Since 1968, Trojan Records has been synonymous with the reggae, rocksteady, dub, and ska genres. The U.K. label founded by Lee Gopthal and Island Records’ Chris Blackwell was instrumental in spreading those Jamaican sounds throughout the world and popularizing such key artists as Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and The Maytals. By 1971, Trojan – with its focus on 45 RPM singles – had amassed enough hit records to release a label anthology. On June 18, that seminal release, The Trojan Story, will receive a reimagined 50th anniversary reissue from…
One Love to Give: Cherry Red, Doctor Bird Expand Phyllis Dillon’s Pop-Rocksteady Classic
Cherry Red’s Doctor Bird imprint is shining the spotlight on arguably the most significant female artist of the rocksteady genre, Phyllis Dillon. Her story is a special one; she only released one full album during her recording career, but that album – 1972’s One Life to Live – laid the groundwork for the reputation which she enjoyed until her untimely death in 2004. Doctor Bird’s reissue, due on September 7, expands the original 12-song album to 28 tracks, making for a deep retrospective of her works for Duke Reid’s renowned Treasure Isle Records. …
Release Round-Up: Week of March 2
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring three new titles from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music, and much, much more! Johnny Mathis, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head: Expanded Edition (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Johnny Mathis’ 1970 album – featuring the songs of Bacharach and David, Paul Simon, Jimmy Webb, George Harrison and others – gets its first-ever expanded CD reissue from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music. And that’s not all. We’ve added four bonus non-LP singles from Johnny’s return to…
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Welcome Each New Day: Real Gone Goes Rocksteady with Limited Vinyl Editions from Ken Boothe and Phyllis Dillon In March
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…
