Gregory Isaacs

[Rob W]

Leggo

re the Chapeltown reggae day - it happens on the Sunday of the last bank holiday in August.

Monday is the Carnival Parade, with lots of soca.

Aswad and Alton Ellis did great headlining sets last year - go here and scroll down to the bottom for a review and some pics!

http://www.discemail.fsnet.co.uk/Aug06.htm

Rob

[cooldownbabylon]

Long live Gregory, one of the true vocal masters of reggae past and present. Saw him about a year ago in Raleigh, NC w/ Buju, Cocoa T, Assassin, and Capleton. He stole the show in my opinion, one of the best times of my life.

[sean]

yes leggo
rob w has said something re chapeltown..its ok but in general is deteriorating..eg in 2002 lee perry let the entire city down by just cancelling..the whole damn concert was cancelled!!! it was 02 i think, perhaps 01...and culture did a set in 2004 but compared to the olden days when sound systems ruled with reggae..its poor...real poor..thats why gregory and barrington were such a boon a few years ago..bucking the trend towards decline....gregorys best ever track anyone?what about slavemaster? or uncle joe? or that one that goes "i saw you with your cargo
in the midst of the Atlantic
with my brothers and my sisters
heading towards the western slave market"..is it called never get away?

[Rob W]

Not sure I agree with you Sean - yes, the sound systems on the roadside have gone, but that was because someone got shot there, quite a while ago now, but they do attract the bad boys, and as it's free and open air, they can hardly be security searched.
The area does have a serious crack and smack problem.

I'm not sure what happened over Lee Perry - was that the year there were more problems with threats from gun gangs, and pretty much everything got cancelled?

If you read the review you'll see I think it may actually have improved in one way - previously the headliner came on and did a really short set, half an hour at most - I think Culture may have only done 20 mins - last year both Aswad and Alton Ellis did full sets, and it was a lot better as a result.

Anyroad, still an event worth going to, and family -friendly now too!

As for Gregory the extended version of Cool Down The Pace, Tune In, too many favourites to mention.

Rob

[leggo rocker]

Thanks for the info and viewpoints on Chapeltown guys, much appreceated.

Back to Gregory, one of my all time faves is on Mr Isaacs, the track 'Get ready' which is an excellent cover of a Smokey Robinson penned track performed on the Motown label by the Temptations. Their version is great, but for me Gregory's is greater.

But it is only ONE of the many many tracks that really rock the house by the master of cool.

If Sugar Minott is the Bing Crosby of Reggae then Gregory must be the Frank Sinatra.

[norseman]

I have this LP on ebay at the moment,on African Museum label

[sean]

i disagree rob about leeds situation, but at least if folk feel safer thats something good.

[backyard movements]

wait a little while,maybe virgin records will re-press it,or you can try to find it through charisma,or,pre record labels[track 1,side1]

[hazel]

hi i'm looking for that Cargo song too and haven't been able to find it for years, i had it on an old tape but got lost through all the moving, any one got any ideas?
much appreciated!

[robe619]

That so called "Cargo" song is "Slave Market" on the Soon Forward album.