Greetings,
I went to Montana State University in Bozeman from Fall of ’83 to Spring of ’86. I had a studio apartment right around the corner from Cactus Recyords.
I would spend hours there on Saturdays. Buying vinyl. Music magazines like Trouser Press and Spin. (AlreadIy a subscription to Rolling Stone.) had read in an electronics magazine about these space age inventions called the compact disk.
Aluminum based not vinyl. Harder to scratch or warp. Smaller and lighter so easier to store. For me the best benefit was you could play the whole disk without need to get up and flip the disk over for Side 2.
I wanted these. November ’85 Cactus put up a little rack of these disks. I didn’t even have a CD player yet. So I bought 2 of a very limited stock. The first Fleetwood Mac album (Nicks/Buckingham edition) and Steely Dan a Decade of Hits. I think they each cost $20 which was a fortune in 1985 dollars.
I would stare at them and wait impatiently for Christmas. I had asked for a CD player for the Holiday. Got a Fisher Deck. Mom probably got it from Sears or Montgomery Ward’s.
The deck itself was bare bones. All it did was display track number. No time counter, no programming. I think it had a repeat feature but that was it.
So when Walter Becker, one half of Steely Dan passed away this week, I fetched this disk and livicated the Reggae jam “Babylon Sisters” on this Ark-ive edition of Smile Jamaica
Livicated to Walter Becker; 22 sec.
<Babylon Sisters – turn that jungle music down; 26 sec.>
I can usually find a Reggae jam
bless, Bobbylon
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-tember 9, 2017 Annotated Playlist; 52 sec.
Set 1:
- I Roy – African Continent; The General (Virgin Front Line) ’78 UK vinyl
- Chalawa – So Much Things to Say Dub; Exodus Dub (Micron) ’77 Can. Dub vinyl of the hour
- Bunny Wailer – Cease Fire; Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae (Shanachie) ’83 – cease fire and light the chalice: Trump vs. Kim Jong-un
<2 guys w/ bad hair – Cease Fire and light the chalice!; 30 sec.>
- Sylford Walker & Welton Irie – Chant Down Babylon + Ghettoman Corner; Lambs Bread International (Blood and Fire) ‘79
- Abassi All-Stars feat. Omar Perry & Minoo – Ain’t So Fine + Jah Is Here; 10” EP (Deep Root) 2006 UK militant steppers w/ female vox
Set 2:
- Black Uhuru – Sensimilla; Tear It Up – Live (Mango) ’82 live in London; herbtune
- Winston Jarrett – Selassie Is the Chapel; By the Rivers of Babylon (Shanachie) ’95 cover of Bob’s cover of the Orioles gospel tune
- Michigan and Smiley – Reggae Ska; Reggae Dance Part (RAS) ‘83
- Rita Marley – That’s The Way; 12” (Shanachie) ‘81
Set 3: Jamaican Jukebox 7″ 45s
- Horace Andy – My Soul; 7” (Clintones)
- Dyema – Jah-Jah-I; 7” (Paradise) ’77 female singer
- Georges – The Light’ 7” (More Relation)
- Ronald Auboine – Unity; 7” (Little Sports)
- Cecil Barker – Pay the Bills; 7” (Hit Maker) ‘76
- Black Slate Meets Soul Syndicate – Bum Dub; Moodie in Dub vol. 1 (Moodie) Dub Album of the Hour
Set 4: Wailers Family Tree
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – Exodus; Exodus 40 (Tuff Gong) ’77 original vs. Ziggy’s rmx: Wailers Family Tree set
<Bob’s Exodus; 93 sec.>
<’77 vs. Ziggy Remix: Exodus title track; 25 sec.>
- Peter Tosh – Speech; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ’82 Reseda, CA live
Set 5: Vinyl Is Vital
- Max Romeo – Bell the Cat; Holding Out My Love to You (Shanachie) ’81 Keith Richards prod’n
- The Gladiators – That Nuh Right; Showdown vol. 3 (Hitbound) ’84 Brooklyn
Clint Eastwood – Collie Weed Style; Love & Happiness (Burning Sounds) ’79 UK herbtune - Sista Ruby – Think and Wanda; Woman DJ (Keyman) ’99 UK singjay
- Peter Metro – Metric Connection; Yellowman, Fat Head and the One Peter Metro (Absissa) ’82 JA
<Ancient Aliens and the metric system; 51 sec.>
Set 6: Rockers do Reggae
- Steely Dan – Babylon Sisters; Gaucho (MCA) ’80
- Garland Jeffreys – Midnight Cane; Garland Jeffreys (Atlantic) ’73 NYC bi racial rocker/soul guy
- Jerry Garcia Band – Stop That Train; Jerry Garcia Band (Arista) ’91 San Rafael, CA live – Tosh cover
Set 7: Best of Smile Jamaica 27+ Years: Lee “Scratch” Perry
- The Upsetters – Tell Me Something Good; Return of the Super Age (Upsetter) ‘78: Best of Smile Jamaica – 27+ Years: Lee Perry set (Rufus cover)
- Lee “Scratch” Perry – You Thought I Was Dead; From the Secret Laboratory (Mango) ’90 – Adrian Sherwood co-production
- Candy McKenzie – Ice Cream; Lee “Scratch” Perry Presents (Trojan) ‘77
- The Diamonds – Talk About It/Ya-ma Ky; Open the Gate (Trojan) (aka Mighty Diamonds) ‘75
Mutant Dub Set
- DeeDee Bridgewater & UFO – Flying Saucer; Saint-Germain Des-Pres IV (Wagram) 2004 Fr.: Mutant Dub Set
- Thievery Corporation – Exilio (Rewound); Babylon Rewound (ESL) EP: 2004 remixes
- Abassi All-Stars feat. Earl 16 – Stem the Tide; Showcase (Universal Egg) 2006 UK
- Alpha & Omega – Suffer Little Children + Dub Unto Me; Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Alpha & Omega) ’90 UK trance w/ female vox
- South – Remedies; Groove Corporation Presents Remixes from the Elephant House (Guidance) 2002 UK
Words of Wisdom:
