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VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rocksteady Rarities Box Set (TJETD299)

This is a magnificent album and one of the best of the box sets I would suggest, it contains many excellent tracks and a few that are absolutely top notch. Firstly I must mention the track Anything you want by Dudley Williamson which I didn’t know and it blew me away. Worth the cost of the album for this alone – superb.

CD1 is subtitled Sock it to Me – Early Rocksteady 1966-1967. the great Hopeton Lewis kicks this of with Run Down, setting the scene, soulful, easy, relaxed. Silvertones is almost DooWop but very fine. Henry 111 is also a nice version of a horrible song but good vocals and harmonies here. Male vocal groups abounded in the soulful rocksteady era like for example the Tartans Its not right, the Three Tops wonderful anthem Do it Right, a harmonic version of Don’t play that song by the aptly named Moving Brothers. Great while those tracks are they are surpassed by the epic won’t you come home now by the Conquerors.

The second most wonderful track on the whole set is Diane Lawrence’s Hound Dog

CD2 Fun Galore Classic Sounds from 67 – the harmonies continue with the Black Brothers, the Progressions, The Rulers, The Kingstonions, the Tennors, or the best the Groovers. Fun is injected by Miss Anti Social – Austin Faithful and the Hippies

But the best track on this section is probably George dekker’s You’re treating me so bad.

CD3 – Shake it up – the Golden Years 1967-1968 – kicks of with the aforementioned Dudley Williamson. Johnny and the Attractions is an interesting variation on a theme, sort of freakbeat rocksteady! The other best tracks here are Maurice johnson’s Yield not to temptation, Silvertones Don’t say no and Monty Morris’s Last Laugh, and the exceptional Mighty Vikings

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rocksteady Rarities Box Set (TJETD299)

Format: Treble CD album Released: Nov 21 2005 Price: £14.49 This incredible collection features 50 tracks - all of which have been unavailable since the sixties and make their CD debut here. None-the-less the music is of the highest order and is performed by many of Jamaica's greatest talents of the day - produced by such luminaries as Duke Reid / Leslie Kong and Sonia Pottinger. And with many of the featured tracks only previously on obscure Jamaican labels this is truly any Rocksteady fan's dream come true.

Tracklisting

3-CD SET

DISC 1:

Run Down - Hopeton Lewis

Whoo Baby - The Silvertones

Keep The Pressure On (Alternative Version) - Winston And George

Sound And Soul - Johnny Moore And The Supersonics

Be Good - The Rulers

With A Girl Like You - Henry III

It's Not Right - The Tartans

Temptation - The Upsetters

You Won't Regret It - Lloyd Robinson And Glen Brown

Do It Right (Alternative Version) - The Three Tops

Don't Play That Song (Darling I Love You) - The Moving Brothers

Deep Down - Hazel And The Jolly Boys

The Good You Can - Charlie Organaire And The Carib-Beats

Hound Dog - Diane Lawrence

Sock It To Me - Roland Alphonso And Beverley's All Stars

Won't You Come Home Now - The Conquerors

Sock It To Me Baby - The Valentines

DISC 2:

Baby Come Back To Me - The Black Brothers

Halls Of Montezuma - Roland Alphonso And Beverley's All Stars

The Rock Steady - Noel 'Bunny' Brown And The Wildcats

It's Alright - The Tartans With Tommy McCook's Band

The Emperor - Bobby Ellis And The Crystalites

Your Safe Keep - Primo And Hopeton

Fair Deal - The Progressions

The Way I Feel - Keith Thompson

Be Mine - The Rulers

You've Got Something - Ewan And Jerry

Fun Galore - The Kingstonians

Miss Anti-Social - Austin Faithful And Hippies

You're Treating Me Bad - George Dekker

You've Got To Cry - The Groovers

Gee Whiz - The Tennors

The Train Is Coming Back - The Gladiators

DISC 3:

Anything You Want - Dudley Williamson

Coming On The Scene - Johnny And The Attractions

To Sir With Love - Dawn Penn

Yield Not To Temptation - Maurice Johnson

Shake It Up - The Termites

Skinny Le Girl - Hopeton Lewis And Glen Brown

Please Stay - Paulette And The Lovers

I Fell In Love - The Conquerors

Don't Say No - The Silvertones

What Can I Do - Clive And Doreen

Rain And Thunder - The Soul Tops

So Nice Like Rice - Charlie Kelly

Lonely Heartaches - The Clarendonians

Think Twice (AKA Laust Laugh) - Eric Monty Morris

On The Town - Bunny And Ruddy

Love Me Forever - The Mighty Vikings

Try A Little Merriness - Ike Bannett And The Crystalites