First Cut: Big Shot

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The roll continues! Big Shot was a Trojan subsidiary label, first releasing tunes in 1968. They started with an stone cold classic: "Reggae Girl" by The Tennors. Produced by Tennors founder George "Clive" Murphy it was the start of a run of big tunes for the Tennors in the early days of reggae. The B side is also a winner "Donkey Trot" by Clive's All Stars, a solid instrumental. Nothing mind blowing mind you but certainly far from boring. The sort of tune you'd listen to on a Sunday afternoon, not the sort of thing you'd want to hear on Saturday night. "Reggae Girl" you most certainly would. It was the start of a number of high quality releases on the label, as one might expect when production credits are split between the likes of Bunny Lee, Derrick Harriot, George Murphy and Winston Riley. The sort of label well worth your time to search out releases on.

"John Jones" by Rudy Mills

You’d be hard pressed to find a better skinhead reggae tune around. An absolutely essential cut and one that never fails to fill a dance floor. Getting a copy of this on a Big Shot 45 was one of the prouder moments in my record collecting career. If you’re smarter than me and not into spending fortunes on 45s, the “Dawning of a New Era” 2LP set will do you just find seeing as there is no shortage of massive, rare as hens teeth tunes on it. Just enjoy.