The Bristol Archive team went to see this great new film last night to a packed house at The Watershed in Bristol

Its the story of the UK’s history of Lovers Rock

 The DVD pre-order process for  THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK is now ready.

Please follow the link:
http://www.vivaverve.com/product.php/169/2/the_story_of_lovers_rock

Greetings!

Thank you for your kind messages and support over the years. 

We wanted to let you know that the re-mastered and expanded edition CD of the JoBOXERS classic debut album ‘Like Gangbusters’, will be released on January 30th.   This includes all the original studio versions of the singles, many not previous available on CD plus all the B sides and 12″ mixes from this era.

The album can be pre-booked here:  http://www.cherryred.co.uk/bigbreak-exd.asp?id=3474

Feel free to forward this to anyone that might be interested.

Have a great Christmas and New Year,

Best wishes,

The JoBOXERS

www.joboxers.net

Spent an hour on the telephone last night talking with the great man Mr Bovell about the two Joshua Moses 12″ singles to be released in Feb 2012. The Anthology album for Joshua scheduled for release in April 2012 and Joshua’s new album planned for September 2012. Exciting times for Bristol Archive but equally exciting will be our new label www.reggaearchiverecords.com launched in 2012 and our first release from AMJ DUB COLLECTIVE via our rebranded imprint www.sugarshackrecords.co.uk in April 2012.

You can find out more about AMJ here www,amjcollective.info  

It was a thrill to be able to explain our plans to Mr Bovell lets hope we can get him involved with www.reggaearchiverecords.com in some capacity.

Merry Christmas

Mike, Martin, Steve, Sam and the team

Mojo Magazine include ‘Bristol The Reggae Explosion 1978-1983′ in their top ten Reggae Reissue albums on 2011.

We have also scheduled Vol 3 The 80′s Part 2 for a March 19th 2012 release, press release below:

THE BRISTOL REGGAE EXPLOSION 3 – THE 80’s PART 2

VARIOUS ARTISTS

15 Track CD, 8 Track LP AND Digital Download

Released 19^th March 2012

The Bristol Reggae Explosion is back with a third volume. Whilst still happily exploring  what was happening in the city during the 1980s, we’ve bent the rules and included a lone track from 1979. If anything, this third volume is our strongest so far, an amazing achievement when you consider that 11 of the 15 tracks are previously unreleased.

      By popular demand, “Bristol Reggae Explosion Volume 3 – The 1980s Part II” has a strong leaning towards the roots side of reggae. The album opens with Revelation Rockers “Jah Praises”, recorded in 1979 and taken from the album of the same name that sees its first release on Bristol Archive Records in March 2012 exclusively on vinyl, so it’s inclusion on Volume 3 will be it’s only CD issue. Revelation Rockers soon changed their name to Talisman and as such they feature twice more with the unreleased (Cave mix) of “Takin’ The Strain” and “Lick & Run” taken from their debut album “Takin’ The Strain”, re-released on CD as a deluxe edition in March 2012.

      We included Bunny Marrett’s only vinyl outing on Volume 2. He returns for Volume 3 with an incredibly soulful and atmospheric performance of “I’m Free.” An alternative version will be included on Bunny’s first album which Bristol Archive Records plan to release later in 2012,something we are really excited about.

      Another act from whom we intend to release a long overdue album is Joshua Moses. ‘Stick It Up’ is a live recording that gives you some idea just how good his shows were and is a taster from the album ‘Joshua to Jashwha- 30 Years In The Wilderness’.  Maintaining the roots vibe are Zion Band, most of whom would go on to form Restriction but not before putting out a six track EP and we’ve included “Babylon Fire/Babylon Dub” from that scarce vinyl release.

     Two more previously featured acts from Volume 2 are Alfred McIntosh, whose dubs were so well received last time, and Cool Runnings, with unreleased alternative versions of two songs taken from their forthcoming self-titled album on Bristol Archive Records.

      Although very well known locally, Popsy Curious gets his introduction to the worldwide reggae community with his “Chant Down Bobby Rome”. He makes a second  contribution showing his lovers rock side, as one of the vocalists on Vibes’ “My Love”. The remaining artists Ron Green, Zapp Stereo, The Radicals and Dan Ratchet will be familiar to those who have our previous volumes. It is worth noting that Dan Ratchet is backed by members of Aswad for his take on the classic mid-eighties U.K. reggae sound. Bristol Archive Records are currently working on releasing Dan’s first album from which “Sweet Rosie” is taken as well as an album from the multi-talented Ron Green.

     All in all, these 15 tracks provide a great overview of the diversity of ideas and styles that were bubbling away in 1980s Bristol. We have had a great response to our first two volumes and hopefully volume three will receive an equally positive welcome.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Black Roots have agreed for the Archive to rerelease their 1987 album ‘All Day All Night’ as a Deluxe Edition CD probably in June 2012.

We’ve just found six sensational songs recorded in London 1986 by Bunny Marrett with The Starled Insects, Tony Orrell and Richard Lewis (UK Scientist) as the musicians. This amazing find means that we will have a Bunny Marrett album in 2012. Special thanks to Tim Norfolk.  

Check this interview out by the film maker and maybe go see the film at The Watershed in Bristol on Dec 17th

http://www.watershed.co.uk/dshed/lovers-rock

The website:

http://www.loversrockthefilm.com/index.php

Just to give you an idea of what’s coming up in 2012 :

Feb:

Joshua Moses ‘Africa is Our Land/Home (Dub)’ 12″ Limited edition Single ROOTS/DUB 1978

Joshua Moses ‘ Rise Up/Rise Up(Dub)’ 12″ Limited Edition Single ROOTS/DUB 1983

March:

Talisman ‘Takin The Strain – Deluxe Edition’ CD ( British Reggae Lost Classics Series) ROOTS/REGGAE 1984

Revelation Rockers ‘Jah Praises’ Vinyl LP ( British Reggae Unreleased Classics Series) ROOTS 1979

The Bristol Reggae Explosion 3 The 80′s Part 11 CD and Vinyl LP ROOTS/REGGAE/DUB THE 80′S

April:

Cool Runnings ‘Cool Runnings’ CD (British Reggae Unreleased Classics Series) ROOTS/LOVERS ROCK 1983-1985 (POSSIBLE VINYL LP DEPENDING ON DEMAND)

Joshua Moses ‘Joshua to Jashwha – 30 Years In The Wilderness’ (British Reggae Unreleased Classics Series) ROOTS ANTHOLOGY 1978-2003

LATER IN THE YEAR:

Dan Ratchet album

Handsome and The Vibes album

Vibes Album

Black Roots ‘All Day All Night’ reissue album (subject to confirmation)

www.bristolarchiverecords.com

www.archivepublishing.net

www.reggaearchiverecords.com

Bristol’s very first punk band, The Cortinas, are to reform in 2012. They will be appearing at the Rebellion Festival, Blackpool, in August, as part of a major UK tour, their first for 34 years -‘The Defiant Pose Tour 2012’

The Cortinas formed in March 1976 when Jeremy Valentine (vocals), Nick Sheppard (guitar), Mike Fewins (guitar), Dexter Dalwood (bass) and Daniel Swan were still at school.“Jer put the band together, he definitely had a vision of what he wanted; he was very hip – Dexter and Mike went to the same school as him”, remembers Nick. “He found me via Mark Stewart, who I went to school with, and I brought Dan in; we had played in a band together before. We used to practise at the back of Jer’s Dad’s shop”. The Cortinas soon built up a big local following, and a break came when the band supported the Stranglers at the fabled Roxy Club in Covent Garden on 22 January 1977. Nick recalls how it came to be: “Hugh Cornwell was staying at a friend of his’ flat near the university, on holiday, and me and my girlfriend met him in the street. This would have been in the summer of 76. We started talking to him because we recognized him from seeing The Stranglers and hung out for the afternoon. I told him about the band. Later on, in January 77, he sent us a postcard asking us to play at the Roxy, so we rang up and said yes! I remember my mum telling me not to be too disappointed if people didn’t like us…”. Things then moved quickly for the band. Miles Copeland and Mark Perry’s Step Forward label released the classic singles ‘Fascist Dictator’ in June and ‘Defiant Pose’ in December, the band recorded a fine Peel session, and they appeared on the front cover of the April/May issue of Sniffin’ Glue. Heady stuff, but sadly, it was over all too soon. The following year, after a poorly received album, the band were no more, but in 1977 they were unstoppable – simply one of the best first wave punk bands around.

Nick famously joined the last line-up of the Clash, touring the world with them for over two years. He now lives in Australia. Dan moved to San Francisco and played with The Sneetches, then worked with a management company that handled Green Day and he now runs his own music management firm there. Jeremy moved into academia and is now Dr Jeremy Valentine, a senior sociology lecturer at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Mike later played with the likes of Stewart Copeland and Brian James, and is the fourth original member taking part in the tour.

Recent interest in the Cortinas is largely down to the Bristol Archive Records label, who first released two download-only albums, The GBH Demos 1977 and live set Please Don’t Hit Me. Such interest was aroused that the label released the album MK1, which included both of the band’s singles, plus demo tracks, on vinyl. The album has now gone into a second pressing on white vinyl.

Indie giants Cherry Red have also released The Cortinas – Punk Rock Anthology, which brings together the singles, the True Romances album and the Peel session, and to coincide, Record Collector magazine ran a major feature on the band.

Bristol Archive will be releasing a new CD including never seen before pictures of the band to tie-in with the tour. When the reformation was announced Nick said that “We are all still friends and the release of MK1 was an enjoyable experience, so I guess we feel that might continue.” He added: “The Cortinas is where I come from, so I feel like going back for a visit. I love a challenge, and the idea of reforming the Cortinas is extremely challenging, let alone the reality.”

www.bristolarchiverecords.com

Black Roots plus Fowokan featuring Jimmy Lindsay
It’s set to be a truly great night of British reggae on Friday 18th November with this fantastic double header featuring Black Roots and Fowokan at Under the Bridge, Chelsea.
Following their appearance at Alexander Palace (All Tomorrows Parties, curated by Portishead) in July 2011, newly reformed Black Roots have just seen the launch of their new “best of” CD (“The Reggae Singles Anthology”, Bristol Archive)and live DVD ahead of their return to the studio in early 2012. Catch this rare opportunity to see them live.
Black Roots
Black Roots were a powerful and potent force in the British reggae music scene throughout the 80’s and left a legacy of no less than ten albums and more than eight singles before bowing out of the public eye in the mid-90’s. Hailing from the St Paul’s area of Bristol, the original eight-member band was formed in 1979 and quickly gained a large following by touring almost non-stop around the country, playing their brand of ‘militant pacifism’ roots.
Their album “Black Roots” released in 1983 was a highly acclaimed debut for the band and saw them make their mark immediately on the national music scene. The band continued to attract attention and praise with their next two albums and their fourth, “All Day All Night” was produced by Mad Professor. In response to public demand for a live album Black Roots released “Live Power” in 1988 capturing the power and strength of the band’s tight, vibrant and entertaining stage performance.
In 1991 Black Roots and Neil Fraser released “Dub Factor: The Mad Professor Mixes” along with Black Steel and the horn section from the All Day All Night album. The tenth and final album “Dub Factor 3: Dub Judah & Mad Professor Mixes” released in 1995 finally brought the curtain down on Bristol’s finest exponents of reggae and without doubt, one of Britain’s best loved performing bands of the genre.
“If anyone tells you that there is no such thing as good British reggae, first tell them that they are a herbert and then listen to Black Roots.” John Peel
Fowokan
Melding soulful roots reggae with hard hitting funky vibes Fowokan features some of the best UK musical talent of the genres. Forged from their time together in the legendary British funk band Cymande, Fowokan re-unites founding member Sam Kelly (drums / backing vocals) with Jimmy Lindsay (vocals).
Jimmy’s song writing delves deep into the roots of reggae and communicates a powerful message through his Jamaican heritage. The strength of Jimmy’s writing is captured on his three solo albums (including “Children of Rastafri“ ). His chart success includes the 1977 British Reggae Award winning single, a re-working of the Commodores “Easy“.
Playing as a formidable six piece unit, this is funky roots reggae at its best.
Under The Bridge
Under The Bridge is the new music venue in West London based beneath the terraces of the Stamford Bridge football ground. With a capacity of 600 and state of the art lighting and sound, UTB is a great gig space which delivers on both atmosphere and intimacy.
The UTB team are committed to delivering music events of a high standard across many genres, staging performances by major artists as well as showcasing some of the best emerging talent around.
Tickets and more information available from www.underthebridge.co.uk
Press Contacts
Graeme Miall, Promoter, One Tree Limited , Telephone : 07816 845 883 [email protected]
This event is a co-promotion bought to you by Under The Bridge Limited and One Tree Limited.

The Cortinas are to reform and tour the UK in 2012

‘The Defiant Poase Tour 2012′

Wow!

More news on dates later