Sugar Shack / Nubian Records will release Black Roots new album entitled ‘On The Ground’ on September 10th 2012 in three formats CD, Vinyl and digital download.

Track listing for the CD is as follows:
1.       I Believe
2.       Pompous Way
3.       Long Long Ago
4.       Militancy
5.       Earth Land
6.       I Am flying
7.       Slavery
8.       Oh Mama Africa
9.       Hide out
10.     On The Ground
11.     Call Me Out
12.     No Fee
13.     Struggle
14.     Landscape
15.     Without Direction
16.     Capitalism
17.     Come and Sing

Recorded in Bristol in April at J & J Studios
Produced by Black Roots  and Mixed by Loius Becket

More news soon

www.sugarshackrecords.co.uk

Black Roots

All Day AII Night (Deluxe Edition)

Bristol Archives CD/DL

Recorded for the Nubian label in 1985,

Black Roots recruited Neal Fraser, The Mad

Professor, for mix duties and the trombonist

Vin Gordon for authentic brass weight. The

result of this more professional approach

was a cleaner, punchier sound, less rootsy

than previous work – an inexplicable move,

as those earlier tunes had generated BBC

sessions and a commission for the theme

music for the TV sitcon The Front Line. lt’s

mostly conscious tunes all the way, and

so magisterial is the 12″ cut to “Pin ln The

0cean” that it’s difficult for anything to

match it, although the “Face Dub” (the flute

and trombone version to “Seeing Your Face”)

is as good as anything to be found on Mad

Prof’s Dub Me Crazy series. Black Roots are

currently working on a new album.

The Columns I Soundcheck I trrewire | 0r

Joshua Moses                                              4/5

Talisman                                                       4/5

Bristol Reggae Explosion 3                       4/5

The Joshua review is killa:

‘This is one of the must – have reissue albums of the year’ 4/5   RecordCollector

BUNNY MARRETT- ‘I’M FREE’

Released 18^th June 2012 as Vinyl LP (Limited Edition), CD & Digital Download,

through Bristol Archive Records / Shellshock and all digital platforms.

          An influential figure on the Bristol reggae scene since the 1970s, Bunny Marrett has been shamefully neglected on record with just two tracks on the A side of a 1981 Shoc Wave 12” his sole output, although his compositions have fared somewhat better having been recorded and released by both Black Roots and Delroy Ogilvie.

     Bristol Archive Record’s June 18^th release of Bunny’s 1986 recorded album “I’m Free,” should go some way to making up for that oversight. As a bonus, Bunny is accompanied by legendary Bristol band The Startled Insects and equally legendary local jazz drummer Tony Orrell.

     Bunny may be a reggae artist, but he is also a jazz lover and with first rate jazz accompaniment, the music they produced is a totally natural fusion of reggae and jazz that more than twenty five years after it was recorded still sounds totally fresh.  It’s naturalness, it’s simplicity and it’s beauty make this music timeless and with an appeal far beyond the traditional reggae market. This is joyful music created by musicians who were obviously having fun and that shines through. There is no artifice in this meeting of Jamaica’s and the United States’ greatest musical gifts, it just works as a perfect blend of styles.

     Bunny has been singing since his childhood in Montego Bay and after relocating to Kingston was soon entering talent competitions. Moving to England whilst still in his teens, Bunny continued to sing as well as becoming involved with sound systems. He also embraced the local jazz scene as well as the diverse music of the West Indies including learning to play Piano with Laurel Aitken. Although his profile outside of Bristol may not have been high, by the time he recorded “I’m Free” he was an experienced writer and performer.

      When they collaborated with Bunny the, Startled Insects had already made an impact with their first two records on Antenna and were about to be signed by Island. One of the Startled Insects, Richard Lewis, will be well known to fans of Bristol Archive Records as legendary engineer and producer UK Scientist. The remaining band members known as just the Insects, would go on to a very successful career scoring music for film and television, writing for Massive Attack and working with several leading UK acts.

       Drummer Tony Orrell is something of a legend in Bristol music circles. In fact, having played with Spirit Level, Sphere, Andy Sheppard and Adrian Utley to name just a few, he’s a hugely respected musician on the UK jazz scene and has often utilised his talents for non jazz artists.

       The vinyl LP contains the 1986 album as it was envisioned, four vocals, the uplifting title track “I’m Free”, Bunny’s tribute to Bob Marley with “Jazzy Reggae” making an excellent adaptation of the Wailers original. “Farm Diggin’” inspired by life in rural Jamaica and “Natural Princess” a pure love song, “Jazzy Reggae and “Farm Digging” are accompanied by their versions/dubs. For the CD issue we have added “Times Are Getting Harder” and “Hard Times (dub)” both tracks from Bunny’s Shoc Wave 12”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.bristolarchiverecords.com

ARTIST: Bunny Marrett

TITLE: I’m Free

RELEASE DATE: 18th June 2012

LABEL: Bristol Archive Records

DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock

FORMAT: Format:   Vinyl LP (Limited Edition), CD and Digital Download

CAT NO: ARC253V and ARC253CD

BARCODE: 5052571027318 / 5052571027325

DOWNLOAD LINK (For review purposes only): 

WEBSITE: www.bristolarchiverecords.com

CONTACT: Mike Darby, E: mike@bristolarchivercords.com  T: 07885 498 402

Tracks:

Vinyl

Side 1:

!. “I’m Free”

2. “Natural Princess”

3. “Farm Diggin’”

Side 2:

1. “Farm Dubbin’”

2. “Jazzy Reggae”

3. “Jazzy Reggae Dub”

CD

1. “I’m Free”

2. “Natural Princess”

3. “Farm Diggin’”

4. “Farm Dubbin’”

5. “Jazzy Reggae”

6. “Jazzy reggae Dub”

7. “Times Are Getting Harder”

8. “Hard Times Dub”

JOSHUA (JASHWHA) MOSES AND THE RAS BAND

PLUS SPECIAL GUEST AND PAPA ROOTS SOUND SYSTEM

FRIDAY JUNE 29^TH THE FLEECE, BRISTOL, UK

In the early 1980s, Joshua Moses was one of Bristol’s most popular live performers. He took his brand of Roots Reggae on tour across the UK and Europe but like many others, changes in taste and the loss of venues saw Joshua virtually retire from live shows.

      Now with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album “Joshua to Jashwha – 30 Years In the Wilderness” released via Bristol Archive Records, Joshua makes his long overdue return with a gig at the Fleece. With support from The Ras Band and a catalogue of great songs, many of which he’ll be performing live for the first time, Joshua will be reminding fans old and new just why his music was so popular first time around.

      Along with Joshua there will be a surprise special guest and support from Papa Roots Sound System. It’s been a long time coming but the return of Joshua Moses isn’t to be missed.

A joint presentation by The Fleece, Bristol Archive Records and Midnight Mango Agency.

You Tube Video link:

http://youtu.be/-tfbvKCoffA

Dan Ratchet 12″ Vinyl (Limited Edition) ARC254V
Recorded in London and mixed at Dynamic Studios, Jamaica 1986
Produced by Simbarashe Tongogara
Never released until now – 11th June 2012
Pre-sales will be up soon at www.bristolarchiverecords.com and all major and minor overground and underground mainstream and reggae distribution outlets
The album drops in July 2012 with more previously unreleased material to follow later in the year and 2013 – busy time for Dan and exciting for the team
Video for Afrikana Policies will be uploaded and available in March

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

REVELATION ROCKERS – ‘JAH PRAISES’

Released 5^th March 2012 as Vinyl LP and Digital Download

1979 was a good year for reggae and British reggae in particular. Lover’s rock went mainstream with Janet Kay on Top Of the Pops and Aswad, Steel Pulse and Linton Kwesi Johnson all building on their debuts with strong second albums. Meanwhile the healthy live circuit gave bands an opportunity to make a living from music. One of those bands was Bristol’s Revelation Rockers who although founded in 1976, would not find real success until slight line-up changes and a change of name to Talisman which would see them become established as one of the UK’s finest live acts.

Until recently Bristol Archive Records had believed that no recordings of Revelation Rockers existed, so when we were handed a master tape we couldn’t wait to get it transferred and as the first people to listen to these tracks in nearly a third of a century we knew we’d discovered something rather special. The five songs on this album aren’t some rough demo tracks best forgotten, but a fully realised UK roots album worthy of standing alongside anything released at the time.

The reason why these tracks weren’t released in ’79 is long forgotten – perhaps it was the change of name or personnel, possibly the lack of funds or interest from record labels or maybe it was just that the music and Talisman took a slightly different direction. Whatever the reason, Bristol Archive Records is belatedly putting things right with the 5^th March 2012 release of “Jah Praises” Revelation Rockers entire recorded legacy as a vinyl only LP, just as it would have been in ’79.

This record is a time capsule, dealing with the reality of life in late seventies Britain, racism, mass unemployment, industrial unrest and poverty. The title track is a song of praise to Jah driven by a relentless bass line backed up by horns, the sort of song that was almost compulsory for any seventies roots album. From praising Jah, the music tackles the loss of cultural identity caused by the legacy of slavery, “Give me back my culture, give me back my roots”, the track “Culture” makes its message clear. Perhaps borrowing a lyrical idea from the Wailers “Who Feels It Knows It” makes it clear you can’t truly relate to how others live their lives until you’ve actually experienced a similar situation yourself, a lesson still very much relevant today. “Wicked Dem” is a song that would go on to become one of the signature tunes of Talisman. Here we have its earliest recorded incarnation, very different from the version we all know, rawer, sparser, slower and heavier, but just as hard hitting and able to hold its own with the later Talisman cuts. The album ends with a change of mood, a love song, yet there’s nothing soft about “When You’re Away” as it’s driven along by a heavy contemporary backing with the added benefit of horns.

It’s a rare event to have the opportunity to hear an entire “lost” reggae album, even rarer when the music is this good. This record is essential for all fans of UK roots reggae and beyond, rewriting the story of what was happening on the Bristol and UK reggae scenes in 1979. Long overdue it may be, but Revelation Rockers finally get to secure their place in the music’s history.

ARTIST: Revelation Rockers

TITLE: Jah Praises

FORMAT: Format: Vinyl LP and Digital Download

LABEL: Bristol Archive Records

DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock

CAT NO: ARC242V

RELEASE DATE: 5^th March 2012

WEBSITE: www.bristolarchiverecords.com

CONTACT: Mike Darby, E: mike@bristolarchivercords.com T: 07885 498 402

The Bristol Reggae Explosion 2: The 1980s

October
15th – WAMA, High Wycombe

Nov
18th – Under The Bridge, Chelsea, London

Feb
4th – Phoenix, Exeter