First Cut: Treasure Isle

http://youtu.be/18AoqJn4M1A

So this one might actually win for best First Cut. We're of course biased in that we love both The Techniques and Pat Kelly. And this is one of his finest performances.

"Moonwalk" by Winston Wright

[youtube=http://youtu.be/qcHqpHdeKYQ]

Was there a more talented organ player during the skinhead reggae era than Winston Wright? Jackie Mittoo is certainly the darling of the reggae scene in regards to the ridicolous number of tunes he managed to pump out through membership in The Skatalites, Soul Vendors, Soul Brothers and Sound Dimension and his later solo releases. But Winston kind of took over in the early days of the reggae sound, with Glen Adams of Upsetters and Hippy Boys fame being his main competition. This tune right here is Winston at his finest, killing it on his Hammond A100 to any listeners delight. If you can track down a copy of The Dynamites "Fire Corner' LP you can listen to Winston do his thing over the course of a number of tracks. The man was talented.

Duke Reid

Duke Reid spinning a platter that, most likely, mattered. A foundation man of the Jamaican music scene, with the exception of Coxsone Dodd you won’t find a man who had a more profound affect on the birth and growth of the Jamaican music industry. A one time police officer, Reid decided there was better money to be made in the sound system industry. It wasn’t long before he took over the Tom the Great Sebastian’s sound, likely with a little bit of help from the “dancecrashers” Reid became familiar with during his time wearing the badge. One the desired sound of R&B started drying up in the States Reid decided to move on and produce his own tunes, working out of the now legendary Bond Street studio with the tunes being released on the legendary Treasure Isle label (amongst others). Although Studio One certainly ruled the day during the ska period, he hit his stride during the rocksteady era which can likely be attributed too Reid never developing a real appreciation for the ska sound. His Trojan Sound System was legendary in Jamaica and once he started putting out his tunes in the UK on the Trojan label created for his productions the rest was history. As you know by now, they were kind of a big deal.

Pat Kelly

How has it taken us this long to get around to speaking on the iconic Pat Kelly? That’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself and one we’ve certainly asked ourselves. The man is one of the greatest ever vocalists in Jamaican music. He had to be really. His first gig was stepping into the shoes of Slim Smith when Slim left The Techniques in 1967. There isn’t many who’ve had to fill a bigger role in music history. Sure there’s Dennis Edwards trying to replace David Ruffin in The Temptations. But Edwards had already been recording at Motown with The Contours for years. But that’s a story for another day. Not only did Kelly fill the shoes of Slim, he threw those fuckers out and decided he saw a nicer pair, ones which fit him perfectly. As good as The Techniques were during their Slim Smith led days, they reached their recording pinnacle while fronted by Pat Kelly. Guided by Duke Reid, and recording out of his Treasure Isle studio, The Techniques released such classics as “Run Come Celebrate”, “Queen Majesty” and “You Don’t Care” over the course of the next year. Most groups would be lucky to have that kind of output in their entire career. Kelly realized the affect his vocals were having on the success of the group so in ‘68 he decided to branch out and he needed a new producer, what with the infamous temper of Duke Reid to contend with after leaving The Techniques. Bunny Lee was that new producer. Now if you’ve read this website for a bit, you may know we’re sort of fans of Mr. Lee. If you didn’t happen to know that, you have some reading to do. Lee and Kelly had a special connection that led to some of the best tunes ever put out in the rocksteady and reggae eras. Much like Leslie Kong and Desmond Dekker, the two simply clicked with one another and produced some magic. The “Pat Kelly Sings” LP put out by Pama is in our top 3 greatest reggae LPs of all time. You’d do well to find many albums of vocal reggae that are any better. Let’s just put it in perspective: “How Long Will It Take” (if you haven’t heard it, what’s wrong with you?) was the biggest selling Jamaican single of 1969. Now think how many classics came out that year. Makes sense now?

Rocksteady Essential

Honestly, who hasn’t heard of the Paragons. If you’re part of the mod, skinhead or suedehead subcultures we’ll be honest: you have no excuse. The group responsible for giving both Bob Andy and John Holt their start in the music business, the Paragons put out one of the biggest and most recognizable tunes in Jamaican music history: The Tide Is High. It’s been sampled, or the lyrics borrowed, by many a mainstream musician that you have to hope it’s led to at least a few people tracking down the original. Their “On The Beach” album is a rocksteady classic and absolutely essential to any collection and was our own personal baptism too the sweet, sweet sounds of rocksteady. So if you don’t already own it, pick up a copy and if you do put it on once more and remember just how good these cats are.