Tougher Than Tough alternates?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

One of my long-standing dream-projects has always been to put together a four-CD collection of Jamaican hits that would include none of the tracks on Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music. I've made a couple half-assed passes at it in the past but would like to pursue it seriously. The cut-off, I've decided, is 1994, a year after the original ended, simply because I'd like to end mine with Dawn Penn's "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)."

So I thought I'd ask the board: what are your favorite reggae hits that didn't make the box set? Some I've already decided on: Toots & the Maytals' "Funky Kingston," Dillinger's "Cocaine in My Brain," Lee Perry's "People Funny Boy," Dave Barker's "Set Me Free" and "Shocks of Mighty," the Wailers' "Duppy Conquerer," Augustus Pablo's "King Tubby's Meets Rockers Uptown," the Gatherers' "Words of My Mouth." What would you add?

― M. Matos, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sounds like a fantastic waste of time.

― keith, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not from a philosophical point of view. Seriously. Compilations, after all, say something by means of what they don't include as much as what they do. Arguably there's a simple matter of taste involved on the part of the compilers, natch -- an artist will always be known for certain songs in particular, for instance, or an amazing one-off can mean a whole lot more to them than the entire career of someone else. But after all, in this example, the claim of the title is fairly broad -- is it the 'story' of Jamaican music or merely a particular precis? I like Michelangelo's effort, I think it's also the type of thing that's so much more easy to do (Napster's collapse aside) in an era of file-sharing and CD burning -- the opportunity to be your own compiler is greater than ever. I've created a slew of archival collections myself for my own particular areas of interest, for bands like the Cure or Siouxsie and the Banshees. You can design as you like and spotlight as you like. :-)

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't know if these are all hits, but here goes: Roland Alphonso "James Bond," Maytals "John and James," Wailers "Jailhouse," Carlton & the Shoes "I've Got Soul," Keith & Tex "Tonight," Scotty "Draw Your Brakes," Pioneers "Samfie Man," U Roy "Honey Come Back," U Roy "Drive Her Home," U Roy "What Is Catty?" U Roy "Runaway Girl," U Roy "I Can't Love Another," Tapper Zukie "When Zukie Day Yah," Tapper Zukie "Simpleton Badness," Big Youth "Marcus Garvey Dread," Big Youth "Jim Squashey" a.k.a "Jim Screechy," Junior Murvin "False Teachin'," Horace Andy & Earl Flute "Satan Side." You can see clearly (now) at about what time I stopped paying much attention to reggae (actually, several years after this apparent cut- off point). By the way, early this afternoon a friend and I were driving in the Cache la Poudre River Valley in the Rocky Mountains, on a two-lane roadway about 30 miles from the nearest significant city (Fort Collins, down on the plain). We suddenly come to a stretch where there are parked cars lining both sides of the road, people sitting and standing around near them. This goes on for a while; finally we come to a roadside bar or club or something that seems to be the focus or cause of it. We call out to the security guy who's directing traffic: "What's the occasion?" He answers "Toots & the Maytals." (Who once did "Country Roads," though never "Rocky Mountain High," as far as I know.)

― Frank Kogan, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And here are a few non-Jamaican songs that I love that I consider reggae-influenced, or reggae-informed (I'm counting ska and rock steady as reggae, by the way, if you couldn't tell from my last post): Slade "Coz I Love You," Slade "I Won't Let I 'Appen Agen" (the rhythm of which sounds very close to Toots & the Maytals' "Revival Reggae"), Boney M "African Moon," Midi, Maxi & Efti "Ragga Steady," Midi, Maxi & Efti "Bad Bad Boys," Midi, Maxi & Efti "Go Girlie Go." Maurizio deserves a mention here, too.

― Frank Kogan, Monday, 23 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

[Wakes up] Someone mention Maurizio? Cool. :)

you could add Burning Spear - 'Civilise Reggae'. But I don't know if that really counts as a hit.

― Omar, Monday, 23 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.