freeskafoundation

The '17 North Parade' offshoot of the VP record label has been issuing excellent reggae revive albums and compilations for a few years now but this might be their masterpiece which is appropriate as VP records evolved from the Jamaican based Randy's record label which is the subject of this compilation. The package includes two full hour plus music CDs and a "bonus" DVD telling the story of Randy's. Whilst the DVD is a pretty basic affair the story it tells is fascinating for reggae buffs like myself and the wealth of talent involved is amazing for the cognoscenti including many luminaries from the golden age of reggae. The music CDs are just fantastic, CD1 showing the evolution of the music on Randy's through the 1960s from raw R&B inspired ska through rocksteady to early reggae with an extraordinary range of talent including the Maytals, Alton Ellis, Lord Creator, John Holt and even the Wailers. CD2 though is the real deal (and ultimately why I purchased this item) showing what Randy's were up to in their early 70's purple patch with a quite brilliant selection of instrumentals (inc. Pablo's immortal 'Java'), lovers (eg. Alton Ellis' 'Too Late' and Dennis Brown's 'Cheater') and Roots (eg. Senya's 'Children of the Ghetto), all of it good and most of it great. I must also note that the sound quality is straight from the top drawer with the music sounding like it was remastered from the original master tapes, a rarity in reggae reissues believe me. My only wish is that there is enough in the vaults for a second volume, hopefully including 'Rolling Stone' by the Psalms, 'Won't Come Easy' by Sweeny and the Wailers and 'Evil That You Do' by Roots and the Wailers.

Track List :
Lord Creator - Independent Jamaica
Alton & Eddie - Like A Dream
Roy & Paulette - Since You're Gone
Rico Rodriguez - Rico Special
Lord Creator & Norma Fraser - We Will Be Lovers
Lord Creator - Don't Stay Out Late
Basil Gabbidon - Goodbye Pretty Darling
Cornell Campbell - Make Hay
Charlie Organaire - Royal Charlie
Joanne Gordon & Roland Alphonso - Blow Roland Blow
Baba Brooks - Portrait Of My Love
The Skatalites - Malcolm X
Alton Ellis - Mouth A Massy
John & Alton - Rum Bumpers
The Maytals - John & James
Delroy Byfield - Yagga Yagga
Don Drummond - Machine Shop
Stranger & Ken - Home Home Home
Lord Creator - Such Is Life
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Sugar Sugar
Peter Tosh - You Can't Fool Me Again
The Gaylads - Wha She Do Now
Count Machuki - Warfare
Randy's All Stars - End Dust
The Ethiopians - True Man

Augustus Pablo - Java
I Roy - Hospital Trolley
Junior Byles - King Of Babylon
Horace Andy - Don't Go
Jimmy London - A Little Love
Dennis Brown - Cheater
John Holt - For The Love Of You
Alton Ellis - Too Late To Turn Back Now
Donovan Careless - Be Thankful
Hortense Ellis - Woman Of The Ghetto
Senya - Children Of The Ghetto
Gregory Isaacs - Lonely Soldier
Black Uhuru - Going To Zion
Lloyd Parks - Ordinary Man
The Impact All Stars - Ordinary Man Version 3
The African Brothers - Hold Tight
Keith Poppin - Righteous Man
Errol Dunkley - Created By The Father
The Gladiators - The Race
The Heptones - My Guiding Star
Hubert Lee - Something On Your Mind
Charlie Ace & Dirty Harry - Country Boy
Carl Malcolm - No Jestering
Big Youth - Knotty No Jester
Carl Malcolm - Fattie Bum Bum


DDL