Wackies - S/D

It's my view that the crowning glory of Wackies's achievements are "Dance Hall Style" by Horace Andy, though the unlisted extra track on the CD is a bit meh) and "Bubble Up" by Wayne Jarrett, though I love lots of their other stuff. I have a very odd Johnny Clarke LP from the late 70s ("Visions of John Clarke") produced by Mr. Barnes, with funky sleevenotes by the cunningly names Ras Senrab.

There's an exhaustive discog over at Jahsonic's: http://www.jahsonic.com/Wackies.html Jahsonic has been known to hang around ILM hasn't he?

i have both Love Joys (Reggae Vibes & Lovers Rock) which i still love to death. also have the junior delahay, the meditations, horace andy's dance hall style and the horace andy meets naggo morris & wayne jarrett mini showcase. they're all pretty good. definitely above average if slightly forgetable (well maybe i've forgotten them just because i've sorta lost my interest in reggae and dub for a minute)

also i picked up that keith hudson 'playing it cool $ playing it right'. even though it's not on the wackies label, it's got a bunch of the players on it. i was thoroughly disapointed with it. everybody was going ape shit over it saying it was the most psychedelic thing they'd ever heard and he sounded like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. i even heard comparisons to the first funkadelic record. bleh. i sold it back after a few listens. it could have been the fact that my interest in dub dwindled (which is sad in my eyes). i burned it before i sold it back just incase my interest picks up.

http://www.reggae-reviews.com/wackiessampler1.hml.htm

Vol. 2 is apparently out this month:

http://basicchannel.com/item/WS-02

(Rubs hands together...and dives!)

i've come around to it. i stated when i wrote that (2 1/2 years ago) that i wasn't really feeling dub & reggae. i think it's a pretty great album now. i still don't feel it's the most psychedelic thing i've ever heard, but different strokes i guess. and i'm pretty sure i got those ideas from the Other Music review of the disc. i don't read pitchdork.

i've since picked up Rasta Communication (not on wackies, but watevs) and i really dig it. i've only listened to it twice, but i remember really digging it and thinking maybe it was dubbier of the two? been a second since i heard it.

Just amazingly great. I'd never heard this one.

Reggae Goodies 1 & 2 btw is just ridiculously stellar.

Horace Andy's Dance Hall Style is phenomenal. Spying Glass is so sinister sounding. And the Sugar Minott disc -- Wicked Ago Feel It -- has great harmonies with the Wackies' house band (I thought Minott was more of a political reggae artist, with Ghetto-ology and all, but this disc sounds more like a cross between Lovers Rock and early Dance Hall (without the cloying vocals)).

Everything I've heard from this label is great. eMusic has all the full-length discs, I think (26 discs).

most of those guys go back and forth between lovers and roots themes. i've never heard sugar minotts wackies album so i'll keep an eye out for it. he's got a great voice

You're right about the roots-to-lovers rock (and back again) thing. Here's the short AMG review of Wicked Ago Feel It:

When Sugar Minott recorded this album for the American reggae producer Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes in the early '80s, he was at the peak of his international popularity (primarily thanks to his smash single "Good Thing Going," which had yielded a number of invitations from major labels, all of which he declined). It remains one of his finest efforts, one which most reggae fans were unable to hear for almost 20 years due to the low profile of Barnes' Wackies label during that period. It was thankfully reissued on CD in 2002 and sounds as fresh as it did in 1984. Minott is in strong voice and delivers roots-and-culture material and lovers rock with equal confidence and aplomb, aided beautifully by the cream of New York's crop of studio musicians. Highlights include a version of "Good Thing Going" that differs substantially from the version that had been an international hit, the strangely gleeful title track, and his free adaptation of the Bob Marley composition "So Much Trouble in the World." Very highly recommended, though the Spartan packaging of the Wackies reissue CDs is especially disappointing in this case — some new liner notes.

I downloaded the disc from eMusic, so the lack of liner notes is irrelevant to me. Actually, the disc is even better than the review implies.

HEY

is linval thompson's "six babylon" hard to find or something?

i caught a copy at a used store for $8.99 but i am wondering if there's been a reissue or if you can get the tracks somewhere else ... the disco edit of "six babylon" is one of my all-time-status linval tracks (produced by scientist and mastered and/or edited at wackies, i think?!?) but i've never seen it anywhere.

i mean, i didn't actually buy the CD, i just looked at it and put it back ... can you get those tracks elsewhere?!?

It's not hard to find. It's been released on CD a couple of times (Clocktower, JetStar.)

yeah this was the clocktower edition and i thought the sound quality was extremely suspect.

Yeah I don't buy their stuff generally, but I'm kind of a packaging snob with reissues.

haha ... cause they slap the clocktower label on the front? it's pretty ballsy.

it's like they stuck on a post-it note on the LP and color copied it

http://www.roots-archives.com/display_artwork/288.jpg#

http://www.roots-archives.com/display_artwork/288.jpg

search: junior delahaye "showcase"

destroy: horace andy meets winston jarrett and naggo morris "mini-showcase"

I've got that Horace Andy/Winston Jarrett/Naggo Morris disc. Can't recall a thing about it, which is either a sign I haven't spent enough time with it or that it's utterly forgettable.

searchdestroy: junior delahaye "showcase"

destroysearch: horace andy meets winston jarrett and naggo morris "mini-showcase"

-- moonship journey to baja, Sunday, June 29, 2008 1:36 AM

jk i like them both

how can a horace andy cut be destroyed? i'm scared to listen.

There are actually only two Andy cuts on the album. Most of it is Wayne Jarrett. It's a fine record either way, but compared to the other Jarrett/Andy-Wackie's stuff it's a bit slight.

how can a horace andy cut be destroyed? i'm scared to listen.

True, this. I'll just mention again how unbe-damn-lievable Andy's Dance Hall Style is, especially Spying Glass.

I heard the mini-showcase isn't even a Wackie's production, which makes sense, considering it doesn't really that that deep, murky Wackie's sound.

tell me about

reckless breed "reckless roots allstars"
roots underground "tribesman assault"
jezzreel "great jah jah"
milton henry "who do you think i am"

only have the roots underground, which is a pretty good dub album. no vocals except for the last track which has kc white and love joys

anyone know what this release is?

1. jah i maz - ethiopian children
2. wayne jarrett and baba leslie - african woman
3. john clarke - pollution
4. joe morgan - basement session
5. ras ifton and the zionites - look over yonder
6. john clarke and jah tuff - wasn't it you
7. stranger cole - capture land
8. little roy - prophesy
9. stranger cole - it takes time
10. calman scott - devil in the city
11. a jays - so much loving
12. joy card - love you in every way
13. joy card - superstatic magic mystery

most of the songs have a vocal version followed by a dub, sometimes kinda crudely grafted on and of wildly different quality. i got it off of slsk. it's labelled "new york beat (13 bullwackie shots)" and googling isn't helping me. is this an actual release or just something somebody threw together?

I think it's something thrown together.

Neat!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/nyregion/13reggae.html?_r=2

i have a ridic amount of wackie's

i've only heard jezzreel "great jah jah", but it's pretty tight.

One of those labels you can totally go crazy with and buy like ten-twenty albums and still not get stick of.

Great story. You think Wackie's had -- as someone quoted in the article suggests -- a distinctive "New York sound," i.e., a sound different from other bigtime reggae labels?

Wackie's doesn't make me think of NYC, it makes me think of the moon. that's where that shit sounds like it was made.

XD

"You think Wackie's had -- as someone quoted in the article suggests -- a distinctive "New York sound," i.e., a sound different from other bigtime reggae labels?"

Well it was a pretty distinctive sound and they were based in New York so I guess you could make that argument.

this is one of the funkiest tracks of all time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_L6WS6xq4k

So is Basic Channel not doing these anymore? Nothing in the last year or so.

Finally got Wicked A Go Feel It (on sales @ Ernie B's). This is probably my favorite Sugar Minott, much much better than the second disc that Basic Channel reissued.

I'm a big Wackies fan, but that one took me a while to get into for some reason. Could possibly be the totally incongruous cover art? Looks like the wallpaper in an off-brand fast-food place in 1988 (so, ahead of its time). I just got Jah Batta's Argument which is great. Is Clive Field Marshall's Poor House Rockers as good (or better)? Did you ever find out if Basic Channel were done reissuing? That would be a shame.

Cover art is wackily atrocious no doubt, but the production is awesome. I also picked the Meditations and African Roots Vol 2, but I haven't listened to either yet.

I've never heard the Argument or Poor House Rockers, but I haven't heard a bad Wackie's disc either so. . .

I think Basic Channel is done which is too bad cuz there are some Wackie's catalogue items which I really wanted to see them put out (the Chosen Brothers record for one.)

Oh yeah, nowadays "Wicked Ago Feel It" (the song) is one of my favorite versions of Rockfort Rock. To be honest I kind of love that atrocious cover (though I genuinely love the cut & paste aesthetic of the more orthodox wackies style), I just wanted to post to this thread as I've read it many times when deciding what Wackies to get next.

African Roots 2 is great, if not as sublime as vol. 1, which along with the Prince Douglas album are probably my favorite of the Wackies dub albums (not that I've heard them all by any means). God bless Ernie B.

Clive Field Marshall is great if you're into DJing and that early 80s Wackies sound. Wackies Rhythm Force - African Roots Act III: Strictly Dubwise is the dub to Wicked A Go Feel It. Makes for a nice listen to play the vocal and dubs back to back.

Yeah all the dub records kind of blend together (other the Volume 1) for me.

Bubble up by Wayne Jarrett! Its like a more spaced out lonely version of the Congos record. That's what I thought last time I listened.
In 1962.

This is probably my favorite Sugar Minott, much much better than the second disc that Basic Channel reissued.

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:27 PM

u should check these out
http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Minott-at-Studio-One/dp/B0006M4SMS
http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Lover-1978-1983-Sugar-Minott/dp/B000BTITQC/

Yeah I have both those. They're both great.

not wackies-related, but damn...

http://www.vpreggae.com/images/catalog_images/GRE2057.jpg

Four classic Sugar Minott albums appearing on CD for the
very first time in this Reggae Legends box set
All four albums recorded for legendary 80's producer George
Phang and backed by the legendary Sly & Robbie
Four of Sugars most loved 80's albums including the Rockers
Awards Winners set spotlighting Sugar in classic showcase
style with the legendary Leroy Smart.
Sugar Minott remains one of Jamaica's best-loved and most
popular reggae artists, his hit cover of "Good Thing Going"
topped the UK charts and led to him signing for RCA
Four original albums collected together in reproduction
sleeves giving an extensive overview of Sugar Minotts
successful hit-making career.

what label?

there's a 4-disc set for shabba too

greensleeves/vp

http://www.vpreggae.com/scripts/itemdetail.asp?IK=GRE2057.2#

thx! greensleeves is still on emusic, i think, but the minott set hasn't appeared yet.

Basic Channel man launches new reggae reissue label

http://www.factmag.com/2010/02/17/basic-channel-man-launches-new-reggae-reissue-label-dug-out/

like that 12" and glad to know such vital reissues will continue but keep hoping that Basic Replay will one day get to the other Keith Hudson albums.

which ones

I'm guessing beta's talking about Torch of Freedom, From Extreme to Another, and Steaming Jungle, all of which would definitely be welcome. Since they're focusing on digital stuff, I'm hoping they put out a proper Jazzbo/Ujama compilation, that one 10" they put out was amazing, but such a tease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v---fi81Q98

this looks good

http://www.honestjons.com/shop.php?pid=36608&CatID=2

finally found a vinyl copy of horace andy dancehall style. so damn great.

Dancehall Style is great. Wish it included Gunshot.

destroy: horace andy meets winston jarrett and naggo morris "mini-showcase"

― moonship journey to baja, Sunday, June 29, 2008 1:36 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I've got that Horace Andy/Winston Jarrett/Naggo Morris disc. Can't recall a thing about it, which is either a sign I haven't spent enough time with it or that it's utterly forgettable.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, June 29, 2008 10:19 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

crazy talk. mini-showcase is classic for "you and I" and "you rest on my mind" alone

Finally got around to the Love Joys. Lovers Rock is glorious.

there isn't enough Wackies

Summer Records Anthology is a good cousin of Wackies sounds iirc

Love Joys was thee perfect summer of '18 soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mkhhAQ0z5g
Bullwackie in New York 1981