Fort Benton, Jah-tana the Birthplace of Jah-tana and Smile Jamaica
Greetings,
Back from the land of my birth: Fort Benton, Jah-tana. Put a thousand miles on the Dubmobile. I took the long way home
Wheel it back to July 12…
Finished up Smile Jamaica, Saturday Night Stylee from SLC north on a hot evening jag to Idaho Falls. Nice to have late night sun to cruise to. Heavy duty bass tunes to keep me awake without caffeination. Every. Step. of the Way. Bunk for the night. Get in to a Super Full Moon dark sky about Midnite. (213 miles).
Super Moon – the Subwoofer of Moons. I looked for UFO’s. No luck, sadly. New Season of Ancient Aliens on H2 cable/satellite. Friday nights. Smile Jamaica approved
Straight up I-15. Sunday Morning. No road rage here. 6am and I am up. As Bob sang, “Sun is shining and the weather is sweet. Makes me wanna move my dancing feet.” In Jah-tana in July, the Sun is up at 5am and sets after 11pm.
Caffeine + bass = caffabass. Better set the cruise control or Johnny Law will give I the Hairy Eyeball.
Caffeine the Subwoofer of stimulants. Lot of miles of open terrain at maximum volume on the Subaru Hi Fi. Sonicboomya
A heinous drive in the Winter. Until my fams started having Xmas in Jah-buquerque, New Jah-xico a few years back, I got stopped at the Monida pass 3 times in 20+ years You have two choices when the Roads on I-15 get shut down between Spencer, Idaho and Lima, Jah-tana. Or as I call it the 30 Miles of White Knuckles at 25 MPH.
Live like a refugee with thousands of other Snowbirds from Canada, long haul and livestock trucks and other Holiday travelers in the school gymnasium in Lima (population 227)
Hope to Jah you can get a hotel room in Dillon, Jah-tana (-50 miles back over brutal roads) or worse Butte (-112 miles).
Montana + Idaho = Monida Pass. 30 Miles of Vertigo at 50 MPH winds and 30 below. Do not be on this road after dark from November to May. Smile Jamaica Public Service Warning
***
Summer is a different story than White Out Jah-tana
I cross the Continental Divide a half dozen times, half a dozen rivers. Spring Wheat is a carpet of green. Winter Wheat starting to turn golden brown.
Bitterroot Valley, Jah-tana. Like driving through a summer postcard
Jah-tana Runnings:
Wind my way tillButte, Jah-tana. (Hastings chain book/music/movie spot in any Metro city of the Big Sky state.) Lots of cheap rock catalog stuff: Black Sabbath, Alice and Aerosmith for $5. New Beats Antique. (205 miles)
Headed for the People’s Republic of Missoulafor two days of cratedigging and bookdigging (Rockin’ Rudys, Ear Candy Records). Saw the new Planet of the Apes movie. Good but the Hercules trailer looks better. North of $300 at Rockin’ Rudy’s. Lots of buttons, magnets and T-shirts. Added to my Dylan and Drake bootleg collection. Took three clerks and the owner came out as they rang me up. I am known as a “whale” in the Cratedigging biz. Lots of great used stock I read about in Rolling Stone and Mojo. Bob & Gene, Cheech and Chong. Some Missoula reggae, The New CSNY reissue. Ear Candy: Bombay Disco and a group called Kadavar. Checked everywhere but no Vinyl for I’n’ I to be had in Jah-tana. The vagaries of cratedigging. (118 miles)
Not ze German ZZ Top: Kadavar: Ear Candy Records Missoula, Jah-tana
One day back in my old University town, Bozeman, Jah-tana. Main Street stroll: Cactus Records, Vargo’s Jazz and Books. A beer at the resurrected Rockin’ R
Main Street Bozeman. I lived two blocks from here from Sept. 1984-June 1986. Bought 100’s of albums
Not finding good luck in Bozeman lately. The Anchorman 2 and American Hustle Soundtracks was about it. Funny story buying Bob Marley and Johnny Cash Tee shirts in the mall. More to come…(202 miles)
Good movie but better Soundtrack. Hastings: Bozeman, Jah-tana
Then home to the Hi Line (North Central Montana) through Helena (the Capitol) and Great Falls. 35 miles to the Birthplace of Jah-tana: Fort Benton. (225 miles).
bless, robt
Fort Benton, Jah-tana. North Central. Midpoint between Great Falls and Havre.
I work in an Academic Library (The Marriott Library at the University of Utah). Part of my duties is to assist patrons at the Help Desk on Level 2.
It is really quiet in the Summer. I thought I would work up a little birthday posting on account of His Imperial Majesty.
I went to the Marriott’s webpage and found a copy of the above photo: Drawn by Alvin Gittens. Hanging on the fifth floor of the Marriott Library.*
*Alvin’s son Chris trained me at KRCL 90.9FM. His father was flown in to Addis Ababa to paint an impatient Emperor. HIM was only willing to sit for about the half the time Gittens’ usually devoted to his portraits. Chris passed away about a decade ago of cancer.
As I was finishing the caption above, a dapper black gentlemen approached my desk. This is a case of serendipity or synchronicity or kismet. The patron wanted to know, in a crisp African accent, where the Library kept its History books on Ethiopia. The Zion of Rastafari. The Kingdom of His Imperial Majesty. Goosebumps!
East Africa. Capital is Addis Ababa (New Flower)
The Library of Congress Classification for Ethiopian History (or its former name Abyssinia) is in the DT 371-390 shelves.
While I walked this gentleman and his wife to the section, I asked him if he knew today (July 23) was Haile Selassie’s Birthday. His eyes lit up. “How did you know that!”. I told him about Smile Jamaica and my 26 years of devotion to Ethiopian-esque and especially paying tribute and respect to His Imperial Majesty.
He was amazed. I recommended several books I had read. This man is a Physician who was writing a novel set in his home country. We chatted about our mutual admiration for Selassie. He was proud that his country had come out of 25 years of Civil War and repression to be the fastest growing economy in Africa.
It was really nice to know that my admiration of Selassie could be of use in my professional job. And even better: I recruited another soldier of Jah’s Army by virtue of the Rastafari Gospel that I “preach” for 26 years doing Reggae Radio. I let the music function as hymns to HIM.
Go on the Google and search for Ethiopian Angel images. Love their art
A suggestion: It is preferred to call believers in HIM: Rastafari. Singular and plural. As Bob Marley said, “Don’t bother me with your isms and schisms”
<Carlene Davis – Isms and Schisms; 4 min>
That said there are two important caveats: The Rastafarians – the Reggae group out of Rasta Cruz, Collie-fornya. And Leonard E. Barrett’s crucial academic book The Rastafarians
Vinyl outta Rasta Cruz, Collie-fornya. Featuring the greatest performer name in the history of Reggae Music: Herb Daly
Barrett’s book was a huge influence on me. Some of the lessons learned were how important Hinduism was to early Rastas. When Jamaicans threw off the yoke of slavery, British plantation owners imported Hindu laborers from Britain’s India Colony. Blacks and Indians worked side by side.
Hindu influences include:
Reincarnation: Some sects of Rastafari believe that HIM is the embodiment of Christ returning to Earth.
Ganja – Hindus brought Cannabis from India to Jamaica where blacks partook of the Seven Leaf as well
Kali – The Hindu Goddess of destruction where the ritual consumption of cannabis was part of worship. Rastas also ritually smoke cannabis or Collie. “Collie gives you wisdom.”
Dreadlocks – Hindu Sadhus flashed dreads as a physical manifestation of belief. Rastas adopted the practice and modified it with the Old Testament Nazarite Vow
26 years of Reggae Radio on KRCL: 45 shows avg./year, 3 hours per show for 26 years: 3500+ hours (146 straight days, Selah!)
<26 Years of Reggae Radio: 3500 hours; 50 sec.>
Plus 3 months of Global Gumbo summer of ’89 (30 or so). Plus 9 years of Radioactive (over 400 hourly interviews of Progressive politics). Before KRCL went pro during the daytime I loved to fill in on shows like Breakfast Jam, Roots and Blues and Drive Time. Plus, I kept the chair warm for Reggae Ambassador Wednesday Night stalwart Papa Pilgrim for about six months when he recovered from surgery. Add another 1000 hours. Give thanks!
Reggae Radio in the era of Ronnie Raygun. Fighting war with his lollipops and jellybeans. He did fund my Ark-ives with his student loans though. Ron also believed in Extra Terrestrials.
Too much Tribal War. Driving me crazy. Brother killing brother. Old as Cain and Abel but there are more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, nearly that many in Africa and Ukraine vs. Russia., actively killing and bombing and destroying themselves. Jah-pon is about to re-militarize. WTF? Whatever happened to the Summer of Love?
Armageddon around the corner, I am afraid we are all Fukashima’d.
A reality so horrifying there is a press embargo. We are all Fukashima’d
Here are two songs to fit my bummer mood.
1. Sun Ra Arkestra – Nuclear War
2. Spiritual Rez – Let’s Go Out With a Bang
Either way you’re getting probed! I try to stay positive, but Reggae always points the way. I’m going to play some prophecy, (actually Ska-phecy), from The Special AKA when this happened in the Holy Land 30 years ago.
Bombs to settle arguments, the order of the boot
Can you hear them crying in the rubble of Beirut?I can still see people dying, now who takes the blame?
the numbers are different, the crime is still the sameFrom the graves of Belsen where the innocent were burned
To the genocide in Beirut, Israel was nothing learned?I can still hear people crying, now who takes the blame?
The numbers are different, the crime is still the sameBombs to settle arguments, the order of the boot
From the graves of Belsen, to the ruins of BeirutI can still see people dying, now who takes the blame?
The numbers are different, the crime is still the same
Here what you can expect to here this afternoon on July 12th Ark-Ive
Dub Album of the Week: Aswad – New Chapter of Dub (Mango) ’82; so the music never stops
A CD set worth of scores from my Vegas/Cedar City crate dig: Culture, Joe Gibbs 12″ collection, Tosh bootleg
Wailers Family Tree: Bob’s last live performance; Pittsburgh, Jah-sylvania, Peter Tosh – rarities from dubble disk version of Equal Rights ’77. Introducing Bunny Wailer – Rule Dance Hall ’87.
Vinyl is Vital midway – The Black Wax World Tour
420 and Seven Leaf Meditations from Ganja Farmers like Niney and Tosh
<Osterity vs. Jah-sterity: Smile Jamaica’s Seven Leaf Utopia; 90 sec.>
Mutant Dub in the last half hour brought to you by the letter A: African Headcharge, Natacha Atlas, Al Haca Sound out of Jah-spana (Spain)
Extended Mix vinyl singles
Roots Dawtas: new Hollie Cook, Marcia Griffiths, Aisha
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica live every Saturday 4-7 PM Mtn. Time:
Happy Anniversary to I ‘n’ I: 26 Years of Reggae Radio: July 4, 1988: 3 O’Clock Roadblock
Greetings,
Monday July 4, 1988 I unveiled a Graveyard hour Reggae, World and Ska show called 3 O’Clock Roadblock. Thus, I ‘n’ I (WE) celebrate together 26 years. Give Thanks!
Before I ‘n’ I move forward, let’s see how last week’s Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive charted on Mixcloud:June 21, 2014
Yes I! Another Top Ten Black Wax result for 26 years of Love & Devotion at 33 and 1/3 or 45 REVOLUTIONS! per Minute
I moved to Utah to go to University Fall 1986. I had spent the previous 3 years in Bozeman, Jah-tana. Go Bobcats!
My last (and coldest) year at Montana State, I discovered their community/college radio station KGLT.
My musical tastes were sort of in limbo. I had just started subscribing to this new magazine, Spin.I was big into college rock: The Minutemen, (Double Nickels on the Dime,), The Replacements (Pleased to Meet Me) and Husker Du (New Day Rising).
When I wasn’t listening to the local radio, I was watching MTV when the station actually played music videos: The Cult, Big Audio Dynamite, Jesus and Mary Chain.
Before the Real World and all that junk, I watched this about two hours a night in the mid 80’s
I was alienated from most contemporary Rock (too many synth drums, Neil Young as a Republican), Hair Metal balladry (Perfect for the culturally bereft Reagan “Just Say No” era). The Clash fell apart.
And the only King of Pop for me is the King of Kings: The Negus; Negusa Negast; Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Elect of God, ever-living Jah. Earth’s Rightful Ruler
<Smile Jamaica Reggae History Lesson: Definition of Negus. 17 sec.>
Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia. Born July 23, 1892. From the line of King David. My brother, David: also born July 23. Baraka!
So when I got my Student Loan check from Uncle Ron, I had some easy cash for these new fangled things called the Compact Disk. Moving from 25,000 people in Bozeman to a couple hundred thousand in Salt Lake City gave me more musical choices.
I bought a little blues, I picked up some quality world music. Mostly in Salt Lake stores long gone: Smokey’s Records, Raspberry Records, The Mad Platter. The (real) Cosmic Aeroplane.
My first Reggae acquisitions: Jimmy Cliff Harder They Come soundtrack and Reggae Greats. Bob Marley’s whole catalog had just been reissued on CD for midline price. Bought them all. Sly and Robbie – Taxi Fare: The very first CD purchase. Steel Pulse – True Democracy. UB40 – Labour of Love
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: The first CD addition; Fall 1986; Smokey’s Records, Salt Lake City, Utah
***
As usual my timing sucked. When I was scouting Utah as a move, I dialed in to their excellent Indie station: KCGL. Listened to it every day all day when I relocated. Alas, about six weeks into Fall of 1986, it was bought out and converted to a religious station. WTF?
As Bob Marley said, “When one door closes, another will open.” A friend I had met in the dorms turned me on to Salt Lake’s Community station, KRCL.
That’s how I learned about Reggae Radio: from their Saturday Afternoon program, Smile Jamaica (then heard 1-4pm.)
My friend was a Jewish kid from Baltimore, computer programming major who had a really great CD collection and the stereo setup to make it pop. The dorms at the University of Utah were glorified closets encased in brick. Excellent environment for sound ricochet.
I told my buddy Neal that I had been, sort of, gravitating towards Reggae out of these compelling sub genres thanks to my radio consumption of Smile Jamaica.
He went to his book shelf and grabbed Black Uhuru’s Anthem off a rack. Popped it into his Nakamichi super duper CD player. Bose 901 speakers. Itched up the volume for a Friday night. And KABOOM!!!
Foundation album in the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. This release took me from casual observer to Reggae and Dub fanatic on the first listen!
Sly & Robbie were in high demand during the midpoint of this decade of wretched excess wiring the groove of synthesized drum & bass. Perfect for Roots Reggae. Dylan, Springsteen, Clapton and The Stones? Meh, not so much.
Michael Rose’s Afro Arab singing was right in line with my understanding of African vocalists like King Sunny, Youssou N’Dour and Fela Kuti.
Female singer Puma Jones’ a-syncopated harmonies clashed with Ducky Simpson’s growl foreshadowed my complete and never ending immersion in Reggae ever since. 28 years of collecting it. 26 years of promoting it on the extra terrestrial Radio waves.
Uhuru – Swahili for freedom. The late, great Puma Jones rockin’ the sexiest underarm hair since Patti Smith
Black Uhuru – Anthem. More than any of the 70s Roots or UB40’s pop groove.
This was protest music for me. Anthems for the underdogs. I had found something to synchronize my politics, too, as a life long anti-authoritarian Progressive who has voted Third Party since 1984 when I became old enough to vote.
Pretty much all my expendable income was and is going to Roots Reggae from Fall of 1986 till I join Jah’s Heavenly Choir.
“I see a Vision of Jah Rainbow in his Heavenly Abode”
I tell you how I got on KRCL with this Anniversary Preview Post. This Ark-Ive Stream Edition Podcast celebrates that legacy with All Vinyl.
Give thanks,
Hit the link above or below and feast your ears on these musical treats
Vinyl liberated from 112 degrees Las Vegas: Third World, Jimmy Riley, Josey Wales
Roots Dawtas. Hard hitting UK Dub poetesses
Seven Leaf and 420 Cannabis Service Announcement
<Seven Leaf Jah-sterity; 1 min 34 sec?>
Osterity: “Do as I say, not as I do”. Jah-sterity: Legalize It, I will advertise it”.
Mutant Dubwize to end the program. Black Wax stylee
Heavy Roots & Culture stretched out with Extended Mix dubjams
bless, robt
The Playlist:
Black Uhuru – What Is Life?; Anthem (Mango) ’84 US
The Scientist Meets Ted Sirota’s – Scientific Strut; Heavyweight Dub (Liberated Zone) 2013; Dub Album of the Week
Jimmy Riley – I Wish It Would Rain; Rydim Driven (Mango) ’81 US: Temptations soul cover
Misty in Roots – City Runnings; In Progess (People Unite) ’84 UK
Sister Netifa – Daughters of the Soil; Woman Determined (Aluta) ’88 UK female dub poet
John Holt – Police in Helicopter; 12” (Holt) ’83 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement***End of Set 1
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: 3 different Vinyl mixes of the first Reggae Grammy Winner: US, UK, Jamaican
Third World – The Story’s Been Told; 12” (Island) ’79 German pressing
Mighty Diamonds – One Brother Short; Vital Selection (Virgin Front Line) ’81 UK best of
Jean Binta Breeze – Tracks + Nanny; Tracks (LKJ) ’91 UK dub poet. Nanny national hero of Jamaica***End of Set 2
LKJ Production: UK female dub poet
Josey Wales – Who We Baby; 12” (Volcano) ‘83
The Selecter – Deep Water; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’81 2 Tone ska; Pauline Black vox
Niccodemus (sic) – Spar With Me; Dance Hall Style (Black Joy) ’82 UK***End of Set 3
2 Tone Brit Ska with Pauline Black on vox
10 Ft. Ganja Plant – Sing and Dance; Skycatcher (ROIR) 2013 Upstate Jah York
Sis Nya – Serious Time; Jah Music (Jah Shaka) ‘87 UK female vox
Michael Palmer – Ghetto Living; Ghetto Living (Bebo’s Music) ’85 Wheaton, Maryland
Barrington Spence – Jah Jah Train; Speak Softly (Trojan ‘76 UK***End of Set 4
Jah Jah Train a comin’ Better get on board!
Sister Carol – Liberation For the African; Liberation For Africa (Serious Gold) ’83 NYC Sevenleaf Vinyl set
Lovindeer – Free the Marijuana; De Blinkin’ Bus (TSOJ) ’82 JA
Lion Youth – Natty Bring de Couchi; Love Comes & Goes (Virgo Stomach) ‘81 UK clear vinyl
The Heptones – Sensemenia Collie; One Step Ahead (Sonic) JA***End of Set 5
The Anunnaki will return to Earth when we Free the Weed!
Carlton Livingston – 100 Lbs. of Collie; 10” (Roots Injection) 2010 mutant dub herbal update of his classic 420
Capital Letters – Fire; Headline News (Greensleeves) ’79 UK youth group
Junior Ross and the Spears – You Can’t Run; Babylon Fall (Stars) ’76 JA
Jennifer Lara – Hand to Mouth; High Times All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’85 Jah-cago; blues label/reggae ***End of Set 6
Before CNN: The CIA News Network
Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus – Black Vibes; Revelation (Trojan) ’82 UK niyabinghi drums
New Age Steppers feat. Ari Up – Stormy Weather; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ’82 UK Billie Holiday feat. Female vox
Singers and Players feat. Sister P. – Holy Scripture; Vacuum Pumping ’88 UK mutant dub set
Motion Detector – Dubtrain; 12” (LSF) 2002 US red vinyl
The Outsider – Rumours of War; The Outsider Meets the High-Tech Roots Dyanmics (Jah Works) ’93 UK melodica dubs
26 Year Reggae Radio Anniversary: July 2, 1988; 3 o’Clock Roadblock; 3 to 6 AM Monday graveyard
Greetings,
26 years ago I embarked on a new hobby:Reggae Radio. It was Spring of 1988. My college roommate and I were in the Pie Pizzeria near campus at the University of Utah. They had the local community radio station on their Hi Fi: KRCL 90.9FM
Types of Radio:
Commercial: For profit, various formats, funded via advertisements
College: Managed by students, “college rock” indie format, funded via grants, radiothons, student fees and University support. Non-commercial (no adverts)
Public Radio: may or not be affiliated with a University. Mostly geared to NPR talk comment and similar. Funded mostly via Radiothons, donors, local businesses. Non-commercial (no adverts)
Community Radio: Usually done as a community asset rather than a campus entity. Funded via Radiothons*. Non-commercial (no adverts)
KRCL 90.9FM, where I have deejayed now for 26 years is a Community Radio station
*Radiothon is where the station interrupts regular programming, for a week or ten days at a time, to entice listeners to pay to become members. The price of not taking advertising. (By license, non-commercial stations are not allowed to accept advertising.) We run Public Service Announcements for non-profit groups and charge local business underwriting. “Smile Jamaica is sponsored by One Stop Smoke Shop.” Lowkey, non-advocacy. Can’t say, “Come on down to One Stop Smoke Shop”.
The Smile Jamaica Mothership
Back to my story….
Roomie and I were having a slice and heard that KRCL was looking for new volunteers to host shows. The two of us had been involved with the re-start of the U of U’s college station called KUTE. Even though KUTE only broadcast in the student union, it did give me a little bit of experience on how be “on mic”.
Long story short: I had been doing a Reggae show on KUTE called Positive Vibrations. My roommate was into contemporary 80’s music and they weren’t looking for that. I got the nod to be trained. He did not.
Chris Gittins (RIP) was a long time programmer at KRCL and he trained me on the ins and outs, the rules and regs. Great guy. Very good mentor. KUER’s station manager John Greene (or as I call him Juan Verde) was KRCL’s station manager. Another top rank radio man.
Haile Selassie portrait painted by University of Utah’s Alvin Gittins. Chris was his son
In most community radio stations you have to pay your dues. And that means graveyard slots. Mine was 3-6 AM Monday Morning. I would try and sleep for a few hours, Sunday night, and then set the alarm with plenty of time to drive to the station. During the coldest winter in decades.
I called my show 3 O’clock Roadblock from Bob Marley. However, it wasn’t Bob but Black Uhuru who were my favorite Reggae group. I always started off a show with one of their selections.
Not Bob, not Peter not UB40: Black Uhuru and this album started my lifetime fascination with Reggae music & culture
My first show was 4th of July Weekend (July 2), 1988. It was fun and gave me plenty of time to figure out how to do radio without a ton of people listening in.
I went to San Francisco in early June to “load up” on Roots: Vinyl discards in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Reno. Started buying some CDs too. CDs were fresh and the Vinyl was cheap as people got out of the wax and into the aluminum (or whatever Cds are made of.)
June 1988, Bay Area crate dig: Needed fresh wax for new Reggae Radio show: Back when Box Sets actually came in a box
I programmed 3 O’clock Roadblock from July 1988 to August 1989. I couldn’t hack the disruption every Monday after crashing at 6 AM and trying to sleep.
But then the host of Smile Jamaica at the time, John “Rutabaga” Reese, was looking to transition back to a true weekend lifestyle. I apprenticed with him starting October 1989 (Radiothon weekend). We did the show together, alternating sets, for a while. Then every other weekend. Summer 1989 I came back from another crate dig in the Bay Area and he called me to say he was ready to let me fly solo.
And I never stopped. So today is a celebration of 26 years of Reggae Radio. More than half my life.
26 years, average 45 shows a year times 3 hours = 3500+ hours of Reggae
I come from the land of the ice and snow. I don’t do well in the heat. I just got back from a combo style work gig in Las Vegas built around a couple days of cratedigging. In 112 degree heat. Vinyl is Vital, indeed!
So to celebrate 26 years, today’s Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive, will be devoted to the Black Wax Attack. Had a nice little score of Vinyl rarities for sure-ty last week. Made sure they didn’t melt in my car from the Record Shop to my hotel room. I have been rinsing them out all morning. Pulling together 3 bags of vinyl: Lps, 7″, 10″ and 12″ singles. Soundtrack to this blog post! I am the ultimate multi-tasker: I listen as I write.
112 Heat, Las Vegas. Praise Jah it was only 1 mile from here to my hotel room. Don’t leave your kids, your dogs nor your black wax in the car at these temps!
When you crate dig for Reggae vinyl there is always going to be these titles: UB40 Labour of Love, 70’s Third World, 80’s Jimmy Cliff and Steel Pulse. Surprisingly little in Bob and Peter. They must sell as soon as they get to the racks.
The reason for that is: the major labels, who dabbled in Reggae, sent promotional vinyl. Free wax in return for airplay. Often times, they would issue special dance mix singles. THAT is what I look out for.
Here is the harvest of driving around Las Vegas in 112 degree temps with my brake sensor going off because it couldn’t handle that high temp at low elevation
Jimmy Riley: Rydim (Mango); Sly & Robbie, great soul vox on an LP of blissful soul covers
2 Third World Promo singles I didn’t have: Sense of Purpose & the Story’s Been Told (German pressing!)
The Smile Jamaica Cratedig Trifecta: Rare, Disco Mix, Picture Sleeve. Automatic purchase!
Osbscure Josey Wales Jamaican dancehall 12″
Several cool pic sleeve offerings for annual Record Store Day: Mazzy Star and Ronnie Spector with the E Street Band
Driving back from Vegas, I stopped in for gas and hit up Cedar City’s record shop: Groovacious
Found some nice titles on CD. A Euro Horace Andy, a Culture re-issue I didn’t recognize.Joe Gibbs 12″ Comp for $4 (Roots sounds better at $4 than $14).
$3.99 plus tax. Niceness!
Beastie Boy instrumental, Ohio Players, Brothers Johnson 70’s funk;. some psychedelic African revives and the fave of the dig: A Peter Tosh bootleg from 1978
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica live every Saturday 4-7 PM Mtn. Time:
Thanks for listening and promoting these Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives podcast streams either here or on Mixcloud.
While you enjoy the sounds of cool roots going on 26 plus years, (debuted on KRCL 90.9FM July 2, 1988), I get to boast up myself by tracking the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives progress on Mixcloud’s music charts. Let’s see how WE did the last last 2 weeks.
Here’s what I featured and you can check above (with the Playlist below)
I collected comic books, baseball & football cards and 7″ 45s. I did not collect Neoliberal Trading cards
Snuck away last week for a cratedig – Library conference in Las Vegas. Hit 112 on the thermometer. 122 in my car. I found some rare Vinyl and worried it would cook from the shop to Circus Circus. So I blasted the Air Conditioner on High (pun intended) straight onto the black wax:
Smile Jamaica loves Record Store Day
Jimmy Riley, Third World 12″s, Josey Wales Jamaican deejay 12″. Record store day pic sleeve 45s by Mazzy Star and Ronnie Spector and the E Street Band; when the Two Sevens Clashed (1977)
1977: A great year for music when the Two Sevens Clashed
I thought I could take this edited Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive on the road and upload to Mixcloud off of my iPad.
You know what they say about assumptions. Mixcloud doesn’t allow you to upload via iPad. They suggested Traktor DJ. Downloaded that App but due to my steep learning curve, I couldn’t get it to sync the file to then upload. Grrrr.
Disco is not a 4 letter word on Smile Jamaica: Record City, Vegas in 112 degree heat
So, home sweet home:
Vinyl is Vital: Zia’s Records, Los Vegas: $9.99. Celebrating 26 years on KRCL this Saturday: All Vinyl 3 hours! July 2, 1988 3 0’Clock Roadblock; 3-6 AM. Monday graveyard
So how does a deejay, such as myself, – who has been doing the same thing, every Saturday, same time, same channel, same show for 25 plus years keep from getting bored? Or boring? Rinse and Repeat.
Since I only deejay Smile Jamaica once every Saturday, I pack the most into my time. 3 hours: All Killer, No Filler!
7 0’clock comes. I pack up, go home and start loading up tunes for next week. Brilliant. I volunteer my time. Never taken one dime for doing Smile Jamaica. Ever and ever. Amen! Selah!
No paycheck makes it a “labour of love” (pun intended) for I!
26 Years as a Deejay on KRCL: Never been paid a dime. When you give $60 for a T shirt at Radiothon, $60 goes to the station, none for me. Give Thanx!
I actively listen to music between 4-6 hours a day. More when baseball season ends and my beloved Giants take the winter off.
A lot of that listening are disks that I harvest to my iPod. I pull the best songs and slot them into playlists by themes. When I get enough in a iTunes playlist to feature on Smile Jamaica, I know right where to go.
Lo-fi, no computers for I ‘n’ I. I don’t play digital. Itunes is for my mobile listening through earbuds. On Smile Jamaica, unless it is a request from my digital Library, it’s going to be either a CD, Vinyl or Vinyl single.
As a Librarian, this is how my profession works. Organizing information into categories. Once I get my playlists in a searchable format, I can easily track down the physical object within the massive Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives.
So I had enough to do a set devoted to Neoliberal hit man James Bond.
I played the ska cover theme version by Studio One sax stalwart Roland Alphonso; Roland again alongside Los Jah-ngeles, Collie-fornya Third Wave ska group Jump With Joey. I ended the set with The Specials 2 Tone Brit Ska livication, name checking of all the James Bond movies
Forward ever backwards never. Fifteen minutes into mo’ Roots, I get a phone call. A listener on his way from Nebraska to UC Davis was channel surfing through the valley and came upon Smile Jamaica at 90.9FM.
The dude was ecstatic that he could catch some classic ska after a thousand miles of talk radio, NPR and commercial radio. Not to mention static radio in remote areas. He asked if Smile Jamaica was an all Reggae Radio station. I said, “I wish”, but told him that he had 90 more minutes of it heading West on I 80 losing the signal around Wendover.
He checked off and promised to ketch the streams here on the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive page. Made another friend on the Reggae radio airwaves.
And THAT is why I do radio for free. For 26 years and beyond.
Selah!
DJ Ashiqullah. The only radio deejay more committed to his show than I at Smile Jamaica. Radio station in Helmand, Afghanistan “Taliban country”. Be well, dread!
bless, robt
Playlist
Jimmy Riley – Summertime; 12” (DEB); cover of Billie Holliday/Porgy & Bess classic
Sly & Robbie – Hott Stuff; Bebo’s in a Dub Style (Bebo’s Music); ‘ 85 Dub Album of the Week
Aswad – Ways of the Lord; New Chapter (Columbia/Legacy) ’81 UK roots. Name means “black” in Arabic/Amharic
Dennis Alcapone – Shades of Hudson; Guns Don’t Argue (Trojan) dubble disk best of
Ken Boothe – Can’t Fight Me Down; Everything I Own (Trojan); best of
Jimmy Cliff – World Is Upside Down; Hawaii 5-0 Soundtrack (CBS); Joe Higgs cover
Mystic Roots – Pass the Marijuana; Constant Struggle (Stay Positive); 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement; Chico, Collie-fornya
Jessica Burks – Hollywood Sign; Hollywood Sign EP (jessicaburks.com) 2009***End of Set 1
“Be on the look out for merry-ju-whanna. Mmmkay?”
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Zimbabwe; Live Forever (Tuff Gong); last live show: Pittsburgh, Jah-sylvania 9/23/80; Wailers Family Tree set
Bunny Wailer – Another Dance; Rootsman Skanking (Shanachie) ‘86
Peter Tosh – 400 Years; Equal Rights (Deluxe Edition) (Columbia/Legacy) ’77 dubble disk of rarities
Martha Velez – Get Up, Stand Up; Angels of the Future/Past (Sire); ’76 Bob’s girlfriend on Wailers tune***End of Set 2
A branch in the Wailers Family Tree: Bob produced, Scratch mixed, Wailers pon the riddims. 1976. Recorded in Jamaica Bob covers
Hollie Cook – Ari Up; Twice (Mr. Bongo) New; Mutant Dubstress livicated to late Slits vocalist
Culture – Revelation Time; Power of the Trinity (Shanachie); Request
Aksumites – Ark of the Covenant; 12” (Thebes Sounds) ’81; Axum = Ancient Ethiopia
Aldubb feat. Ras Perez – Let There Be Dub; Let There Be Dub (One Drop) 2010 Jah-many mutant dub***End of Set 3
Mutant dubstress Hollie Cook. New album “Twice”. All killer no filler
Roland Alphanso – James Bond; Something Special (Studio One/Heartbeat); James Bond set: ’65 ska instrumental
Jump With Joey – James Bond; Strictly For You vol. 2 (Rykodisc); ’94 third wave LA ska group
Specials – Sock it to ‘em J.B.; More Specials (2 Tone) ’80 Brit ska***End of Set 4
“Sock it to ’em. Neoliberal Hitman J.B.!”
Cimarons – Utopian Feeling; In Time (Trojan) ’74 UK: Vinyl is Vital Set
Mike Brooks – Lover’s Street; One Love (Vista Sounds) ’83 UK
June means Summer. The best time for Roots Reggae. Celebrating 25 years on Smile Jamaica with nuff roots and unique selections.
Keeping my ears open to anything with that Jamaican swivel of the drum and bass. So that means Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer as well as The Clash, Taj Mahal, Yoko Ono, Morcheeba, The Ruts punkdub. Canadian Jamaican soul reggae. And defiling your ears with Lords of Acid at the bitter end of the broadcast.
Plus the usual high-lights: 420 Cannabis Service, mutant dub, mamas & dawtas love Vinyl is Vital. Spongi Reggae extended mix jams pon even more black wax.
Happy Anniversary to Me! 25 years playing tasty Vinyl on Smile Jamaica!
Greetings,
Mixcloud hosts my Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive Streams. If you don’t want to read my vinyl cratedigging story below, just go deh!: May 31, 2014
I don’t know why last week was different, but I hit 3 charts on Mixcloud’s weekly uploads
5th in the Vinyl chart
15th in the Dub chart
17th in the Reggae chart
Yes I! Give thanks and praise to you if you made it a priority to listen to Smile Jamaica so it could chart. Maybe it was the cannabinally (did I just invent a word?) inspired Milton Glaser photo of birthday boy Bob Dylan:
Milton Glaser’s famous Bob Dylan poster mock-up
So I was very happy with that and decided to celebrate the next week’s Smile Jamaica edition with an All Vinyl Show. Been committed to vinyl from Day 1 on KRCL 90.9FM. I have relentlessly championed vinyl for 25 years now. It is a rare show that I don’t play at least a set of black wax or a dozen vinyl records in 7″, 10″, 12″ and LP format spread over 3 hours.
Every once in a while I get asked how much longer I plan on programming Smile Jamaica. 25 five years every Saturday afternoon. Quite a significant time commitment, eh? I answer the same each time: “When the station de-commissions the two turntables, I will retire.”
I doubt that will happen, but without being able to play Vinyl, it would be like listening to your Hi Fi with only 1 speaker working.
Smile Jamaica: Your Jamaican Jukebox
I feel fortunate that I have been able to apply my cratedigging for a Radio purpose. Most record collector addicts either don’t have a media outlet for their archives or disseminate their artifacts with other collectors. Like trading baseball cards.
In my case, the lion’s share of my record haul was funded via student loan easy money from Uncle Ronnie (it took me 15 years to pay off my 80’s record haul plus 3 University degrees.)
The period from about 1985-1995 coincided with a period of cheap Vinyl titles being sold in brick and mortar record stores to clear space* and gain seed money for these new fangled thingees called the Compact Disc.
*Did you know the size of the CD was made to exact specifications: 2 CDs could sit, perfectly, side by side for every record bin. Thus, doubling the potential inventory.
I would drive to the Bay Area from Utah and scour San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, El Cerrito, Hayward, San Mateo, Carmel/Monterey, Santa Cruz and dig for Reggae Vinyl.
If I couldn’t couch surf with a relative for ten days, I would stay at the Travelodge across the street from the San Francisco Tower Records within walking distance of North Beach, Chinatown and the Bay.
This looks a lot like my living room at the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives World HQ
I would make a special trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to shop at the excellent roots music store: Village Music in Mill Valley. I found some really rare Reggae 45’s and the first five years of The Beat*magazine there once. Once you get a nice cache, it’s worth the drive and I will make the time to dig in the crates. Village Music was my favorite Bay Area store on my circuit. I was really bummed when I read they went out of business in 2007.
*The primary Reggae and World music magazine published in the US. I wrote Mutant Dub reviews for them for about 5 years. They didn’t survive the digital era either when ad revenue dried up as Reggae labels went out of business.
Village Music; Mill Valley, Collie-fornya: casualty of the digital era.
On the return drive, I would hit Auburn Collie-fornya (the old state capitol; home of Cherry Records), Sacramento vicinity and Reno. I have even stopped and perused the Yellow Pages in Winnemucca and Elko Nevada looking for a little record shack.
The good times came to an end. Ebay and Amazon dried up the source records for inventory as collectors could piece out their rarities for top coin, one title at a time.
Chain stores like Mall Wart, Beast Buy and Circus Shitty stocked a boring, narrow selection of titles. They would purposely undercut the sales markup as a loss leader to get you in to buy a toaster or computer. The indie stores couldn’t buy on that volume to get the wholesale price break much less afford to sell titles for less than cost.
With digital preferences, iTunes legit, tube sites and outright online theft, the other shoe dropped on the physical record (and video) stores and more than 3000 have gone out of business in the past decade. The biggest of them being Tower Records, Virgin Records and HMV. Brutal.
It’s really depressing for a professional cratedigger like me when I pull into a town and see my familiar haunt closed or replaced by some sort of Dollar Store or Title Loan company.
RIP: Columbus and Bay location; San Francisco. Spent thousands of dollars here over a decade of shopping
Thanks for listening to these Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive streams and, by all means, puff, puff pass the links to anyone you think might like the cool breeze of musical rotation inna Irie meditation at 33 and 1/3 and 45 RPMs! Vinyl snack crackle and pop is real. Digital is just a figment of your reality.
Playlist below the Mixcloud embed
bless, robt
Dillinger – Reggae Beat; Badder Than Then (A & M) ’81 US; All Vinyl Show
UB40 – Present Arms in Dub; Present Arms in Dub (DEP) ’81; Dub Album of the Week
Chalawa – Jah Collie Weed; Capture Land (Green Weenie) ’78 Jah-tario, Canada; 420 Seven Leaf Set
Crucial Bee – Cocaine; Just a Sting (All Starr) US Virgin Islands
Tinga Stewart – Give Me a Puff; Key to Your Heart (Calabash) ’83 Florida
Toyan – Chalice; Toyan (Channel One) ’82 JA
Sugar Minott – International Herb; 12” (Hammah) ‘83***End of Set 1
Jah-ntario, Canada. Green Weenie label
Sophia George – Girlie, Girlie; Fresh (Winner) ’86 JA; version galore (1)
Charlie Chaplin – Boyie, Boyie; 12” (Winner)’85 JA; version galore (2)
Barry Brown – Come On Natty Roots Man; Stand Firm (Justice) ‘78 JA
Natural Roots – Influence; Natural Roots (Only Roots) ’84 FR***End of Set 2
A huge hit Year 1 Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives (circa 1988)
Casselberry – DuPree’ – Positive Vibrations; City Down (Iceberg) Jah-waukee, Wisconsin; ’86 female folk duo on Marley
Peter Ranking & General Lucky – Farmer; Jah Stand Over Me (Razor Sound) ’82 JA
***Interview with NRG Rising; Maori reggae family out of New Zealand
NRG Rising – Journey; From Darkness to Light***End of Set 3
NRG Rising – New Zealand Maori Reggae mother and dawtas
Mikey Dread – Heavyweight Style; 10” (Dread at the Controls) ’82 UK
Sena – Natural Woman + Strictly Woman; Juvenile Delinquent (Clappers) ’81 Brooklyn***End of Set 4
Lillian Allen – Conditions Critical; Conditions Critical (Redwood) ’87 Emeryville, Collie-fornya; Canadian dub poet***End of Set 5
Canadian female dub poet. From Year 1 Smile Jamaica (circa 1988)
Sister Carol – Black Woman; Liberation For Africa (Serious Gold) ’83 NYC
Enforcer – Bad Boy; 10” (Narrows) ‘80
Roots Uprising – No Doney (Get High); Beautiful Music (Top Ranking) ’81 FL***End of Set 6
Paid $50 for this record in Washington DC ’98. Worth every penny!
Solo Banton – Chalice Haffe Blaze; 10” (Reality Shock) 2011 UK mutant dub herb tune
Idred Natura & Seventh Sense – Sip a Cup; 12” (Jah Works) 2007 mutant dub herb tune***End of Set 7
Smile Jamaica’s Holy Trinity: Mutant dub, Vinyl, herb tunes
Singers & Players feat. Brent Dowe – These Eyes; Vacuum Pumping (ON U Sound) ’88; Melodians singer on The Guess Who tune; mutant dub vinyl set
Basement 5 – Immigration; 1965-1980 (Island) ’80 UK; members went out to Big Audio Dynamite
Bim Sherman & Lion Youth – Happiness; Hits From the House of Shaka (Jah Shaka) UK ‘85
New Age Steppers feat. Ari Up – Some Love; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) UK ’83; feat lead singer of The Slits
Smile Jamaica’s vision of The Afterlife
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Here is the Bob Dylan 73rd Birthday Ark-Ive of Smile Jamaica (May 24, 2014)
First set devoted to Bob Dylan on his birthday: 2 Bobs, 2 vinyls
Wailers Family Tree: Live Bob, rare Peter, 80s Bunny, 70s Marcia, Marley cover
Vinyl is Vital: Jah-ronto, Canajah by way of Emoryville, Collie-fornya, Ja-High-O Seven Leaf, Live Sunsplash to Bob, Rockers Soundtrack, Inner Circle covers Rupie Edwards
Mutant Dub World Tour: France, Jah-many, UK
11 of 33 Vinyl. Coincidence? I think not!
bless, robt
MAY 24, 2014 PLAYLIST
Don Carlos – I Love Jah; 10” (Negus Roots) ‘80
4th Street Orchestra – Higher Ranking; (Scientific) Higher Ranking Dubb (EMI) ’77 Dennis Bovell: Dub Album of the Week
Bob Dylan – Don’t Ever Take Yourself Away; Hawaii Five-O Soundtrack (CBS); Happy Birthday Bob Dylan Set
Matumbi – Man in Me; Best of Matumbi (Trojan) ’76 UK vinyl roots update of Dylan song from New Morning
Arthur Louis – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; This Is Reggae Music vol. 2 (Island) ’75 US vinyl from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Soundtrack
Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright; Live at Budokan (Columbia) Jah-pon 1979; ***End of Set 1
Also ran to Cheap Trick in Best 1979 Budokan, Jah-pon live album
Abja – Good Sensimilla; Mahogany Road (I Grade) 2006 US Virgin Islands; 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
Horace Andy – Problems; 10” (Glimmer) ‘78
Pato Banton – Absolute Perfection; Never Give In (Primitive Man) ’88 UK toaster
Marcia Griffiths – Steppin’ Out in Babylon; Steppin’ (Shanachie) ‘79***End of Set 2
The Aretha Franklin of Reggae
Bob Marley & the Wailers – The Heathen; Live Forever (Tuff Gong); last live show: Pittsburgh, Jah-sylvania; 9/23/80
Peter Tosh – Blame the Yout (sic) (Dub Version); Equal Rights (Columbia/Legacy) ’77 dubble disk of rarities
Pluto Shervington – Natty Dread; Jah Love (Music Club); **End of 3, Wailer Family Tree
Aswad – Roxanne; Big Up (Gut/Mesa) ’97 The Police cover
Johnny Clarke – Don’t Let Jah Down!; 10” (Sip a Cup) 2007 UK militant steppers
Aisha – Downpressor; High Priestess (Ariwa) ’88 Mad Professor prod’n
Bedouin Soundclash feat. Vernon Buckley – Higher Ground; Street Gospels (Sideondummy) 2007 Jah-ronto, Canada; lead singer of The Maytones; ***End of Set 4
1988 foundation record in the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives
Lillian Allen – Rub a Dub Style in a Regent Park; Revolutionary Tea Party (Redwood) ’85 Canadian dub poet; Vinyl is Vital set
Satta – Ganga Bongo; Light of the World (Satta) ’87 Beechwood, Ja-high-O herb tune
Inner Circle – Irey Feelings; Blame It on the Sun (Trojan) ’75 UK Rupie Edwards herb instrumental
The Wailers – Them Belly Full; Live at Reggae Sunsplash: Tribute to Bob Marley (Elektra) ’82 US
Burning Spear – Jah No Dead; Rockers Soundtrack (Mango) ’79 Jah-maica***End of Set 5
Vinyl Is Vital rhymes with Ital!
Bob Dylan – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; Live at Budokan (Columbia) ’79 in Jah-pon
Gregory Isaacs – Rock On (Horns Version); 10” (Observer Gold) Niney prod’n
Black Uhuru – Plastic Smile; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Heartbeat) ’87 rmx “don’t show I your teeth, your plastic smile nah work”***End of Set 6
“Don’t show I your teeth, your plastic smile nah work”…Michael Rose, Black Uhuru
The Selecter – Red Reflections; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’81 2 Tone ska w/ female vox
Robert Emanuel – You Can’t Push I Over; 10” (Main Line) ‘77
Easy Star All Stars – Money (Mad Professor rmx); Dubber Side of the Moon (Easy Star) 2010***End of Set 7
Botom Botom – Something Divine; This Is Not a Stereotype (Hammerbass); Mutant dub: France w/ female vox
Manasseh Meets the Equalizer – Angry Dub; King Size Dub vol. 10 (Echo Beach) Jah-man label
The Chosen – Mash Down Rome; Rhythm & Sound w/ the Artists + Versions (Asphodel) Zion Train – Hovercraft; Get Ready EP (China) ’95 UK
Zion Train – Hovercraft; Get Ready EP (China) ’95 UK
Robert Allen Zimmerman: b. May 24, 1941; Duluth, Minnesota
Greetings,
All my heroes are named Bob*
Bob Marley (natch)
Bob Dylan (Happy Birthday Bob!)
R. (Bob) Crumb – cartoonist and fellow crate digger extraordinaire
*(mere coincidence that I am a Bob as well. Known as Bobby to my family and friends in Montana. Son of a Bob, grandson of a Bob. I became Robert when I moved to Utah in 1986)
Today at 4 PM on Smile Jamaica: 90.9FM KRCL or live stream
Happy Birthday Bob Dylan: covers and woozy Reggae originals by Bob in livication for his birthday. Brilliant Roots updates of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Man in Me”
Dub Album of the Week: Dennis Bovell’s 4th Street Orchestra – Scientific Higher Ranking Dubb ’77; UK dubwize
Wailers Family Tree: Bob’s last live show in Pittsburgh, Jah-sylvania (9/23/80); rarities from dubble disk upgrade of Peter Tosh’s Equal Rights ’77. Bunny Wailer – Rootsman Skanking ’86. Bob cover disk
Vinyl is Vital: Half way through. I give you one extra in every Vinyl set. Female dub poetry, herb tune, Sunsplash Live
Mutant Dub Files: Last half hour acoustic levitation inna Irie meditation! Heavy bass downtro, lounge, echo, dub step
Plus music from the sistren, 10″ extended mix vinyl, Seven Leaf tributes.
Interstellar overdub!
bless, robt
Sandra Bullock, “Houston! I need more bass for re-entry”
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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Smile Jamaica 