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Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-gust 26, 2017 (Stream + Tracklist) – Is Smile Jamaica musical torture?

September 1, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Greetings,

About a month ago I was at breakfast with my best friend Nardo-jan. After six cups of coffee I was ready to head back to Mission Control for more work in my new Ark-ive. Saturday routine before Smile Jamaica.

Turned over the car battery on my Soob. Whrr, whrr, whrr. Click, click, click. Finally started but I figured my battery was a goner.

My buddy took me to his mechanic and they jumped the queue to get my battery installed.

I asked the girl working the counter if I could have my car back by 3pm. That is my drop dead time for Sugarhouse to KRCL by the SLC airport. I told her I was on the radio and needed to make sure I had time.

She asked me what station I was on. KRCL I said. I do Smile Jamaica. “Oh, that’s you? We listen in the shop and will have it on latter today.”

There was a youth also waiting to pay for his car. He chimed in. “My Uncle makes me listen to that show.” Not a big fan I take it? “Nah. I like country and classic rock.” He gave me the baleful look of someone who was not impressed.

So, I guess not everyone thinks Smile Jamaica is “all killer, no filler.” Torture!

So I livicated a song to this youth “forced” to listen to Smile Jamaica: Toots Hibbert’s Beautiful Woman. Country & Western.

bless, Bobbylon

<Toots country; 95 sec.>

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Annotated Playlist for Jah-gust 26, 2017;90 sec.

Set 1:

Sinead O’Connor – Glory of Jah; Theology (2 CD) (That’s Why There’s Chocolate & Vanilla) – live acoustic at the Sugar Club, DUBlin, Ir(ie)land; Nov. 2006

<Sinead O’Connor – beautiful Reggae ballad; 31 sec.>

Prince Jammy – Conspiracy on Neptune; Prince Jammy Destroys the Invaders (Greensleeves) ’82 UK Vinyl Dub Album of the Hour
Eclipse – Eclipse; Corrupted Society (British Reggae Archive) ’78 UK

<Eclipse rewind; 38 sec.>

Trevor Hartley – Love You More; Hartical (Jove) ’94 UK Lovers rock
Thievery Corporation feat. Mr. Lif – Ghetto Matrix; Temple of I & I (ESL) 2017 dub-hop
Rita Marley – One Draw; 12” (Shanachie) ’81 picture sleeve: 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

<One Draw – Smile Jamaica rmx; 3 min. 52 sec.>

Set 2:

Peter Tosh – Mystic Man; Live Cuts (Columbia/Legacy) 1982 Calgary, Jah-berta Canada
Aswad – Chasin’ for the Breeze; Rebel Souls (Mango) ’84 UK
Gideon Jah Rubbaal – Love Rasta; Free Us Now(ACL) ‘77
Abassi All-Stars feat. Minoo – December; No Answer 10″ EP (Universal Egg) 2008 UK mutant dubstress

Gideon Jah Rubbaal – most underrated singer in Reggae

Set 3:

Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers – Say People; Hey World! (EMI America) ‘86
Desmond Dekker – Reggae Recipe; Israelites (Trojan) best of
Carlton Livingston – Please Mr. DJ; Retrospect (Grapevine) ’84 Best
Love Joys – One Draw; Lovers Rock Showcase (Wackie’s) ’83 female duo covers Rita Marley
King Tubby – Many Moods of the King of Dub; I Am the King vol. 3 (Sprint) Dub Album of the Hour

Set 4:

Bunny Wailer – Roots Radics; In I Father’s House (Solomonic) ’80 JA vinyl
Barry Brown – Party Night; Reggae Heights (Mafia & Fluxy) 2001 modern update
Sugar Minott – Ghetto-ology; Ghetto-ology (Easy Star) ‘79 to Sam Cooke’s What a Wonderful World

<a PhD. in Ghetto-ology; 12 sec.>

Naffi I – Stand Up; 10” (Roots Injection) 2007 UK female dubstress

“Don’t know much about history but I got a PhD. in ghetto-ology”

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

Black Uhuru – Party Next Door; 12” EP (4^th & Broadway) ’83 picture sleeve; E.T. Thorngren rmx
Sister Candy – Nation Connection; Laserbeam (Enterprise) ’83 Brooklyn
Dillinger – Sammy Jeggae; Blackboard Jungle (Culture Press) ’84 UK dj to Johnny Clarke’s cover of Bob Marley’s Crazy Baldhead
Louie Rankin, Brimstone & Fire & Bobby Culture – Big Big Bust; Tidal Wave (Unicorn) ’83 Santa Monica, CA – herbtune
Phillip Parkinson – Control Them; Age of Reggae (Twinkle) ‘84 UK

Set 6: Best of Smile Jamaica – 27+ Years

Toots & the Maytals – Beautiful Woman; Knock Out! (Mango) ’81
Johnny Clarke – Cold I Up; Don’t Trouble Trouble (Attack) ‘75
Cocoa Tea – Rocking Dolly; Rocking Dolly (RAS) ’82 dances in JA
Akabu – Fate of the World; Warrior Queen (ON U Sound) ’95 UK dubstresses
Bill Laswell rmx Sly & the Revolutionaries – Cocaine; Dub Massive Chapter One (Trojan) 2005 Dub Album of the Hour

Set 7:

Bob Marley & the Wailers – The Heathen; Exodus 40 (Tuff Gong) ’77 original + Ziggy’s new rmx

<Bob’s Exodus – personal and universal; 84 sec.>

<Heathen backweh pon the wall = heaving pate’ on the wall; 37 sec.>

<The Heathen – ’77 original vs. Exodus 40 Ziggy’s rmx; 42 sec.>

Aisha – Raise Your Voice; 12” (Twinkle) ’95 UK

The Heaten – “heaving pate’ on the wall!”

Set 8: UFOria; 8 sec.

Nicky Thomas – Doing the Moonwalk; Doing the Moonwalk (Trojan) ’72 – UFOria set
Lone Ranger – UFO; Barnabas in Collins Wood (Wave) ’79 JA vinyl
The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds (Heavyweight Dub mix); CD Single (Island) ’91 UK
Tena Stelin – UFO; Lion Symbol (Jah Warrior) ’99 UK
Little Boots – Satellite; Nocturnes (On Repeat) 2013 UK electronica w/ female vox

<From my Twitter feed: Is Nancy Pelosi an Alien? 1 min.>

Words of Wisdom:

Smile Jamaica: Digital Dubplate – Mutant Dub Endless Summer!

August 25, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Greetings,

I am going through a home remodel. Pretty much since the beginning of March, my whole house has been chaotic as the contractor built me a real Ark-Ive. No more having to search through dozens of book boxes looking for that Mutant Dub herbtune recorded by a female singer.

I was handling the topsy turvy nature of workmen, dealing with the contractor, weather delays, etc. 4 months of inconvenience for a lifetime of organization.

The room looks great. New roof, siding? Awesome.

Time to unpack and fill the shelves in the brand new, good for you, Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive

Until the garage….the charlatans who sold me my house in 1995 scammed me. Rotted wood of the detached garage on my alley way. Put on dirt, not concrete footings. Filled the walls with cardboard filler and some sort of cotton candy junk. I can’t believe the whole thing never collapsed after 20 years of snow storms on that roof.

So they had to demolish it rather than repair it. $13k later. Parking my car on the street in the Sugarhood. It seems like it’s taking forever.

Has looked like this for 2 weeks. I think they did roofing and siding on my house in about the same time it is taking them to work on the garage. Grrr. Home remodels

Long story short. I had a home emergency right as I was leaving for last week’s Smile Jamaica. I told them I had no choice. I would have to get the show started, try to call a substitute and then rush home.

So I did just that. Got home about 5:30 for a five minute consult. Enjoy this Mutant Dub showcase cooked up in my Secret Dubratory to make amends for cutting and running last Saturday over the Airwaves.

bless, Bobbylon

Smile Jamaica’s Digital Dubplate: Mutant Dub Endless Summer of 2017

0 – 30 min.

Doctor Dread feat. Bob Dylan – I and I Dub; Theremin Dub (Tsosume) 2013
2 Bad Card feat. U Brown – Equality and Justice; Hustling Ability (ON U Sound) ’95 UK + JA DJ
Afro Omega – Don’t Stop; Love Emergency (Afro Omega) 2008 SLC lovers-dub w/ female vox
African Head Charge – Run Come See; In Charge: Live in Japan (Beat) 2005
Audio Active – Ala-Mecka-Bickally Dub; We Are Tokyo Space Cowboys (ON U Sound) 2005 Jah-pon

30-60 min.

Beat Pharmacy – Happy Daze; Earthly Delights (Deep Space) 2005 South Africa
Black Star Liner – Superfly and Bindi; Bengali Bantam Youth Experience (WEA) ’98 UK Hindi-dubbers
Alpha & Omega – The Lion’s Den; Legend of A & O (Dopic) 2005 UK trance dubbers
Ancient Astronauts feat. Phat Old Mamas – Bitter Hypnotic; Into Bass & Time (ESL) 2009 Germ. female vox
Creation Rebel and New Age Steppers – Ethos Design; Threat to Creation (Cherry Red) ’81 UK Adrian Sherwood prod’n
David Holmes – Mosh It; This Films Crap, Lets Slash the Seats (1500) ’95 jungle
Destroy Babylon – Nuh Skin Up + Shades of Hudson; Shadow Army (Music Add) 2008 Keith Hudson cover

60-90 min

Samia Farah – Sous Influence; Samia Farah (Small) ’99 Fr.-Tunisian dubstress
Bush Chemists – Respect Dubwise; Light Up Your Chalice (Duibhead) ’99 UK
Dr. Israel & Dreadtone International – Dread inna Babylon; Patterns of War (ROIR) 2005 Brooklyn
Dry & Heavy – Right Track; From Creation (Beat) 2002 Jah-pon
Dub Pistols feat. Kitten and The Hip – Bang Bang; Worshipping the Dollar (Sunday Best) 2012 UK w/ female vox
Dubchek – Lee Perry; Down Memory Gap Lane (Unitone) 2001
Dubsultan – Yalla Ya Habibi; Dub Sultan (Dub Sultan) Bozeman, MT Middle East dub 2012

Middle Eastern dub out of Bozeman, MT! My former homestead

90 min. – 2 hr.

Dub Syndicate – Dubbing is a Must; Fear of a Green Planet (Shanachie) ’98 UK
Dubbelstandart feat. Ari Up – Island Girl; Immigration Dub (Collision) 2007 Jah-stria w/ female vox
Future Pigeon – Yuppy Conqueror; Echodelic Sounds of Future Pigeon (Record Collection) 2006 LA
Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz – 19/2000 (Jungle Fresh; Laika Come Home (Virgin) 2002 UK
Hollie Cook – 99; Twice (Mr. Bongo) UK dubstress 2014 UK dawta of Sex Pistol

2 – 2 and 1/2 hr.

Blessed Is the Seed; Survival Guide For the End of Time (Champion Nation) 2002 Boulder, Collie-rado hip hop/dubbers
Kid Loco – Cocaine Diana feat.Louise Quinn; Kill Your Darlings (Division One) 2001 Fr.
Laurence Harvey – Star Child; Ancient Astronauts (Laurence Harvey)
Lee “Scratch” Perry feat. ; From the Secet Laboratory (Mango) ’90 A. Pablo cover
Manasseh Meets the Equalizer – Surface Tension; Dub the Millennium (Acid Jazz) ’94 UK
Massive Attack – Hymn of the Big Wheel; Blue Lines (Virgin) ’91 UK feat. Horace Andy on vox

2 & 1/2 – 3 hr.

Morcheeba – Moog Island; Who Can You Trust? (Indochina) ’96 UK w/ female vox
Nightmares on Wax – 195lbs.; Thought So (Warp) 2008 UK
Ras Command – Kali Dub; In Dub (Red Arrow) ’95 Germ.
Natacha Atlas – Duden (Spooky Mix); Remix Collection (Mantra) ’99 Fr./Arab/Jewish Middle East dubmix
Thievery Corporation – Exilio; Babylon Rewound (ESL) 2005 DC rmx

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-ly 29, 2017 (Stream + Tracklist): You’ve got Jazz Vinyl inna mi Roots Reggae!

August 4, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Herbie Mann – what’s this guy doing on Smile Jamaica?

Greetings,

Doing Reggae Radio for three decades, you do what you can to mix it up and stay out of ruts.

About six weeks ago, a listener Stephen – hit me up on Twitter asking me if I had heard of an obscure Reggae album by a traditional jazz flute player, Herbie Mann.

Indeed I had. My sister lives in Albuquerque. So we meet there for Christmas now, instead of me having to make a 600 mile drive through the frozen North to get to Montana.

Whenever I go anywhere, I pick up the Yellow Pages (now have to do it from their app.) Where are the Record stores?

ABQ has a good boutique shop called Mecca. Past downtown as you get to Old Town. I chat up the owner on soul reissues and what I call Mutant Dub: Dubstep, lounge, experimental ambient.

The tiny shop crammed with disks and cds lends itself to a cozy, relaxed atmosphere. Along the lines of the movie High Fidelity

Last Christmas I walk in and he greets me. Reaches behind the counter and pulls out a record. “Now that you’re here, maybe you want this”

It was a copy of herbie Mann “Reggae’. Once I saw the vinyl sleeve and knew it was vintage and not recent, all I had to say was put in on my pile.

1974. Love that era of Reggae and Rock. Everything was real music. Not synthed overdubs.

Legit if Tommy McCook, Mick Taylor and Albert Lee are in the mix

I tend to buy in waves and so I have a queue of about 100 priorities. Vinyl gets played first.

It took me about 6 months for this to jump from the crate to the turntable. Damn good on the riddims and the flute. Nothing soft or cheesy. I don’t know a lot about jazz. But I know an encyclopedia’s worth of Reggae.

When Stephen inquired about this. I dropped the 18 minutes of Side 2 during this week’s Vinyl is Vital segment. Smokey Robinson’s My Girl.

After Tosh and before Marley, that instrumental gem fit hand in glove with the Roots.

3 decades of Smile Jamaica – It’s Reggae when I say it’s Reggae. Gonna play Ella Fitzgerald covering The Cream inna rub a dub style this Saturday!

bless, robt

Mecca Records on West Central ABQ, New Mex. Shop there. These stores are dying out and it saddens me. My lifestyle is under threat: cratedigging

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-ly 29, 2017 Annotated Playlist: 1 min. 50 sec.

Set 1:

Bunny Wailer – Rockers; In I Father’s House (Solomonic) ’80 JA vinyl
Augustus Pablo feat. The Crystalites & Big Youth; Melodica Melodies (Trojan) ’81 UK vinyl dub album of the hour
Ken Boothe – In the Summertime; Freedom Street (Beverley’s/Jet Set) ’70 – Mungo Jerry cover
Wingless Angels – Rasta Army; Wingless Angels vol. II (Mindless) ‘96 – Keith Richards, Justin Hinds nyah group; 18 sec.

The Equators – Police on My Back; Hot (Stiff) ’81 UK ska update of Eddy Grant & the Equals
Prince Alla – Sensimilla; More Love (Jah Warror) 2002
Christine Miller & Roots Hi Tek – The Light; 10” (Roots Hi Tek) 2009

Set 2:

Peter Tosh – Rastafari Is; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) Nov. 5, 1982 live the Roxy – Los Angeles
Jay Tees – Come to Me; 10″ (Music Lab) ’81 JA female duo

Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica 27+ Years

Althea & Donna – Jah Rastafari; Uptown Top Ranking (Virgin Front Line) ’78
Sylford Walker & Welton Irie – Give Thanks and Praise to Jah + Rolling Stone; Lambs Bread International (Blood & Fire) ‘79
Wailing Souls – Jah Is Watching You; On the Rocks (Greensleeves) ‘83
Benjamin Zephaniah – Rasta; Rasta (Workers Playtime) ’83 UK dub poet
E.T & Randy’s All Stars – Ordinary Version 3; Rough Guide to Dub (Rough Guide) 2005 Dub compilation of the hour

Set 4:

Mike Brooks – Rum Drinker; Classical Anthology (M-10) herbtune
Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers – 666; Hey World! (EMI America) ‘86
Christine Adelsi – Babylon Shores; 10” (King Earthquake) 2012 UK militant steppers

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

Herbie Mann – My Girl; Reggae (Atlantic) ’74 – flute player covers Motown w/ the Tommy McCook Band; Request

<New Orleans Jazz flute + Motown Reggae; 90 sec.>

<Flautist Herbie Mann, Mick Taylor -gits; Albert Lee; Tommy McCook Band: 80 sec.>

Set 6:

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Natural Mystic; Exodus (Tuff Gong) ’77 original
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Natural Mystic (Ziggy rmx); Exodus 40 (Tuff Gong) 2017 remix

<Exodus – movement of Bob’s people; 2 min. 45 sec>

<Natural Mystic: Original & Ziggy’s rmx; 40 min.>

Mikey Ras Starr – Jah Man of Calvary; Fire & Rain (Makasound) 70’s
Judy Mowatt – I Am Not Mechanical; Only a Woman (Shanachie) ‘82
Willi Williams & Brentford Rockers– Armagideon Version; Version Dread (Studio One/Tuff Gong) ’82 Studio One Dub Album of the Hour

Set 7:

Rita Marley – A Jah Jah; Who Feels It Knows It (Shanachie) ‘80
Dillinger – Crabs in My Pants; Cocaine (Charly) ’83 JA disco
Tena Stelin – Intelligent Design; 10” (Dub Corner) 2007 UK mutant dub

<Putting the “fun” in Rasta fundamentalism – Tena Stelin, conspiracy theorist/UFOlogist; 40 sec.>

Tena Stelin – Putting the “fun” in Rasta Fundamentalism, UFOlogy and conspiracy theories

Set 8:

Thievery Corporation feat. Lou Lou – Time and Space; Temple of I & I (ESL) 2017 DC dubbers w/ female vox: Mutant Dub Set
Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers – Chemical Specialist (Cherry Red/ON U Sound) ’81 dub to Jah Woosh
“Woodpecker Sound”
Jeb Loy & the Oil Wells – Things that Made the U.S.; Wild Paarty Sounds vol. 1 (Cherry Red/ON U Sound) ’81 UK
David Holmes feat. Sarah Cracknell – Gone (Kruder & Dofrmeister Session TM); This Films Crap Let’s Slash the Seats (1500) ‘98

Words of Wisdom:

Smile Jamaica Digital Dubplate (Stream + Tracklist): Best of 29 Years of Reggae Radio!

July 21, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Greetings,

July 2, 1988 was when I ‘n’ I debuted at 3AM on a hot summer night late Sunday/early Monday on radio station KRCL. The name of the show was 3 o’clock Roadblock named after the Bob Marley song.

That started a 3 decade journey of 29 years of Reggae Radio. After a year or so I moved from early morning graveyard shift to the big show: Smile Jamaica.

Saturdays 1-4 PM in 1989-1990 and then moved back to 4pm. Planted my flag and never left.

If I figure I average about 45 shows a year (with time away for cratedigging on the weekends). That amounts to 1305 + shows. Almost 4000 hours of Reggae.

I celebrated with all vinyl a couple weeks back. Took last Saturday off and cooked up a CD best of 29 years in my Secret Dubratory.

Thanks for the musical memories!

bless, robt

If I remember correctly: Black Uhuru’s What Is Life was the first song I played on Reggae Radio: 3AM July 2, 1088

0-30 min.

Naturalites – Picture on the Wall; Rub a Dubble vol. 2 (CSA) ’88 UK
Rita Marley – Beauty of God’s Plan; Who Feels It Knows It (Shanachie) ‘80
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Brainwashing; African Herbsman (Trojan) ’71 nursery rhyme
Peter Tosh – Recruiting Soldiers; Mystic Man (EMI America) ‘79
Bunny Wailer – Cool & Deadly; Marketplace (Shanachie) ‘85
Marcia Griffiths – Where Were You; Steppin’ (Shanachie) ‘79
Aswad – Bubblin; To the Top (Simba) ’86 UK
Benjamin Zephaniah – Dis Policeman Keeps on Kickin’ Me to Death; Rasta (Workers Playtime) ’83 UK dub poet

“Inna my house, there’s a picture on the wall. Rastafari sit upon his throne.”

30-60 min.

Bim Sherman – Lamb of Judah + Judah Dub; Bim Sherman Meets Horace Andy & U Black in a Rub a Dub Style (Original) ‘79
Cedella Marley Booker – He’s a Rastaman; Awake Zion (Rykodisc) ’84 Bob’s Mom tribute to Bob
Bingy Bunny & the Morwells – Bit by Bit; Kingston 12 Toughie (RAS) ‘74
Black Roots – Pin in the Ocean; All Day All Night (Nubian) ’87 UK
Black Slate – Reggae Music; Amigo (Ensign) ’80 UK
Jean Binta Breeze – Time Gawn + Arising; Tracks (LKJ) ’90 UK female dub poet
Black Uhuru – Eye Market; Chill Out (Mango) ’82

60 min – 90 min

Burning Spear – Fittest of the Fittest (Heartbeat) ’83
Capital Letters – Fire; Headline News (Greensleeves) ’79 UK youth group
Judy Mowatt – Rock Me; Love Is Overdue (Shanachie) ’86
Creation Rebel – Chatti Chatti Mouth; Psychotic Jonkanoo (Statik/ON U Sound) ’81 Mutant Dub
Cymande – Brothers on the Side; Cymane (Sequel) ’74 Cymande = dove of peace. UK crossover group
Jay Boys – African People; Babylon a Fall Down (Trojan) ’72 Paul Revere and the Raiders cover – Indian Reservation cover
Love Joys – One Draw; Lovers Rock (Wackies) ’83 female duo on Rita Marley herbtune

Cymande – Dove of Peace: UK diaspora of rock, soul, reggae, jazz

90 min. – 2 hr.

David Lindley – Quarter of a Man; El Rayo-X (Elektra)
Dennis Brown – So Jah Say; Words of Wisdom (Shanachie) ‘79
Max Romeo – Uptown Babies Don’t Cry; War ina Babylon (Mango) ‘76
Martha Velez & the Wailers – Bend Down Low (Sire) ’76 Bob Marley cover/production
Dillinger – Mickey Mouse Crab Louse; Cocaine (Charly) ’83 rude
Don Carlos – Jah Jah Hear My Plea; Prophecy (Blue Moon) ’84

Saw David Lindley at the Zephyr (SLC) Summer ’87. Bought this album the next day

2 – 2 and 1/2 hr.

Garland Jeffreys feat. Linton Kwesi Johnson & Dennis Bovell – Miami Beach; Escape Artist (Epic) ’81 single
Patti Smith – Redondo Beach; Horses (Arista) ‘75
Gideon Jah Rubbaal – Natty Dreadlocks a Superstar; Free Us Now (Jah Rubbaal) ‘77
Gregory Isaacs – Sad to Know (You’re Leaving); Night Nurse (Mango) ‘82
Hot Chocolate – Confetti Day; Every 1’s a Winner (Infinity) ’78 UK soul does reggae
Phyllis Dillon – Midnight Confession; Midnight Confession (Treasure Isle) ’68 Grass Roots cover
Ijahman Levi – Jah Heavy Load; Haile I Hymn (Mango) ’78

Got this album for Christmas 1978. Thanks Mom!

2 and 1/2 – 3 hr.

Ini Kamoze – Trouble You, Trouble Me; Mini LP (Island) ‘84
Jacob Miller – A Chapter a Day; Mixed Up Moods (Top Ranking) ‘80
Sister Carol – Wild Thing; Something Wild Soundtrack (MCA) ’86 Troggs re-work
Jah Wobble – Dreadlock Don’t Deal in Wedlock; The Legend Lives On (Virgin) ‘80
Johnny Clarke – Crazy Baldheads + Academy Award Version; Authorized Version (Virgin Front Line) ’76 Bob Marley cover
Keith Hudson – Musicology; Rasta Communication (Greensleeves) ‘79
UB40 feat. Sister V – V’s Version; Baggariddim (DEP) ’85 update of group’s Version Girl

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives (Stream + Tracklist) July 1, 2017: 29th Anniversary of Reggae Radio!

July 7, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Greetings,

Fall of 1986. Moved from Bozeman, Montana to SLC for University. Met a guy in the dorms from Baltimore with a kick ass stereo. CDs were new. I was looking for a new music form (mid 80’s synthesizers weren’t cutting it for I ‘n’ I). Dabbled in blues and world looking for a sound.

Neal my music pal, played for me a tough looking Reggae group called Black Uhuru. Anthem was the name of the album. On his massive stereo in the cinder block dorm rooms it was like an epiphany.

That’s the sound I am looking for! Went out and bought the LP the next day. (Couldn’t find the CD locally.) That lit the fuse to 29 years of Reggae Radio. 66 sec.

Wasn’t Bob, Peter, Jimmy or UB40. It was Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson

Wheel it forward to Spring of 1988. The local community radio station ran ads looking for late night volunteers. My roommate and I were in the Pie Pizzeria near the U of U campus. We had both been doing little shows running in the Student Union on something called K-UTE. My show was called Positive Vibration (after the Bob song.)

Roomie wanted to do 80’s indie. KRCL had plenty of that. But accepted me for late Sunday/early Monday – 3 o’Clock Roadblock (Also Bobness.) Six weeks of training before I debuted July 2, 1988. 84 sec.

Once I got the show, it gave me a reason to begin expanding the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. Jah forbid, I play the same album two weeks in a row. So I would take my student loan check, thanks Ronald Reagan, bank it in a savings account. And then once or twice a year, drive or fly to the Bay Area and scour the plentiful record stores.

The secret? CDs are half as wide as an LP. So you could fit twice as many, at nearly double the cost, in each rack.

As consumers started selling vinyl for seed cash for CDs, I swooped in and vacuumed up all the great Reggae for dirty cheap. I would get UK albums that sell for $100 on Ebay in 2017 for around $4. I rarely paid more than $10 for an album.

That’s how you get to this three decades later….

The permanent home of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: June 2017

<Smile Jamaica’s Cratedig itinerary: Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, El Cerrito, Mill Valley; 26 sec.>

Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Mill Valley. Village Music was worth the trip. No longer in business

So on July 1, 2017 – I celebrate 29 years of juggling black wax!

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Annotated Playlist July 1, 2017 – 29th Anniversary All Vinyl Showcase; 85 sec.

Set 1:

Zap Pow – This Is Reggae Music; Reggae Rules! (Rhino) ’80 US
Alien Dread – Firstlight; Cosmic Dub Clash (Log On) 2009 UK Dub Album of the Hour
The Meditations – There Must Be a First Time; Message From the Meditations (United Artists) ’76 US – Lee Perry prod’n
ILive – Natty Dread on the Mountain Top; Jah Guide (Out of Many, One) ’90 San Fran female singer
Crutches & D. Brown – Wackie Fence Skank; Java Java Dub (Impact!) ’72 UK studio labrish
Desi Roots – Weedfields; Weedfields (Hawkeye) ’80 UK 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

<Burning the weed fields killed the Jamaican middle class; 25 sec.>

Kojak & Liza – Black Skin; Showcase (Nigger Kojak) ’80 JA

Ronald Wilson Reagan: Funded the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives – GOOD; Insisted Jamaica burn its weed fields – BAD

Set 2:

Soul Syndicate – King’s Highway; High Times All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’85 Chicago blues label
I Roy – Commandment II; Ten Commandments (Virgin) ’80 UK yellow, picture sleeve – to Bob Marley’s Heathen
Sister Carol – Spidla-Ding; Black Cinderella (Jah Life) ’84 Brooklyn singjay
Freddie McGregor – Strange Things; Freddie McGregor (High Times) ’82 John Holt cover
Azeem & Session – Sing a Song; Dreadfly (Joe Gibbs) ’82 Miami

Set 3:

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Redemption Song; Uprising; Island Vinyl Box Set (Island) 3484 of 10,000 = 9 albums

<Amoeba Records: Berkeley, CA; 90 sec.>

Sly Dunbar feat. Althia & Donna – Dance and Shake Your Tambourine; Simply Sly Man (Virgin) ’78 UK
Chalice – Ital Love; Crossfire (CTS) ‘86 JA
The Melodians – Get Up and Dance; Irie Feeling (RAS) ’83 DC – reunion
In Crowd – Riding High; Roots, Rock, Reggae (Creole) ’78 Fr.
Bullwackie’s All Stars – Recording Connection; Black World Dub (Wackies) ’79 Dub Album of the Hour

Took me 15 years to acquire this vinyl box set. Worth the wait!

Set 4:

Inner Circle – 80,000 Careless Ethiopians; Reggae Thing (Capitol) ’76

<Ethiopian Communists overthrow Haile Selassie; 29 sec.>

Dillinger – Three Piece Suit and Thing; King Pharaoh (Blue Moon) ’84 Fr.
Eek a Mouse – Do You Remember; Skidip (Greensleeves) ’81 UK
Elaine Taylor – Have a Good Time; Age of Reggae (Twinkle) ’84 UK

Set 5:

Black Uhuru – Solidarity; 12″ EP (4th & Broadway) ’83 US – Little Steven cover

<Anthem remixes>

Horace Ferguson – Tranquilizer; Sensi Addict (Prince Jazzbo Music) ’87 JA
Purpleman – The King on His Way; Laserbeam (World Enterprize) ’83 Brooklyn
The Mellows + Gladstone Star Band; Pray to Jah + Give Thanks and Pray; Rite Sound Reggae Story (Jah Live) Fr.

Jamaican mix of the album that made I ‘n’ I a Reggae Fanatic

Set 6:

Lone Ranger – UFO; Barnabas in Collins Wood (GG) ’79 JA

<Roswell 70th Anniversary of the UFO crash>

Icarus – Talking Words; State of Mind (Russian Roulette) ’82 UK
Three Dimension – Undertaker; Roadblock (Nubian) ’89 UK
Nicodemus – Boneman Connection; Sleeping Bag’s Reggae Dancehall Classics (Sleeping Bag) ’80
Delixx – Coming in from the Cold Dub; Uprising Dub (Micron) ’80 Dub Album of the Hour: trumpet for Bob’s vox

July 8: 4-7 PM 3 hours of UFOria on Smile Jamaica

Set 7:

Azanyah – Praise; “The One” (Path of Light) ’87 Atlanta jazz/nyah hybrid
Winston Reedy – Message to Father; Dim the Light (Inner Light) ’83 UK
Sandra Cross – Children of the Night; Lovers Delight (Ariwa) 52nd Street soul cover

Set 8:

Dub Syndicate – Walking Jerusalem; Echomania (ON U Sound) ’93 UK
The Paragons – Man Next Door; Sly & Robbie: Raiders of the Lost Dub (Mango) ’81 dub set
New Age Steppers feat. Bim Sherman – Misplaced Love; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ’83 UK
Clint Eastwood – It Wasn’t Rasta; Love & Happiness (Burning Sounds) ’79 UK
Time Unlmited – African Woman; Devil’s Angel (Live Wire) ’84 JA
Exuma – Roller Reggae; Universal (Cat Island) ’82 Bahamian singer

Words of Wisdom:

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: June 24, 2017 (Stream + Tracklist): Livicated to Ronald Wilson Reagan!

Image June 30, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

President Raygun regrets funding the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives through the Student Loan Program

<Livicated to Ronald Reagan; 10 sec.>

Greetings,

The Rastas called him:

Ronald
Wilson
Reagan – 666

I pay tribute to his legacy in funding the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives through the 80’s student loan program. 30 years ago it was more Pell Grants than 9% Loans.

So I would take the check, put in a savings account and once in the summer and usually once during the Holidays, I would travel to the Bay Area and descend upon the plentiful record stores from Reno to San Jose.

So it is hard not be nostalgic after I have been moving into my 400+ square foot Ark-Ive: 31 sec.

From the Garage:

To the Ark-Ive:

Spent 2k on CD towers to empty out the cardboard boxes and onto shelving. Every Saturday before Smile Jamaica since New Year’s I have prepared for this move.

Now that I am inside the house, I have to make sensi of the entropy. A journey of a thousand miles begins with unloading a single box.

A luta continua – The struggle continues

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: June 24, 2017: Annotated Playlist: 40 sec.

Set 1:

Jimmy Riley – Summertime; 12” (DEB) ’76 Porgy & Bess cover
Hi Tech Roots Dynamics – M.S.G.; New York Dub (Channel One UK) ’96 UK Vinyl Dub Album of the Hour
Aswad – African Children (Part 2); Not Satisfied (Columbia/Legacy) ’82 UK ballad
Dennis Brown – Should I; Money in My Pocket (Shanachie) ‘79
Gracy & the Herbman Band – Time is the Master; See Me Yah (Funfundvierzig) ’91 Germ. female
Capital Letters – Smoking My Ganja 12” Mix; Headline News (Greensleeves) ’79 UK youth group: 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

Set 2:

Thievery Corporation feat. Notch – True Sons of Zion; Temple of I & I (ESL) 2017 DC dubbers
Bunny Wailer – Dance Ha Ti Gwan; Dance Massive (Shanachie) ‘92

<grumpy roots guy does dancehall; 25 sec.>

The Equators – Feelin’ High; Hot (Stiff) ’81 UK ska herbtune
Christine Adelsi – Life; 10” (King Earthquake) 2012 UK militant steppers

Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica 27+ Years

Black Uhuru – Journey; Red (Mango) ’81
Jean Binta Breeze – A Simple Thing + A Song to Heal; Tracks (LKJ) ’91 UK dub poet female
Benjamin Zephaniah – Rasta; Rasta (Workers Playtime) ’83: UK dub poet male
Peter Tosh – Legalize It; Legalize It (Columbia) ‘76
Peter Tosh – Legalize It Version; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ’76 box set

<Jawara Tosh beaten into coma in jail; 64 sec.>

Like father, like son: Them Ha Fe Get a Beatin’

Set 4:

I Roy and Lee Perry – Space Flight; Chapter Two of Words (Trojan) UFOria

<Roswell inna Rub a Dub Stylee; 57 sec.>

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jammin’; 12” (Tuff Gong) ’77 alternate extended mix
Lee Perry – Noah Sugar Pan; Upsetter Shop v.2 (Heartbeat) Dub ’77 Album of the Hour

<Captain Lee “Scratch” Perry driving the Space Shuttle? WTF?; 18 sec.>

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

Sister Carol – Murdee & Stylee; Black Cinderella (Jah Life) ’84 Brooklyn
Prince Far I – Deck of Life; Jamaican Heroes (Trojan) ’80 UK deejay
Barrington Levy & Jah Thomas? – Collie Weed; Hunter Man (Burning Sounds) ’83 UK herbtune
Gregory Isaacs – Musical Revenge; Reggae It’s Fresh (Tad’s) ’88 NY
Junior Brown – Warriors; Hits From the House of Shaka (Jah Shaka) ’85 UK

Set 6:

10cc – Dreadlock Holiday; Snatch Soundtrack (Maverick) ’76 rockers do reggae
Trevor Hartley – Smoke and Chill; Hartley (Jove) ’94 herb tune
Fabiane Miranda – Prophecy; 12 the Hard Way (Tribesman) ’77 female
Paul Blake & the Bloodifre Posse – Get Flat; Reggae Dance Party (RAS) ’87 dance number

<Jamaican dance = Get Flat; 40 sec.>

Set 7:

Jah Pecker & the Wailers – Jammin’; 21^st Century Dub (ROIR) ’87 Jah-ponese cover of Bob Marley

<From Jah-pon: Jah Pecker & the Wailers>

Sister Beverley – Rasta Woman; 12” (RAMA) ’76 UK

Set 8: Mutant Dub

Ikonika – Sahara Michael; contact, love, want, have (Hyperdub) 2010 UK Sara Abdel Hamid
Herbaliser – Worldwide Connected; Something Wicked This Way Comes (Ninja Tune) 2002 UK
Massive Attack – Safe From Harm; Blue Lines (Virgin) ’91 UK feat. Shara Nelson
Audio Active – Psycho Buds (Game Mix/Asian Dub Foundation); CD Single (Birdman) ’99 Jah-pon

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives (Stream + Tracklist): June 3, 2017 – Black Wax Cratedigger’s Harvest!

June 9, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Lots of my Student Loan kasheesh was spent at this SLC record shop. Going strong 30 plus years later. Removed 90% of their CDs to make room for MOAR vinyl

A life in cratedigging. Kick started the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive’s in my friend Neil’s dorm room. Fall of 1986. That lit the fuse!…..

<Black Uluru in a dorm room? Instant Reggae fanatic; 20 sec.>

…I’m going through a home remodel. 40 years of record collecting crammed into my garage right now. When I ran out of shelves, I bought some big ass tupperware bins to try and make it all fit.

This has to fit into my new addition. A Library for a Librarian

Between my organic collecting (used record stores, Ebay/Amazon, stock from my distributor when I sold Reggae online) and my binge buying when Record Stores started dying out in the mid 2000’s, my 1200 square foot house had reached a state of entropy.

So to make room for the demolition of two bedrooms to accommodate an actual Library (A Librarian with his own Library!), I had to move everything into my garage in a short amount of time.

Now that the project is coming to completion, I have to move everything back in!

Can 40 years of books, records, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes fit into a space 41 feet by 10 feet? Stay tuned!

My method?

Get up early on Saturday. Have my spinach determining what I’m going to sort and separate in the garage.
Go have breakfast at Left Fork Grill with my best bredrin Leonard and his buddy John
Drink about 8 cups of coffee
Head back to mi casa in Sugarhouse
Grab a stack of disks for my CD boombox to while away the time sifting wax
Fully caffeinated: Start to organize the entropy.
- I would separate by format: LP, 12″ disco mix, 10″ disco mix, non-Reggae vinyl
- Then: look by title and cull albums if they fit one of my preferred set-genres
  - 420
  - Roots Dawtas
  - UFOria
  - Wailers Family Tree
  - Halloween
  - Marley Tribute songs
  - Rockers doing Reggae

I don’t know how many physical vinyl pieces I have (not even including 7″ 45s). CDs a whole separate issue.

10,000 pieces? 15,000? Somewhere in between.

It has literally taken me from early January to June to sort it all and separate for the final move into the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive.

From when I moved to SLC from Bozeman, MT in Sept. of 1986, I have been on a vinyl crusade. And the nostalgia of where and how I acquired the lion’s share of black wax really kicks off memories of a subculture that has mostly died out: the local record store.

Many great ones are still slinging wax: Like Randy’s in Salt Lake. Ditched their CDs to make room for the vinyl resurgence: 20 sec.

But over 500 stores have gone out of business in the last decade. When the music industry killed vinyl, they didn’t anticipate that digital music sales like Itunes, Spotify etc. would make those $18.99 CDs economically irrelevant.

Columbus and Bay in North Beach. I would stay across the street at the Travelodge and crate dig til closing. Nearly cried when I heard the news Tower was going under

And even though vinyl is making an awesome comeback (full vindication for I ‘n’ I), it’s too late for many of my favorite haunts.

Last summer my local Montana chain went out of business: Hastings. I would drive through gorgeous wheat fields and flowing rivers and cratedig from Butte, Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman and Billings.

700 hundred miles from SLC to Fort Benton, Montana. Hastings books/cds/DVDs broke up the monotony of the drive. Went out of business Summer 2016

As much as I love Montana and my parents, I’m not driving home this summer. Not much for me to do there now but watch wheat grow.

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: June 3, 2017 – All Vinyl Showcase; 34 sec.

Set 1:

Brigadier Jerry – Everyman a Mi Bredrin; Jamaica, Jamaica (RAS) ’85 DC:
Bullwackie’s All Stars – Nature’s Dub; Nature’s Dub (Wackies) ’80 Dub Album of the Hour
Time Unlimited – Live Upright; Devil’s Angel (Live Wire) ’84 JA
Mother Liza – Ten to Ten; Mother Liza Meets Pappa Tollo (Vista Sounds) ’83 UK
Devon Russell- Homebound Train; Homebound Train (Freedom Sounds) ’83 JA
Zap Pow – Be Cool; Irie Land (Rhino) ’80 LA
Al Campbell – Collie Herb; 12” (Jah Life) 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

Set 2:

Inner Circle – Forward Jah Jah Children; Reggae Thing (Capitol) ’76 US

<Inner Circle: Capitol’s answer to Bob Marley; 15 sec.>

Leroy Smart – What Will I Do; Rite Sound Reggae Story (Jah Live) ’77 Fr.
Barry Brown – Ital Rock; I’m Still Waiting (Rocktone International) ’83 Can.
Super Chick – Roach Killer; Reggae Dancehall Classics (Sleeping Bag) ’87 NY female dj

<Roach Killer shoes: favorites in the dancehall for killing roaches and rub a dubbing; 35 sec.>

Starboard Records, 1988 – West Valley City, UT. RIP

Set 3:

Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus – I Am an Ethiopian; Movements (Dynamic Sounds) ’78 JA

<I’m not Mr. Brown, Mr. Smith, Mr. White – I’m an Ethiopian; 12 sec.>

Dennis Brown – Wake Up; Wake Up (Natty Congo) ’85 UK
The Meditations – Running From Jamaica; Message From the Mediations (United Artists) ’76 US
Gregory Isaacs & Christine – Rock On; Rock On (Jah Live) ’75 Fr. Combination style
Prince Far I – Bendel Dub; Front Line Dub (Virgin Front Line) ’79 Dub Album of the Hour

<Virgin record label in Nigeria; 50 sec.>

Set 4:

Lone Ranger – The Clock; Hi-Yo Silver, Away! (Greensleeves) ’82 UK
The Shakers – Emergency Call; Yankee Reggae (Asylum) ’76 Boston; female vox on Judy Mowatt tune
Eek a Mouse – Sensee Party; Skidip! (Greensleeves) ’81 UK
Misty in Roots – Wandering Wanderer; 12” (People Unite) ’81 UK

Rough Trade Records: San Francisco, New Years Even 1988

Set 5: 420 Black Wax

Peter Culture – Coconut Chalwah; Behold 10” LP (Top Beat) 2000 UK

<Coconut chalice; 14 sec.>

Clint Eastwood – Collie Weed Style; Love & Happiness (Burning Sounds) ’79 UK
Winston Reedy – Sensimilla; Dim the Lights (Inner Light) ’83 UK
Niney the Observer – My Spliff; Nuclear Jammin’ (Voiceprint) ’86 Chicago
John Holt – Police in Helicopter; 12” (Holt) ‘83

<Johnny Law in your rear view? 28 sec.>

Reckless Record, 1990 San Francisco/Haight Ashbury: RIP

Set 6:

The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up; Wailers Vinyl Box Set (Island) #3484 of 10,000 vinyl box set

<Lessons in crate digging: Buy low ($70), sell high (working kidney)>

Bobby Culture, Brimstone & Fire, Nicodemus & Louie Culture – Going Home; Tidal Wave (Unicorn) ’83 Santa Monica: R.B. Greaves pop update
Junior Byles – I Don’t Know; Rasta No Pickpocket (Nighthawk) ’86 St. Louis
Don Carlos & Gold – Blackout in the Ghetto; Showdown vol. 3 (Hitbound) NY
Black Uhuru – What Is Life; 12” EP (4^th & Broadway) ’83 US picture sleeve

<Not Marley, Tosh, Cliff or UB40: Black Uluru’s Anthem made I ‘n’ I a Reggae fanatic>

Ras Command – Education; In Dub (Red Arrow) ’95 Germ.: Mutant Dub album of the hour

9 disk vinyl box set: Amoeba Records, Berkeley 2001: $70. Versus $3500 on eBay

Set 7:

Blue Riddim Band – Restless Spirit; Restless Spirit (Flying Fish) ’81 St. Louis

<Livicated to our KRCL bredrin: Bad Brad Wheeler>

Fab 5 – Shaving Cream; Jamaican Woman (Stage) ’87 JA
Aisha – I Know a Place; 12” (Ariwa) ’90 UK

Set 8: Mutant Dub

Black Uhuru – Boof’n’Baff’n’Biff (Fila Brazillia rmx no. 2); Dancehall Queen Soundtrack (Island Jamaica) ’97 US
Dub Syndicate – Roots Commandment; Echomania
New Age Steppers feat. Ari Up – Stormy Weather; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ’83 UK female vox on Lena Horne classic

Words of Wisdom:

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Digital Dubplate – Roots Reggae vs. Mutant Dubbers!

June 2, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Something nice gonna happen to your ears!

Greetings,

Took a week off from Smile Jamaica for Memorial Day Weekend. I am building a permanent home for the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. So I spent 7 hours in my garage re-arranging vinyl for preparation for my big move in a couple weeks. Check it out!

Nearly 40 years of record collecting gotta fit in a Library 80 feet long and 10 feet wide.

I hope it all fits!

In the meantime, enjoy a Digital Dubplate of one half Orthodox Jamaican roots mashed up with Space Age Mutant Dub. I cooked this up in my Secret Dubratory.

You’ve got Roots Reggae inna mi New Age dub!

bless, robt

0-30 min.:

Aswad – Warrior Charge; Roots Rocking (Island) ’80 best of
Ganja Man – Light Up Your Spliff; Pro Cannabis IV (EFA) ’95 female mutant dub herbtune
Lazyboy TV – The Manual (Chapter 4); LazyboyTV (Universal) 2004 NY mutant dub herbtune
Culture – Garvey; Production Something (Heartbeat) ‘78

30-60 min.:

Dry & Heavy – Kick the Bong Around + Dub the Bong Around; One Punch (Green Tea) Jah-ponese Mutant dub herbtune w/ female vox
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Punky Reggae Party; 12” (Tuff Gong) ’77 Lee “Scratch” Perry prod’n
Johnny Clarke – Crazy Baldhead; Authorized Rockers (Virgin Front Line) ’76 Bob Marley cover
Dub Gabriel feat. Karen Gibson Roc – Spirit Made Flesh; Anarchy & Alchemy (Destroy A/C) 2008 Brooklyn mutant w/ female dub poet
Jonah Dan & Bush Chemists – Guidance; Dubs From Zion Valley (JKPD) ’94 UK Mutant Dub
Coco Tea – Reggae Music; Settle Down (Cornerstone) ’8
Mungo’s Hi Fi feat. Soom T – Soundboy Police; Forward Ever (Scotch Bonnet) 2011 UK mutant dub w/ female vox
The Beat (aka the English Beat) – Doors to Your Heart 12” mix; CD Single (IRS) ’81 2 Tone ska

60-90 min.

The Orb – Towers of Dub; U.F.Orb (Island) ’92 UK Mutant Dub
Rockers Hi Fi feat. Ella Fitzgerald – Sunshine of Your Love; Groove Corporation Presents Remixes from the Elephant House (Guidance) 2001 UK, cover of The Cream
Gregory Isaacs – Soon Forward 12” mix; Dancehall (Soul Jazz) ’79

Ella Fitzgerald makes her debut on Smile Jamaica

90 min. – 2 hr.

Cosmic Rocker & Zeb feat. Harmony – Dub; Babylon Is Ours (Echo Beach) 2003 US Mutant Dub
Dubblestandart feat. Ari Up – Island Girl (JStar rmx); Immigration Dub (Collision) 2013 Jah-stria w/ female vox
Justin Hinds – War Time + Dub; Know Jah Better (Nighthawk) ‘90
Rockers Galore – Western Roots; Babylon Central Soundtrack (ESL) 2010 Mutant Dub
Hepcat – Hooligans; Out of Nowhere (Moon Ska) ’95 LA Wailers ska cover
Zion Train – Good Day; Homegrown Fantasy (China) ’95 UK Trance Dub w/ female vox

2 – 2 and 1/2 hr

See-I – Global Gangsters; Dinner of Herb EP (Exlle Music) 2003 DC Mutant Dub
Matumbi & I Roy– Points of View 12” mix; Empire Road (EMI) UK Best of
Dub Pistols feat. Kitten & the Hip; Worshipping the Dollar (Sunday Best) 2012 UK Mutant Dub w/ female vox
Martin Campbell – Badmen Control; Historical Tracks (Channel One UK) ‘81
Peter Tosh – Mystic Man (Long Version); Mystic Man (EMI America) ‘79

2 and 1/2 – 3 hr

Samia Farah – Cool (Original); Samia Farah (Sony) ’99 French-Tunisian female
Suns of Arqa – Brujo Magic ; Arqaology (Arka Sound) ’92 UK Hindi/Arab Mutant Dubbers best of
UB40 – Buzz Feeling; Baggariddim (DEP) ’85 UK herbtune
Marcia Griffiths – Give and You Get; Steppin’ (Shanachie) ‘79
Thievery Corporation – In Pursuit; .38.45 EP (ESL) ’98 DC Mutant Dubbers
Major Lazer feat. Jah Dan – Cash Flow; Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do (Downtown) 2009 Dubstep
Wailing Souls – Riddim of Life; On the Rocks (Greensleeves) ‘83

Let’s end this Digital Dubplate with the Riddim of Life

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: May 20, 2017 (Stream + Tracklist): Good Luck Mr. Gorsky!

May 26, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

Conspiracy Theory UFOria: Neil Armstrong’s first words on the Moon? “I’m so high right now!”

Greetings,

Reggae music is my number one leisure time pursuit. Aliens and Sumerian Cosmology is my next fave obsession.

Surfing around and came across this: the Legend of Neil Armstrong’s true first words on the Moon.

Fake News version: “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind”

Alt-Reality version: “Good Luck Mr. Gorsky”

Who dat? It’s part of a dirty joke:

Here is my sound clip From this week’s Smile Jamaica. (I bungled the famous Armstrong quote); 55 sec.

Here is Snopes.com’s take

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/mrgorsky.asp

When he was a kid, Neil was playing baseball with his brother in the backyard. His brother hit a fly ball which landed in front of his neighbors’ bedroom window. The neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, he heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky, “Oral sex? Oral sex you want? You’ll get oral sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!”

Who ya gonna believe?

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives May 20, 2017 Playlist:; 50 sec.

Set 1:

Sister Carol – Reggae Gone International; Black Cinderella (Jah Life) ’84 NY vinyl
Africjam – Woman I Love; Instrumental Dub Reggae Music (Africjam Productions) ’93 UK vinyl dub album of the hour
Mikey Dread – Behold Jah; World Tour (Dread at the Controls) 2000
Mike Brooks – Man to Man; Rum Drinker (Teams) ‘70’s
Josey Wales – Tax Me; Outlaw (Live & Learn) “83 dj to Wailing Souls
Chosen Brothers & ? DJ – Mother I Love You; 12” (City Line) ’77

Set 2:

Bunny Wailer – Veteran; Dance Massive (Shanachie) ‘92

<Bunny Wailer – Dancehall Veteran; 32 sec.>

Peter Tosh – Dracula; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ’76 version to Vampire 7”
Dubtonic Kru – Freedom Dub; Dub Tonic (Dubtonic) 2009 JA group
Sister Nancy – Ball a Roll; 10” (Hitbound) ‘80

Set 3: Best of 27+ Years

Burning Spear – Don’t Mess With Jill; Presenting (Studio One) ’73 Marvellettes Motown cover
Marcia Griffiths – Peaceful Woman; Steppin’ (Shanachie) ‘79
Lacksley Castell – Leaving; Morning Glory (Negus Roots) ‘82
Aswad – Noh Bodda Wid It; To the Top (Simba) ‘86
Soul Syndicate – Hungry Dub; Ghetto-ology Dub (Easy Star) ’79 Dub Album of the Hour

Tower Records, Las Vegas – Spring 1987. Early addition to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives

Set 4: 7″ Jamaican Jukebox

Debra Keese & the Black Five – Travelling; 7’ (Orchid) ’77
Keith Coley – Fill My Heart With Joy; 7” (Solid State) ‘78
Steve Baswell – I Am Getting Bad; 7” (Phase 1) ‘78
Fred Locks – When O When; 7” (Shaka) ‘77
Brigadier Jerry – Roots Girl; 7” (Jahlovemuzik) ‘84

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

Gregory Isaacs – Mother’s Day; Reggae It’s Fresh (Tad’s) ’88 US
Azeem & Session – Big Head Spliff; Dreadfly (Joe Gibbs) ’82 Miami – herbtune
Aisha – Suffering; Daughters of Zion (Twinkle) ’95 UK
Crucial DBC – Mama, Mama; Dread Rock For a Long Time (Dread Beat Control) ’89 EP: Santa Monica
Akimbo – Kalimbo 2; So Long Trouble (Forward Sounds International) ’85 UK kalimba instrumental

Set 6: Wailers Family Tree

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Three Little Birds; Exodus (Tuff Gong) riddim shower (1): vox
I Roy – Commandment VI (Three Little Birds); Ten Commandments (Virgin) ’80 UK vinyl: yellow picture sleeve; (2): deejay
Chalawa – Three Little Birds Dub; Exodus Dub (Micron) ’77 (3): dub
Senya – Children of the Ghetto; Cobra Style (Heartbeat) ’79 Familyman prod’n, female vox
Sly & the Revolutionaries – Cocaine; Bill Laswell: Dub Massive (Trojan) 2000 Dub Album of the Hour

Set 7:

Dennis Alcapone – I Want a Draw; Good Old Days of the 70’s (Teams) 70’s herbtune

<Draw of the chalice>

Hi Fi Killers – Evil Dub; Jamaica (Loose Groove) ’98
Bad Brains – To the Heavens; God of Love (Maverick) ‘85
Cha Cha & Ranking Joe – One Day You’ll Know; 10” (Above Rock) 2010 Chinese female vocalist

Set 8: Mutant Dub

Afro Omega – It’s On the People; CD Single (Afro Omega) SLC w/ female vox: Mutant Dub set
Word Sound I Powa – Theme From Dread Western (Magnificent 7 Mix); Live From Planet Crooklyn (ROIR) ‘96
Transglobal Underground – Good Luck Mr. Gorsky; Psychic Karaoke (Nation) ’96 UK word dub

Neil Armonstrong’s first words on the Moon: Good Luck Mr. Gorsky

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: May 13, 2017 (Stream + Tracklist): Mother’s Day Vinyl Tribute!

May 19, 2017 Robert Nelson Leave a comment

<Livicated, never deadicated, to all the Irie Roots Muddah’s, Dawtas, and Granny’s; 12 sec.>

Greetings,

I’m a momma’s boy. Oldest kid. Every Sunday I get up, rise and shine, put the coffee on and around 9:30 either I call Mom or she calls me.

After 45 years of juggling the books in Fort Benton Montana’s High School, her and my dad are becoming Sunbirds in Sun City West, AZ.

So let’s celebrate that maternal goodness with a Smile Jamaica’s Mothers Day. Even better. Let’s make it all vinyl.

Female artists and male artists paying tribute to their mom’s: Paul Simon, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh and more.

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: May 13, 2017 playlist: (63 sec.)

Set 1:

Paul Simon – Mother and Child Reunion; Paul Simon (Warner Bros.) ’72 19 sec.

<recorded in Jamaica at Dynamic Studios>

Scientist – 11 Guava Road Dub; King of Dub (Kingdom) ’81 Dub Album of the Hour
Sonya Spence – No Charge; In the Dark (Skynote) ’78: Tammy Wynette cover

<Tammy Wynette Reggae stylee; 18 sec.>

<No Charge – mother’s lyrics to son wanting allowance; 19 sec.>

Sis Nya – Babylon Trap; Jah Jah Way (Jah Shaka) ’89 UK
Zema – Blood Money; Zema (Melchizedek) ’86 San Diego
Mystic Youth feat. I-Skeeda & the Irie Ites – Save the Roaches Best Wishes (Sunship) 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement; Bay Area youth group

<Youth band from the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, San Francisco; 43 sec.>

The Jaytees – Come to Me; 10″ (Music Lab) ’81 JA female duo

No Charge – Tammy Wynette mother’s day reggae tune

Set 2:

Dennis Brown – Songs My Mother Used to Sing; Aquarius Rock (Pressure Sounds) Herman Chin-Loy prod’n
The Main Attractions – Jam Up, Jam Down; Roots Rock Reggae (Creole) ’78 Fr.
Chalawa feat. Merri & Sandi Callender – If You Drop That Cross; Capture Land (Green Weenie) ’78 Can.
Sister Carol – Get It Straight Africans; Jah Disciple (RAS) ’89 DC
African Princess – Jah Children Cry; Hits From the House of Shaka (Jah Shaka) ’80 UK

Set 3:

Peter Tosh – Mama Africa; Mama Africa (EMI America) ’83 US
Pauline – Babylon; In Progress (People Unite) ’84 UK
Sister Africka – Rivers of Babylon; 10” (Dub Jockey) UK niyabinghi
Prince Lincoln – Love the Way It Should Be; Vortex Dub (Orange Street) ’80 Dub Album of the Hour

Set 4:

Benjamin Zephaniah – I Love Me Mudder (Poem); Rasta (Workers Playtime) ’83 UK dub poet
Sophia George – Tenement Yard; Fresh (Winner) ’85 JA
Aura Lewis & Lee “Scratch” Perry – Full Experience; Full Experience) ’76 Black Ark EP (Fr.)

Set 5: Wailers Family Tree

Cedella Marley Booker – Mother Don’t Cry; Awake Zion (Rykodisc) ’84: Wailers Family Tree Set – Bob’s last words to his mom

<Bob’s last words turned into a song; 75 sec.>

Marcia Griffiths – Melody Life; At Studio One (Studio One) ’68 JA
Judy Mowatt – Hush Baby Mother; Working Wonders (Shanachie) ‘85
Rita Marley – Good Morning Jah; Who Feels It Knows It (Shanachie) ‘80

<Good name for a Reggae show; 14 sec.>

Set 6:

The Triumphant Singers – Don’t Forget to Pray; Man from Galilee (Tabernacle) ’68 JA gospel
The Selecter – Celebrate the Bullet; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’81 UK 2 Tone Ska
Casselberry & DuPree’ – Positive Vibration; City Down (Icebergg) ’86 Milwaukee, WI folk-reggae duo, Bob Marley cover
Sister Nancy – Bam Bam; One Two (Techniques) ’82 JA
Sister Rasheda – Jah is Love; 10” (Jah Warrior) 2006
Jah Shaka Meets Aswad – Addis Ababa; In Addis Ababa Studio (Jah Shaka) ’84 Dub Album of the Hour

Set 7: Dawta Dub Poets

Jean Binta Breeze – Tracks + Nanny; Tracks (LKJ) ’90 UK

<Nanny of the Maroons – Jamaican Heroine; 97 sec.>

Lillian Allen – Rub a Dub Style in a Regent Park; Revolutionary Tea Party (Redwood) ’87 Toronto dubber
Louise Bennett – Dry Weather Houses; Jamaican Folk Songs (Smithsonian Folkways) ’53 10”
Sister Netifa – Woman Determined; Woman Determined (A Luta) ’89 UK

Set 8: Mutant Dubstresses

Alpha & Omega feat. Tracey J – Rasta Woman; King & Queen (A & O) ’89 UK trance dub
Akabu – Work; Akabu (Viva) ’89 U
Sinead O’Connor – War; Throw Down Your Arms (That’s Why There’s Chocolate & Vanilla) 2005 UK dubble disk; Bob Marley cover
The Slits – Return of the Giant Slits – Walk About; Return of the Giant Slits (CBS) ’81 UK
Aisha – Raise Your Voice; 12” (Twinkle) ‘95
The Wild Bunch – Mr. President Man ; The Wild Bunch (Ariwa) ’84 UK

<Livicated to Pres. #45 – Vladimir Putin>

Words of Wisdom

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.

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