Outta Montreal an' following his works producing (musically) an' promoting outernationally the documentary Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae, selector, producer, collector Mossman drops this exclusive mix containing some ruggedly rare an' musically crucial selections. Nice dubplates an shout outs by Sister Nancy, Ken Boothe, Hopeton Lewis, Lynn Taitt an' U Roy - Mossman yuh soun' a foundation - solid mi seh, forward - no delay! Mossman Sound Presents Rare & Crucial Rocksteady Vol. 1 Johnny Nash w. Lynn Taitt And The Jets - Reviens-Moi Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Save A Bread Prince Buster w. Lynn Taitt And The Jets - Human John Holt & Leroy "Heptones" Sibbles - Let's Build Our Dreams Tommy McCook - My Best Dress The Paragons - My Best Girl Max Romeo - You Cold The Versatiles - You Just Can’t Win Max Romeo & The Emotions - Heartbreaking Gypsy The Uniques, Bobby Aitken & The Caribbeat - Gypsy Woman The Soul Vendors - Ringo Rock Winston Samuels - I Am The Greatest Slim Smith - Rougher Yet The Soul Vendors - Musical Happiness The Heptones - Why Did You Leave Dobby Dobson - Seems I`m Losing You Joe White - My Guiding Star Anthony Rocky Ellis - I Am The Ruler Al Campbell & The Thrillers - Don`t Run Away Jackie Mittoo - Evening Time Basil Daley - So Nice Like Rice Raphael Stewart - What A Hard Time Romeo (Roman) Stewart - Walking Down The Street Hopeton Lewis - Pressure A Sound (Mossman Dubplate) U-Roy - Babylon Pressure (Mossman Dubplate) Lynn Taitt - Gringo (Unreleased Instrumental Mossman Dubplate)
Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae a documentary film whose working title was Get Ready To Rocksteady is gonna be ifficially launched in Toronto this Friday, July 24th. A concert is set for the following night in Kensington Market's Embassy featuring Montreal's Mossman - musical producer for the doc and the full length accompanying album, 'longside the Pressure Drop crew - Chuck Boom, Guv'nor General and Greg Lawson. Here is the doc's press release an' trailer, be sure to check their website for more info on the album and screenings - crucial iducation Iyah!
NEW DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM & ALBUM
The documentary film Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae is a musical journey to Jamaica's Golden Age of music, Rocksteady. The film features the music and stories of the legendary singers and musicians of the Rocksteady era. They come together after 40 years to record an album of Rocksteady hits, to perform together again at an All-Stars reunion concert in Kingston, Jamaica, and to tell their story.
Rocksteady was the rage on the Caribbean island in the Mid 1960's. By 1968, Rocksteady had transformed into Reggae, the popular musical style known and loved around the world today. While everybody has heard the music of Bob Marley, the superstar of Reggae, few people know that it was Rocksteady that developed the buoyant rhythms, prominent bass pulse, soulful vocals and socially conscious lyrics that gave Reggae its power.
In their own words, the Rocksteady singers and musicians tell the audience about the 1960s in Jamaica, a roller-coaster decade during which the island was transformed politically, socially, economically and culturally.
In 1962, the island gained its independence from Great Britain. During the next few years, there was celebration, optimism, economic growth and opportunity. Recording studios popped up all over Kingston, competed for the best artists and produced an astounding number of songs, many of which became hits in Jamaica and overseas. Many wonderful and famous songs were created during this era, such as (No No No) You Don't Love Me Anymore, Tide Is High and Rivers of Babylon. By 1968, however, Jamaica's economic bubble had burst and unemployed youths fought with police for control of the streets. As violence, poverty and political upheaval spread, Rocksteady artists stopped singing about love and romance and instead gave voice to the social problems around them.
The performers include Hopeton Lewis, a Gospel-Reggae singer in New York who recorded the first Rocksteady song Take it Easy when he was 16; Dawn Penn, nowadays a community worker in London, whose Rocksteady song You Dont Love Me Anymore, No No No, was re-recorded by many other artists and became a world hit; Wilburn Stranger Cole (Love Me This Evening), who had left Jamaica for a new life in Canada; Marcia Griffiths, a Reggae performer who still tours the world (Tide is High); Ken Boothe, who performs in Reggae festivals worldwide (Shanty Town, 007); Derrick Morgan (Tougher Than Tough), a famous Ska singer who also had numerous hits during the Rocksteady era; Leroy Sibbles (Equal Rights), who, as part of the Heptones, created many Rocksteady songs; and U-Roy (Stop That Train), a toaster who influenced rap music in the U.S.; and Judy Mowatt (Silent River Runs Deep), who, with Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley, was part of the I-Threes, legendary backup singers for Bob Marley. In a special appearance, Rita Marley tells the audience about her life in Trenchtown in the 1960s with Bob Marley.
The musicians featured in the film include Earnest Ranglin, Sly Dunbar, Jackie Jackson, Gladstone Anderson, Hux Brown, Lloyd Parks and Scully Simms among others.
Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae is a new full length documentary film and album set to drop any day now. Check the Get Ready To Rocksteady Website for release dates and showings. For album availability check Moll Selekta. Here is the synopsis by the project's music producer Moss Raxlen AKA Mossman from the Get Ready To Rocksteady Facebook group, enjoy!
Rocksteady, a popular music that originated in Jamaica, was the rage on the Caribbean island for a short period (1966-68), but produced an astounding amount of material, much of it beloved and enduring. The Rocksteady era produced many worldwide hits such as “No No No ( You Don't Love Me )”, “The Tide is High”, “By the Rivers of Babylon” and many other musical gems.
Rocksteady’s biggest claim to fame is that it morphed into Reggae, a musical style that became hugely popular and influential throughout the world. It was Rocksteady that developed the buoyant rhythms, prominent base pulse, soulful vocals and socially conscious lyrics that gave Reggae its power.
Everyone’s heard of Reggae’s megastar, Bob Marley (1945-81), the singer and songwriter who emerged from the ghettos of Kingston to become the Third World’s first international superstar. Marley began his career in the Ska era, characterized by fast tempo dance music, but he too changed his music to Rocksteady and recorded beautiful songs with The Wailers ( Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer).
Most of Rocksteady’s artists went on to build Reggae careers of their own although their rising stars were eclipsed by Marley’s. While their contributions to the evolution of the musical style have not been as celebrated as Marley’s, they were significant nonetheless.
For the very first time, the stories of these original Rocksteady artists are told in the documentary Get Ready to Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae. Some of the Rocksteady performers and singers travelled from other countries to be filmed, to perform their music at an All-Stars Rocksteady concert in Kingston and to record an album of Rocksteady favorites at legendary Tuff Gong Studio, the former Federal Records.
The Rocksteady performers in the documentary include Hopeton Lewis, a Gospel-Reggae singer in New York who recorded the first Rocksteady song “Take it Easy” in Kingston when he was 16; Dawn Penn, a community worker in London, England whose Rocksteady song “No No No, You Don’t Love Me Anymore” was re-recorded by other artists and became a world hit; Marcia Griffiths, a Reggae performer who still tours the world (“The Tide is High”); Ken Boothe, who also performs in Reggae festivals worldwide (“Shanty Town”); Judy Mowatt (“Silent River”) who, with Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley, was part of the I Threes, the backup singers of Bob Marley; Derrick Morgan (“Conquering Ruler”); Leroy Sibbles (“Equal Rights”); and U-Roy (“Stop That Train”).
Singer Stranger Cole (“Morning Train”) serves as the narrator of the film. Rita Marley also has a major role in the documentary describing her life in the 1960s in Trenchtown with Bob and other musicians. Many Rocksteady artists lived in Trenchtown at that time.
The backup musicians in the movie are led by band leader and legendary guitarist Ernest Ranglin and include Gladstone “Gladdy” Anderson and Robbie Lynn (piano), Linford “Hux” Brown (guitar), Sly Dunbar (drums), Lloyd Parks and Jackie Jackson (bass), Glen Dacosta and Headley Bennett (sax), Calvin “Bubbles” Cameron (trombone), David Madden (trumpet), Bongo Herman and Scully Simms (percussion).
Through interviews and rarely seen archival footage and photos, the documentary traces the evolution of Rocksteady, from its breakaway from Ska, to its emergence as full-scale Reggae.
The 1960s was a decade of roller-coaster changes in the newly independent Jamaica when the political, social and cultural fabrics of the country were transformed. The film reveals how Rocksteady artists experienced this turbulent era and how it influenced their music. It demonstrates that Rocksteady musicians had a shared belief in the transformative power of music.
At first, Rocksteady songs were soulful and romantic and singers sang about love and hope. As the economy of rapidly industrializing Kingston collapsed and the thousands of rural youth who had flocked to the capital found no work, gangsterism (“rude boys”) and shanty towns developed. The lyrics of Rocksteady changed to speak about the violence and the dispossessed.
Get Ready to Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae explains how the visit in 1966 of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to Jamaica had a lasting impact on the small nation and on Rocksteady. The music took on new themes: black consciousness, yearning for equal rights, Africa and Rastafarianism, a religion that spread rapidly after Selassie’s trip.
The film shows a face of Jamaica that tourists never see when they visit the island’s beaches and resort hotels. Most importantly, it captures the roots of Reggae music and preserves, for posterity, a musical history that otherwise may have been forgotten. Be sure to check it Iyah!
Serious ting dat - WestSide Massive continues the vinyl throwdown Friday December 19th at Tequila Bookworm. WestSide regulars selectors Dominique, JC & JP will be joined by Montreal's Mossman (Dub Lounge). Crucial sounds - blending Rocksteady, Early Reggae, Roots, Dub, Rub A Dub, Dancehall classics, current international hits and exclusive dubplates. Wicked combination Iyah - Strictly Vinyl - a de top a top, forward still, nah stop!
Hot Mixes From West Side Massive's Selector Dominique
Digikal Murdah Mix
Jah Life Hot Milk Riddim Mix
Roots To Branches
Dancehall A Buss
Revival Style All The While
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Outta Montreal an' following his works producing (musically) an' promoting outernationally the documentary Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae, selector, producer, collector Mossman drops this exclusive mix containing some ruggedly rare an' musically crucial selections. Nice dubplates an shout outs by Sister Nancy, Ken Boothe, Hopeton Lewis, Lynn Taitt an' U Roy - Mossman yuh soun' a foundation - solid mi seh, forward - no delay!
