Studio One Presenting The Gladiators

[Bellyman]

The original and only halfway quality release of this has the SOL 1133 matrix but misses the addtional track ('Re-Arrange'). That pressing came from 1979 originally and saw repress from JA and England.

All later pressings, either SOL 1133-matrix with that additional track or the whole SOL 1113-matrix suffer from poor pressing masters and careless editing.

Studio One/Coxsone (while still alive) have even topped that poor quality vinyls by putting that record out on CD in even worse quality, unlistenable and a crying shame for such a classic. It is about time Heartbeat or Soul Jazz step up and put their money into a heavy-duty rerelease of that album.

[jb welda]

hasnt this been reissued by heartbeat or at least close?

well i guess not but:

Studio One Singles:

1 Fling It Gimme 02:57 Listen
2 Sonia 02:56 Listen
3 Solas 02:50 Listen
4 Dub ina Babylon 02:40 Listen
5 A Prayer to Thee 03:07 Listen
6 Version of Prayer 03:03 Listen
7 Jah Jah (Version) 02:37 Listen
8 Boy in Long Pants 02:51 Listen
9 Boy in Long Pants Part Two 02:56 Listen
10 Bongo Red 02:48 Listen
11 Bongo Version 02:48 Listen
12 Beautiful Locks 03:28 Listen
13 Sufferation Version 03:00 Listen
14 Roots Natty 02:57 Listen
15 Rearrange 02:44 Listen
16 Mister Baldwin 03:34 Listen
17 Mister Baldwin Part 2 03:41 Listen
18 Big Boo Boo Dey 03:06 Listen
19 Boo Boo Dey Version 03:05 Listen
20 Pretending 12" 05:57 Listen
21 Don't Fool the Young Girls 03:58 Listen
22 Don't Fool the Young Girls Version 03:36 Listen
23 Happy Man 12" 07:50 Listen




The Gladiators at Studio One: Bongo Red

1 Roots Natty 02:42 Listen
2 Watch Out 02:46 Listen
3 Bongo Red 05:05 Listen
4 A Prayer to Thee 03:09 Listen
5 Happy Man 02:45 Listen
6 Mr. Sweet 02:21 Listen
7 Fling It Gimme 02:59 Listen
8 Don't Fool the Young Girls 03:59 Listen
9 Pretending 02:57 Listen
10 So Fine 03:27 Listen
11 I Said I Love You 03:04 Listen
12 Seven Times to Rise 02:53 Listen
13 Millionaire of Love 02:28 Listen
14 The Kicks 02:27 Listen
15 Tribulation 03:44 Listen
16 Time 02:21 Listen
17 Ungrateful Girl 03:11 Listen


sure beats trying to sit through a miserable studio one pressing!

one love
jah bill

[ACEtone]

OK, here's the scoop on the SOL 1133 pressing:

Label incorrectly Side 2
Track list on label and sleeve correct
matrix correct side A
1. Hello Carol
2. Rainy Night in Georgia
3. Ease Squeeze (why is it called this)
4. Love and Meditation
5. On the Other Side

Label incorrectly Side 1
Track List on label missing track 6. Sleeve track list includes track 6
matrix correct side B
1. Label: Jah go Before Us / Track: My Toughts (with weird delay)
Jah Go Before Us is not actually on the album!
2. Label: Roots Natty Roots / Track: Downtown Rebel
Roots Natty Roots is not actually on the album
3. Label: Peace Truce / Track: Peace Truce
4. Label: My Toughts / Track: My Toughts (same track different mix as track 1 My Toughts)
5. Label: Downtown Rebel / Track: Downtown Rebel (with weird delay)
6. Label: Re-Arrange / Track: Re-Arrange (with weird delay)

Studio One Years is missing
Peace Truce and Ease Squeeze.
Strangely the version of My Toughts on the Studio One Years seems a bit faster than on the Presenting vinyl version.
Also the Sound on this Studio One Years is not very good.
Bongo Red is much better put together.

OK, back to something less frustrating!!!

[Chaz]

The question now is: is there a good pressing in existance?

Before reading the message concerning the CD release, I thought that this might be the best option and tried to find it. In doing so, I came across an MP3 download version which not only was pretty good quality (compared to my LP copy), but contains all these tracks:

Hello Carol
Rainy Night In Georgia
Jah Almighty
Love And Meditation
On The Other Side
Jah Go Before Us
Roots Natty Roots
Peace Truce
My Thoughts
Down Town Rebel
Re-Arrange


What release would this be I wonder?

[6anbatte]

The question now is: is there a good pressing in existance?

Before reading the message concerning the CD release, I thought that this might be the best option and tried to find it. In doing so, I came across an MP3 download version which not only was pretty good quality (compared to my LP copy), but contains all these tracks:

Hello Carol
Rainy Night In Georgia
Jah Almighty
Love And Meditation
On The Other Side
Jah Go Before Us
Roots Natty Roots
Peace Truce
My Thoughts
Down Town Rebel
Re-Arrange

What release would this be I wonder?

**["The Studio One Years"](http://www.roots-archives.com/release/4395)**?

[Chaz]

Ah!

It may not be a legitimate release, but it seems to be the best one.

Studio One must have put this out three times or more, including the CD version, and each time it was a complete waste of money.

[rasdragon]

I just wanted to let the thread run for a bit till I put in. [cover=5785,46] This is the scan of my copy. It was bought out of Monica's Records here in Toronto about 12yrs ago. I was told he bought those from the Brooklyn shop in 82'. It doesn't show up well in the scan but the label is that pastel pink (also seen the pale blue) paper label. The pressing is not bad, not the best Studio One press I have seen but in the top bracket.

[informer]

why don't you do yourself a favor and buy high quality gladiators studio one stuff with good sound ?

Heartbeat "Gladiators Studio one singles" it can't get much better .....

[=Nilo82=]

Yes informer, you're right about that.
With this in mind i spent already lots of money for compilations by Soul Jazz, Heartbeat etc.. It's always a pleasure to hear these beautiful studio one tunes remastered properly.
But there's this voice inside my head telling me i should get the original albums no matter what. Silly? Maybe, but i can't help it..

This said, it's a shame Soul Jazz is not re-releasing albums instead of only compilations. And Heartbeat, a label which did an amazing job with the deluxe edition of Freddie McGregors "Bobby Bobylon", stopped re-releasing S1 Albums on vinyl.
Sad thing!

[informer]

hey Nilo82,

you are not silly. i have round about 60 studio 1 compilations by juha (40 single compilations, 20 discomix compilations) plus some artist specials also from juha, but i just ordered the whole soul jazz stuff for better sound ! ok, you don't get all the rare singles and versions there, but a lot of very good tunes in acceptable quality.

Soul Jazz also stopped releasing studio one stuff. what's going on ?