Title Artist Label Format Date

Reggae Anthology ~ Cocoa Tea - The Sweet Sound Of Cocoa Tea VP Records-17 North Parade 2CD March 17, 2008

Track list
Disc 1 Lost My Sonia Rocking Dolly Informer Children Of The Ghetto Hey Bobby Come Again Death In The Stadium Tune In All Night Saturday Night Young Lover Lonesome Side Love Me Who She Love feat. Home T & Shabba Ranks Holding On feat. Home T & Shabba Ranks Pirates Anthem feat. Home T & Shabba Ranks The Going Is Rough feat. Home T & Cutty Ranks Riker's Island Bust Outta Hell Disc 2 Good Life Too Young feat. Buju Banton She Loves Me Now No Threat We Do The Killing Come Love Me Rip & Run Off feat. Cutty Ranks Holy Mount Zion Heathen Isreal's King Hurry Up & Come Rough Inna Town feat. Luciano Moving On Mr. Neck Tie Man Zeeks feat. Louie Culture Can't Be Real Tek Wey Yu Gal Save Us Oh Jah	Rate this album! Cast your vote below. Essential -Votes: 1- Very Good -Votes: 5- Good -Votes: 1- Average -Votes: 1- Disappointing -Votes: 0- A Waste Of Time -Votes: 0- Total votes : 8

Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)

Vocals : 4/5

Backing : 4

Production : 4/5

Sound quality : 4/5

Sleeve : 4

The two-CD set "The Sweet Sound Of Cocoa Tea" is a fine historical document in 17 North Parade/VP Records' "Reggae Anthology" series, actually a-wide ranging series of comprehensive compilations exploring the last three decades of recorded Jamaican music. Besides the music of an artist captured at his peak one is treated to a excellent booklet with unique, historical photographs, informative liner-notes by a noted reggae writer, and a comprehensive track listing. Cocoa Tea was born Calvin George Scott in 1959. In 1974, at the tender age of 15 after gaining experience and exposure in school and church choirs he recorded his first single "Searching In The Hills". This was not a successful bid into a career in music, so he continued to work as a racehorse jockey and fisherman for several years, but he also kept performing on various soundsystems on the the island. In 1983 he moved to Kingston were he teamed up with ace producer Junjo Lawes. With him he recorded two of his biggest hits, Rocking Dolly and Lost My Sonia. The latter was the song that bust him. The debut album 'Weh Dem A Go Do...Can't Stop Coco Tea" was released in 1984. At the dawn of the digital era his talent became sought after by many of the top producers on the island. He recorded the bulk of his material for the dominant hit-maker of the second half of the 80's, producer King Jammy. Cocoa Tea became one of Jammy's main singers both on the producer's soundsystem and in the studio and the hits kept on coming. Come Again is a contagious track full of self-praise and warning that Cocoa Tea is back again with another killer tune. Tune In is a legitimate dancehall anthem and arguably Cocoa Tea's signature song. It's one of reggae's most recognizable songs on the everlasting 'Far East' riddim. Young Lover was a blistering version of the Keith and Tex classic "Tonight". This smash finds Cocoa tea tackling the issue of romantic interest with under aged persons. When Jammy's main engineer Bobby 'Digital' Dixon decide to branch out on his own, Love Me - a recut of the 'Real Rock' riddim - and Lonesome Side became two of his earliest successes as producer. At the end of the 80's Gussie Clarke took notice of the success and chemistry between Cocoa Tea, Home T and Shabba Ranks after their hit collaboration for King Jammy's Who She Love. Gussie reunited the trio for an album project that took the reggae world by storm upon its release. Songs like Pirates Anthem and the title track Holding On became instant classics. In 1990 the singer gave New York producer Mr. Doo the hitsingle and album of the same name Riker's Island. The tune was an update of the Heptones Studio One classic 'Get In The Groove'. Disc Two focuses on the productions of Philip 'Fatis' Burrel and Bobby 'Digital' Dixon. Fatis maintained the singer's status amongst the top reggae acts in the 90's, with a series of popular songs including Good Life and She Loves Me Now. Both are classic lovers grooves across timeless Studio One riddims. Fatis produced Too Young and the voice of Buju adds some extra punch. Bobby 'Digital' Dixon was also successful in continuing to capture Cocoa tea in fine style with killer tunes like No Threat, Come Love Me and We Do The Killing. No Threat was a popular recut of Jackie Mittoo's 'Hot Milk' riddim. The other two tunes were voiced over the immortal 'Stalag' riddim. Excellent dancehall stuff! When conscious lyrics and social commentary began to dominate the dancehall by mid-decade, Cocoa Tea continued his association with these two producers. His stunning version of Bob Marley's Heathen for Bobby Digital and Israel's King for Fattis are just two of the many crucial examples of the singer in this style. By the end of the 90's Cocoa Tea began his own Roaring Lion imprint. For that imprint he released Zeeks, a popular tune he did with Louie Culture and which licks the 'Equal Rights' riddim. The compilation closes with a recent Fattis production - Save Us Oh Jah. We have been waiting very long for a 'final' Cocoa Tea compilation... this is the one... trust us!