The Best Of Reggae (Expanded Original Album)
Release Info
The Best Of Reggae (Expanded Original Album)
Label: Doctor Bird Records | Format: DR/DBLCD | Street date: June 11, 2021
Tracklist
- Disc One: The Best Of Reggae
- Young Gifted And Black – Bob & Marcia
- Moon River – Greyhound
- Let Your Yeah Be Yeah – The Pioneers
- Liquidator – Harry J All Stars
- Love Of The Common People – Nicky Thomas
- Israelites – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- Suzanne Beware Of The Devil – Dandy Livingstone
- Black And White – Greyhound
- Black Pearl – Horace Faith
- You Can Get It If You Really Want – Desmond Dekker
- It Miek – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- 54 46 That’s My Number – The Maytals
- Elizabethan Reggae – Boris Gardiner
- Return Of Django – The Upsetters
- Pied Piper – Bob & Marcia
- Come Back Liza – Dandy Livingstone
- Everybody Plays The Fool – The Chosen Few
- Roll Muddy River – The Pioneers
- Oh! She Is A Big Girl Now – Judge Dread
- Floating – Greyhound
- Mad About You – Bruce Ruffin
- Dream Lover – Greyhound
- Rain – Bruce Ruffin
- Build It Up – Tito Simon
- Big City – Dandy Livingstone
- Snoopy Versus The Red Baron – The Hotshots
- I Need Your Sweet Inspiration – The Pioneers
- Double Barrel – Dave & Ansel Collins
- Disc Two: The Best Of Reggae Part 2
- 007 – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- Long Shot Kick The Bucket – The Pioneers
- Monkey Man – The Maytals
- I Am What I Am – Greyhound
- What Greater Love – Teddy Brown
- Pickney Gal – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- One Big Happy Family – Bruce Ruffin
- The Further You Look – John Holt
- Give And Take – The Pioneers
- Monkey Spanner – Dave & Ansel Collins
- Suffering In The Land – Owen Gray
- Dancing In The Sun – Daniel In The Lion’s Den
- I’m Gonna Get Married – Danny Ray
- Sweet Sensation – The Melodians
- Train To Skaville – The Ethiopians
- Red Red Wine – Tony Tribe
- Come On Girl – Jackie Edwards
- Who’s That Lady – The Paris Connection
- Yesterday Man – Nicky Thomas
- Reggae From The Ghetto – John Holt
- Sing A Little Song – Desmond Dekker
- Down In The Boondocks – Delroy Williams
- Think About That – Dandy Livingstone
- Rivers Of Babylon – The Melodians
- Montego Bay – Freddie Notes & The Rudies
- Kingston Town – Lord Creator
- This Is Reggae Music – Zap Pow
Doctor Bird Records, a division of Cherry Red Records, specializes in vintage Jamaican sounds licensed from the legendary catalog of Trojan Records. One of their current releases is the expanded version of this album, a two cd package containing no less than 55 tracks. It will come as no surprise that this collection mainly consists of the best-known reggae cross-over hits from the late Sixties and early Seventies. To meet the taste of the white pop audience, strings, synths, or extended backing vocals were added to a number of songs. The most famous example remains Young, Gifted And Black by Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths. Singer John Holt also made regular use of this, check the song The Further You Look. The producers often used covers of pop and soul hits.
Of course, the undiluted Jamaican hits are not missing. Check out and enjoy the Desmond Dekker hits Isrealites and 007 (Shanty Town) or the unadulterated rocksteady sounds brought by The Melodians and Lord Creator. You can also enjoy some popular, raw early reggae tunes such as Return Of Django by The Upsetters, The Maytals with 54 46 That’s My Number and Monkey Spanner by Dave & Ansel Collins. The Ethiopians’ rock-solid tune, Train To Skaville is also a timeless favorite on this album.
Although most seasoned hardcore reggae fans will not really get excited about this release, we still enjoyed hearing the golden oldies again