Don Letts is latest for Late Night Tales series
Reggae don and punk scene veteran Letts compiles next Late Night Tales comp
Reggae DJ, filmmaker and radio broadcaster Don Letts (aka. The Rebel Dread) has announced details of ‘Version Excursion’, his upcoming compilation for Late Night Tales, the artist-curated compilation series dedicated to late night-themed music selections.
With tracks by Kiko Bun, Emily Capell, Prince Fatty and Khruangbin, this edition of Late Night Tales pays tribute to the entire history of Caribbean music, ranging from R&B, to ska, to Letts’ signature dub style.
Owing to the tradition of dub musicians recording cover versions, the mix includes several of them; with only 13 original tracks, standout covers include Wrongtom Meets The Rockers’ version of The Clash’s ‘Lost In The Supermarket’, and Letts’ own cover of Big Audio Dynamite’s ‘E=MC2’. Letts himself was a member of BAD earlier in his career, and to celebrate the release of Version Excursion, this exclusive cover has been released to the public in advance of the Late Night Tales mix:
Letts commented on the track: “The original of this was Big Audio Dynamite’s biggest chart hit back in 1986. Formed out of the Clash, I’d joined B.A.D but famously couldn’t play anything. Because of that, I threw myself into the whole dialogue and sample thing although I quickly realised you don’t get paid for stealing other people’s shit. So I threw myself into lyric writing and ‘E=MC2’ was one of the first songs Mick and I wrote together. It was actually DJ/musician/producer extraordinaire Gaudi that thought of dubbing it up. To complete the cast I called up new girl on the block Emily Capell, a young singer songwriter from north-west London and boom…..”
Born in Brixton, and a child of the Windrush Generation, Letts’ career saw him alternate extensively between London, New York and Jamaica. Starting by managing the fashionable Acme Attractions on Chelsea’s Kings Road, Letts made his mark with his attitude, dress, and the dub reggae selections he chose to adorn its walls.
Letts’ first DJ set – at the short-lived Roxy in Neal Street – became notorious for turning a generation of punks on to reggae. In turn, Letts developed an interest in DIY, resulting in his reinvention as a filmmaker. This led him to direct a series of music videos for the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Clash, and Bob Marley, and documentaries on the Gil Scott-Heron, George Clinton and Sun Ra.
In the ’80s, Letts was part of Mick Jones’ new venture, Big Audio Dynamite, driving their sound with his signature style of sampling. Listeners of his weekly BBC 6 Music radio show – Culture Clash Radio – will be familiar with the reggae selections on Letts’ new mix.
‘Version Excursion’ will be released on September 24 – pre order your copy here