Studio One Presenting The Gladiators

[=Nilo82=]

Ites!
I'm about to buy the LP mentioned in the title. My favourite web shop offers (for the same price) a JA and an US pressing. Which one should i take? Is there a difference in sound quality? Tracklist is identical..

[kalcidis]

I don't know if there's any difference in mixes but the US pressing is probably much cleaner than the JA so I'd go for that one.

[ACEtone]

My copy is a Made in Jamaica, bought in Coxsone's Music City in Brooklyn. So I suppose that makes it a JA pressing.
Matrix is SOL 1133 A and B.

In this case I think SOL must stand for so out of luck! Though I'm supposed to think it means Studio One LP

Great tunes, horrible sound quality!
Still a long time favourite though...

Note, this is a different pressing to the one on this site:
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/46
which is matrix SOL 1113
Mine has the afterthought inclusion of an 11th track 'Re-arrange' which is definitely worth having.

Regarding the sleeve, I have seen better printing done with a potato and poster paints!
But it is a classic...

[seanmd]

I heard a rumour that thais had been repressed by Soul/Jazz Records does anyone else know about this.

[Litelet]

Note, this is a different pressing to the one on this site:
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/46
which is matrix SOL 1113
Mine has the afterthought inclusion of an 11th track 'Re-arrange' which is definitely worth having.

And it has a second version of my Thought, very interesting, but doesnt have "Jah Jah Go Before Us"... Very strange pressing!

[gunosantos]

My copy is even more strange... I bought it at trade roots in SD in 2001 I think... matrix SOL 1133-A and B, so according to ACEtone mine would be a JA pressing...

First of all the labels are switched... where the matrix is A the label says "side 2", and where the matrix is B it says side 1.

Running the A side (according to matrix #) the tracks are right in the order according to the sleeve and the label:

1 - Hello Carol
2 - Rainy Night In Georgia
3 - Ease Squeeze
4 - Love And Meditation
5 - On The Other Side

But then, the B side is totally messed up, with "my thoughts" and "down town rebel" appearing each one twice, and without "jah go before us" and "roots natty roots".

In fact, the B-side track order in my pressing is:

1 - My Thoughts
2 - Down Town Rebel
3 - Peace Truce
4 - My Thoughts
5 - Down Town Rebel
6 - Re-Arrange

Now this is really strange... and besides all that, the sound quality is really poor.

@ACEtone: I wonder if there's "jah go before us" and "roots natty roots" in your copy.

Blessings,

[Return of Jesco]

I've got this one as well Gunosantos, such a poor reissue that I've hardly ever played it.

[=Nilo82=]

Seems like i stired up a hornet's nest
Decided to phone my record dealer and asked him bout the two releases he's got.

Well, he got confused too.
He said they're both JA pressings and realized the tracklists are both messed up. He didn't have time right now but promised me to check both records and give me an update within the next days.

[Chaz]

Mine's the same as the one that Gunosantos has and I don't play it for the same reason.

This one really does need a proper re-issue.

[ACEtone]

I'll have listen tonight and figure out what the real track list is on the 1133 version.
I have been bemused by the weirdness of the album for a few years but have always just put it down to it being one of those Jamaican 'things' - no point in being bothered by it.
Then again I probably paid $5.00 for it so no reason to feel ripped-off!
I really hope nobody is paying big money for these crappy JA pressings. I have a stack of them I really like a lot but they were cheap...

But I agree, the tracks on this collection are very much worthy of a proper reissue, vinyl or CD if it hasn't been done already. I'd be happy to buy it - I don't buy much these days...