Tag Archives: Reggae History Lesson

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives (Stream + Tracklist): Apr. 18, 2015: 420 Canna-bliss Weekend in Kaya-tude! Makes Sensi to me!

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Marijuana World Tour

Greetings,

<4 down, 46 to go!>

<Smile Jamaica’s 21st Annual Marijuana World Tour; 32 sec.>

Make way for Free Speech on Smile Jamaica’s 420 Marijuana World Tour

<Free Speech until they ban that too; 18 sec.>

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High-lights of the 21st Annual Smile Jamaica Cannabis Service Show: Apr. 18, 2015

<Canna-bliss Service 21; 32 sec.>

April 18, 2015 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives Annotated Playlist: soundbytes, photos, captions, Cannabis History Lessons

images (26)

<Makes sensi to me!>

 *Vinyl: 16 of 34 boomshots

Set 1:

  • Jah Woosh – Marijuana World Tour; Marijuana World Tour (Original) ’79 UK*
  • Sly & the Revolutionaries – LSD; Black Ash Dub (Trojan)  ’80 Dub Album of the Week

<Cannabis History Lesson: LSD – brand of herbstock in Jamaica>

  • Future Pigeon – Mummy Rock; Echodelic Sounds of Future Pigeon (Record Collection) 2006; roll a lickle spliff w/ di papyrus

 <The Mummy – smokin in his sarcophagi; 17 sec.>

<Free the Marijuana – We need foreign currency; 10 sec.>

  • Lovindeer – Free the Marijuana; De Blinkin’ Bus (TSOJ) ’82 JA*
  • Peter Tosh – Don’t Want to Get Busted; Talking Revolution (Pressure Sounds); acoustic at KZEL Eugene, Jah-regon; 12 sec.
  • Bobby Culture, Louie Rankin, Brimstone & Fire – Big Big Bust – Tidal Wave (Unicorn) Woodstock, NY*
  • Jah Lloyd- Dispencer; Black Moses (Virgin Front Line) ’79 UK*

<Don’t want an injection, it will leave an infection; 15 sec.>

hqdefault (4)
The Marijuana World Tour. Taking you to the four corners of the Earth buying and smoking the herb and the by-products thereof

Set 2:

  • Joe Higgs – One Man Kutchie; Unity Is Power (1 Stop) ’79 UK*
  • Peter Culture – Coconut Chalwah; Behold 10” (Top Beat) 2000 UK*

<Cannabis History Lesson: Chalwah = Chalice; 12 sec.>

  • Freddie McGregor – Natural Collie; 12” (Soul Jazz) ‘82*
  • Zion Tribe – Herbissimo; Barre Chords (Ziontribe) ’97 SLC
download (83)
Coconut Chalwah (Chalice)

Set 3: Jamaican Jukebox of 45 RPM, 7″ Weed Singles

  • Black Uhuru vs. Black Sabbath – Guess Who’s Coming for Sweet Leaf; 7” (blank)*

<Michael Rose vs. Ozzy Osbourne; 13 sec.>

  • Queen Ifrica – Burn Some Herbs; 7” (Fire Links) 2005 JA*
  • Junior White – Free Up the Collie Weed for Independence; 7” *(Thoroughbred) ‘JA*
  • Prince Jazzbo – Brain Food; 7” (Ujama) ’86 JA dj to Horace Ferguson “Sensi Addct”*

<Cannabis History Lesson: Brain Food; 10 sec.>

funny-celebrity-pictures-ozzy-osbourne
Heard on Smile Jamaica. Guess Who’s Coming for Sweet Leaf. 4 d own, 46 to go!

<Rub a Dub Sabbath>

Set 4: Smoking Spliff with Queen Eliza-biff

<Light your Chalice inna Buckingham Palace; 40 sec.>

  • Heavy Manners – Taking the Queen to Tea; Heavier Than Now (Novo) ’96 Jah-cago, Ill.; smoking spliff w/ Queen Elizabeff
  • Peter Tosh – Buk in Hamm Palace; Mystic Man (EMI America) ‘79
  • Dillinger – Buckingham Palace; CB 200 (Mango) ‘76
  • U Roy – Chalice in the Palace; Big Blunts vol. 1 (Tommy Boy)

<Chalice in the Palace!>

download (85)
“I am not amused, Mr. Smile Jamaica!”

 Set 5:

  • Bob Marley – Marley-juana Minimix (Smile Jamaica rmx); All of Bob’s herbtunes mashed up; 10 sec.
  •  Eek a Mouse – Sensee Party; Skidip (Greensleeves) ’82 UK vinyl*
  • Jimmy Riley – Sweet Sensimilla; Put the People First (Shanachie) ’82 Ho-Ho Kus, New Jah-sey vinyl*
  • Loi – One Draw; 12” (Abraham) female vox on Rita Marley cover*
download (86)
Eek a Mouse either going to or coming form a Sensee Party

Set 6:

  • The Toyes – Smoke Two Joints; The Toyes (CD Tunes) ’96 US
  • Easy Star All Stars feat. Sluggy Ranks – Speak to Me (Breathe in the Air); Dub Side of the Moon (Easy Star)  2003 US; Pink Floyd bongrips
  • The Toyes – Monster Hash; The Toyes (CD Tunes) ’96; Boris Pickett Jah-loween cover
  • Jacob Miller – Healing of the Nation; Reggae Greats (Mango) ’84 US; Revelation 22:2. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nation*

<Healing of the Nation – Revelation 22:2; 11 sec.>

<no tobacco in the Holy Land; 20 sec.>

  • Carlton Livingston – 100 Weight of Collie Weed; 100 Weight of Collie Weed (Greensleeves) ‘84*
download (87)
People get busted one of 3 ways; 1 – family and loved ones turn you in; 2 – careless while driving; 3 – bad luck

Set 7: Mutant Dub Set 

<Acoustic levitation inna Irie Meditation!>

  • Bush Chemists – Light Up Your Spliff; Light Up Your Spliff (Bush Chemists)
  • Thievery Corporation – Lebanese Blonde; It Takes a Thief (ESL); herb flavor

<Cannabis History Lesson: Lebanese blonde; 6 sec.>

  • Snoop Lion feat. Mavado & Popcaan – Reincarnation (Berhane Sound System) 2013 dubstep

<Snoop’s Holy Trinity: Weed, Jah, dubstep; 9 sec.>

  • King General & Bush Chemists – They Say (Sinsemilla Can’t Smoke); Money Run Tings (Conscious Sounds)
  • Kenny Knotts – Good Sensi; Gi Me de Music (Conscious Sounds)
  • Soom T – Saved By a Ganja Leaf; Ode to a Carrot (Jahtari) 2010; female weedstepper from Jah-scow, Scotland
download (88)
When the World legalizes the Seven Leaf, the Aliens will make contact

Smile Jamaica – Jah-cember 13, 2014 (Stream + Track List): Jah Rest Ye Merry Gentle(wo)men!

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dj_santa_claus_mixing_the_christmas_party_track_card-r62dc420e20d84fa7abec51c3b8c73ea3_xvuak_8byvr_512
Jah-cember to remember!

 Greetings,

<Smile Jamaica: Your college for musical knowledge!; 3 sec.>

Jump straight to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive Edition: Jah-cember 6, 2014. Annotated Playlist below

Tis the season to smoke collie! Fa la la la la la la dee dah. Smile Jamaica wishes you a Merry Christmas or substitute Sky Deity of your choosing. Praise Anu!

<Jahs-mas in Jah-cember; 7 sec.>

Here is my Gift to you: A Mutant Dub Christmas!

<Christmas Day 2014: Smile Jamaica Presents: 3 Hours of Mutant Dub. Online only Mixcloud Digital Dubplate; 27 sec.>

Smile Jamaica Mixcloud: Bobbylon Online only Mutant Dub Ark-Ive

Unknownaliens
Coming from O Little Star of Bethlehem

 

Here is what is on tap for the Jah-cember 13, 2014 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive Edition; 73 sec.

  • Christmas or Jahs-mas Roots Reggae
  • 3 sets of Vinyl: Christmas, 7″ Jamaican Jukebox 45 RPM, Mutant Dub
  • Wailers Family Tree: Bob and Peter Live; Bunny – Rule Dancehall
  • Best of Smile Jamaica Year 1: 1989
  • Roots Dawtas, Seven Leaf, Disco Mix vinyl singles
WAMM Christmas Tree!
Deck the halls with boughs of COLLIE!

 Annotated Playlist for Jah-cember 13, 2014: Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive: photos, captions, Reggae History Lessons, soundbytes

*Xmas jam

Set 1:

  • Tyrone Evans – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; 12” (Clocktower) ’78*
  • Aba Shanti-Ites; The Warning; Jah Lightning and Thurder: Verse III (Falasha) ’99 UK: Dub Album of the Week; Mutant stylee
  • 10 Ft. Ganja Plant feat. Sylford Walker – My Roots; Shake up the Place (ROIR) 2011; Upstate NY w/ Jamaican roots singer
  • Big Youth – The Killer; Screaming Target (Trojan) ’73; over Horace Andy Skylarking riddim
  • Horace Andy – Poor Johnny; See and Blind (Heartbeat Europe) ’99; 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

<Poor Johnny: shoulda stuck to sensi not cocaine; 21 sec.>

  • Cedric ‘Im Brooks – Lambs Bread Collie; Light of Saba (Honest Jon’s) nyahbinghi instrumental herb tune feat. trombone; 17 sec.
Painting_of_Ethiopian_Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Set 2:

  • The Wailers – Slave Driver; Live at Leeds (Tuff Gong); Burnin’ Deluxe CD 2: Leeds Polytechnic, UK 11/23/73

<Leeds UK: The Wailers – Bunny – Peter + I Threes = Bob Marley & the Wailers; 95 sec.>

  • Carl Bradney – Slippin’ Into Darkness; 10” (PK) ’75 Lee “Scratch” Perry prod’n; War soul cover
  • The Archives feat. Ras Puma & Lenny Kirlou – Ghetto Gone Uptown (ESL) 2012; Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation DC mutant dubbers
  • Hollie Cook – Superfast; Twice (Mr. Bongo) 2014; mutant dubstress/lovers rocker; 25 sec.
Hollie_Cook_Twice
Smile Jamaica’s #1 of 2014. Dawta of a Sex Pistol; latter day member of female punk/reggae group: The Slits

Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica Year 1: 1989-90

  • Mighty Diamonds – Kouchie Vibes; Trojan 12” Box Set (Trojan); ’84 herbtune rmx

<Kouchie: smoking utensil; 32 sec.>

  • Yellowman – Strong Mi Strong; King Yellowman (Columbia) ’84; Bill Laswell mix

<Yellowman + Bill Laswell = dancehall classic; 14 sec.>

  • Naturalites – Picture on the Wall; Rub-a-Dubble Reggae vol. 1 (CSA) ’85 UK; HIM tribute

<the UK Rastas not the American  near beer; 23 sec.>

  • Albert Griffiths & the Gladiators – Gone Already; Country Living (Heartbeat) ‘85
Lenroy Bassie Guiste - Bass Player & Dub Artist - naturalites
Naturalites; not Natural Light

Set 4:

  • Peter Tosh – Equal Rights; Talking Revolution (Pressure Sounds); One Love Peace Concert; 4/22/78: Kingston, JA

<Peter Tosh murdered on 9/11….1987; 25 sec.>

  • Michael “Scoobey Doo” Powell – Christmas Time; 12” (Hot Stuff) ’83 Maryland*

<Christmas in Jah-maica; 15 sec.>

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Xmas in Jah-maica: Riding on a Kingston minibus; not dashing through the snow inna one horse open sleigh

Set 5: Christmas: Vinyl is V-Ital; 18 sec.

  • Johnny Osbourne – Christmas Stylee; Christmas Stylee (Studio One) JA
  • Tennessee & the Silvertones – Little Drummer Boy; Christmas Time (Studio One) JA
  • Joe Gibbs Family – We Three Kings; Wish You a Merry Rockers Christmas (Joe Gibbs) ’79 Fl.
  • Hortense Ellis – Black Christmas; African Christmas (Top Ranking) ’79 Fl.
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Bing has White Christmas; Hortense Ellis, Alton’s sis, wants a Black Christmas

Set 6: Jamaican Jukebox 7″ 45 Vinyl

  • Sharon Black – Struggling; 7” (Clintones) ’77 JA 7” 45 vinyl set
  • Lacksley Castell – Babylon World; 7” (Rockers) ‘78 JA; Augustus Pablo prod’n
  • Junior Dan – House is Not a Home; 7” (Danites) 2009 UK
  • Jah Walton – D.J. Christmas; 7” (Black & White) ’83 JA*
R-5380532-1411510497-9698
From when the Two Sevens Clashed: A+ single

Set 7:

  • Bunny Wailer – Trash In a We Bes – Rule Dancehall (Shanachie) ‘86
  • Derrick Harriott – Jesus Was Born Today; 12” (Crystal) ’82*
  • Janet Lee-Davis & Tippa Irie – Baby I’ve Been Missing You; Fashion in Fine Style  vol. 1 (Reggae Archive); ’94 UK lovers rock/toaster combination
  • Dillinger – Buckingham Palace; CB200 (Mango) ’77; smoking spliff with the Queen; 7 sec.

R-537797-1141739523

Set 8: Mutant Dub Vinyl

  • Singers & Players feat. Sister P – Holy Scripture; Vacuum Pumping (ON U Sound) ’88 UK

<Holy Scripture; 9 sec.>

  • Zulu Warriors – Lion Dub; Zulu Warrior Dub (Mr. Modo) ’89 UK
  • Gussie Ranks & Alcapone – Bully Bwoy + Herbal Affair; 10” (Digital Conscious) 2010; herbtune
  • The Outsider Meets the High-Tech Roots Dynamic – Rumours of War; Meets High-Tech Roots Dynamics at Channel One U.K. (Jah Works) ’93 UK; melodica
  • New Age Steppers feat. Bim Sherman – Dreamers; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ’82 UK
  • Wareika Hill Sound – Kumina Mento Rasta Version; 10” (Honest Jon’s) 2010 UK instrumental
thumb2-3
E.T. loves Mutant Dub. Better than Reese’s Pieces

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-vember 15, 2014 (Stream + Tracklist) – Best of 25 Years (CD era)

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smilejamaica
Celebrating 25 Years of Reggae Radio

Greetings,

Celebrating 25 Years of Reggae Radio with the Best of Smile Jamaica: CD Edition 

<Records come from vinyl; what are CDs made of? Aluminum? 5 sec.>

Jump straight to the Jah-vember 15, 2014 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive. Read below for the Tracklist

I pulled 50 tracks from my early days of Reggae collecting (1986-1990). Then I put those 50 in chronilogical order and started juggling the Disks from 4-7 PM.

Essentially: I am trying to recreate  what my first show would have sounded like: Jah-tober 1989: Smile Jamaica.

5221-390054
Prince Buster – Nyabinghi drums from 1967. Earliest selection from Smile Jamaica’s Top 50

<Best of Smile Jamaica 25 Years High-lights; 77 sec.>

Probably the first time in a decade no Black Wax on Smile Jamaica

<Vinyl Free edition; first time in a decade; 17 sec.>

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-vember 15, 2014: Best of 25 Years.

Annotated playlist (soundbytes, Reggae History Lessons, photos, captions.)

5f854ef07de0f7b008ed097005a8fa1f
25 years of the Red, Gold and Green. Africa: Red (blood); Gold (riches); Green (harvest)

Set 1:

  • Black Uhuru – Solidarity; Anthem (Mango) ‘84

<Anthem: The album that made me a Reggae fanatic; 29 sec.>

  • Jah Shaka Meets Aswad – Addis Ababa; In Addis Ababa Studio (Jah Shaka) ’84: Dub Album of the Week; 15 sec.
  • Prince Buster – Chubby; Original Golden Oldies vol. 2 (Blue Beat) ’67; nyabinghi drumming
  • Bunny Wailer – This Train; Blackheart Man (Mango) ‘76

<Woody Guthrie’s – This Train; 25 sec.>

  • Burning Spear – Red, Gold and Green; Marcus Garvey (Mango) ‘75

<Significance of Red, Green & Gold; 45 sec.>

  • The Diamonds & the Upsetters – Talk About It; Open the Gate (Trojan) ‘75
Unknownbu
Michael Rose meets Sly & Robbie. This album started a 28 year journey into Reggae & Dubwize

Set 2: 

<Smile Jamaica used to air at 1pm when I started in ’89; 28 sec.>

  • Jacob Miller – Keep on Knocking; Who Say Jah No Dread (Greensleeves) ‘75
  • Judy Mowatt – Black Woman; Black Woman (Shanachie) ‘76
  • Dillinger – Ragnampiza; Bionic Dread (Mango) ’76; 17 sec.
  • Max Romeo – Smokey Room; War ina Babylon (Mango) ’76; 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement; 17 sec.
  • Peter Tosh – Till Your Well Runs Dry; Legalize It (Columbia) ’76; William Bell cover

<Blues Reggae hybrid; 10 sec.>

you-aint-gonna-miss-your-water-until-your-well-runs-dry

Set 3:

<Smile Jamaica Best of 25 Years; 15 sec.>

  • Junior Murvin – Roots Train; Police and Thieves (Mango) ‘77
  • Marcial Griffiths – Melody Life; Naturally (Shanachie) ‘78
  • I Roy – Tiddle le Bop; Heart of a Lion (Virgin Front Line) ’78 nursery rhyme
  • Wailing Souls – Jah Give Us Life; Very Best of (Greensleeves) ‘78

<First song back after being in the hospital; Nov. 2012; 35 sec.>

171233_01_360
The perfect song after surviving 5 days in ICU with blood poisoning and six weeks off air to recover. Blessings

Set 4:

<Saturday Volunteer History on KRCL 90.9FM: 120+ years of Radio volunteering; 23 sec.>

  • Earl Zero – Please Officer; Visions of Love (Epiphany) ’79 herbtune

<4 down, 46 to go!; 10 sec.>

  • Errol Dunkley – A Little Way Different; Darling Ooh (Attack) ‘79
  • Itals – Don’t Wake the Lion; Early Recordings (Nighthawk) ‘79

<Tiger loose in Eurodisney; Paris; 11 sec.>

tiger-in-france-seine-et-marne
As if the ticket prices at Disneyland weren’t bad enough. Tiger on the loose. Not looking for Mickey or Minnie

Set 5:

<Smile Jamaica Best of 25: From 50 cuts to 33 gems: diamond ruff; 13 sec.>

  • Bob Marley & the Wailers – Forever Loving Jah; Uprising (Tuff Gong) ‘80

<When Bob Marley CD’s were first released; 54 sec.>

  • The Beat – Mirror in the Bathroom; I Just Can’t Stop It (Go Feet!/IRS) ’80 2 Tone ska
  • Linton Kwesi Johnson – Fite Dem Back; Forces of Victory (Mango) ’80 UK dub poet

<Skinhead shoelaces: Red laces – anti-Racist skins; White laces – Racist skins; 37 sec.>

Unknownupr
When Island finally got around to releasing the Marley catalog on CD, I took part of my student loan check and bought every one: From Catch a Fire to Rebel Music. Ronald Reagan was a great supporter of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives via the Pell Grant and Loans. Give thanks!

Set 6:

<Smile Jamaica: 25 years of Bass in ur Face! 18 sec.>

  • Rita Marley – One Draw; Big Blunts vol. 1 (Tommy Boy)  ’81 herb tune

<Wailers Family Tree: Bob, Bunny, Peter, Rita, Marcia, Judy; 22 sec.>

  • Dennis Brown – If I Had the World; Foul Play (A & M) ‘81
113764220
One draw. Draw is a verb. To inhale, draw, smoke from a smoking utensil or spliff. Probably comes from draft. As in pour me a draft of Heineken while I take a draw off my spliff. 4 down, 46 to go!

Set 7:

<25 Years!; 13 sec.>

  • Toure’ Kunda; E’mma; E’mma Africa (Celluloid) ’81; Senegalese West African reggae

<Weaponized Ebola got loose in West Africa? 18 sec.>

  • The Selecter – Celebrate the Bullet; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’81 2 Tone ska w/ Pauline Black on vox
  • Culture – Lion Rock; Lion Rock (Heartbeat) ‘82

<Put HIM on the currency: Lion Rock; 13 sec.>

  • Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse; Night Nurse (Mango) ‘82
Unknownebola
Summer of 2014: ISIS, downed Malaysian airliner, Gaza and ebola all happened in the same week. Google weaponized ebola. Conspiracy theory? No, conspiracy fact!

Set 8:

<Smile Jamaica 25: From my hands to your ears!>

  • Mutabaruka – Intro + Check It!; Check It! (Alligator) ‘83 dub poet
  • Clint Eastwood & General Saint – Stop That Train; Stop That Train (Greensleeves) ’83; Melodians cover
  • Prince Far I – Survival; Umkhonto we Sizwe – Spear of the Nation (Tamoki Wambesi) ’83 posthumous deejay release

Prince Far I: him don’t drink Schweppes, just the Heineken!

Unknown
The guerrilla army of the Zulu Nation fighting apartheid in South Africa. Army of Mandela’s African National Congress

Set 9:

<Out of 50, who didn’t make the cut list for Best of Smile Jamaica; 25 sec.>

  • UB40 – Tyler; More UB40 Music (DEP) ‘83
  • Don Carlos – Jah Jah Hear My Plea; Prophecy (Blue Moon) ‘84
  • Ini Kamoze – World a Music; Mini LP (Mango) ‘84

<Rutabaga Reese: My mentor on Smile Jamaica>

 

bless, robt

IniKamozeLP1050
One of the earliest additions to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives.

 

 

Smile Jamaica Livicated to Peter Tosh: Oct. 19, 1944

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peter_tosh_reggae_warrior_by_roberlan-d4s2ad3
Winston Hubert McIntosh; Oct. 19, 1944-Sept. 11, 1987 on guitar and baritone vox in Jah’s Heavenly Choir

Greetings,

Smile Jamaica pays tribute to the man who put the militant wrath to Roots Reggae. Peter Tosh born Oct. 19, 1944.

Let us honor him by spinning his music today pon your Hi Fi. Vinyl Preferred

<Smile Jamaica Peter Tosh Listening Day; Oct. 19; 23 sec.>

Huge huge influence on me. Not just for Reggae Music but my personal politics. Tosh did not do “Lesser of Two Evils”. 

He defined support for the Seven Leaf with Legalize It. No pussy footin’

<Peter live in the studio: Don’t Wanna Get Busted; 2 min 26 sec.>

 Here are my personal Tributes in the form of Reggae History Lesson vox files from the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive Podcasts.

one_love_peace_concert_poster
Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die…Peter Tosh

bless, robt

No. 1: Tosh History Lesson: Oct.. 18, 2014

Peter was murdered in terrible circumstances on the eerie foreshadowed date of Sept. 11, 1987.

From Wikipedia:

On 11 September 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house demanding money.[13] Tosh replied that he did not have any with him but the gang did not believe him. They stayed at his residence for several hours and tortured him in an attempt to extort money from Tosh. During this time, Tosh’s associates came to his house to greet him because of his return to Jamaica. As people arrived, the gunmen became more and more frustrated, especially the chief thug, Dennis “Leppo” Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence.[13] Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban put a gun to Tosh’s head and shot once, killing him. The other gunmen began shooting, wounding several other people and also killing disc jockeys Doc Brown and Jeff “Free I” Dixon. Leppo surrendered to the authorities. He was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted in 1995 and he remains in jail. The other two gunmen were never identified by name.[14]

toshkiller
Many rumors about why and who killed The Bush Doctor….

I remember how I found out about this tragedy. My sister was in SLC and I went to pick her up at the airport. I pick up a newspaper and at the top of Page 2: “Reggae star murdered in Jamaica”

F-Bomb! I had just bought his album, No Nuclear War, and expected I would get to see him on tour to promote it. Nope.

nonuclearwar
Was looking forward to a 1988 American Tour to support this album that came out Sept. 1987, within days of his murder

Ah, but the story doesn’t end there. 38 days later, on Peter’s birthday, Oct. 19th, 1987 the Stock Market suffered the greatest crash since The Great Depression in 1929.

Wikipedia:

Black Monday refers to Monday, October 19, 1987, when stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time. The crash began in Hong Kong and spread west to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already declined by a significant margin. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped by 508 points to 1738.74 (22.61%).

Black-Monday-the-Stock-Market-Crash-of-1987-NYT
Black Monday? More like Peter Tosh’s Hairy Eyeball

I like to think that Peter Tosh got in his licks from beyond this world. Praise Jah, his birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Because the conditions are ripe for another crash.

De-dollarization is what Ukraine is really about. Russia doesn’t want to sell energy in the reserve currency: dollars. They will accept rubles, yuan (Chinese currency) or gold. Tosh predicted this with his tune The Day the Dollar Died.

<Peter Tosh: Livicated to his legacy, prophecy and his supernatural powers; 1 min 55>

dollar-die-
Dollar or green toilet paper?

No 2 Peter Toshisms. Peter had a unique lexicon of word mashups that twisted convention into cynical reality. Here are a few off the top of my head:

  1. “No such thing as a diatribe, I preach livatribes”
  2. ““The Crime Ministers who shit in the House of Represent-A-T’ief”.
  • America – A-sad-ica; because there is nothing “merry” about America
  • <Toshism: America = A-sad-ica>
  • Edward Seaga – head of right wing Jamaican Labour Party – Edward CIA-ga
  • House of Representatives – House of Represent a Thief
  • Poltics = Politricks
  • Prime Minster – Crime Minsister
  • System – Shitstem
Unknownkuffiyeh
Militant dread in full kuffiyeh

 No. 3: Reggae History Lesson: Peter Tosh pays a steep price for “Legalize It, I will advertise it” at the One Love Peace Concert

From Wikipedia:

The One Love Peace Concert was a large concert held on April 22, 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People’s National Party. The concert came to its peak during Bob Marley & The Wailers‘ performance of “Jammin'”, when Marley joined the hands of political rivals Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP)

The One Love Peace Concert brought together 16 of Reggae’s biggest acts, and was dubbed by the media as the “Third World Woodstock”, “Bob Marley plays for Peace” and simply, “Bob Marley Is Back.” The concert attracted more than 32,000 spectators with the proceeds of the show going towards “much needed sanitary facilities and housing for the sufferahs in West Kinston.” The concert was kicked off at exactly 5:00 PM with a message from Asfa Wossen, the crown prince of Ethiopia, praising the concert organizers’ efforts to restore peace in Jamaica. This introduction to the event is important in illustrating the growing prevalence of the Rastafari movement in everyday Jamaican culture. The concert was divided into two halves, with the first half devoted to showcasing some of Reggae’s newer talent, and the second half devoted to the more established artists.

Tosh harangued the audience from the stage. Taunting the cops and poltrixters on legalizing herb and supporting colonial states like Rhodesia and South Africa. The cops caught up to him later and beat him nearly to death.

heartland_reggae_unkn
One Love Peace Concert movie: Bob, Peter, Jacob Miller, Dennis Brown and more; Apr. 22, 1978

Here is my take on the story:

Here is Peter himself telling the story:

 

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Sept. 20, 2014 (Stream + Playlist); 25 Year Anniversary: Vinyl is Vital Edition

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Happy Anniversary to I ‘n’ I. 25 Years of Smile Jamaica Reggae Radio

<Smile Jamaica Radio Autobiography; 73 sec.>

Jump  straight to the Sept. 20th 2014 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive: 33 songs for 25 Years.

Or read the story and look below for the Annotated Playlist

Greetings,

Aww, strolling down memory lane. 25 years every Saturday on Smile Jamaica. As the Ark-Ive grows, it just takes too long to cull from A to Z. All the Vinyl especially. I just reminisce too much on each album. Where I bought it, why I bought it. Are there herb tunes or Marley covers I forgot about? Halloween ditties or other oddities….and on and on and on.

So my methodology was to try my best to re-create a potential first episode. (I actually debuted first Saturday of KRCL’s Fall Radiothon). So I knew I would have to have a representative from at least a dozen or so of my original favorite artists….all on Black Wax. 50 Records where I get to juggle, consistently from show to show, between 32-35 selections over 3 hours.

I knew I had to feature these artists:

  1. Bob Marley
  2. Don Carlos
  3. Jimmy Cliff
  4. Burning Spear
  5. Lee Perry’s brooding Black Ark sound
  6. Roots Dawtas
  7. Seven Leaf
  8. UK artists
  9. Adrian Sherwood’s Mutant Dub ON U Sound label
  10. The Clash – discovered Reggae via UK punkers before Marley, Tosh and Bunny
Don Carlos - Prophecy (lp) Blue MoonNegus Roots 1980
Everyone on the floor of my dorm at the U of U got to “enjoy” this album. Perhaps my all time favorite?

Plus songs that I absolutely loved in the 1986-1988 Era:

  • Culture – Calling Rastafari
  • UB40 female toaster V’s Version from the rare dubble disk UK version pared down to a single in the US – Baggariddim
  • Big Youth – Get On Up. Hardcore Reggae disco funk
  • Sister Frica – One in the Spirit: From Methodist Sunday School to Pablo’s “Far East” Jamaican sound
  • Arthur Louis – beautiful version with Eric Clapton of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Below is the Annotated Playlist: Reggae History Lessons, Soundbites, Playlist, photos and captions.

On this Playlist, I search deep in my LONG term memory to try and remember where I would have purchased these Black Wax Vinyls; 1986-1988. Most of  these Record Stores are gone now, but back in the day it was a Vinyl Paradise. Lps were cheap to make way for these new gizmos called CDs.

Thanks for being a part of 25 years listening to Smile Jamaica. Forward ever, backwards never!

bless, robt

Red-Green-Gold-Lion
25 Years of the Red Gold and Green. Give Thanx!

Playlist: Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Sept. 20, 2014

Set 1: 25 Year All Vinyl Is Vital Showcase

  • Black Uhuru – Party Next Door; Anthem (Mango) ’84 US (Smokey’s Records, SLC)
  • Bullwackies All Stars – Recording Connection; Black World (Wackies) ’79 Dub Album of the Week; NYC
  • Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jah Live; Countryman Soundtrack (Mango) ’82 US (Cosmic Aeroplane, SLC); single recorded 1976

<Reggae History Lesson: Bob Marley: You cyaan (can’t) kill God! 25 sec.>

  • Rita Marley – Beauty of God’s Plan; Rita Marley (Trident) ’81 UK (Streetlight Records, SF)
  • Culture – Calling Rastafari; Calling Rastafari (Nighthawk)  ’82 Various Artist St. Louis, Jah-ssouri (Randy’s Records, SLC)

<Reggae History Lesson: US Record Labels slinging Reggae; 30 sec.>

  • Black Slate – Legalize Collie Herb + Legal Dub; Rasta Festival (Alligator) UK 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement; ’81 Jah-cago blues label (Rasputin Records, Berkeley)
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T Shirt from Year 1 of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive (circa 1988). 1976 single written after Haile Selassie was overthrown as Emperor of Ethiopia and imprisoned by the Dergue (Ethiopian Communists)

Set 2:

  • Desmond Dekker – Big Headed; Compass Point (Stiff) ’81 UK (Streetlight Records, SF)
  • Junior Byles – Cally Weed; Rasta No Pickpocket (Nighthawk) ’86 herb tune; St. Louis, Jah-ssouri (label promo)
  • The Selecter – Bristol and Miami; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis)  ’81 2 Tone Brit Ska; about riots in UK and FL (Mad Platter Records, SLC)
  • Don Carlos – Living in Harmony; Prophecy (Blue Moon/Magnum)  ’85 UK (RAS mail order, DC)
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Ferguson 2014. Miami 1980

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set 3:

  • The Congos – Children Crying; Heart of the Congos (Congo Ashanty)  ’77 JA; Lee Perry/Black Ark/Upsetters (RAS mail order)
  • Big Youth – Get On Up; Rock Holy (Negusa Negast) ’80 JA (RAS mail order)
  • Burning Spear – Jah a Guh Raid; Hail H.I.M. (Burning Spear) ’80 JA (Rutabaga Records, SLC)
  • Sister Frica – One in the Spirit; Rockers All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’83 A. Pablo prod’n; Sunday School Hymn (label promo)
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While my Dad was on the City Council. Methodist Sunday School hymn

Set 4:

  • Alpha Blondy & the Wailers – Jerusalem; Jerusalem (Stern’s) ’86 UK; Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa (RAS mail order)
  • Desi Roots – Weedfields; Doing it Right (Hawkeye) ’80 UK; herb tune (Esoteric Records, Sacramento)
  • Dillinger – Check Sister Jane; King Pharoah (Blue Moon/Magnum) ‘84 UK; Marley Waiting in Vain –  Johnny Clarke (Greensleeves mail order, UK)
AllCDCovers_alpha_blondy_jerusalem_
One of hundreds of gems my Smile Jamaica predecessor, John “Rutabaga” Resse, turned me on to circa 1987-88

Set 5:

  • Arthur Louis – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; This is Reggae Music vol. 2 (Island) ’75 US Bob Dylan cover (Smokey’s Records, SLC)

<Arthur Louis and Eric Clapton cover Dylan; 32 sec.>

<Reggae History Lesson: Reggae’s love of AM pop and black soul; 23 sec.>

  • Jimmy Cliff – Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow; Best of Jimmy Cliff (Island) ’75 Jah-taly; folk ballad (Half Price Records, Berkeley)
  • UB40 & Sister V – V’s Version; Baggariddim (Virgin) ‘85 dubble disk. Update of Boy Friday rock steady classic (Randy’s Records, SLC)
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Perhaps the best Zimmy cover of this out of hundreds. Eric Clapton on guitar

Set 6:

  • Ruffy & Tuffy – Third World War; Climax (Black Star) ‘88 Finland (Tower Records, SF)

<World War III as predicted by Nelstradamus last Feb. during Ukraine Coup; 16 sec.>

<Cold War II, Electric Boogaloo: Obama v. Putin; 20 sec.>

  • Lone Ranger – Legalise the National Herb; Hi-Yo, Silver, Away! (Greensleeves) ’82 UK herb tune (Tower Records, Las Vegas)
  • Leroy Smart – Rock and Come On; On Top (Micron) ’82 Can. (RAS mail order)
  • Full Experience feat. Aura – Young, Gifted and Broke; Aura Meets Lee “Scratch” Perry at Black Ark Studios  (Blue Moon) Fr. Nina Simone cover; Black Ark w female vox (RAS mail order)
137294_600
Cold War II – Proof that the sequel is never as good as the original

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set 7:

  • Casselberry & DuPree – Coming in From the Cold; City Down (Icebergg); ’86 Jah-waukee Marley cover (label promo)
  • The Clash feat. Mikey Dread – Bankrobber/Robber dub; Black Market Clash (NuDisk) 10” US (Randy’s Records)
  • Johnny Clarke – Rebel Soldering; Don’t Trouble Trouble (Attack) ’88 UK; Bunny Lee comp (Smokey’s Records)

<Smile Jamaica Reggae Lexicon: Soldering or Welding; 10 sec.>

  • Flick Wilson – Slave Master; School Days (Jah Life) ’80 JA (The Beat, Sacramento, CA)
The_Clash_-_Black_Market_Clash
10″ Vinyl picture sleeve Nu Disk. One of the very first additions to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. Randy’s Records, Salt Lake City; Oct. 1986

Set 8: Mutant Dub Adrian Sherwood set

  • Bim Sherman – Mighty Ruler; Dancer (Century) ’84 UK (Rough Trade, SF)
  • Akabu – Time; Akabu (Viva)  ’89 UK female roots group (Rough Trade, SF)
  • Dub Syndicate feat. Bim Sherman; Strike the Balance (ON U Sound) ’89 Fr (ON U Sound mail order, UK).
  • Singers & Players feat. Mikey Dread – School Days; Staggering Heights (ON U Sound) ’83 UK (Rough Trade, SF)
  • New Age Steppers – Stabilizer; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ‘82 (ON U Sound mail order)
  • African Head Charge – Stebeni’s Theme; My Life in a Hole in the Ground (ON U Sound) ’81 African w/ female vox (Cosmic Aeroplane, SLC) 
onu family
Rutabaga Reese turned me on to Adrian Sherwood and the ON U Sound Mutant Dub Massive. Circa 1987