Various – Reggae Reggae & Pipeline

These albums were released by Trojan Records in 1972, the “Reggae Reggae” is probably best-known by record buyers for its sleeve, with a group of skinheads fronting Brixton railway arches. The collection contains tracks that stand alongside the finest Reggae of this period. The following year, Trojan issued the “Pipeline” album and became another essential long-player and these two albums are the primary focus of this 2CD release. We take a look at these albums and a selection of the bonus tracks within the collection.

DISC ONE: REGGAE REGGAE

1: GOLD MINE – The G.G All Stars. As expected this collection starts with an instrumental. Written and produced by Alvin Ranglin it goes round-and-around, nevertheless it is a catchy number. Original UK release Trojan TBL-176 in 1972. 2: ISRAEL WANT TO BE FREE – The Ethiopians. Written by group member Leonard Dillon, it is the usual sound one expects from this outfit. The vocal is combined in front of a punchy rhythm track. Original UK release G.G label 1971. 3: PRESIDENT IN SCHOOL – Cat Campbell. Co-written by Campbell and Ranglin it is a talk-over number on which we hear the song “Black And White” from time-to-time. As talk-over’s go this is top notch. Original UK release Trojan LP.TBL-176 in 1971. 4: WHA’ NO DEAD – The Maytones. This is a cool Reggae sound from the legends of Jamaican vocal harmony. A laid-back rhythm track that blends in with the vocals. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1971. 5: WALKING STICK – Phillip Samuels. Written by Ranglin and Samuels it has a backing track similar to Judge Dread’s “Big 5” and a talk-over from Samuels, who may be new to many Jamaican music fans. Other backing vocalists can be heard and it is a catchy mid-tempo number. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1971. 6: MILK AND HONEY – Dennis Alcapone. Mid-tempo sound on which Alcapone does his usual talk-over vocal. The rhythm track contains an organ sound and although plain it is catchy. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1971. 7: KEEP ON KNOCKING – Billy Dice. Another Jamaican artist who may be new to many Jamaican music fans. This comes as a version of the Dave Edmunds UK hit. Dyce does a passable vocal over a laid-back rhythm on which we hear percussion. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1972. 8: HONEY COMBE Dennis Alcapone. After an instrumental opening we hear Alcapone talking his way through a fast-moving number on which another one-word vocal is present from time-to-time. This is a classic foundation DJ sound and catchy. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1972. 9: I STILL LOVE YOU – Errol Walker. This artist was the lead singer with The In Crowd and on this mid-tempo we hear a soulful vocal from an artist who may be new to some Jamaican music fans. This is mid-tempo and a smooth slice of melodic Reggae at its best in front of a well performed rhythm track, probably from The G.G All Stars. and top track from the original album. 10: DON’T YOU CRY – Dennis Brown. This has a mid-tempo, chug-along rhythm with Dennis on a vocal that does not really go anywhere. If a fan of the vocalist’s recordings you may well like this catchy number. This is average when it comes to Dennis Brown recordings. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1972. 11: LAND OF MUSIC – The Maytones. This is slow from a legendary Jamaican vocal outfit. It has a full-on classic Reggae backing and although it hasn’t got a very complicated vocal it is catchy. One could very nearly see this as Rocksteady and what a beautiful sound we end up listening to. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1972. 12: LOVE CAN SET YOU FREE – G.G All Stars. Not often do we hear a vocal on recordings from this outfit but on this we do and they are high-quality. It has a punchy rhythm track at mid-tempo. This makes for a top-notch final track from the original album. Original UK release Trojan TBL.176 in 1972.

BONUS TRACKS

14: KEEP IT UP – John Holt. This comes from a Jamaican legend who we remember as a UK chart artist in the early 70’s, and as the front man in The Paragons. On this we hear the classic Holt vocal in front of a mid-tempo rhythm track, the track was written by the vocalist. Original UK release G.G label. 16: BE MY GUEST – Billy Dyce. Yes, you have probably realised you will be listening to a version of a song made popular by Fats Domino way back. This fast-moving rendition comes with a bass led rhythm track along with percussion. As versions of pop songs this is a good one. Original UK release G.G label. 19: BORN TO BE LOVED -The Maytones. This is a slow number with the expected high-quality vocals from a legendary Jamaican vocal duo. The backing is laid-back and the track ends up as the Reggae sound at its best. Original UK release G.G label. 22: HARDER THEY COME – Charlie Ace. This is not the Jimmy Cliff hit from the film of the same name but a talk-over sound from an artist who pops up on CD from-time-to-time. The backing is nothing special as this style of Jamaican genre goes it is not bad. Original UK release Green Door label. 24: ON TOP OF THE PEAK – U Roy. As one would expect this is a talk-over number on which Mr Roy is at his best. The rhythm track is mid-tempo and comes with some fine percussion work. As usual the lyrics are hard to pick-up but we still have a good track. Original UK release Grape label. 26: AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME (soul version) – The Maytones. As the title gives away this is not a Reggae number but a fine Soul sound. The Maytones vocals are top-notch and float along over a cool mid-tempo backing track. Look out for more of the same, this is the final track on this disc.

DISC TWO : PIPELINE

1: MUSICAL ALPHABET – Dennis Alcapone. Starting off slowly before Dennis talks his way through the alphabet helped-out by another vocalist. The backing track is nothing special and may only appeal to Alcapone fans, this is written by this artist. Original UK release G.G label. 2: THINGS GONNA CHANGE – The Maytones. Welcome back to this duo on a slow punchy slice of cool Reggae. Written by duo member Vernon Buckley it is a catchy number and has a straight rhythm track with some organ work. Original UK release G.G label. 3: COOL DOWN – The Untouchables. This outfit also recorded as The Inspirations and and included Jimmy London and Billy Dyce and this track was written by Alvin Ranglin. This has a punchy rhythm track and combined vocals that are laid-back. A mid-tempo number that shows off the vocal talents of two fine singers, Original UK release Trojan LP TBL.203 in 1972. 4: SEARCHING FOR YOUR LOVE – Dell Williams. Not sure who the vocalist is and not found him on many recordings. This one comes with a high-pitched vocal that makes Williams sound young and one could not really listen to it as being classy. The rhythm track is slow and dose not uplift the track. Original UK release Grape label. 5: ONLY ONE WIFE – Lloyd Young & Carey Johnson. Again not sure who the artists are but one sings and the other gives a talk-over vocal. The backing is nothing special but does lend itself to the overall make-up of this track. Original UK release Trojan LP TBL.203. in 1972. 6: SCORPION – Lloyd Young & Carey Johnson. Same again as with the previous track, more spoken talk-over on a track written by the vocalists. Another mid-tempo rhythm track and it turns out to be a catchy number that has one’s feet tapping. Original UK release Attack label. 7: ABUSING AND ASSAULTING – Shorty Perry. More of the talk-over genre on this fast-moving number which has a slightly more interesting rhythm track to those found on the previous two tracks. Original UK release Grape label. 8: LOVING BRIDE – IYA HUNTER. Very good instrumental opening before going into a fast slice of top-notch Reggae. One knows nothing about the vocalist but it is good to have a female on one of the album tracks. The backing and vocal compliments each other and we end up with one of the albums best tracks. Original UK release Trojan TBL.203 in 1972. 9: HOWDY AND TENKY – Manolo Flowers & Alvin Ranglin. Written by Flowers, who ever that is along with the albums producer on a number that uses the “Irie Feeling” rhythm. This is nothing more than a very catchy sing-along number. If you like fun Reggae than this could be a good track. 10: DRUMMER ROACH – Gladstone Anderson (& The G.G All Stars). As one would expect we hear the piano sound on this instrumental, Anderson being one of Jamaica’s finest instrumentalists. The backing track is laid-back allowing the pianist the chance to show the listener how good he was. Original UK release G.G label. 11: IF LOVING YOU WAS WRONG – The Maytones. More from this legendary duo who after a long instrumental intro come in with their classic vocals on a song that has been recorded by several pop artists over the years. The song lends itself to this version and The Maytones do a fine job on this mid-tempo version. Original UK release Grape label. 12: IN A DE PUM PUM – Manolo Flowers & Alvin Ranglin. This mid-tempo number features both artists on vocal in front of a lilting rhythm track. The track shows off the vocal talents of both artists to the fore with the vocals and backing coming together to give an all-round top-notch recording. Original UK release Grape label.

BONUS TRACKS

13: SEARCHING VERSION – Winston Grennon & The G.G All Stars. Winston Grennon was a Jamaican drummer, famous for session work from 1961-1973 in Jamaica and later the United States. Starting off slowly it moves into a mid-tempo catchy instrumental with a lilting backing track and although it dose not go anywhere it is very easy on the ear. Not much drumming to be heard on this one. 15: TIME IS STILL HERE – Billy Dyce. Written by the vocalist this fast-moving slice of cool Reggae has Mr Dyce vocalising along with a vocal backing that comes-and-goes throughout. The backing track is nothing to write about, just pleasant. Original UK release G.G label. 17: WATCH IT – Gary Ranglin. This has a slight Dub feel and the vocal is spoken by the vocalist who could be related to producer Alvin Ranglin, not too sure about this. Starts off slowly before going into a rather un-interesting number and a track that is not one of the best on this disc, just passable with a backing track that doesn’t help to get one listening. Original UK release Grape label. 20: MUSICAL GOAT – Shorty Perry. Here we listen to another talk-over sound from Mr Perry which has a mid-tempo rhythm track. This has a laid-back rhythm track and a vocal chorus is heard which helps to move this on. Not one of the best tracks on the disc, just average Reggae. Original UK release Attack label. 23: BAD COW SKANK – Tommy McCook & Bobby Ellis. Here we have the legend that is Mr McCook on a mid-tempo instrumental that starts off with what sounds like a cow sound. Naturally we have trombone as the main instrument and Bobby Ellis who went to the Alpha Boys School joins McCook on what is a very catchy sound and a toe-tapper on which the artists are backed by The G.G All Stars. Original UK release G.G label. 25: BARBLE DOWE SKANK – Delroy Jones as Little Youth. This starts off slowly before moving into a slower semi-Dub sound penned by Delroy Jones. It is mainly an instrumental sound with a one-word spoken vocal, although there is not much to the make-up of the track it is nevertheless a catchy number. Original UK release Duke label. 27: MURMURING VERSION – Tommy McCook & Bobby Ellis (& The G.G All Stars). More of the same from artists found earlier on this disc. Tommy McCook does his usual great trombone work and Ellis on trumpet. Ellis was one of Jamaica’s best musical arrangers and on this they work well together to give the listener an accomplished instrument with a mid-tempo rhythm. A catchy number and a pleasing way to finish the disc. Original UK release Duke label.

In summing up this 2xcd collection, these albums were a must for many Jamaican music collectors in the early ’70s and to now have the chance of having them on CD is down to the hard work put in by the team at Cherry Red Records. The two iconic Trojan albums have never been reissued before and include numerous tracks new to CD. After reviewing the albums one can understand why they became iconic and along with the bonus tracks this collection at £14 99p is well worth putting a hand in a pocket to purchase.

The Untouchables – Cool Down