Sunday, May 02, 2010

Rare Rare Rare!

Today's pick is one of the rarest reggae LPs ever recorded. Produced by Clem Bushay and mixed at King Tubby's studio in 1974 or 1975 by 'King Tubby Jr' (?), it features a stellar cast who never completely live up to their potential. Only 500 copies were pressed; mine apparently belonged to producer Phil Pratt, who gave it to the guy that owned Daddy Kool, who flogged it to me.

With Dave Barker, Dennis Alcapone and Augustus Pablo as leads, extra arrangements by Alton Ellis, and backing from Skin, Flesh & Bones you'd expect this record to be pretty damn good. It is - sort of.

Disappointingly none of the tracks feature the artists together, but there are still some real gems. The best track is just by Skin, Flesh & Bones on their own, a rootsy flute instrumental called 'South Camp Road Rock'; there's also a very good melodica cut of 'Keep On Moving', a nice tune (randomly titled 'String Hanger') which features Dave Barker shouting a lot, and a couple of interesting dubs.



I'm afraid the Dennis Alcapone tunes are a bit of a let-down, but hey, you can't have it all...

9 comments:

Jah said...

Whoa.

I mean... Whoa. Right up there with the Live and Love sampler triplets!

the_voice_of_reason said...

Undeniably patchy - rather more an Lp I'm glad I've heard than one that will be played regularly. There'a a bit of a feel of the Keith Hudson tracks overdubbed at Chalk Farm on "Rocking Warrior" and (perhaps to a lesser extent on "Natty a Suffer I", no?

Tend to agree that Dennis was past it by this time - I recollect him playing at the Edinburgh Empire in August 1973 as part of the Festival with Judge Dread, Nicky Thomas and the Cimarons, in a show that was broadcast on the "old Grey Whistle Test", but which seems to have been wiped decades ago. If memory serves, he was none too inspired, although I suspect that even in August Edinburgh is not notable for its Caribbean vibe

Rob Walsh said...

I like quite a lot of it - even when the lead performers are being less than interesting there's usually a good bassline going on.
Many thanks for posting.
Rob

david said...

South camp road rock is the bomb! Many thanks for posting.....

mr_h said...

Which record label released this compilation? BAY stands for what? Thanks and great stuff! ;)

yabass said...

believe it or not..i played on this with a friend when we were both 16 so yeah 1975..this is the story..a friend of clem bushay takes us down chalk farm studios, my mate plays melodica and i play piano on a few tracks..one not on the album being telephone line with alton ellis No 1 hit....we think its nothing more than a nite out..few months later we get free pressings..never hear from Clem again..hahah..all true..2 little white boys from NW10...

Steve said...

@Yabass - So it's you playing on 'Telephone Line'! I've loved that tune from the first time I heard it, and I reckon the melodica goes really well with the vocal.

Really nice to hear from one of the artists that made these tunes. Since you're 'Augustus Pablo', I wonder who 'King Tubby Jr' was.

Callum said...

Very interesting post - it is the only information i have found on this record anywhere! I'm selling a copy on ebay right now if anyone's interested - ends Tuesday Sept 21.
peace.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-DENNIS-ALCAPONE-CALLING-1-000-DREAD-LOCKS-LP-/220669539359?pt=UK_Records&hash=item3360edf41f

rastaman said...

THANKS STEVE FOR THIS ONE LOST RECORD.
BLESSED LOVE
MURDER STYLE