Yes Man, ROCK-A-SHACKA is what we was expecting for a long long time. A full line of great compilations almost containing material from legendary labels BLUE BEAT (UK) and STUDIO ONE (JA), and even includding a show by the King Of Ska, PRINCE BUSTER backed by Japan top Ska band The DETERMINATIONS, recorded live on early 2003. All this Proyect coordinated by the DRUM & BASS records and recording company, in communion with ISLAND/UNIVERSAL Music Japan.

[PRINCE BUSTER INTERVIEW]

This is an AMAZING show recorded live along 2 nights during the 2003 visit of PRINCE BUSTER to JAPAN, where the people love him, just the same way as the PRINCE love his Japanese audience, and the result is a machine gun of Smash Hits wich has made PRINCE BUSTER a SKA superstar back on the 60's, and still on the present, all backed by The DETERMINATIONS, the nowadays top SKA band from Japan and with a long career now, them have an incredible horn section that side to side with the riddim section, and their sensational female keyboardist rocks the place down, and all the PRINCE BUSTER Fabulous HITS are present on this show. BUSTER is seconded on the voice by his personal friend and manager DELROY WILLIAMS, and introduced by GAZ "Rocking Blues" MAYALL. Believe me, this is a show to be not missed.

"JAMAICA UNDERGROUND" - Sound Dimension / BE COOL" - Cecile Campbell / "TOM TOM" - Rhythm Rebels / "SUNSHINE VERSION" - Dennis Alcapone / "FUNKY JOE" - Sound Dimension / "I'M GONNA GET YOU" - Chosen Few / "SUMMER TIME" - Jackie Mittoo & Sound Dimension / "DO YOUR THING" - Leroy Sibbles / "LeARAB" - Sound Dimension / "STILL WATER VERSION" - Winston Williams / "MORE SOUL" - Cedric Brooks & Sound Dimension / "MY SWEET LORD" - The Freedom Singers / "MY SWEET ORGAN" - The Cyclones / "HOW NICE IT IS" - Marlene Webber / "WHAT THAT" - Jackie Mittoo.

I personally LOVE any Mr. DODD's production, that is the same as say STUDIO ONE, and this Volume#7 is a compilation of Very Rare and Hard to Find old Jamaican 45's. Half vocal, half instrumental gems from Sir COXSONE's vaults. The CD is opened by the tittle tune "JAMAICA UNDERGROUND" by the Sound Dimension, that is a nice flute instrumental, even here we have 5(five) SOUND DIMENSION cuts, includding the funk "FUNKY JOE", "SUMMER TIME" - Jackie Mittoo & Sound Dimension, a version of well known jazz classic by the late great Jackie, "LeARAB" that is a different song as Ernest RANGLIN "LEE ARAB" plus "MORE SOUL" - Cedric Brooks & Sound Dimension, featuring this tennor sax man, from Count Ossie's M.R.R. (MYSTIC REVELATION of RASTAFARI) fame. The song "TOM TOM" - Rhythm Rebels is an instrumental re-cut to TOOTS & MAYTALS hit "PEEPING TOM" and "SUNSHINE VERSION" - Dennis Alcapone is actually the DJ cut for the Sir Coxsone Singers "AQUARIUS". This CD also have vocal sides by Cecile Campbell, Chosen Few, Marlene Webber, the soul inspired "DO YOUR THING" by the Great LEROY SIBBLES from HEPTONES, the WINSTON WILLIAMS "STILL WATER VERSION" aka "STILL LOVE" is a Lovers stylee toasting for the JERRY JONES Classic "STILL WATER" and a version of George Harrison's soulful "MY SWEET LORD", here by The Freedom Singers, with the B-SIDE instrumental "MY SWEET ORGAN" done by The CYCLONES. Finally, closing the disc is another JACKIE MITTOO interpretation on his caracteristic Funky organ sound tittled "WHAT THAT", and I say What more can we want? Maybe another volume of more great DOWNBEAT ska/reggae 45s like this? Let's pray and look forward for a next like this one, OH BWOY!

VERONA - Jimmy Sinclair & Trentons Orchestra / MASH POTATO - Girl Stchmo & Swingin Brothers / DO YOU WANT TO JUMP - Owen Gray & Les Dawson Combo / TONK GAME - Hank Marr / BALL AND CHAIN - Johnny Stevens & Blue Beats / EVE'S TEN COMMANDMENTS - Helen Fleming / PEMPELEM - Azzie Lawrence / ROARIN - Red Price & The Blue Beats / TWIST AROUND TOWN - Girl Satchmo / MERRY TWIST (INSTRUMENTAL) - Derrick Morgan / LUCILLE - Laurel Aitken / LAST TIME - The School Girls / OH WHAT A FEELING - Riff / LOLLIPOP I'M IN LOVE - F. Cosmo / SATURDAY - Marvels, Rico & Blue Beats.

I think a lot of Us, was expecting for years for good BLUE BEAT CD compilations, because the original 45's are so difficult and expensive to be found today, and there are really SKA era gems on the BIG and extensive BLUE BEAT records catalog, with Fabulous singers and musicians includding luminaires such as PRINCE BUSTER, RICO RODRIGUEZ, DERRICK MORGAN, ERIC "MONTY" MORRIS, EDDIE "TAN TAN" THORNTON, FRANK COSMO, OWEN GREY, LAUREL AITKEN and the same SKATALITES on most cases under the name of BUSTER ALL STARS, for name just a few from the infinity number of artists from this great label's files. On this case the volume#8 (as same as vol#2 and vol#5) of this collection, features 15 great sides from the BLUE BEAT 7"s story. I think there will be some more BLUE BEAT CDs to come on ROCK-A-SHACKA that you SKA/ROCKSTEADY fan will want to buy, in the future, but NOW, catch these ones, and ENJOY! the delightful vintage sound of the authentic BLUE BEAT.

"A DEH PON DEM" - Rita Marley & The Soulettes / "EL BANG BANG" - The Carib Beats / "DON'T WAIT FOR ME" - Albert Tomlinson / "THINGS GOING WRONG" - Lloyd Charmers / "DO THE PUSH PUSH" - Lee Perry / "TROPIC ISLAND" - Jackie Mittoo & The Soul Vendors / "I MADE MISTAKE" - The Termites / "LET ME HOLD" - Marcia Griffiths / "GIVE ME LITTLE SIGN" - Owen Gray / "MAN OF MANY CHANCES" - The Three Tops / "SUMMERTIME" - Roy Richards & The Soul Vendors / "BOOGALOO WITH ME" - The Gaylads / "EASY SQUEEZE" - Alton Ellis & Hortens Ellis / "GROOVY KIND OF LOVE" - Hortens Ellis / "LAST WALTZ" - The Soul Vendors.

... And our prayers was heard, because here we have ROCK A SHACKA volume #11, that bring us another fine selecshan' of STUDIO ONE stuff, mainly centered on ROCKSTEADY era, but with a couple SKA sides also, even the CD opens with a well known Ska tune by Rita Marley & the Soulettes their classic "A DEH PON DEM". The classic STUDIO ONE instrumentals sides are also present here, represented by 4 (four) pieces, the Ska "EL BAM BAM" also known as KISS BAM BAM originally credited to Bobby Aitken in the 60's but here credited to the Carib Beats, and wich piano melodic line is played for sure by late great Jackie Mittoo. The other instrumentals here are Rocksteady, and if we talk about STUDIO ONE Rocksteady we say SOUL VENDORS joining Jackie Mittoo on "TROPIC ISLAND", to Roy Richards on "SUMMERTIME" an harmonica interpretation of all time classic tune on Richards well known stylee, and finally the tune that close the CD "LAST WALTZ". I think almost the tunes here are on CD format for the first time ever except for Marcia Griffiths' "LET ME HOLD", and most of them was never compiled on LPs either except for a just a few. Other tunes to mention are the tittle track "DO THE PUSH PUSH", a nice early Lee Perry's ska, "I MADE MISTAKE" by The Termites, "MAN OF MANY CHANCES" by The Three Tops, the tune BOOGALOO WITH ME is a total surprise for me, an obscure tune that shows the famous The Gaylads singing over Jackie Mittoo's GOT MY BOOGALOO riddim, and finally 2 Hortense Ellis Top Notch SKAa, one is her version of the "GROOVY KIND OF LOVE" classic, and on "EASY SQUEEZE" the duet is completed by his brother Alton Ellis, a tune also known by GAZ Mayall and Trojan's own version. A great compilation as usually on ROCK A SHACKA serie, and let's hope to wait for much more to keep enjoying...!

Design & all the rest: BOB STERN

I need to say BIG THAKS! speacially to CHIN and all the DRUM & BASS Records & Recordings Crew in Japan and to the DRUMWEED and the ROCK-A-SHACKA people too, for their support and wonderful compilations, and stuff, and for keep the Spirit of JAMAICAN MUZIK so high today.