Reggae Britannia BBC4 - starting this Friday!!
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cybertect
It's grim up north (London)
I grew up listening to Rodigan and Joey Jay
Yep. When they kept saying there was no airplay for Reggae on the radio even into the 80s, I kept thinking of David Rodigan's shows on Radio London and then Capital from the late 70s onward (e2a: and John Peel used to get some in too).
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, but it's brilliant, looking at the audience, horn-rimmed glass wearing middle-aged women etc who clearly knew the tune 'Cassius Clay' when they applauded his introducing it....
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
Not bad overall. First half was better, I love S-90 Skank so was good to see Big Youth talking about that. I did lose interest a bit when it all went a bit wanky Lovers Rock but hey... I thought there would be more on Ari Up & the Slits, and it would have been nice if there was more contextualisation of reggae back in Jamaica. I think there was one reference to the 70s political violence that could have been more explored...
Hope the other programmes are on iplayer
Hope the other programmes are on iplayer
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
But they were talking late 60's early 70's when it was nigh-on impossible to get rasio airply. Remember this was only a few years after the BBC actually telling some reggae stars that they weren't playing reggae properly and the BBC musicians would have to play it properly for them.
you've got to love Alcapone's outfit though. A key lime green jacket with see through black button-up and white vest underneath.
That outshines the many tank tops of the front row by quite some degree.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
And now singing a fucking brilliant song.....
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Fucking right, with lapels that would allow an elephant to fly.... Some of those tanktops woul happily go into my wardrobe...
He's certainly got a smoother set of pipes than his weirdly enticing jerkiness would suggest.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Indeed, how the fuck does he manage that whilst jerking about like that?!
Fuck sake, those clothes the Pioneers are wearing might get a few blank looks back in the rougher parts of Kingston!! Hehehe
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
What i really want is BBC Four to do a Reggae Jamaica series of programmes. Ska to Dub to Roots to Dancehall...
Its that awkward period where a love of American soul met Jamaican tailoring, but charming nonetheless.
It's just grand seeing all these faces on screen. It's really struck me just how few artists I quickly recognise - alright so there are some unfamiliar arrangements, but those old battered tapes and singles really didn't give that much away. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - this was the pre-internet era and with so few channels, let alone anything likely to show reggae - but these were many of the records of my childhood.
It's just grand seeing all these faces on screen. It's really struck me just how few artists I quickly recognise - alright so there are some unfamiliar arrangements, but those old battered tapes and singles really didn't give that much away. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - this was the pre-internet era and with so few channels, let alone anything likely to show reggae - but these were many of the records of my childhood.
PursuedByBears
Go stick your head in a pig
Nicer.
Yeah that Judge Dredd compered gig was fascinating, the shakey sweaty guy (Mickey Thomas? 
) was superb! 
Did anyone stay up to catch that ultra-early Specials gig ("Rock goes to College", Xmas 1979) afterwards? Fabulous gig, but this was in Colchester, in 1979, and there was some very clearly racist chanting from a smegment of the audience at points ...
Specials answered/silenced them pretty effectively though I thought. Excellent setlist!
) was superb! Did anyone stay up to catch that ultra-early Specials gig ("Rock goes to College", Xmas 1979) afterwards? Fabulous gig, but this was in Colchester, in 1979, and there was some very clearly racist chanting from a smegment of the audience at points ...
Specials answered/silenced them pretty effectively though I thought. Excellent setlist!
stethoscope
Well-Known Member
Yeah that Judge Dredd compered gig was fascinating, the shakey sweaty guy (Mickey Thomas?
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Yeah that Judge Dredd compered gig was fascinating, the shakey sweaty guy (Mickey Thomas?
Aye, just think of that fantastic song 'Love of the Common People'-ruined by Paul Young-and then think of it done brilliantly, that's Nicky Thomas. As stephj has posted above...
DJWrongspeed
radio eros
Now available here on iplayer great to see Carrol Thompson & Janet Kay near the end, how young they still look 
Once you get on to MCing and Smilie Culture it becomes a whole other history, are the beeb brave enough to do it ?
Once you get on to MCing and Smilie Culture it becomes a whole other history, are the beeb brave enough to do it ?
I'll have to check iPlayer. What I saw of the concert I didn't enjoy, any sense of atmospshere seemed non existent.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, the highlight of the programmes for me.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
a bit like john 'rabbit' bundrick playing organ on 'catch a fire'.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
how dare you!
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Aye, completely incongruous....
But, let's face it, Janet Kay aside, lovers is pretty pish.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
you're a big feller feds, but remember, the harder they come......
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
you're a big feller feds, but remember, the harder they come......
I know, but I am right...
Btw, I know it's a pretty important part of reggae, and a real point of not in british music, but, as much as I think Janet Kay has an incredible voice, it's never done anything for me....
audiotech
wav, aiff, mp3, ogg, flac
discokermit
Well-Known Member
I know, but I am right...
Btw, I know it's a pretty important part of reggae, and a real point of not in british music, but, as much as I think Janet Kay has an incredible voice, it's never done anything for me....
that's because you refuse to advance past 1973.
i like lovers. it was either that or dub on eighties pirate radio round my way and i didn't much like dub. there were some great tunes and some lovely soul voices, to me it's ploughing the same furrow as rocksteady, just ten years on and in another country.
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