Well Pleased & Satisfied – Love Train

Well Pleased & Satisfied

The journey of Well Pleased & Satisfied began in the late 1960s when Ephraim “Jerry” Baxter and Bertram “Ranchie” McLean joined forces to form The Actions. Their initial success came in 1968 with the release of the Coxsone Dodd produced single Catch The Quinela, credited to The Jamaican Actions. Following that, Giddy Up was released, mistakenly credited to The Heptones on the UK issue of the Coxsone label. Because working with Coxsone Dodd didn’t lead to much progress, The Actions disbanded in the early 1970s, leading Jerry Baxter to establish Well Pleased & Satisfied. By the mid-1970s, under the moniker Well Pleased & Satisfied, Jerry Baxter had achieved some recognition with hits like Black On Black, Living in The Slum, and the stirring Sweetie Come From America, a song included several years later on the soundtrack to the movie ‘Club Paradise’. In 1978, Baxter released Well Pleased & Satisfied’s first album, titled Give Thanks And Praise. The following year, in 1979, he released a second album called Love Train. This was a showcase album with the five vocal tracks followed by corresponding dub versions. Like the debut album, Love Train was self-financed and recorded at Channel One and Randy’s studios with Sly & The Revolutionaries providing backing for the singer. The album was then mixed at King Tubby’s studio. In the UK, Love Train was originally released on red vinyl by Burning Sounds’ sub-label Burning Rockers. Now, Burning Sounds has re-issued the album on vinyl, keeping the original color and label design intact.

Main Attraction

Apart from the Rockers sound created by Sly & The Revolutionaries, the main highlight of this Love Train LP is the powerful and passionate vocal performance by singer and songwriter Jerry Baxter. The album’s central theme revolves around romance, with the exception of the track West Man Rock. Originally released in 1975 on the Cactus label in the UK as a deejay cut by Ken Quatty, it is now presented on this album as a vocal version by Well Pleased & Satisfied under the same title. Another rendition of the same riddim, Dolly Down Deh by Marshall Jerry (Jerry Baxter), was released in 1978 on the UK-based Heart & Soul label. The standout title track, Love Train, beautifully weaves together a love story with a message of brotherly love and unity. Both the vocal and dub versions are a treat to listen to, especially thanks to the rich bass sound and the addition of horns. Although it is musically pleasing, Gimme, Gimme, Love falls short due to its lack of meaningful lyrics. The same issue arises with the first track on the other side, Come With Me. However, similar to the previous case, the dub version of the track improves it with its impressive bassline. The final vocal cut, Took My Baby To A Dance, leaves a slightly better impression compared to the mediocre efforts mentioned before.

Overall, this album by Well Pleased & Satisfied aka Jerry Baxter falls short of being fully entertaining. He has previously released superior works compared to some of the tracks on this LP. However, the backing provided by Sly & The Revolutionaries and the dub versions significantly elevate the overall quality of this album.

West Man Rock