Juno Recommends Reggae Classics April 2021

Review: There are no prizes for guessing that 'Born Slippy' by Keiichi Sokabe and Inokasira Rangers is a cover of Underworld's ubiquitous rave tune 'Born Slippy.' It first landed on Japanese imprint Park Tone in 2017 but demand is such that it no reappears on the Japanese label as a limited edition repress. It's three and a half minutes of squelchy, slow motion, fat bottomed dub with the vocals delivered in drawn out fashion next to languid guitar riffs. Inventive, fresh and backed with the more traditional reggae tune 'Groove Tube,' this is a real collector's curiosity.

Review: Soul Jazz Records continues to trawl through the vast archives of Jamaica's Studio One label and its many offshoots. This time round, they're focusing on uplifting, feel-good rocksteady and soulful reggae cuts from the late 1960s and early '70s. As you'd expect, it's an excellent collection that not only showcases classic cuts and well-worn "riddims", but also obscurities and the sort of rare gems that make reggae collectors go weak at the knees. With such stars as Alton Ellis, John Holt, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, the Heptones and Jackie Mittoo all featured, and exhaustive sleeve notes from reggae scholar Rob Chapman, Rocksteady Got Soul is another essential Studio One compilation from the reliable Soul Jazz Records crew.

Review: Since rapidly appearing in, and disappearing from, record stores last autumn, this four-track EP from producer Neil Anderson's unashamedly revivalist Original Gravity label has become something of an in-demand item - hence this limited-edition, white vinyl reissue. If you missed out first time around, it's well worth checking, in part because it delivers four radically different versions of the same basic track. It begins with a boisterous ska version courtesy of Prince Alphonso and The Fever and ends with a fuzzy, low-slung rhythm & blues interpretation from Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts. In between you'll find a sizzling Latin take by Nestor Alverez and a lolloping roots reggae version by Brentford Road Soul Rebels, featuring toaster-style vocals from Dennis Alcapone.

Review: Original Gravity is run by label owner Neil Anderson, who has a tireless work ethic and superb devotion to ska, reggae, and everything in between. His love of boss rhythms comes to the fore once more here with new tunes from three pseudonyms - The Regulators, Woodfield Road Allstars and Prince Dolly - all of whom, in actual fact, are him. Regulators cut 'Why Why Why' opens up with a heavy bottom end, "Coast to Coast: has a big organ led groove and 'Why Dub Why' reworks the opening tune into a rocksteady roller. Essential repress this, do not sleep.

Review: Second time around for producer Neil Anderson's most recent record as the Regulators, a late 2020 cover version of Oasis' Britpop classic 'Don't Look Back in Anger'. It's a radical but hugely enjoyable reinterpretation, with Anderson and his bandmates re-imagining it as a skanking slab of rocksteady goodness that comes laden with trademark Hammond B3 organ sounds and lazy trumpet and trombone solos. Like it did first time around, this highly limited, white vinyl edition of the releases comes backed with a faithfully fuzzy and soulful cover of Freddie McKay's 1967 rocksteady standard, 'Love is a Treasure'.

Review: Japanese pop outfit Inokasira Rangers have a reputation for covering classic hits such as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Born Slippy', 'Creep' and many many more. Here they've teamed up with homegrown talent Sofia Manri to cover the 1979 city-pop (a subgenre of J-Pop) classic called '(Mayonaka no Door) - Stay With Me' by a singer named Miki Matsubara - which has re-emerged as a hit in recent years. On the flip, we've got a cover of 'Silly Love Songs' by the Paul McCartney fronted outfit Wings from 1976. Both renditions are in the ska infused classic rock style that you have come to know and love from this outfit.

Review: Alton Nehemiah Ellis was known as Mr Soul of Jamaica thanks to the hugely expressive voice he was gifted with. He also had a fine knack for writing great songs and always brought real emotions to his work. That is typified here as he linked with The Flames as well as Tommy McCook & The Supersonics for the buttery smooth and impassioned 'If I Could Rule The World' with its natty riffs, swaggering drums and of course golden vocals. Tyrone Evans takes acre of the flip with a version that is more upbeat and optimistic as a result.