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Bob Marley talks marijuana and Rastafari: ‘Herb is the healing of the nation’
09.09.2013
12:37 pm
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And yea, Bob said unto the unbelievers, “Herb is the healing of the nation,” and it is “cool.” For those that smoke the herb shall bring their heads together to think one way. And Bob decreed that the herb was like a man drinking water, and though it be illegal, recall that the man who made the law was a baby once. For when you smoke the herb it reveals unto you yourself. Here endeth the lesson from the book of Bob.

Vintage interview with Mr. Bob Marley, in which he discussed his thoughts on Rastafari, the use of the “herb” and why alcohol is far more dangerous drug than marijuana. The video quality is slightly trippy, but there is much here to relish.

Check here for Bob’s interview with High Times from 1976.
 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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09.09.2013
12:37 pm
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The King meets the rockers uptown: Elvis Presley ina rub a dub style
08.01.2012
07:54 pm
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The King remixed in a reggae style.

01. Return To Sender
02. In The Ghetto
03. Blue Moon
04. Fever
05. It’s Now Or Never
06. Baby I Don’t Care
07. Suspicious Minds
08. I’ll Remember You
09. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
10. Crying In The Chapel

Video contains some nudity.

Posted by Marc Campbell
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08.01.2012
07:54 pm
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The Cool Ruler: Reggae great Gregory Issacs live in Brixton, 1984
06.20.2012
02:47 pm
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I was actually in attendance at this 1984 Gregory Issacs gig at the Brixton Academy in South London and I was thrilled to see that it posted on YouTube.

I wish I could claim that I was there to see the “Cool Ruler” because I was such a hip teenager, but I was really only there because my friend had free tickets and we thought we’d be able to get really stoned at a reggae concert, frankly. And I only lived a few blocks away from the venue at the time.

“The Lonely Lover” had the crowd (especially the women) in the palm of his hand before he even opened his mouth to sing. As you can see, the audience went totally nuts when he walked onstage. I may have gone into the show completely ignorant of Issac’s music, but I left a fan. He’s backed here by the Roots Radics.

01. Intro/Top Ten + Number One
02. Out Deh + Tune In
03. Top Ten
04. Private Secretary
05. My Only Lover + All I Have Is Love + Love Is Overdue
06. Cool Down The Pace
07. Mr. Brown + Storm
08. Slave Master
09. Soon Forward
10. Sunday Morning
11. Night Nurse
12. Front Door
13. Border

“Night Nurse” brought the house down, but the entire set is scorching hot from start to finish. It was also released as an album

I saw Gregory Issacs performing in New York, years later at SOBs, and by then he was a near toothless crackhead shadow of the confident performer seen here at the absolute height of his powers. His voice was shot by then and so was he. Issacs died of lung cancer in 2010.
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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06.20.2012
02:47 pm
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Prince Har-i: young royal to become ‘reggae dj’
05.07.2012
06:56 pm
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Apparently Prince Harry has aspirations to become a reggae selector. From The Sun:

The 27-year-old has become obsessed with the music since his trip to Jamaica earlier this year — where he met Rita Marley, widow of legend Bob.

Harry has been learning how to mix records old-school style on the decks, getting tips from a club DJ who is a close pal. And recently he has been adding to his huge house music collection with reggae on vinyl, snapped up from specialist online stores.

A source said: “Harry has always been interested in music, but Jamaica was a real eye opener. He started looking into reggae as soon as he got back to the UK.

The young prince now hopes to get good enough to play at parties. The source added: “He’s unlikely to ever DJ in public — but if he did it’d be the party of the year.”

Gor any Veras Arry? I suppose the fact that Harry has a “huge house music collection” shouldn’t come as surprise, as he has made a cheeky wee visit to rehab in the past. But reggae?! That’s madness I tells ya! Madness!
 

 

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
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05.07.2012
06:56 pm
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‘Boots Sex Dread’: hardcore gay reggae from 1980 (NSFW)
05.01.2012
08:00 pm
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Image by Finsta

This has to be heard to be believed.

Boots Sex Dread is the name of an anonymous reggae act (is it a band or just and MC? or two MCs?) who brought out a one-off single in 1980 that became instantly notorious. Both sides of the release feature heavy dub riddims coupled with explicitly gay toasting. Like, REALLY explicit.

One side is titled “Rinka” and features an MC coming out: “Mi black and mi proud and mi a Rastafari/And mi a ‘omo-sek-shual”. There then follows an hilarious list of anal sex euphemisms. The flip is titled “Prenton Pressure” and features a different, coarse voiced MC regaling us with the story of how he met his Asian boyfriend, and how their sexual relations in a cornership store room (involving lots of bizarre condiments - Brillo Pads?!) were interrupted by the boyfriend’s mother.

Information on this record is scarce, but rumors about who the authors/vocalists may be have been rife since it was first written about in the NME on its 1980 release. The theory that has gained most credibility is that Boots Sex Dread is the work of the British comedian and actor Keith (father of Lily) Allen. An anonymous source close to Dangerous Minds can semi-confirm this:

It was rumored to be Keith Allen. And Rinka was supposed to be named after Norman Scott’s dog who was shot by the hit man hired by Jeremy Thorpe. [Background: Jeremy Thorpe was the leader of the British Liberal party from ‘67-‘76. Norman Scott claimed to be his gay lover, and Thorpe was aquitted on charges of conspiring to murder Scott in 1979.]

But this was the story running the rounds when Julie Burchill banged on about it as being gay Reggae. Not convinced, but it sounds like it could be him. He is an accomplished pianist, as I found out when I spent 3 nights on the batter with him, whilst he was filming Shallow Grave.

Keith had a character he played on Channel 4 late night back in the early 80s, where he played a gay miner, who’s dad was gay and his father before him, etc. Led to religious people saying he shouldn’t be allowed on TV etc, as they thought Keith was genuinely gay.

There a bit more info on this story over at the Uncarved blog. Here are sides A and B of Boots Sex Dread (even the names have been confused over time):

Boots Sex Dread “Rinka” NSFW
 

 
Boots Sex Dread “Penton Pressure” NSFW
 

 
Boots Sex Dread is rare as hens’ teeth, but it was re-issued not too long ago, so keep an eye out and you might find it.
 

Posted by Niall O'Conghaile
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05.01.2012
08:00 pm
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A Fistful of Dub
08.25.2011
11:28 am
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A Fistful Of Dub is video mix featuring new and old dub and reggae recordings with clips from Spaghetti Westerns—not a mashup but an imaginary soundtrack where cowboys meet engines of rhythm.
 
01. ‘Black Panta’ - Lee Scratch Perry
02. ‘A Ruffer Version’ - Johnny Clarke and The Aggrovators
03. ‘Dread Are The Controller’ - Linval Thompson
03. ‘Cool Rasta’ - The Heptones
04. ‘Tel Aviv Drums’ - Glen Brown
05. ‘Dubbing With The Observer’ - King Tubby
06. ‘Funky Ragga’ - Dave and The Supersonics
07. ‘A Useful Version’ - Prince Jammy
08. ‘Magnum Force’ -  The Aggrovators
09. ‘Electro Agony In Dub’ - The Grynch featuring Tippa Irie
10. ‘President Mash Up The Resident’ - Shorty
11. ‘Steel Plate’ - Fat Eyes
12. ‘Diplo Rhythm’ - Diplo
13. ‘Streetsweeper’ - Steely and Clevie
14. ‘X- Perry-Ment’ -  Lee Scratch Perry
 

 

READ ON
Posted by Marc Campbell
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08.25.2011
11:28 am
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Superb documentary series: ‘Reggae - The History of Jamaican Music’

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If you love Reggae, if you love music, then you’ll love this excellent 3-part documentary - Reggae: The Story of Jamaican Music. Originally shown on the BBC in 2002, parts of this documentary have been on YouTube over the years, but now some kind soul has uploaded the whole series for our delight. How wonderful. Enjoy.
 

 
Parts 2 & 3, after the jump…
 

READ ON
Posted by Paul Gallagher
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08.03.2011
07:20 pm
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‘Deep Roots - Revival Ranking’: Terrific documentary on the early days of reggae
04.30.2011
12:20 pm
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Terrific documentary from 1980 on the roots of reggae. Director Howard Johnson interviews some of the seminal figures in the pioneering of ska, rock steady, toasting, sound systems and reggae. Deep Roots Music - Revival/Ranking contains some rarely seen archival footage of the early Jamaican music scene. This IS deep. Truly informed and informative with some great great music. With cinematography by the masterful Roger Deakins. Close to three hours of non-stop ranking!

Featuring: The Skatalites, Toots and The Maytals, Prince Buster, Lee Perry, Bob Marley, The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy and many more.
 

 
Parts two and three after the jump…

READ ON
Posted by Marc Campbell
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04.30.2011
12:20 pm
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Bob Marley and The Wailers in concert, Dortmund 1980
04.06.2011
06:43 pm
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A classic concert of Bob Marley and The Wailers from the Uprising tour, recorded live in Dortmund, Germany, June 12, 1980.

Track Listing

01. “Natural Mystic”
02. “Positive Vibration”
03. “Revolution”
04. “I Shot The Sheriff”
05. “War” / “No More Trouble”
06. “Zimbabwe”
07. “Jammin’”
08. “No Woman, No Cry”
09. “Zion Train”
10. “Exodus”
11. “Redemption Song”
12. “Could You Be Loved?”
13. “Work”
14. “Natty Dread”
15. “Is This Love?”
16. “Get Up, Stand Up”
17. “Coming In From The Cold”
18. “Lively Up Yourself”
 

 
Previously on DM

Kim Gottlieb-Walker’s iconic photographs of Bob Marley and the golden age of Reggae


 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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04.06.2011
06:43 pm
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Dreadlock drive: Unexpected live performance in Jamaican taxi
03.08.2011
02:25 pm
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Here’s an impromptu performance by an MC/taxi driver in Negril, Jamaica. He’s got a boss sound system in his ride, eh?

Something tells me that the tourists who shot this video knew where to find the dank collie weed by journey’s end…

 
(via Arboath)

Posted by Tara McGinley
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03.08.2011
02:25 pm
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Jamdown:  The Holy Grail Of Reggae Films

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Jamdown, the holy grail of reggae films is finally coming to DVD.  Other than a screening this past July 17th in London, this French documentary, directed by Emmanuel Bonn, hasn’t been shown theatrically or made available in any form since it was briefly released in France in 1981. Jamdown is essential viewing for anyone who loves reggae

Reggae historian Roger Steffens has described Jamdown as:

[...] a melodic time machine that transports us magically to a time of massive creativity as reggae was emerging to the outside world. We see some of its most rootical exponents at the height of their powers. The film’s re-emergence after three decades is almost miraculous, and it should not be missed by anyone who cares about Jah Music.

The film features some thrilling footage of The Congos and Toots And The Maytals recording at Lee ‘The Upsetter’ Perry’s legendary Black Ark Studios.

The Jamdown DVD hits the streets this Tuesday, July 27.

 
Watch the trailer for Jamdown after the jump…

READ ON
Posted by Marc Campbell
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07.25.2010
08:47 pm
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Dread Rockers Rule!

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Posted by Bradley Novicoff
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01.14.2010
03:34 pm
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