Roots Archives Forum

Hi, lately I've been listening to lots of old music and I've realized that there are many excellent roots reggae tracks performed by artists that I usually relate to an older era (ska, rocksteady, early reggae) so I thought it could be a nice topic, to make a list of roots tracks from artists not usually related to the roots era (let's say 75 - 80/1). Yesterday I was listening for the first time to an album of the pioneers called "pusher man" and sounded really great, I can't recall any track name right now so I'll begin with other tunes...

ALTON ELLIS - Rasta Spirit (from Arise Blackman)
SILVERTONES - Rejoice Jah Jah children (from Silver Bullets)

Count Ossie (Rastafari movement drummer) Born in 1926 - was putting out heavy roots material even in the late 50's which is the pre SKA era - an era of JAZZ and Boogie/JAMACIAN R&B

And his group 'Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari'

I belive the late great Laurel Aitken put out some roots material - in the 60's - check him out

I ll get back too this.........

JAH BLESS

Thank you bredrin but I mean tracks recorded during 74/5 - 80/1 by singers most related to earlier eras.
Blessed!

Red Gold and Green / Ken Boothe
Queen of the Ghetto / John Holt
Rhodesia / Alton Ellis
Superstar / Hortense Ellis

just to name a few good ones;

Thanks that's what I'm talking about...
Anyone else?

Hi Javier
here s few I can come up with
Alton Ellis - Back to Africa, African Descendent, True Born African, The humble will stumble (and, I would say, most of the album 'Many moods of Alton Ellis)
John Holt-Tribal War, Police in Helicopter (the album has only two Lover's Tunes)
The Heptones-Cool Rasta, Mistry Babylon, babylon Falling, Sufferers Height
Ken Boothe- SattaMasaGana (but not my favorite cover by far), Is it because I am black?
Hortense Ellis-Woman of the Ghetto
Cheers
Fab

The Slickers did cut some tuff roots tunes like "St Jago de la Vega", "The time has come", "Zion land", "Well dread". Plus, of course, their monster recut of "Johnny too bad" at Black Ark.
There are also many roots killers by the great BB Seaton : "Is life", "Mama's advice", "I feel lost", "Don't let love pass you by",...
Concerning the tunes already mentionned, "True born african" by Alton Ellis is one of my all time favourites. The horns line is beyond description.

The Paragons - Zion (from Heaven & Earth LP)

How about the Sharon Little 12" (or was it 10", anyway) "Don't Mash Up Creation"?

Real tuff roots anthem, that one! And I hear that she sang mainly lovers otherwise.

an Alton Ellis song you missed: Black Man's World aka Black Man White Man.

The dub on the b-side to the single is awful though.