I mentioned on this blog that 2019 was the year my Dad’s health went sideways. Other than a bad back, he’s like the Montana version of Clint Eastwood. A rare brain condition damn near sent him to Jah’s Heavenly Choir.
Long story short: Jan.-June was a distracting nightmare of back and forth with my Mom reporting grim news and discouraging progress. Calls and texts to my brother and sister who all feel helpless hundreds of miles away.
Here is what Papa Bob had to recover from in 2019:
NPH – Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus – spinal fluid build up on the brain which leads to dementia, incontinence and “gait deviations” — inability to walk
My Pops has spent more nights in either a hospital bed or “rehabilitation clinic” (aka nursing home) than he spent at his Snowbird spot in Sun City West, AZ. Retire and then get seriously ill. Life is not fair.
Long story short: The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix “fixes” NPH by installing a shunt in your skull. It’s like the condensation hose on your AC unit. Excess fluid drains away and is absorbed, harmlessly, into the abdomen.
A medical equivalent of this installed in my Dad’s skull to treat NPH
I was there in Arizona when he turned a corner and now is walking with a cane, where he was formerly wheelchair bound.
Mayo Clinic. Wow, awesome. Thank you! Dr. Bendok; Dr. Krishna. All killer, no filler!
****
So I have been basically “clenched” for seven months. It affects everything and I was keeping all days free in case I had to make an emergency trip to Phoenix. So once Dr. Krishna told my Dad “the pendulum is swinging in the right direction”, it was like Pops had permission to return to the way things were.
One day he said, “Hey go get my book.” He reads these detective novels one after another. Went back to reading the local paper. We watched the Chernobyl Mini Series on HBO together and he was totally engaged. Phew!
I was encouraged enough to think I could engage in a little self indulgence. No more Family With Medical Leave Act for I ‘n’ I.
Now, I want to go on vacation: cratedig, road trip, herbal excursion, concert. While everyone else was dealing with the chaos of the first week of school I was on my way to Denver for a comedy concert.
Jimmy Dore – best political comedian since George Carlin
My Version Excursion Itinerary:
I 70 to Green River for lunch at the Tamarisk Cafe’ my bredrin Aqua Boy recommended.
Stop in Palisade, CO at a dispensary. My weed concierge seemed a little grumpy. Hey fella, you could be slopping Slurpees at the Sev. Answering all my questions on my Seven Leaf purchases should be like a wine vendor sampling his wares. Come on man, you see Utah on the Driver’s License. It’s like having to talk to a toddler. But I don’t care — I’m on vacation. Just gimme my stash and choke on my cash!
Drove through the most beautiful stretch of country I have ever been on: Grand Junction to I 25 approach to Denver. Had it all: fruit stands, wineries, rivers, dams, mountain passes, tunnels, ski resorts, Amtrak. Treacherous driving even in the Summer at nearly 11,000 feet. Wow!
Idaho Springs, Colorado
Check into my hotel in Denver. Hit the liquor store. Stealth vape in my room while I plot my book and record store mapping, neighborhood by neighborhood. Successful cratedig: picked up around $200 of fresh Reggae vinyl
Twist & Shout Record Store: spent about 4 hours hearing combing the racks. Vinyl is Vital
Had Dinner a couple nights with my friends who flew in to see comedian Jimmy Dore and because I hate flying, I had my car.
Listened to KGNU Boulder’s “Reggae Bloodlines” show on Sat. 1-4pm. Having a session and a cocktail just like millions of you all do every Saturday during Smile Jamaica. Reggae Bloodlines sounded like Smile Jamaica with more Rebelution type reggae than Mutant Dub I ‘n’ I play, but straight up killer roots!
Sat. 4:20 vape like a viper before the show
Call Uber
Standing online with about 75 fellow Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders fanatics wearing my brand new Ilhan Omar T shirt which got many thumbs up from the Progressive audience in attendance
A round of cocktails with my friends to combat cotton mouth and settle in for nearly 2 hours of gallows humor with comedian Jimmy Dore surrounded by fellow travellers on the Far Left political spectrum. Single payer or death!
Sunday morning sunrise return trip via I 80. Thermos full of bad coffee grinding out flat and bland prairie. Cruise control at 73 MPH churning up the mile markers as my Pops loves to say, “feeling like a whore in church”, watching for Johnny Law on the 525 mile stretch back to SLC.
Gassed up in Rock Springs and called my Mom and that is how I found out my Dad doesn’t need a cane around the house. Praise Anu!
So yeah, good week after a brutal year. Selah!
bless, Bobbylon
One Love to the Green Solution for their great service and love of my Giorgio Aliens Tee
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-gust 17, 2019 Annotated Playlist; 43 sec.
Set 1:
Earl Zero – Only Jah; Only Jah Can Ease the Pressure (Freedom Sounds) ’79 JA vinyl
The Supersonics – Treasure Isle Dub vol. 2 (Treasure Isle) JA vinyl dub set of the hour
KRCL is a community radio station which means it doesn’t sell advertising but raises funds to operate via a radiothon. We take 2 shows in the Spring and Fall to replenish the coffers.
That means that I have to fund raise for donations after every song. So I put up these Digital Dubplates in lieu of 3 hours of begging for kasheesh.
Last week it was all Roots Reggae. This week the genre I “invented”: Mutant Dub. Contemporary electronic sounds with Jamaican drum & bass and echo.
At max volume it will clean the cobwebs from your speakers!
bless, Bobbylon
0-30 min.
2 Bad Card – Pabloesque; Hustling Ability (ON U Sound) ’95
Afro Omega – Whatcha Need + dub; Pick Up the Pieces (Afro Omega) 2007 SLC w/ female vox
Brooklyn Funk Essentials feat. Everton DaSilva – I Got Cash; Make Them Like It (Shanachie) 2000
<Smile Jamaica: Ancient Astronaut Theory HQ; 21 sec.>
UFO by Tena Stelin (lyrics transcribed by Bobbylon)
Everywhere I stare, everywhere I go
Almost everyone is talking about UFOs
More and more each day I hear the people them say
Men and men are talking about UFOs
Aliens are coming
They say the time is now dawning
Sometimes if I wonder if the aliens are here already
Astronomers are debating
And their religions are arising
Jah what is to be if it is the will of He
Everywhere I stare, everywhere I go
Almost everyone is talking about UFOs
More and More each day I hear the people them say
Men and men are talking about UFOs
Elijah went up into a Chariot of Fire
Dragon objects were recorded in ancient America, Australia and Asia
So many paintings and drawings were found in many caves and mountains
Could this be the evidence that Spacemen came?
Everywhere I stare, Everywhere I go
Almost everyone is talking about UFOs
More and more each day I hear the people them say
Men and men are talking about UFOs
Greetings,
Ancient Astronaut Theory is: Were they Sky Gods or Ancient Astronauts?
The modern phenomena of UFOria: Euphoria + UFO started on July 2, 1947 with a crashed space ship on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico.
Scoffers and the Deep State would call this a “weather balloon”
Why Smile Jamaica?
2 reasons
My brother in law told this story about coffins and Roswell
Happy #Roswell#UFO Anniversary. July 2, 1947, a UFO crashed down. My bro in law had a sales territory in Roswell. Locals said the undertaker was told to bring 3 child size coffins to the air base. Who u believe? My 3rd hand info or the Government? Weather ballon my ass! #laienspic.twitter.com/MWZY3V6FTB
2. After I retired from doing Radioactive interviews on KRCL, I needed a new time suck away from Progressive politics.
That led to my 10 year bromance with this guy and Ancient Aliens TV show on the History Channel.
Giorgio Tsoulakos. Head of Trump’s Space Force
As an Assyrian-American, I knew full well who Marduk, Ishtar and Anu were. In my benighted state, I just thought they were mythic gods of Assyria, Babylon and Sumer (Shinar in the Bible).
Oh, but no! They were Sky Gods and Space Travellers who invented mankind to mine gold, sleep with Earth women and then tried to get rid of us noisy humans, their creation, with a massive flood.
Ancient Astronaut Theory about these Sky Gods aka Anunnaki – Those whom came from the sky. All those stories of the Bible and quite a bit of Greek mythology derived from each Anunna (Anunna singular; Anunnaki plural).
Ishtar/Inanna – Goddess or Ancient Astronaut/Geneticist
Jacob’s Ladder, Ezekiel’s Wheel, Enoch’s disappearance, Stairway to Heaven, Burning Bush, Noah’s Ark, Elijah and his Chariots of Fire – all UFOs. Add in the Arabian 1001 Nights Tales of Magic Carpets and the Hindu Vimana fighting space ships.
Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of smoke, not salt. From a nuclear attack on the Sinai when the Anunakki unleashed a hellish civil war that destroyed Sumer/Shinar in a “bitter wind”.
Back to UFOria…..
So I start to do what I always do: comb through the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives looking for Reggae and other songs devoted to UFOs.
And last year, near the Roswell crash anniversary in early July, I lead off with the theme from 2001 Space Odyssey, the Kubrick film, and juggled about 40 Space Oddities. Most Reggae/Dubbish. Some not. Today as well.
Joe Cocker, Nina Hagen, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Elton John and the bad ass Vulcan, Leonard Nimoy
Mr. Spock always had a good ear for the drum & bass
Last year, my bredrin Mike was in a coffee shop. He over heard the baristas talking: “I don’t know what Robert was doing on Smile Jamaica. It was more about UFOs than Reggae.”
Is that good? Is that bad? Yes!
Either way, it makes you think about radio. You don’t get stories from Pandora or Itunes.
And that is why I do it for 30 years. To make you think even if it is out there on the perimeter where are there are no stars. And we is Stoned Immaculate……
<What Aliens are “probing” for…>
bless, Bobbylon
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-ly 7, 2018: UFOria; 1 min. 51 sec.
Set 1:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Also Sprach Zarathustra; 2001: A Space Odyssey Soundtrack (CBS) ’68
Tena Stelin & Jah Warrior – UFO + Unidentified Flying Dub; Lion Symbol (Jah Warrior) ‘99
Michael Franti & Spearhead feat. K’naan – Earth From Outer Space; All People (Boo Boo Wax) 2013
Lee “Scratch” Perry – African Hitchhiker; From the Secret Laboratory (Island) ’90 Alien from outer space living in your brief case
Laurel Aitken – Apollo 12; Legendary Godfather of Ska (Grover) ‘69 2nd Moon landing
Nicky Thomas – Doing the Moonwalk; Love of the Common People (Trojan) ‘71
Bam Bam – Star Wars; Power of a Woman (Bam BamInternational) ’87 LA vinyl; female singer
Run for your life Reagan’s/Ray Guns gonna get you!
Set 2:
Jimi Hendrix Experience – EXP; Axis Bold as Love (Polydor) ’67
Anjali – Space Lust in the Space Dust; Anjali 2000
Space Monkeyz vs. Gorillaz – Star Shine; Laika Come Home (Virgin) 2002
Audio Active – Return of the Space Ape; Apollo Choco (ON U Sound) ’97 Jah-pon; song about Albert, the first monkey in space
Have time for one quick update. My Pops’ 76th birthday was last Saturday. They are Snowbirds from North Central Montana living in the land of the Sun. Sun City West AZ that is.
Where next to the doggy hotel is a Medical Marijuana Dispensary. I helped my Dad go through the process of getting his medical card.
And for his birthday, as a good son interested in the health of aging parents, I sent him $50 to stock up on the Seven Leaf Relief.
Got Mom convinced to go 3/1 CBD to THC up to half and half. Stay tuned!
Free joint on his birthday? How come the Utah Liquor store doesn’t give me a mini bottle of bourbon on MY birthday
bless, Bobbylon
<Happy birthday Pops! 25 sec.>
Dad’s bounty for his pain. Notice free joint for his birthday
Smile Jamaica loves Halloween. Or Jah-loween as I call it. Plenty of Reggae songs dealing with the Undead. Tapping into the superstitious nature of many Reggae artists. I harvest about 2 cd suitcases, 1 bag of 7″ 45s and a crate full of vinyl devoted to….
Satan, Vampires, Ghosts & Duppies, Frankenstein, Zombies and other evil forces and black magicians..
In between, I stitched in a whole heap of Halloween movies trailers: Wolfman, Frankenstein and Young Franenstein, Nosferatu and many more.
So in the words of Lee “Scratch” Perry: Pick up your cross and follow me!
curse, Bobbylon
0-30 min.
Ini Kamoze – Hole in the Pumpkin; Shocking Out (Greensleeves) ’87
Yabby You – Anti-Christ; One Love One Heart (Shanachie) ‘75
Scientist – The Curse of the Mummy; Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires (Greensleeves) ‘81
Yellowman – Me Kill Barnie; Them a Mad Over Me (Hitbound) ’82 – soap opera Vampire Barnabas Collins
Future Pigeon – The Mummy; Echodelic Sounds of Future Pigeon (Record Collection) 2006 LA
Niney the Observer – The Ghost & the Duppy; Freaks (Heartbeat) ‘96
30-60 min.
Prince Alla – Evil Forces; Sweet Sensation (Corner Stone) ‘84
The Reddies – Voodoo Woman; Cultivation (Thereddies.com) 2009 Jah-stin Texas
Max Romeo – I Chase the Devil; War in a Babylon (Mango) ‘76
Ghetto Priest – Dungeon; Vulture Culture (ON U Sound) 2003 UK cover of Singers & Players original
Laurel Aitken – Witchdoctor From Fr. EP Amsterdam; Eskapade En France (Unicorn) ’90
60-90 min
Benjamin Zephaniah – Blood Sucker; Belly of the Beast (Ariwa) ’96 UK dub poet
Milton Henry – Them a Devil; Who Do You Think I Am (Wackie’s) ‘85
Black Uhuru – Black Uhuru Anthem; Anthem (Mango) ’83 – hard not to be a dread in this Dawn of the Living Dead
Roots Nation – Dungeon; Temperature’s Risin’ (Rare Roots) 2011 Dover, NH covers Willi Williams herb tune arrest
Lucky Dube – Dracula; Prisoner (Shanachie) ’90 South African
90 min. – 2 hr.
Peter Tosh – Mark of the Beast; 7” (Intel Diplo) ’73
Larry Marshall – Duppyman Skank; 7” (Moodisc) ’96;to all the fallen Jamaican singers (Duppy = ghost)
Nerious Joseph – Ole Vampire; 7” (Rad’s) UK
The Toyes – Monster Hash; The Toyes (CD Tunes) ’96 herbal update of Boris Pickett song
David Lindley & El Rayo-X – Werewolves of London; Very Greasy (Elektra) ’88 Warren Zevon cover (2 hr.)
2 – 2 and 1/2 hr.
Hooters – All You Zombies; All You Zombies (CBS) ’85 Rockers do Reggae
Dennis Brown – Black Magic Woman; Black Magic Woman (Trojan) ’72 Fleetwood Mac/Sanatana cover
Lone Ranger – Frankenstein; Barnabas in Collins Wood (Wave) ’79 JA vinyl
Clint Eastwood & General Saint – Talk About Run; 12” (Greensleeves) ’81 making out in the graveyard
Easy Star All Stars feat. Mikey General & Spragga Benz – Thriller; Thrillah (Easy Star) 2012 Michael Jackson cover
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
Took last Saturday off on a cratedigging assignment. In order to keep fresh roots on my Mixcloud stream, I cooked up 3 hours of Mutant Dubwize in my Secret Dubratory.
I call these off-air Ark-I(ves: Digital Dubplates since they are online only.
Bass in yer Facd!
bless, robt
Bass the Final Frontier on the Starship Dubwise
Digital Dubplate – Mutant Dub Mashdown (June 2016) Playlist:
0-30 hr.
Alpha & Omega – King and Queen; King and Queen (A & O) ’89 UK trance dub w/ female vox: 3 Hours of Mutant Dub
Thievery Corporation – Sound the Alarm; It Takes a Thief (ESL) 2010 Best Of: DC dubbers
The Gorillaz – Ghost Train; G-Sides (EMI) 2002
Future Pigeon – Yuppy Conqueror; Echodelic Sounds of Future Pigeon (Record Collect) 2006 So Cal
Samia Farah – Le Monde; Many Moods of Samia Farah (SAM) 2008 Tunisian-French singer
Full Moon Scientist – Lunar Base Dub; Planet Dub (Ultimate) ’96 UFO-ria
French singer SoKo and her boy-alien as opposed to boy-friend
90 min. – 2 hr.
Ari Up – Kill ‘em With Love; Dread More Dan Dead (Collision) female punk dubber of Slits, New Age Steppers
African Head Charge – Touch I; In Charge – Live in Japan (Beat) 2005
Anju Kumbz – Stand Up On Your Feet; Binghi Riddim (M) 2008 Neth.
Martin Campbell – No Farmer; Historical Tracks (Channel One UK) 2010 best of
Zion Train feat. Molara – Freedom; Love Revolutionaries (Universal Egg) ’99 UK trance dub w/ female vox
Singers & Players – Thing Called Love (Don’t Fight); Revenge of the Underdog (ON U Sound)
Clive Hunt & the Dub Dancers – Marley Dub; Clive Hunt & the Dub Dancers (Makasound) 2008 Fr. Bob cover
RIP Ari Up – Slit, New Age Stepper. Step-daughter of Johnny Rotten
2 hr. – 2 and 1/2 hr.
Creation Rebel – Chatti Chatti Mouth/Threat to Creation; Psychotic Jonkanoo (Statik) ’81 UK: Adrian Sherwood prod’n
Soho – Shake Your Thing; Goddess (Atco) ’90 UK dubbers w/ female vox
Audio Active – Return of the Space Ape; Apollo Choco (ON U Sound) ’97 Jah-pon; UFO-ria
Bomb the Bass w/ Spikey Lee – Darkheart (7” Edit); clear (Quango) ’95 UK
Congo Ashanti Roy & Singers & Players – African Blood; Disco Plates Collection Part I (ON U Sound) ’81 UK
Akabu – Fate of the World; Warrior Queen (ON U Sound) ’95 UK female group
Adrian Sherwood’s collector vinyl. Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives
2 and 1/2 – 3 hr.:
Black Star Liner – Bonus Track; Yemen Cutta Connection (Echo Beach) ’96 UK/Hindi group
Survival Soundz – Dub Is Dub; Land of Baboon (Baraka Foundation) ’96 Brooklyn
Dub Syndicate – Herbal Roots; Acres of Space (Lion & Roots) 2001 UK
Kanka feat. Moyenei – Ya Estas Aqui; Sub.mersion (Hammerbass) 2009 Fr. w/ female vox
Kode9 – Magnetic City; Box of Dub (Soul Jazz) 2007 UK dubstep
Dubmatix feat. Ammoye – Lock Down; Clash of the Titans (Collision) 2011 Can. w/ female vox
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 