Roots Archives Forum

I don't think the PRE label in question is the Charisma one but rather a special Island one as originally thought. I note:

(1) It has a different looking label on it than the Charisma releases

(2) The Charisma label has a matrix numbers PREX rather than PRE - in fact there is a Charisma PREX3 which is Prince Far I's "showcase in a suitcase"

(3) The other release I know on the Island PRE related label is the dub version of Rico's Island LP "ghetto rockers" - PRE LP 1

(4) Tapirs and other discography's on the net list PRE as an island related label

Thanks, jayb. You have some strong points for it being Island-related and I must admit that I'm leaning more towards that rather than the Charisma-affiliated PRE.

Also it makes one wonder what album then might have been PRE 2. I'm guessing it's unreleased but the cat # was probably set aside for a specific album. Since both other PRE-LP's have been dub albums one can only assume it's a dub version of any album they released inbetween '77 to '79. Imagine a Heptones - Party Time pre-release dub LP. Or a radical dub re-work of Haile I Hymn or even just a tough dub counter-part to Handsworth Revolution. One can always dream.

'Marcus Children' was retitled 'Social Living' and released by One Stop in the UK because by then Island had lost all rights to any new Burning Spear recordings, as confirmed when 'Living Dub' was issued via Charisma & 'Hail H. I. M.' was released on Burning Spear/EMI. It was 1990 before Burning Spear moved back to Island, with 'Mek We Dweet'.

I got hold of a copy of 'Living Dub' on the day it was issued in the UK, and it was (shop) supplied by Charisma's distributor. The different looking label indicates it was, unlike any of the other Charisma distrubued PRE releases that followed it, strictly limited edition.

The (UK) PRE pressing of 'Living Dub' was a unique one-off, and to this day has never been owned, distributed, pressed or released by Island.

But Social Living was effectively released by Island at some point, and still is, even with a different track order, and it includes parts of Living Dub, as some tracks are in custom "extended" format.
The actual CD includes the extended mixes of Civilised Reggae and Social Living, which were released on an Island 12".

N.

kalcidis wrote:Also it makes one wonder what album then might have been PRE 2. I'm guessing it's unreleased but the cat # was probably set aside for a specific album. Since both other PRE-LP's have been dub albums one can only assume it's a dub version of any album they released inbetween '77 to '79. Imagine a Heptones - Party Time pre-release dub LP. Or a radical dub re-work of Haile I Hymn or even just a tough dub counter-part to Handsworth Revolution. One can always dream.

PRE 2 is [cover=6240,4470]

jayb wrote:The other release I know on the Island PRE related label is the dub version of Rico's Island LP "ghetto rockers" - PRE LP 1

JohnF wrote:PRE 2 is 'God Sent Dub' (Royal Rasses)

According to these sellers 'God Sent Dub' is PRE 1.

http://www.popsike.com/dub-lp-ROYAL-RAS ... 80449.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Royal-Rasses-Go ... 0913277856

Another example of a PRE dub LP release that has nothing to do with Island Records.

So how does one know what pressing of Living Dub pt.1 on the Burning Spear label is the original? And when was it first released? Any difference in matrix from the re-issues?

I know that early Burning Spear releases seem to have the address in St. Ann's Bay on the label and then some time in '82-'83 it started to say Publishing through Tuff Gong, Kingston instead. I've seen copies of the dub LP saying Tuff Gong, Kingston but not St. Ann's Bay. Was it originally issued in '82-'83?

According to discogs, the JA press has the following matrix references :
MML-289-A/MML-290-B
http://www.discogs.com/Burning-Spear-Li ... ase/192862
These numbers are from 1991.
Maybe there was an earlier press, maybe not.

N.

To add to the vinyl confusion:
I think most JA represses use the Heartbeat remix.
But there´s a late 90´s press with the original mix. Matrix RMM 1189 A/B.

RMM 1189 A/B : according to my data, that's from late 1987/early 1988.
Check Burning Spear Mandela Marcus (RMM 0994 A/B),
or Norris Reid LP Roots & Vine (Message label) (RMM 1082 A/B).

N.