VP relaunches Blood & Fire

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VP RECORDS RELAUNCHES UK REGGAE LABEL BLOOD AND FIRE

20 YEARS AFTER ITS FIRST RELEASE

Enlisting Co-Founder and A&R Steve Barrow

Founded in Manchester, England - Blood and Fire has been reissuing roots reggae, dub and DJ albums with a jazz-influenced packaging aesthetic since the early 90s. 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of its first release (If Deejay Was Your Trade: The Dreads at King Tubby's 1974-1977) and VP Records has teamed up with the revered label for a strategic relaunch.

They will re-release 10 to 12 Blood and Fire collections with additional content and updated packaging this year. Also, the label plans to launch a merchandise line with the B&F logo and select album cover art, which will be bundled in collectable re-issue packages.

VP enlisted esteemed reggae historian and A&R Steve Barrow, who is one of Blood and Fire's original founders, to oversee the album's compiling, mastering and packaging and ensure that the product remains synonymous to the brand. He will be handling original B&F catalogue reissues with additional titles new to Blood and Fire.

"I look forward to working and continuing the fruitful relationship with VP Records, who have played a pivotal role in the production of reggae music since the early 1960s in Jamaica" states Barrow on the new collaboration.

Upholding a similar standard in presentation to classic jazz labels like Blue Note, Blood and Fire evokes Jamaican culture with simplicity and truth, providing top-quality archival recordings with superior packaging and design. They were the first reissue label to form a traveling sound system and tour with artists featured on their releases. Blood and Fire was also an early adapter in serving the online reggae community, providing one of the genre's most active message boards to date.

"Blood and Fire presented reggae with premium quality and care as well as revived the careers of many unsung producers and performers," says Chris Chin, CEO of VP Records."We respect and admire the Blood and Fire brand and are delighted to be working together," he adds.

The first release, available on Record Store Day (April 19th, 2014), will be a limited edition 12" of Gregory Isaacs "Mr. Know It All" in a B&F sleeve with inner fascimile sleeve of the original Jamaican 12" single. This vinyl-only release will be followed by the first batch of titles from the B&F catalogue in various formats.

[Funky Punk]

If they repress the Congos and Yabby You 2CDs, they'll probably shift buttloads.

(I own them already, but they often sell online for fairly high prices now)

[Rootsman]

That's good news of sorts.

I already own all the B&F releases so hearing that they are going to rerelease old material with some extra tracks is a bit of a disappointment.

I can understand that many people don`t already own them and am pleased that they are making them available again, but personally I`m not sure I would want to spend money upgrading my copies just to get a few extra tracks even though I know I`ll probably give in to temptation and do it anyway.

I just hope that if this new B&F venture becomes a success it will pave the way for them to concentrate exclusively on releasing brand new titles. Now for me that would be exciting as all their previous releases have been pretty damn crucial.

[Congo Bunny]

That's good news of sorts.

I already own all the B&F releases so hearing that they are going to rerelease old material with some extra tracks is a bit of a disappointment.

I can understand that many people don`t already own them and am pleased that they are making them available again, but personally I`m not sure I would want to spend money upgrading my copies just to get a few extra tracks even though I know I`ll probably give in to temptation and do it anyway.

I just hope that if this new B&F venture becomes a success it will pave the way for them to concentrate exclusively on releasing brand new titles. Now for me that would be exciting as all their previous releases have been pretty damn crucial.

Completely agree with you there, I already have all but 2 of the original releases. I have the advantage of happily just buying the few additional new tracks as mp3, but still I wish this announcement had been about them licencing entirely new stuff to release (new old stuff, not new new stuff)

[chapmanra]

This seems to indicate there will be new titles also released. Not sure if it means tracks only vs entire albums...

"He will be handling original B&F catalogue reissues with additional titles new to Blood and Fire."

[Slugger]

This is very, very welcome news to all roots fans/collectors, I think even if you've got most of the BAF stuff. I for one have some holes to fill, particularly with the dub vinyl side of things (Pick a Dub, In the Light Dub, and Termination Dub for example, are tough to track down here in the States).

And from the BAF forum thread:

"There will be possibly 12 issues from the existing catalogue" AND "plans for new releases of lost classics being spoken about".

I'm optimistic that the "new releases of lost classics" will result in some epic material seeing the light of day once again. Plus, adding another label (and one with a fantastic history at that) to the re-issue market is always a good thing, even if it's now a VP subsidiary.

[Funky Punk]

'Freedom Sounds In Dub' is another great one. I think I paid £20 for a used copy of that on CD...

[Congo Bunny]

'Freedom Sounds In Dub' is another great one. I think I paid £20 for a used copy of that on CD...

Ouch, great set, but bummer of a price, I'm feeling very lucky that I got most of these on CD back in the day

[Funky Punk]

Ouch, great set, but bummer of a price, I'm feeling very lucky that I got most of these on CD back in the day

That's the most I've paid for one of their CDs. 'Termination Dub' sometimes goes (or is listed, at least) for quite a high price, but I got lucky with that one and found it cheap...

[Rootsman]

'Freedom Sounds In Dub' is another great one. I think I paid £20 for a used copy of that on CD...

Ouch, great set, but bummer of a price, I'm feeling very lucky that I got most of these on CD back in the day

I did too, bought virtually all of them direct from B&F. At one point they were selling them dirt cheap. Single CD titles were about £4.95 each. I think I also paid less than £10.00 for the Yabby You and Congos two disc sets and about £12.00 for the Big Youth three disc set.

Prices sure have rocketed this last few years