Roots Archives Forum

Have to say , this is a great album; The sound is great and this showcase style is the way many of us prefer, all the a- and b-sides from Ranking Dread's greensleeves 12 inches (+ one track that only ever came out on a compilation I believe).
The mixing is superb throughout all the tunes, so is the toasting off course and the riddims vary between heavy heavy roots (Shut Me Mouth, Love A Dub) and sweet rub a dub (Jeanie Green, Fattie Boom) just the way I like it. There's also informative sleevenotes and pictures I hadn't seen before in the booklet. Don't miss out on this one, people.

RANKING DREAD - MOST WANTED (greensleeves)

1. Fattie Boom Boom 12" mix
2. Dub Boom
3. Love a Dub 12" mix
4. Dub a Dub
5. Shut Me Mouth 12" mix (incredible dub!!)
6. Shut Up Shut Up Dub
7. If Nanny Was Here 12" mix
8. Nanny Was Here
9. My Mammy 12" mix
10. Mammy Mammy
11. Jean Green
12 Jean Green Dub

Listening to it right now and that "Shut Me Mouth" is incredible, it's 7:34 + 3:55 minutes of pure heaviness...

If you like that, hear this: I have convinced Greensleeves to re-press most of their original 12s. Included in the first batch will be Ranking Dread Fattie Boom Boom!!!! Stupid lyrics but the riddim is insane (check Ranking Dread In Dub LP/CD for an alternate dub version of it). 5 Greensleeves 12s coming soon, more to follow!!! It was me who convinced them to repress the LPs, now we do 12s...next I'll work on getting some Greensleeves oldies on 7s. You see guys, I am working hard for you!

Ernie B question for you. Is there anyway you can convince somebody to start repressing the Vista Sounds catalogue?!

I know the guy who used to run the label, he runs a cut-out distribution in Florida. But I think Bunny Lee would not be pleased if they re-pressed. That is a tough one to sort out. Too bad because there were some wicked LPs issued in the early 80s. John Wayne's LP is one of my favorites.

I don't think it will ever happen. Too bad.

It's hard to make money on these represses. I sold a lot of the Negus Roots represses but even to this day I have lost money overall on that project. I don't care though, I want that stuff available so I can take a little loss here and there.

Right now I am concentrating on MIkey Dread's stuff. He's got a wicked catalog and he was smart enough to keep all the master tapes. Did you see those 3 7s I had him re-press? Serious material! More coming soon.

I also have a cool Wailers 7" box set coming from Heartbeat soon, this is going to be an collector's item. Cool box, etc. Colored vinyls. Very limited press!

I am working on Hitbound too...lots of 7s coming in the pipeline.

We have to keep this vinyl alive. We need to get as much vinyl in the hands of DJs so they can play and make the music more popular. I am trying to get roots repressed...I hope to turn on the new kids to this rather than the dancehall garbage...the slack lyrics serve no purpose and they are clever or funny. Roots is where it's at folks, don't support that slack music because it drags the music down.

Nice one Ernie;

what i'd personally like to see from mikey dread is a repress of Sowell Radics "All Night Jammin" 12" and "Shy Girl" Ovations 12".

and from hitbound: No Fire It / McWoner (or was it Well Charge?)

Another one on the "Fattie Boom" riddim is Clive Field Marshall's "Dance Pon The Corner" very nice bubbling version; anyone know of any others?

"Rope In" by Cornell Campbell.

cheers

re: Vista Sounds catalog

someone who knows what people ACTUALLY want needs to get Bunny Lee's ear and tell him to repress this stuff. he represses tons of stuff. also it seems he will license anything to anyone so someone just needs to step up and do it. for all the phony remixed Jamaican Recordings junk and the flood of other Bunny Lee stuff out there, all those Vista LPs just collecting dust...