TROJAN RECORDS RISE AGAIN

The legendary record company Trojan has been celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2003 with some panache and a whole slew of new releases! Britain even had some Trojan Ska and Reggae back in the charts - well, the album charts anyway, and under license - courtesy of the two CD set One Step Beyond - 45 Classic Ska Hits! (Virgin VTDCDX 546). The first CD contains all the expected names from Prince Buster and Millie to Symarip and the Paragons whilst the second disc has twenty Two-Tone recordings and is certainly the best introduction to the late seventies / early eighties sound that I have heard. There is nothing startlingly new or surprising, though I am very glad to have finally got the Cats version of Swan Lake, but this makes a fine introduction for those who may be unfamiliar with these sounds.

Staying with the sixties hit sound, The Upsetters have Return Of Django (Trojan TJCCD 100) which finds the original twelve track album augmented with eight related tracks, six of which have not been released previously. Mostly instrumental, though a couple have spoken introductions, many of these performances focus on a fast, driving organ sound, and the whole thing hangs together well, despite possibly three different groups being responsible! Some of it is a little quirky - well, it is a Lee Perry production, and that will probably be enough for some to make the effort to track this down.

Tapper Zukie represents a slightly later era, though his (initially) strongly Big Youth influenced style of hard hitting roots dee-jaying seems light years away from the more innocent sound of the Upsetters. Man Ah Warrior (Trojan TJACD 135) is a reissue of Tapper's very hard to find debut set, recorded in London in 1973 for producer Clem Bushay, when the young toaster's voice had barely broken! It is however a lively and mature collection of more than just historical interest and once again, seven bonus tracks of further material from the seventies make this a real value for money CD.

'Sublime' is the word most often used to describe the harmonies of vocal trio The Melodians. Sweet Sensation - The Best of The Melodians (Trojan TJACD 137) is an overview of the group's recordings from 1967 to 1974, from the rocksteady era to the roots sound. Included are their biggest UK hit 'Sweet Sensation' from January 1970 and their now best known number 'Rivers Of Babylon', plus a further 23 equally worthy offerings. Sublime, of course!
Also from Trojan's 'Best Of...' series comes Black And White (Trojan TJACD 147) by Greyhound. I did not really expect much from this pop-reggae band of the early seventies but this intelligently compiled CD includes material from the likes of the Rudies, the Tillermen and Des' All Stars - all of whom were Greyhound! As a result the string-laden chart hits (which actually sound OK) are mixed with chugging uptempo reggae instrumentals and even a bit of rocksteady. Bright sounds from a more innocent time.

Denzil Dennis is a well-known but unheralded singer who has been active on the UK scene since he moved to Britain from Jamaica in the early sixties. Me Nah Worry (Trojan TJDDD 148) is a 52 track double CD set compiled by the man himself and it is a microcosmic portrait of the UK scene of the late sixties and early seventies, with its mix of original reggae tunes and soul and pop covers. Producers include Laurel Aitken and Dandy, plus Lee Perry who rated Denzil so highly that he would seek out the singer for recordings each time he visited England. This attractive release explains why.

Loch Ness Monster (Trojan TJCCD 149) is a various artists compilation last seen in 1970 and since then highly sought after and fetching incredibly inflated prices whenever it does break the surface (which is very rarely). A truly legendary release and a deserved classic of skinhead reggae (much of it down to Laurel Aitken again!), the CD adds a further 13 relevant titles to the original release. Uptempo organ sounds, some early slackness, and most of it very curious and inventive (yes, Lee Perry is in there too), this is essential listening for anyone wanting to investigate reggae's early days.
- Norman Darwen