FFWDWeekly.com - September 28, 2006

JOHN HOLT
I Can’t Get You Off My Mind: 18 Greatest Hits at Studio One
Heartbeat

· Steady rockin’ reggae label dusts off and spiffs up (as opposed to dusts up and spliffs out) some of the formidable Studio One catalogue.

Heartbeat has borne the binghy torch since the start of the ’80s and was instrumental in keeping the flame of Jamaican roots music alive during those dark dancehall days. Always remaining true to their Rasta moniker, you could count on heartfelt music with an island pulse, a tradition that continues 25 years on. Integral to their success has been unparalleled access to C.S. Dodd’s celebrated Studio One vaults and they’re marking their silver anniversary by reissuing a whack-load of classic material.

Living legend Alton Ellis was involved in the birth of ska, pioneered rock steady and was at the forefront of the roots reggae movement. His little sister is (was?) an enigma of whom little is known, but who shared the same talent for merging JA popular music with soul (she sounds more like a Detroit diva or Chicago chanteuse). I’m Still In Love With You repackages 1990’s classic Alton & Hortense Ellis with four new tracks from the vault, splitting the disc 50/50 between the siblings. The original release was already a must-have of Alton highlights and Hortense rarities, such as her scorching cover of People Make The World Go Round, and the added songs are far from filler. Essential to anyone who loves rock-steady and soul music from the golden age.

Delroy Wilson, the original Jamaican teen idol, was in the right place at the right time at the ripe old age of 14 and became a legend through the ska, rock-steady and reggae days. The Best Of… is actually a reissue of a reissue of Dodd’s Original Twelve release from 1969 and draws heavily from Wilson’s rock steady period, this time adding six tracks (hence the title change). Oft counted amongst the best 100 reggae discs of all time (no small feat when Kingston was churning out almost that many each month), its stock has just shot up a bit due to the well-chosen previously unreleased bonus tracks and the expanded liner notes.

John Holt is another honey-throated hunk who ruled the lover’s rock roost for many a moon and was a one-man hit factory for much of the ’60s and ’70s, thanks to his soul-flavoured sensibility and emotive delivery. Lots of well-loved favourites from the rock steady era here on his Studio One retrospective, including "OK Fred" and "Tonight" as well as other chart-toppers. There are also a couple of covers from Neil Diamond and George Harrison which are not nearly as cheesy as you’d expect due to being recorded prior to his crossover years. A strong comp and a good snag for fans of the man or the genre.

Access to a mammoth mine of Ampex nuggets, an undying devotion to a musical form and a mystical love for its artists does not always equal quality control. Not that any of the early dub on Version Dread kicks de bucket by a long shot, it’s just territory that’s been covered ad infinitum over the last decade-and-a-half while many of the essential versions here have been available elsewhere for some time. A great introduction to the roots of dub but other than that, mostly of interest only to rabid dub collectors and completists.

ALTON & HORTENSE ELLIS 5/5

DELROY WILSON 5/5

JOHN HOLT 4/5

VERSION DREAD 3/5

RED EYE