Roots Archives Forum

Can anyone remember the name of the b side to the original Hard Times 12" by Ranking Dread? I think (although I could be wrong) it was on Art and Craft. The tune includes a passage from In The Ghetto by Elvis, although he sings 'a cold and grey Jamaican Morn' etc.

Cheers

You're thinking of the Disco Showcase EP from Art & Craft. It has four tracks on it.

A1 My Liza
A2 Same Thing
B1 Hard Times Leave My Life
B2 Jah Walk Through Galilee

http://www.reggaepedia.net/discogs/disc ... index.html

seanmd wrote:Can anyone remember the name of the b side to the original Hard Times 12" by Ranking Dread? I think (although I could be wrong) it was on Art and Craft. The tune includes a passage from In The Ghetto by Elvis, although he sings 'a cold and grey Jamaican Morn' etc.

Cheers

seanmd, sorry to derail your post,but are you an Elvis fan?

Wow, the education in this forum is mucking afazing! I would have ever known that those lyrics from Jah Walk Through Galilee had an Elvis connection to them. Thanks!

digitalJ; Not trying to take away anything from seanmd and his knowledge, but it's one of Elvis most known songs. You can hear that specific phrace on quite a few reggae songs. I've heard at least four songs that use it (songs by Ranking Dread, Big Youth, Jr. Ranking & Papa Finnigan and Brigadier Jerry).

I bet that now after you've read this topic and have been made aware you'll also notice it quite often on singles and sound tapes.

Kalcidis; Thanks, thats the one I was thinking of. I had it years ago, but it disappered from my collection sometime in the 80s, I could remember Hard Times, because it used the Bandulu/Late Night Blues rythmn, also I could remember the 'In the Ghetto' reference on one of the other tunes, and I could visualise the Art and Craft label but that was it.

DigitalJ; Just to echo Kalcidis' comments, 50s rock and roll, country and western, soul, and blues etc were the staple diet of many sound system DJs and singers right from the start. People like Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Clarence Carter, Marty Robbins and the Stylistics to name a few, are all featured on Sound System Tapes that I've got.

PS: Not really a great Elvis fan, but my father in law is, so I've had to listen to loads of his stuff over the years! I've tried to convert him to reggae but Have been pretty much unsuccesful.

Also just to add theres a whole album of Elvis covers.

[cover=7378,5007]

Elvis was huge in Jamaica, so it shouldn't be a surprise to hear his lyrics quoted. "Wooden Heart" is another Elvis song that's been covered by many JA artists.

seanmd, very curious about the vintage of those sound system tapes. If you want to work out a trade, just drop me a PM, I have a fairly large collection.