Various – Love Is All I Bring

by Dec 26, 2019Mini-Review, Reviews

Release Info

Various – Love Is All I Bring

Label: Trojan Records | Format: DBL CD-DBL LP-DR | Street date: October 25, 2019

Tracklist

Disc 1

  1. Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking
  2. Susan Cadogan – Hurt So Good
  3. Sophia George – Girlie Girlie
  4. Judy Mowatt – I Shall Sing
  5. Marcia Griffiths – Steppin’ Out Of Babylon
  6. Janet Kay & The Kaylets – Lovin You
  7. Marcia Aitken – I’m Still In Love With You
  8. Joya Landis – Angel Of The Morning
  9. Sharon Forrester – Silly Wasn’t I?
  10. Phyllis Dillon – Perfidia
  11. Sylvia Tella – Spell
  12. Joya Landis – Moonlight Lover
  13. Marguerita – Woman A Come
  14. Phyllis Dillon – Woman Of The Ghetto
  15. Cynthia Richards – If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)
  16. Nora Dean – Barb Wire
  17. Sonya Spence – Where Is The Love
  18. Barbara Jones – Slim Boy
  19. Claudette – Queen Of The World
  20. Patsy – We Were Lovers
  21. Nora Dean – Peace Begins Within
  22. Mille Small – Honey Hush
  23. Louisa Mark – Keep It Like It Is
  24. Cynthia Schloss – Words (Are Impossible)
  25. Marie Pierre – Nothing Gained (From Loving You)

Disc 2

  1. Phyllis Dillon – Love Was All I Had
  2. Faye Bennett – Back Wey
  3. Lorna Bennett – Good Woman
  4. Nora Dean – Butterflies
  5. Sonya Spence – Come With Me
  6. Sandra Robinson – Sensi For Sale
  7. Candy McKenzie – Disco Fits
  8. Lillian Williams – Why Did You Use Me
  9. Pam Hall – About To Lose My Mind
  10. Althea – Downtown Thing
  11. Patsy – Fire In Your Wire
  12. Marcia Griffiths – Give You & Get
  13. Dawn Penn – I Let You Go
  14. Paula Clarke – Dynamic
  15. Beverley Bailey – I Was In Love
  16. Joy Whyte – Tribulation
  17. Susan Cadogan – If
  18. Hortense Ellis – My Willow Tree
  19. Cynthia Schloss – Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)
  20. Sharon Black – Struggling
  21. Joy White – Lady, Lady
  22. Doreen Shaeffer – Back In My Arms Again
  23. Dorothy Reid – This Is Me (aka If Your Name Is Andy)
  24. Audrey Hall – Show Me, Baby
  25. Merlene Webber – Hard Life
Various - Love Is All I Bring
“Love Is All I Bring”, subtitled “Reggae Hits & Rarities By The Queens Of Trojan”, contains a whopping amount of 50 songs dug up in the Trojan archives. This all female collection also includes personal liner notes from Rhoda Dakar, probably best known as the lead vocalist of British all female band The Bodysnatchers. The tracks featured here represent various eras in the history of reggae music; Ska, Rocksteady, Early Reggae, Roots, Dancehall, and Lovers Rock.

Things get started with Althea & Donna’s 1977 hit single “Uptown Top Ranking”, recorded when Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid were 17 and 18 years old. It’s one of the many – mostly well known – hits gathered on the first disc. Amongst them are, after all those years, still great to hear songs such as Judy Mowatt’s “I Shall Sing”, Marcia Griffiths’ “Steppin’ Out Of Babylon”, Marcia Aitken’s “I’m Still In Love With You”, Phyllis Dillon’s “Perfidia” and “Woman Of The Ghetto”, Joy Landis’ “Moonlight Lover”, and Nora Dean’s “Barb Wire”.

However, the far more interesting tracks of this compilation can be found on disc 2. Here you’ll find the more rarely known tunes from the reggae songbirds. Almost every tune is a joy to hear, but definitely worth mentioning and recommended to listen to are Faye Bennett’s deejay piece “Back Wey”, Sandra Robinson’s “Sensi For Sale” (delivered across the “Sleng Teng” riddim), Lillian Williams’ “Why Did You Use Me” over a wicked riddim that was also used for Clifton Campbell’s “New Civilisation”, Althea’s “Downtown Thing” on the “Please Be True” riddim, Dawn Penn’s rocksteady piece “I Let You Go”, and Beverley Bailey’s killer “I Was In Love” across the “Satta” riddim.

A very nice and welcome all female collection!

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