Cocoa Tea – Remastered

Release Info

Cocoa Tea – Remastered

Label: S.I.R.I. Records | Format: DR | Street date: July 25, 2019 | Website Artist

Remastered

The ‘digital only’ release of Cocoa Tea’s 10-track album titled “Remastered” comes on S.I.R.I. Records and is stated to be originally released in 1987. This is very doubtful as this compilation set features tracks like for example “Who She Love” and “I Am The Roughest” that were released in later years.

Cocoa Tea

Born and raised in the fishing village of Rocky Point, Calvin Scott aka Cocoa Tea formerly made his living as a fisherman and as a racehorse jockey, but always knew he had a gift for making melodies. Traveling to Kingston in the mid-1970s he began singing on sound systems and recording for ace producers like Henry “Junjo” Lawes and King Jammy’s as well as Jammy’s ace engineer Bobby “Digital” Dixon, who eventually launched his own Digital B label.

Compilation Album

This compilation album from Johnny Wonder distribution is part of a series paying respect to icons of dancehall and reggae. The selected tracks from Cocoa Tea’s extensive and powerful catalog are a blend of well known classics like “Tune In” and “Come Again” as well as massive combinations like “Who She Love” featuring Grammy-winning dancehall emperor Shabba Ranks. Johnny Wonder also digs deep in the archives for rarities like “Come Home”, which features a rare and great deejay performance by Bobby Digital himself in fine style.

King Jammy

All tracks featured here are produced by King Jammy, with most of them previously included on Cocoa Tea albums such as “The Marshall” (“Children Of The Ghetto” on the High Times Players’ relick of the classic “Every Tongue Shall Tell” riddim), “Come Again” (“Come Again”, “Nah Look No Work” aka “Nah Look No Wuk” on the “Bad Boys” riddim, and “Young Lover” across the “Tonight” riddim) and “I’m The Toughest” (“I’m The Toughest” aka “I’m The Roughest” across the “Storm” riddim). Besides that there are tunes that appeared on 7″ and/or 12″ vinyl or compilation LP’s like the 1986 version of “Tune In” on the “Far East” riddim, in 1994 re-recorded for Philip “Fatis” Burrell’s Xterminator imprint and “Crying Time” on the “Heavenless” riddim.

Saying

Always great to listen to tunes from the veteran singer, who once said “Cocoa tea is a beverage that is always hot, and you have to know how to drink it. Somebody will put it down and think it’s cold and but when you try to take a sip it will burn you up!”