Bristol’s fantastic reggae legacy

The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983

Various Artists

4/5 

RECORD  COLLECTOR REVIEW

There’s been a  thriving reggae scene in England for four decades now, thanks to excellent bands from London ( Aswad,  Matumbi, Reggae Regular) or Birmingham (Steel Pulse and, if you must, UB40). But how about Bristol? Isolated from the mainstream of the UK Scene, the western city nutured a flourishing scene both live and on disc, as The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983 proves.

The local labels may have operated on a shoestring, but there’s nothing cheap about the performance or the production of tracks such as Black Roots sturdy Bristol Rock or Talisman’s ear-catching Dole Age, which is lyrically bleak but rides a rhythm of which Leslie Kong would have been proud. The albums tour-de-force is the highly sought-after Africa by Joshua Moses, a dignified cultural anthem which segues into a crisply menacing dub. Sharon Bengamin’s Mr Guy is sweetly amateurish, but no more so than much London-recorded lover’s rock. BRING ON VOLUME TWO!   

(Michael de Koningh)

Review: ‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’

‘THE BRISTOL REGGAE EXPLOSION 1978-1983′   

 -  Label: ‘BRISTOL ARCHIVE’

-  Genre: ‘Reggae’ –  Release Date: ’21st February 2011′-  Catalogue No: ‘ARC191cd ‘

 Our Rating:

9/10 

Mike Darby’s Bristol Archive label has brought us several essential compilations over the past 12 months. The first celebrated the eclectic but brilliant post-punk dishes served up by the Fried Egg label. The second shone the spotlight on the white hot excitement of the city’s bristling Punk scene and, most recently, we were treated to ‘Avon Calling 2’: a fine, if very belated sister act to the original ‘Avon Calling’ which was very highly praised indeed by no less a figure than the late, great John Peel.

All of the above made it very clear that Bristol responded with verve and energy to the DIY gauntlet originally thrown down by Punk. However, as artists as seismically different as The Pop Group and Portishead have since proved, Bristol also knows a thing or three about grooves and shaping the way we dance today, so it’s no great surprise to discover that the culturally-diverse city also boasted an impressive Reggae scene during the feverishly creative years 1978-1983.

It might be because Bristol never produced a heavyweight ‘white’ Punk outfit capable of bringing the Punk/ Reggae interface to the masses the way The Clash or The Ruts did that much of this music remained of resonance only locally at the time, but it’s undeniable the major labels made little or no effort to seek it out either. As a result, it was down to a handful of discerning local labels (Nubian, More Cut, Restriction and Shoc Waves (sic)) to document the time on vinyl. Incredibly enough, none of the tracks have since been readily available on CD, never mind digitally.

Hindsight, of course, brings its own rewards, but it seems baffling that songs such as ‘Baby Come Back (Home)’ by BUGGS DURRANT or SHARON BENGAMIN’S ‘Mr. Guy’ never cleaned up on the radio. The first offers sweet Bob Marley-style pop and the second winsome lovers rock in the Janet Kay or Susan Cadogan vein and both had enormous crossover appeal. Ditto the supple, silky skank of THE RADICALS’ ‘Nights of Passion’.

Great all these track are, though, it’s the earthier, Roots-style Reggae purveyed by the likes of BLACK ROOTS and TALISMAN that’s at the heart of ‘The Bristol Reggae Explosion’. To these ears, both of these bands were every bit the equal to the likes of Steel Pulse or Misty in Roots and they bequeath us several fantastic tracks here. The 12” mix of Black Roots’ ‘Tribal War’ is a memorable anti-violence/ pro-unity anthem set to a slow, but robust skank, while their ‘Bristol Rock’ is the epitome of militant and melodic. TALISMAN’S bouncy and eminently catchy ‘Run Come Girl’ comes from their 1981 Glastonbury Festival appearance, while their tough, ratchet-y ‘Dole Age’ single sounds as relevant and prophetic three whole decades on.

Elsewhere, JOSHUA MOSES brings us a splendidly righteous Rastafar-I anthem ‘Africa (is our Land)’ with production from the eminent Dennis ‘Bluebeard’ Bovell (Matumbi, The Slits’ ‘Cut’ LP), while RESTRICTION’S toast’ n’ dub masterpiece ‘Four Point Plan’ almost gets lost in a heady Ganja fug. Perhaps even better still is 3-D PRODUCTION’S ‘Riot’ which – with sounds of sirens and breaking glass riding uppity bass and drums – taps into the mood of unrest in the months prior to the 1981 Brixton riots.

Coming housed in an appropriate mid-80s carnival sleeve of the Jah Revelation sound-system in full effect, ‘The Bristol Reggae Explosion’ is a magnificent collection of well-dread treats from a series of home-grown shoulda-been Roots-Reggae stars.   It’s not only the latest in a series of unmissable compilations from this quality-first archival label, but most of its’ content wouldn’t have seemed out of place should they have arrived with a Trojan Records imprint. And I think that speaks for itself.

Reviewed by Tim Peacock

Taken from: http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=7719

Pre Order Now from Bristol Archive Records

www.bristolarchiverecords.com

BRISTOL: THE REGGAE EXPLOSION

 Following on from their superb ‘Bristol: The Punk Explosion’ compilation of earlier in 2010, Bristol Archive Records have produced the equally compelling ‘Reggae Explosion 1978 – 1983’ long player. These fourteen tracks reflect on a time when Jamaican musical influence was more ‘roots’ based – at a time before the more aggressive and explicit derivation of ragga took hold and along with hip-hop and all its sub-genres became the most popular ‘imported’ music to the UK. 

This compilation devotes three tracks to both BLACK ROOTS and TALISMAN, with two to both JOSHUA MOSES and RESTRICTION, with another four local artists contributing one track each. 

BLACK ROOTS are probably the best known of the Bristol reggae bands of that era. They toured the UK extensively throughout the early Eighties and even recorded the signature tune for the BBC TV series ‘The Front Line’ in 1984, which I guess highlighted their popularity and acceptability of the genre at that time. It is their ‘Bristol Rock’ that rather appropriately opens the album. As their name would indicate, their take on reggae music is very ‘roots’ based. It’s smooth and laid-back, with as with all music of this type, is instantly infectious and dance inducing. They also wade in with the 12” mix of ‘Tribal War’ which has a tinge of African beat about it, while their final track, ‘Juvenile Delinquent’ was re-mixed by DJ / producer Jah Woosh and was well received (within the context of the reggae world at least) in the dancehall world of the mid-Eighties. 

The three TALISMAN tracks are the longest on the album. The first of the three is a ‘live’ recording of ‘Run Come Girl,’ and features a sort of wailing, harmonica type sound – similar to that used in later years by Beats International on their ‘Dub Be Good To Me’ hit. ‘Wicked Dem’ is also a ‘live’ recording and the best indicator I can give here is to UB40’s ‘Signing Off’ period, with the sax mixing seamlessly with the backbeat and dub style drum sound. And it is this particular ‘dub’ sound that features so well on the epic, eleven minutes of ‘Dole Age’ (12” mix.) 

JOSHUA MOSES also leans in this direction throughout the latter half on the first of his two contributions, the ultra-rare ‘Africa (Is Our Land)’ whereas his other track ‘Pretty Girl’ illustrates more of a gentle ‘Lovers Rock’ style.

‘Nights Of Passion’ by THE RADICALS would most likely fall within that same category, as would SHARON BENGAMIN who on ‘Mr. Guy,’ exhibits a similar style and mood to that which afforded Janet Kay a mainstream chart hit with ‘Silly Games’ in 1979. Similarly, BUGGS DURRANT and ‘Baby Come Back (Home)’ reminds me of the Barry Biggs hit from a couple of years earlier, ‘Sideshow.’

However, it’s the ‘dub’ style of reggae that always hooked me back in he day – and still does, I have to say. 3D PRODUCTION use this style in part on their ‘Riot’ track. Heavy bass lines are straightened out, with the organ and vocals getting slight reverb tweaks. But it’s the two contributions from RESTRICTION (‘Four Point Plan’ and ‘Restriction’) that have me heading straight up to my loft after I finish writing this piece, and looking out my old vinyl copies of Blackbeard albums!

This is a superb compilation, which although it obviously focuses on the Bristol scene of that time, simply highlights what was going on in the inner cities up and down the length of the UK at the same time as, and ultimately dovetailing with the Punk scene.

Which brings me back nicely to the earlier release on this label which concentrates on that particular counter culture. BOTH these albums from Bristol Archive Recordings are well worth adding to any collection!

Go check ‘em!

(Released through Bristol Archive Recordings – and also on limited edition vinyl pressing – on 21^st February 2011)

(10 / 10)

Taken from: http://loudhorizon.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/bristol-the-reggae-explosion/

Preorder now from www.bristolarchiverecords.com

• VARIOUS “THE BRISTOL REGGAE EXPLOSION 1978-1983″ (BRISTOL ARCHIVE RECORDS)
• 
  RELEASED? Preorder now
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  SOUNDS LIKE? Let’s be clear. I am a white male. Yes, I’m Irish, but being included in merry English signage like ‘no dogs, no blacks, no Irish” does not make me Bob Marley. Neither does appearing on this album. So, I can only hack this is as boring n bog standard white reggae lover, which means that anything outside the comfort n cool zone defined by love of Althea & Donna, Desmond Decker, Bob Marley, Dave & Ansell Collins and hatred for UB40 is going to be a white, white knuckle ride. Except that it isn’t. Now, this is probably a temporal rather than racial thing, but every single one of these tracks has been prepared with love, care, pride, sometimes expertise, but always with the right attitude.

  Let’s highlight a couple; Buggs Durrant isn’t a household name, but “Baby Come Back” chips with snare and brass breezes a soulful tale of love lost with soulful and blatantly poppy guile, it’s fucking brilliant, and so is “Africa”, a little something from Joshua Moses that sweetly torch and finger-pops a reggae shuffle ballad that soothes as  it stirs, the cutey girl backing vox honey drip the “don’t let the wicked men fool you” chorus and melts you, just melts you.

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  IS IT ANY GOOD? Yes, yes, yes. This may well be real reggae from people you haven’t heard of, but it’s largely fantastic and reassuringly catchy n commercial.
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  WHERE IS IT? www.bristolarchiverecords.com

The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983
Kingston, Handsworth, Notting Hill…even Coventry. These are names which spring to mind when you think of ska and reggae in the late ’70s and early ’80s. But, as this CD is pure evidence to, Bristol also had a historic and steadfast reggae scene. This album is a powerful introduction to artists over 14 tracks, each with their own unique take on reggae. There’s a real journey on this album, from Buggs Durrant and his sublime pop sound reminiscent of Donna and Althea, to Joshua Moses in his vocal ‘Africa (Is Our Land)’ for Rastafarian politics. Black Root’s ‘Tribal War’ a close to dub music, heavy and gloriously hypnotic. If you want some grim 1980s socially conscious music, check out Black Roots’ ‘Juvenile Delinquent’, a reference to the infinite rude boy tracks of Trojan Records music in the 1960s. There’s even Live number ‘Wicked Dem’ by Talisman, a uplifting political number in which the lead singer declares anti-racism and pro-CND. “We are no capitalists” the song makes quite clear. So there’s music you can dance to, and music you can smoke to, and music you can get fired up to. Political reggae and fun reggae.

The album is well-crafted, plenty of care gone into flagging up years, writers and record labels to give representation and respect to the original writers. Some of the tracks are rarities, remastered from tapes of limited number vinyl, ensuring this is a delight for any hardcore reggae fantastic to own something long since out-of-print. But it still holds the strong reggae charm of being an album you can simply out on in most environments and let it play through, filling any room in feel-good vibes. The album is wonderfully bookmarked, opening with the early Peter Tosh-sounding Black Roots and their anthem ‘Bristol Rock’, the perfect introduction to a Bristol reggae compilation. But it ends on Talisman’s ‘Dole Age’, leaving the album on the historic note that this scene strived and these songs were written under Thatcherite politics with 3 million unemployed. They serve as documentation of the atmosphere and mood at the time, and evidence as to how they fought back and empowered themselves with music. It’s all too easy to make parallels with 2010 and modern reggae/ska/punk bands but certainly I think in the coming months I’ll be listening to 3D’s ‘Riot’ for a lot more reason than simply historical curiosity.

Taken from:http://www.pushtofire.com/musicreviews.html#article423

The Cortinas

The word went out a couple of weeks ago. There was to be, for the first time ever, a compact disc of The Cortinas singles, album and Peel Session release. Hard to believe that no-one had thought to put all the recordings on to one CD before, but there y’go. Excitement reigned…well me and Steve Underwood were happy. And the 29th of November saw the official release. I found a copy on the internet for £4.50.
As a youth I loved The Cortinas. Never saw them live, never had the first LP but the first two singles are classics. They are here on the CD, tracks 1-4. Classics. My favourite being “Defiant Pose”. Teenage anthem for 1978. I remember buying it on 12″ format from a great record shop in St. Austell in 1978 whilst holidaying in Cornwall. I’ve always remembered where and when I bought the classics.
As a youth I “suppose” I liked “punk rock”, although I was never a fan of the “biggies” like Sex Pistols or The Clash or Buzzcocks. I liked The Damned for a couple of LP’s and The Jam had a few good hard chord songs, above all I liked The Stranglers up until and including their “Black And White” LP. I went more for the independent single, the stuff John Peel was playing the most and was 10p cheaper in the singles bin on Sanctuary Records (Lincoln) counter. Stuff like The Cortinas, Eater, Cyanide, The DP’s, Menace, Outsiders etc along with steadfast labels like Rough Trade and Factory and Fast Product – that was my stuff.
After the single tracks comes the Peel Session. Quite weak apart from the two tracks that were the single “A” sides. The album follows. I hadn’t heard the LP since 1980. I never owned a copy. A friend (Mark Collins) bought it and on first listen we declared it crap! Listening to it now 30 years later (and thirty years older) it still sounds pretty crap. Very weak and the songs have not stood the test of time. Unlike, say, The DP’s “If You Know What I Mean” LP or Eater “The Album”. I think the problem with The Cortinas is that they only had 5 and a half good songs and an album that only featured one and a half of them.
The booklet notes are a good read and really it is about time some person took it upon themsleves to write a book about the Bristol Music Scene in the late 1970′s, early 1980′s akin to the Sheffield tome “Beats Working For A Living”, there were some great innovative groups / labels around then. (It has a “Where Are They Now” section (which I love) and Nick Sheppard is a DJ in Perth, Australia. Tim..hunt the man down)!! The booklet kind of alludes to the band running out of steam when they signed to CBS, but the songs on the LP are really bad. What it reminds me of is……there must have been an interim when The Leyton Buzzards became Modern Romance. They must have had some tracks/songs and thought…these don’t really work as high energy punk tunes, why don’t we try and add a salsa or rhumba beat and lighten the guitars, and then thought sod it – let’s change our name and go all out pop. Well, The Cortinas LP is like The Leyton Buzzards in their interim period!

I was in Toulouse in 2006 where I found a lovely little second hand vinyl shop, and I found (for 10 Euro) a copy of the “Heartache” 7″. I had to buy it. B Side is their classic “Ask Mr Waverly”. And if you are wondering, the half decent track is “Radio Rape” (which could have been a DP’s song if you ask me).
The CD is a good document of a band with five and half decent songs who after one LP had the decency to call it a day…how many albums did The “bloody” Clash make? (whatever the number it was, it was that number too many). If seen for a fiver and you know of The Cortinas I say “buy it”.

Pictures:
1: CD Sleeve.
2: The Cortinas Live in Bristol.
3: “Heartache” Sleeve. (10 Euro)!

Various Artists: The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983

4

A CD that without any apparent effort gives a party and a documentary in the same 74 mins of music. It doesn’t matter that the title years don’t spread evenly over the 14 tracks (just the two Joshua Moses numbers from 1978 & 79 and the rest are 1980-83). Roots reggae predominates and some lovers’ rock keeps the mood sweet in a range of material opening with Black Roots‘s mellow and informative ‘Bristol Rock’ and moving through quintessential examples from Joshua Moses, Talisman, and Restriction. Eight bands and artists are represented, by up to three examples of their work and all are intimately familiar with the ways of reggae music smoking round your brain and tweaking down your backbone. The second half of the album brings in some less mainstream types such as the distinctly Bowie-like ‘Nights of Passion’ by The Radicals ; and Sharon Bengamin’s ‘Mr Guy’ – both capable of making a mark outside the reggae scene ; and the brief, effective 2 min 43 ‘Riot’ from 3-D Production. Other notable pleasures include the upliftingly beautiful keyboard that takes us in and out of Black Roots‘s ‘Tribal War’, the ska warmth of Buggs Durrant’s ‘Baby Come Home’ and the concluding 12 inch mix of Talisman’s’ ‘Dole Age’. Almost everything here is available for the first time since its own era ; and as well as showing how worthy Bristol Reggae is of renewed and wider attention, it tells today’s guitar-soaked public how much we owe to the brass section as trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn and trombone conjure rich Jamaican sound out of thin English air.

Taken from: http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/13942/

The Bristol Reggae Explosion