Roots Archives Forum

JUST PRE-ORDERED THIS FROM AMAZON (oops caps )
Ranking Dread - Girls Fiesta - Hot Milk CD
Due 24 Feb

j j

Great set. My least favourite of his three LP's but still a crucial set (and probably the rarest of them as well). Selection of some heavy Linval rhythms. Would be interesting to hear Linval talk about RD but in Peter I's interview with Linval he didn't seem too fond of touching on that subject.

Mr Mellowman, is this to have an mp3 release please?

From the interview Kalcidis mentions:


Q: What can you remember about someone like Ranking Dread, you did some tracks with him.

A: Yes, we did that in America... in England. Well, he did want to record too, y'know, beca' he see a lotta t'ing was going on with Thompson Sound, so he want to come on a Thompson Sound riddim track. So we did make him come and try the sound, in that time.

Q: Exceptional voice, and so on.

A: Good style! Yes.

Q: But personally speaking, you had a headache there?

A: Like a problem, man. Everybody have him that way from he pass, yunno. So that kinda mess him up too.

Q: Would you confirm what happened to him, that he died from poisoning?

A: Yes well, he die in prison, Jamaica. Yeah.

Q: Many years ago.

A: Yeah, yeah.

Q: What was he like?

A: Well, no problem. No, he was glad to record for us. I know him long time from Jamaica still, through my friend Tapper Zukie.

I love 70's/80's DJ's including Ranking Dread - but I'm with Kalcidis on this one. Nice rhythms and production - Linval rarely puts a foot wrong in that department - but Mr Dread is unfortunately not at the top of his game - used to have the LP but sold it a while ago

I'm trying to remember when I saw Ranking Dread. 1984 I think it was @ Brighton Top Rank. From my distant memory it was a fine night.
Supports were great too .... including Talisman, good band.

Many thanks for the coverage and support all. Congo, yes there will be digital. Working on a vinyl release too!!!

MellowMan wrote:Many thanks for the coverage and support all. Congo, yes there will be digital. Working on a vinyl release too!!!

Woo hoo thank you. I got the upsetter one on CD, but it made sense as silly amazon gave me the non upsetter version as an audio rip... But still I would rather the mp3 since the cd is destined to go in my attic

Btw lovely quality on the cd booklet

I've just cancelled my pre order for this with Amazon . I think i'll wait to hear sound samples as I've heard a few people mention this is not his best set.

j j

If you rate Linval productions from the late 70's and Ranking Dreads style then you can't go wrong with it, j j. It's a brilliant set. I'd actually rank it as high as Kunta Kinte Roots (very similar sets both of them -- could be a chapter 1 and 2) but both behind Lots of Loving which for me is one of the finest deejay albums ever released. If not the best.