Greetings,
KRCL celebrated 40 years on air with a party in downtown SLC. My tenure of that for Smile Jamaica is 30 years. (31 and 1/2 total).
I attended the birthday bash and it was great to see a lot of volunteers I hadn’t talked to since KRCL’s format change in 2008.
Plus there was a great love of what I ‘n’ I do with Roots Reggae and Dub with many listeners who were happy to meet me and pass on their thanks. Great to collect stories from people and how they discovered and continue to enjoy my sets on Smile Jamaica.
People love my commitment to vinyl!
The common thread is what Smile Jamaica means to their Saturday afternoon routines. For decades. Fathers and sons. Mom’s and dawtas. If I ‘n’ I had accepted every drink offer, I would have been a drunken mess! (However, it would have been downright rude to decline surreptitious hits of green vapor. Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies…)
It really was a validation of my joy of community radio that is still driven by independent music selection. Where you might hear a Scorpions Reggae jam followed by some UFO dubwize.
You ain’t gwan hear that on your Spotify playlist.
When my great friend and now KRCL station manager, Tristin Tabish asked me to spin a 15 minute set between bands, I ‘n’ I agreed.
This is essentially I ‘n’ I speech from the stage.
“KRCL celebrates 40 years of all killer no filler radio. It has been my pleasure to be a part of that ride for 30 plus years.
“And KRCL has always championed Reggae music from day 1. Dreadlock Holiday to Smile Jamaica. My bredrin Rutabaga Reese taught me about quality Roots Reggae. Much love to Papa Pilgrm on Nite Roots.”
“For my set, I ‘n’ I was asked to put together 15 minutes of Smile Jamaica. How do you distill 10,000 albums. 10,000 cds and 10,000 singles into 3 songs?”
“A little bit of Marley. A little bit of 420. A little bit of dubwise.”
And Selah! Did the crowd roar when that opening lick of Bob Marley’s Smile Jamaica blast forth on the club’s hi-fi!
Thank you KRCL. And thank you KRCL listeners for the kind words for this deejay on your station that rules the nation! Forward ever, backwards never.
bless, Bobbylon
Smile Jamaica: KRCL 40th Anniversary Set live and on-air; Dec. 4, 2019 at the Union; Salt Lake City, Utah (60 sec.)
- Bob Marley – Smile Jamaica (Marley)
- Rita Marley – One Draw (420)
- Yellowman – Strong Mi Strong (Dub – Bill Laswell mix)
Smile Jamaica Annotated Playlist: Jah-cember 7, 2019
Set 1:
- Prince Far I & the Arabs – Foggy Road; Message From the King (Virgin Front Line) ’78 UK vinyl
- Wackies Rhythm Force – African Roots Act I (Wackies) ’77 Bronx, NY vinyl dub album of the hour
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – Smile Jamaica; Kaya (Deluxe Edition) ’77 Lee “Scratch” Perry mix: 40th Anniversary Party Mix (1) – Marley
- Rita Marley – One Draw; Big Blunts vol. 1 (Tommy Boy) ’82 (2) – 420
- Yellowman – Strong Mi Strong; King Yellowman (Columbia) ’84 (3) – dub/Bill Laswell mix
- Culture – Legalisation + Ganja Time; Live in Africa (RAS) Dec. 15, 2000 live in Capetown, South Africa; 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
Set 2:
- Meta and the Corner Stones – Cornerstone/ Forward Music (No Soundz) 2008 Senegalese
- Sugar Minott – The Devil Is After Me/ Happy Together (Heartbeat) ’91
- Hortense Ellis – Woman of the Ghetto; Impact! (Universal Sound) ’70? Marlena Shaw cover
- Jolly Brothers – Conscious Man; 12″ (Ballstic) ’78 UK Lee “Scratch” Perry prod’n
Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica 30 Years
- Prince Buster – Judge Dread; Judge Dread – Rocksteady Hush Up (Melodisc) ’67
- Burning Spear – Bad to Worst; Rocking Time (Studio One) ’74
- Third World – Jah Glory; 96 Degrees in the Shade (Mango) ’76
- Sheila Hylton – Bed’s Too Big Without You; Reggae Sunsplash ’81: Tribute to Bob Marley (Elektra) ’81; Police cover
Set 4:
- Noel Phillips – Jah No Dead; Youthman Vibrations (Jammys) ’81 UK vinyl
- The Congos – Ark of the Covenant; Heart of the Congos (Black Art) ’77 Lee “Scratch” Perry Black Ark prod’n
- DJ Rupture feat. Sister Nancy – A Little More Oil; Special Gunpowder (Tigerbeat6) 2004 dubstep
- Monyaka – Go Deh Yaka (Go Deh to the Top); 12″ (Easy Steet) ’83 NY
Set 5: Vinyl is Vital Christmas
- Michigan & Smiley – LIttle Drummer Boy; Reggae Christmas (RAS) ’84 DC
- Norwood Rockers – Rocking; Christmas Time (Studio One) JA instrumental medley
- John Holt – Happy Xmas (War Is Over); Reggae Christmas Album (Trojan) ’86 UK – John Lennon cover
- Mutabaruka – Postpone Christmas; High Times All-Star Explosion (Alligator) ’85 Chicago blues label
- Jennifer Lara – Hands of the Lord; Christmas Stylee (Studio One) ’79? JA
Set 6: Wailers Family Tree
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – Soul Shakedown Party; Best of (ALA) ’71 JA vinyl: Lesley Kong sides
<Lesley Kong producer who exploited The Wailers and died suddenly soon after; 1 min 51 sec>
- Peter Tosh – Oh Bumba Klaat; Wanted (bootleg) Sept. 29, 1981 – NYC at the Ritz
- Bunny Wailer – So Much Things to Say; Hall of Fame (RAS) ’95 – 50 Bob songs for 50th birthday
- Marcia Griffiths – Tribulation; 12″ (Solomonic) ’76 JA – Bunny Wailer prod’n
Set 7: Rockers do Reggae
- Bad Brains – Jah Love; Into the Force (Megaforce) 2012: DC punk dub; Rockers do Reggae Set
- H.R. – We Belong Together; Hey Wella (DC Hardcore) 2007
- Ben Harper – With My Own Hands; CD Single (Virgin) 2003
- Tom Tom Club – Bamboo Town; Close to the Bone (Sire) ’83
Set 8: Mutant Dub
- Thievery Corporation feat. Mr. Lif – Culture of Fear (ESL) 2012 DC dubbers: Mutant Dub Set
- Dub Syndicate feat. Big Youth – Emanuel; Fear of a Green Planet (Shanachie) ’98
- Djosos Krost feat. Jah Bobby – Creation; No Sign of Bad (Quango) 2006 Norwegian dub w/ JA dub poet
- Jonah Dan Meets the Bush Chemists – Guidance; Dubs From Zion Valley (Conscious Sounds/Abba Christos Tafari)
- Bush Chemists – Respect Dubwise; Light Up Your Chalice (Dubhead) ’96
- Alpha & Omega Meets Bangarang feat. Nishka – Show Me a Purpose; Show Me a Purpose (Hammerbass) 2004 UK trance dub w/ female vox
Smile Jamaica 