We've already told you about most of Real Gone's March slate of titles, including Johnny Mathis and Oak Ridge Boys titles from our Second Disc Records imprint.  Now, word has come out about the final two items on Real Gone's March 2 list: a pair of vinyl reissues in the rocksteady style.  Rocksteady is a genre created in Jamaica that rose out of ska and served as a precursor to reggae in the mid to late 1960s.  It is characterized by offbeat rhythms with a particular drumming style and slower tempos than most ska material.

Real Gone's first reissue comes from Ken Boothe, who was dubbed "Mr. Rock Steady."  Boothe was first signed as a solo artist to noted producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label in 1966.  While there, he recorded the classic "Moving Away."  Boothe remained on the label through 1970, when he switched over to Leslie Kong's Beverley's Records.  His first album there, Freedom Street, is the title that Real Gone is reissuing.  He would notch hits with the title track from the LP as well as "Why Baby Why" and "Now I Know." It also featured a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" as well as "It's Gonna Take a Miracle," which gave The Royalettes a hit in 1965 before Deniece Williams took it to even greater success in 1976.  Boothe, after going to Trojan Records, would get to the peak of the UK singles charts in 1974 with his cover of David Gates' "Everything I Own."  He would have another Top 20 U.K. hit with "Crying Over You" just a few months later.  Since then, he has continued to record for a variety of labels and his last album was 2012's Journey.  Real Gone's reissue of Freedom Street has been newly remastered and comes on "Grey Asphalt" vinyl.  It is limited to 700 copies.

The other title Real Gone announced comes from the biggest female artist in the rocksteady genre: Phyllis Dillon.  She only released one album during her recording career: 1972's One Life to Live.  Dillon began her solo career when she was signed in 1966 to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Label.  She would record there for several years and release several notable rocksteady songs including "Don't Stay Away," "It's Rocking Time" and "Perfidia."  Dillon would then move to a few other labels (while also commuting between New York City, where she worked as a banker, and Jamaica to record) before returning to Treasure Isle in 1972.  Once back, the label released One Life to Live, featuring recordings dating back to 1968.  She would have a hit with Teddy Randazzo and Victoria Pike's "One Life to Live, One Love to Give" and a cover of Bob Marley's "Long Time No Nice Time."  Dillon had also frequently recorded versions of American hits throughout her career and this album was no exception with covers of George Harrison's "Something," Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Close to You."  Dillon then retired from recording and would not return to a studio until 1998 when ska gained a re-interest in the United States.  She continued to record until her death in 2004.  Real Gone's reissue of One Life to Live is newly remastered and comes in violet vinyl, limited to 700 copies.

If you would like to give either of these albums by rocksteady legends a try, we've got the tracklisting and preorder links below.  They're both due March 2 from Real Gone Music!

Ken Boothe, Freedom Street (Grey Asphalt Limited Vinyl Edition) (Originally issued on Beverley's Records LP JLK 3326 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Freedom Street
2. Why Baby
3. Mr. Wind
4. It's Gonna Take a Miracle
5. Love and Unity
6. Drums of Freedom
7. Now I Know
8. In the Summertime
9. Get Close to You
10. Satisfaction

Phyllis Dillon, One Life to Live (Violet Limited Vinyl Edition) (Originally issued on Treasure Isle LP TRLS-41A, 1972 - reissued Real Gone Music, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. One Life to Live, One Love to Give
2. Love the One You're With
3. Long Time No Nice Time
4. Something
5. I Can't Forget About You Baby
6. Picture On the Wall
7. Woman of the Ghetto
8. Close To You
9. Eddie Oh Baby
10. We Belong Together
11. The Love That a Woman Should Give To a Man
12. You Are Like Heaven to Me