice (Mr. Bongo) 2014 dawta of a Sex Pistol
Kid Loco – Here Comes the Munchies; Kill Your Darlings (Bellville) 2001 downtro herbtune
Misty in Roots – Wondering Wanderer; Chronicles (Kaz) ’81 Best of UK group
Samia Farah – Homesick Blues; Many Moods of Samia Farah (SAM) 2008 Fr.-Tunisian female singer
Lee “Scratch” Perry & George Faith – I Got the Groove; From the Secret Laboratory (Mango) ’90 update
The Pioneers – Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye); Give and Take (Trojan) Steam soul cover
Nora Dean – Barbwire; Monkey Business (Trojan) ‘69
Inversion galore. Chunky air inna Salt Lake Gritty
<Smile Jamaica likes his air like his peanut butter: smooth nah chunky>
Greetings,
I think that rodent in Pennsylvania is road kill. Because ever since Ground Hog day happened, the weather has been much better in the Salt Lake Valley.
Praise Jah, I don’t have respiratory issues. But where I work has been devastated this winter. I have had meetings cancelled because colleagues and/or their kids were sick.
I live in the valley and work at the Univ. of Utah up on the hill. Looking down from on high you really see that awful smog that even has me hacking and wheezing.
So last Saturday it was great to bust out of the house around 10am and see something I hadn’t seen in a month: blue skies and clouds. The weather has been almost delightful since.
So let’s enjoy a mild Jah-bruary with Roots Reggae. Fiyah bun the Inversion Galore!
bless, robt
Set 1:
Frankie Paul – Strictly Reggae Music; Strictly Reggae Music (Londisc) ’84 JA vinyl
Black Roots – Opportunity; In Session (Makasoud) ‘83
Etana – Stepping Out of Babylon; I Rise (VP) 2014 female cover of Marcia Griffiths
Trinity – I Have a Dream; Big Big Man (Esoldun) ’84 over Delroy Wilson
Rico & the Special A.K.A. – Jungle Beat; Checkered Past (Chrysalis) ’81 UK 2 Tone ska w/ Jamaican trombone
Danny Red – A Little More High Grade (Sip a Cup) 2008 UK mutant dub 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
Natural Roots – Concrete Tower Dub; Natural Roots (Only Roots) ’84 Fr. vinyl, Dub Album of the Hour
Original trombonist with 2 Tone 2nd wave ska
Set 2:
Peter Tosh & the Wailers – Lion; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ‘71
Inner Circle – Mary, Mary; Best of (Island) ’79 herb tune
Nitty Gritty – Hog in a Me Minty; Dancehall (Metro)
It was Spring of 1984 in Bozeman, Montana. After a brutal winter, students at Montana State University thaw out thanks to warm air from Chinook wins.
The local record store, Cactus, was two blocks from my apartment. I walked in and right on the front display was the gatefold vinyl of Bob Marley’s Legend.
I picked it up sight unseen.
I took it to the counter and paid for it immediately. I wish I could say that was the catalyst moment that led to being a Reggae Deejay — I love all kinds of music in the mid 80s: The Clash, Neil Young and 60’s Rolling Stones especially.
It took 2 years for me to have the Hallelu-JAH moment with Black Uhuru’s Anthem….
So we celebrate Bob Marley’s Birthday with Tributes. I wanted to do Bob Marley A (Ambush) to Z (Zion Train. But the Digital Millennium Copyright Act won’t let me…
<How the Digital Millennium Copy-WRONG Act screws over Bob Marley; 22 sec.>
Bobstock on Smile Jamaica!
Enjoy the Marley family and Bob’s bredrins and sistrens in celebrating his legacy as the King of Reggae!
bless, robt
Giorgio loves Bob Marley
Smile Jamaica’s Tribute to Robert Nesta Marley: Jah-bruary 4, 2017; 39 sec.
Set 1:
Jah Thomas – Happy Birthday to You; 12” (Midnight Rock) ’81 – 3 Hour Bob Marley Birthday Tribute
Bunny Wailer – Stay With the Reggae; Marketplace (Shanachie) ‘85
Culture – Double Tribute to the O.M.; Lion Rock (Heartbeat) ’82 – Order of Merit – Jamaican civilian honor; 14 sec.
Bob Marley & the Wailers – African Herbsman; African Herbsman (Trojan) ’73 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
Jan. 20th, 2017 — day Trump was installed — UFO sighting from NASA’s video feed. None dare call it swamp gas! NASA panicked and cut the video feed. Do not scoff!
Greetings,
First week of President Trump. Baaah, don’t want to talk about it. 2016 Presidential Election: Ebola vs. Bubonic Plague. Gonna be a brutal four years. At least we have Reggae Music to remind us. Bobbylon Chants down Babylon!
Jamaican saying: Same thing for breakfast, same thing for tea:
Keith Poppin
What I find interesting? As a conspiracist, Trump’s election signaled the collapse of the Deep State: Neoliberal politics, irregardless of Political Party, enforced through Neocon Foreign Policy.
Bush gave us Afghanistan and Iraq 2.0. Obama wrecked Libya, Syria, Iraq 3.0, Yemen and Ukraine on his watch. How a Nobel Peace Prize winner got Cold War 2.0 off the ground with Russia is quite the feat of Deep State gymnastics!
Our first black President droned so many brown Middle Easterners that he literally ran out of bombs his last year in office! WTF?
In 2008 I compared this guy to Bob Marley. But that was five wars ago
Joe Sixpack and Sally Housecoat basically went outside the duopoly of Republicrats vs. Democans. Shockwaves throughout the MIC/SIC and bankster class.
So if that rigid system is in tatters, there is no clandestine force to keep us in the dark about Extraterrestrials.
First we had the incredible footage captured by the Chilean Navy: 9 plus minutes of Infrared camera action on a UFO. No effing swamp gas, or ball lightning or bumbaclaat weather balloons.
Just while we were processing that compelling visitation (other than Huff Post, mostly a news embargo on the story), now NASA captured video footage of another UFO “probe” (pun intended). 21 sec.
I call bullshit, NASA! Quit peddling fake news that Aliens aren’t real
What does any of this have to do with last week’s Ark-Ive of Smile Jamaica.Absolutely nothing!
But I am hoping for more encounters as the shit-stem (as Peter Tosh says) continues to crumble. UFO sightings will lead to a full on Columbus style emergence to fill the political gap Trump’s howling Presidency has brought about.
Let us hope the Anunnaki (those who came from the sky) treat us better than Columbus did the Native Arawak and Caribs and Africans enslaved in the Middle Passage.
Not that we would deserve their mercy.
Forward ever backwards never!
bless, robt
The Alien Greys give the Judas Kiss to banning immigrants, from the Middle East or Outer Space
I knew it was gonna be trouble. Last Saturday we got 6 inches in the Salt Lake Valley. My garage is in the alley way. Dangerous for getting high centered and sliding into power poles.
So I waited for a lull in the storm and moved my car to the front street. My street was unploughed and there was snow accumulated over the curb.
Loaded up my stacks of wax and suitcase of disks. And headed for KRCL.….
Goosed my All Wheel Drive Subaru to plow through virgin snow. Best intentions….. 4 wheels on top of snowpack just skidded me to the curb and I was wedged in a snow drift and dead in the water.
Two hour wait for AAA. First show I had been a no show for in 27+ years.
So after I got towed out and back into my garage, I hunkered down in my Secret Dubratory and pulled together 3 hours of Digital Dubplate sound.
Snowmageddon Stylee!
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica Digital Dubplate – Jah-nuary 27, 2017 Playlist
0-30 min.:
Black Uhuru – World is Africa; Sinsemilla (Mango) ‘80
Keith Hudson – I Shall Be Released; Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood (Atra) ’74 Bob Dylan cover
The Rolling Stones – Cherry Oh Baby; Black and Blue (Rolling Stones) ’76 Eric Donaldson cover
Trinity – Put it On; Burning (Rhino UK)
J. Geils Band – Give It To Me; Bloodshot (Atlantic) ‘73
Smile Jamaica is hosted by Robert Nelson on 90.9 FM KRCL in Salt Lake City, Utah (Saturdays, 4-7 p.m. MT). Ark-ives available weekly here at the Smile Jamaica blog.
Smile Jamaica 