Incoming from Doctor Bird Records – two doses of classic reggae sounds! Find out more about what the Doctor has planned for October, featuring Brent Dowe and The Melodians and two of Trojan Records‘ instant best-seller compilations on 2CDs…
DBCDD089 BRENT DOWE AND THE MELODIANS BUILD ME UP & PRE-MEDITATION 2CD 2CD 08/10/2021
Having made his name on the Jamaican music scene in the ’60s as an accomplished singer-songwriter with leading Jamaican vocal trio, The Melodians, Brent Dowe became one of the island’s leading soloists, notching up a series of best-selling 7” singles for producer, Sonia Pottinger.
In 1973, the best of his work to date was gathered for his debut album, ‘Build Me Up’, a best seller both in Jamaica and the UK, where an expanded version of the collection was released by Trojan Records.
This classic collection finally sees re-issue after 47 years, with its original track-listing enhanced by the remainder of Dowe’s work for Sonia Pottinger’s High Note label, with their number including some of the biggest reggae hits from the ’70s, many of which have remained unavailable on any format for decades.
The second disc of this 2CD set comprises the 1978 album, ‘Pre-Meditation’, which features a dozen Sonia Pottinger-produced tracks performed by Dowe and his fellow Melodians, Tony Brevett and Trevor McNaughton. Now expanded to include the rest of their High Note recordings, the collection demonstrates why Dowe and his famed trio are today widely regarded as being among the finest talents to have made their mark on the Jamaican music scene during its golden
DBCDD088 VARIOUS ARTISTS LOCH NESS MONSTER & FUNKY REGGAE 2CD 2CD 08/10/2021
Originally released by Trojan Records in 1970, the two various-artist long players, ‘Loch Ness Monster’ and ‘Funky Chicken’ were instant best sellers for the company, selling particularly strongly among the country’s reggae-loving ‘skinheads’.
Sporting what was undoubtedly the most garishly designed sleeve from the golden age of reggae, ‘Loch Ness Monster’ focused on the most weird, sexual and peculiar recordings from the period, resulting in an unsettling yet extremely compelling 30+ minutes of music.
As its name suggests, ‘Funky Chicken’ brought together a dozen of the funkiest reggae tracks to have seen issue over the preceding months, with the selection featuring tracks performed by some of the most accomplished acts on the Jamaican and UK scene.
Both albums, currently unavailable on any format, are now represented here, with the original track-listings boosted by a further 16 bonus tracks, all of which echo their respective themes.
A must for fans of those into spooky or funky music – and of course anyone into classic boss reggae sounds!