Roots Archives Forum

... hi Vince, think i can well catch your drift on that Mello Lads tune; of what i've heard of it, it's a nice '78-'79 stepper quite Upsetterish indeed, a guitar lick that is pretty suspict, the vocal arrangements and more instrumental use here and there that could well point to Black Ark ... still there isnt anything of which i can say: now that MUST be Lee Perry behind the desk ... nothing to really pin it down. It's a bit in the same league as let's say Merlene Webber - He'll Have To Stay (on Lloyd Campbell's Spiderman label as The Will Have To Say ); could well be Ark recorded, but didnt receive The Upsetter's finnishing touch, way too bare and opaque to be able really lay a finger and maybe after recording taken back to SP's own desk for further treatment ...
For comparison take Delroy Wilson's Cant Stop Me and David Isaacs' Hard Road To Travel forinstance, now those are undoubtely Ark recs, taken to Joe Gibbs to be mixed of by ET ... (toasts by Dillinger as Obeah Bath and Blessed Saviour)

3pan1

Was Natty Plant it on 7' Hiori also not a black ark Rupie thing or am I mistaken

Hi Chungdejah
Thanks for the update. Are you saying the tune is by the Mellowlads? I thought it was Lee Perry himself singing and it being a Sonia Pottinger production. If you give me an email address I can post a clip to see if it is the same tune.
Cheers
Vince

The song is credited to The Mellows/Revolutionaires. As 3Pan1 points out, sounds (to me a little) Upsetterish, but it's not quite It!

... Vince, that Mello Lads (as Mellows) singer (have no idea who really tbh) is more often confused with Lee Perry; kinda like same idea off-tone singing right, but well ...

... Ziggy, although indeed supposed by Dave Katz in his book; in not any way i can make B'Ark cheese of Natty Plant (also not the drummachine used) ... again i'd like to stress train- and try use the own ears pulling conclusions ... EVEN if the artist himself say so, or rather, "confirms" what the interviewer supposes ...

I've never heard any Ark on Natty Plant It either, chungdejah.

And yeah, Delroy Wilson's Cant Stop Me is definately Black Ark-recorded, haven't heard Hard Road To Travel though, which label?

They're both on Roots From The Yard label. Though to my ears ["Hard Road To Travel"](http://www.smokeyroom.net/misc/music/hardroad.mp3) isn't a Black Ark recording.

... there cant exist any doubt it is a Black Ark rec, Ron dear, confirmed from several sides from same session as Delroy's tune even, maybe you should listen a longer and better quality clip to convince yourself; as i said before Dellinger did toasts over both on two seperate Big Phil 7s and side by side on a pretty rare UK blanc 12 period.

time for the reschool my best

Organ D - Free for all..Tafari 7"

Never seen a copy of this gem...

Well chungdejah I used my ears but may be they are worn out listing to so many upsetter music. "Hard Road To Travel'' is lacking the right drum. But that may be got lost in the overdubbing. Over the year I'am getting used to listen to music that probably was a upsetter/black ark recording originally but overdubbed or mixed elsewere. That was very common in Jamaica. As we know. Those recordings are hard to pin down if the realy were upsetter or black ark.

To give this thread some input it needs:

On the Grass Roots label there is also a 7'' with an unkown DJ. B side is a dub with DJ and black ark effects. Produced Sean De Laire.

I also believe a dub of Police and thieves is rare it is a bongo version found on an Island test Pressing. B-side is a wrong pressing with one tone.

There is allot upsetter music yet to be discovered or to be listed on the internet Ron has got allot on his (the best upsetter) site but I guess that is only 40% or less of the real output yet to be discovered.
Greetings
Zggy