Roots Archives Forum

Greetings to all,

I'm preparing a compilation of reggae songs featuring some parts of harmonica. To date I have only a few of them, but it always sounds great to me. Could you, dear arkivists, add some (good) suggestions to this list :

Bob Marley - Talkin' Blues
I Roy - Straight To The Heathen Head
Big Youth - Dreadlocks Dread
Cedric Myton & The Congos - Face the Music (a few tracks on this album)
Skin, Flesh And Bones - Do It Till Your Satisfied
Randy's All Stars - Guns In The Ghetto (is it melodica??)
Blach Uhuru - There is fire
Ruddy Thomas - Windy Day / What A Windy Day (feat. Trinity)
Toots & The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul

That's about it for now. I see from the RA that Jimmy Becker is playing harmonica on some productions, listed here:
http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/4737
(he's actually credited with Harmonica on Face the Music, not horns)

Any picks from this list or other good suggestions???

Tks,

Maheek

'Guns In The Ghetto' definitely harmonica

Black Uhuru - Love Crisis

Sweeeet.

There are a few dub tracks with lots of harmonica on the Randy's Forward the Bass dub album on Blood & Fire. Don't have the track names handy.

Blackbeard (Dennis Bovell) - Steadie (from I Wah Dub)

Peter Tosh - Leave My Business
Lee Perry - God Bless Pickney

"Warrior Charge" Aswad

Charlie Organaire "Do All The Good You Can"

Roy & Yvonne - no more ( Islam & Blue Beat 7")

the major harmonica player in jamaica in the 60s and 70s was Roy Richards, so check about any of his songs, they are mostly harmonica instrumentals ( although he scored some hits with singing tunes like 'freedom blues' anf 'hundred pounds')
he did an excellent album for Coxson and an odd one for Dynamic (a live abum, 1977, DY 3367, not mentioned in the roots archives BTW)

the forementioned charlie organiare also plays the harmonica, so any of his songs also feature the instrument.

Johnny Osbourne also played the harmonica, he can be heard in late 70s-early 80s recordings for Coxsone (Sugar Minott's - Mr DC), Jammys (Love Crisis) etc.