Natty Congo

Manley Augustus Buchanan, better known as Big Youth, tells it like it is in a shimmering Phil Pratt production. "All I see is pure frustration..."

Big Youth - Keep Your Dread

Never Get Weary

"Chant it out and tell them..." Presenting a natty six pack inna strictly roots stylee. Like it dread? The time is now.

Devon Russell - Roots Natty
Michael Black & Ranking Joe - Natty Contractor/Drunken Master
Big Youth - Natty Dread She Want
Culture - Natty Never Get Weary
Trinity - Natty Dread A No Bandooloo
Revolutionaries - Natty A General Version

Weak Heart Drop

High time for some more heavy duty reggae around here, rootsmen. Clean hands and a pure heart? That's the way to go. Check out this massive ten pack of boss sounds why don't you, and set your heart free.

Prince Far I - Clean Hands Pure Heart
Cornell Campbell - I Heart Is Clean
Ronnie Davis - No Weak Heart
Dennis Brown - Set Your Heart Free
Earl Zero - City Of The Weak Heart
Johnny Osbourne - Purify Your Heart
Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man
Junior Delgado - Blackman's Heart
Shaumark & Robinson - Weak Heart A Go Feel It
Big Youth - Lightning Flash (Weak Heart Drop)

Mic Masters

"Sounds good like you know it should..." Presenting a sizzling ten pack of the sharpest toasters from the island riding some of the hardest riddims of the roots era. If this won't get you through the festive season I honestly don't know what will, my irie brethren.

U Roy - The Same Song
King Stitt - Fire Corner
Trinity - Three Piece Suit
Jah Stitch - Greedy Girl
Big Youth - Cool Breeze
Tappa Zukie - Pick Up The Rockers
Dennis Alcapone - Shades Of Hudson
I Roy - Sidewalk Killer
Dillinger - Nebuchadnezzar
Prince Far I - Heavy Manners

Some Like It Dread

I know I do... So it's roots time once again on For The Sake Of The Song. Always harder than the rest, seen? Presenting one more ten pack straight outta Trenchtown. Ride on, natty... ride on.

Big Youth - Some Like It Dread

Rupert Reid - See The Dread Deh

Mighty Diamonds - Jah Jah Bless The Dreadlocks

Linval Thompson - Ride On Dreadlocks

Johnny Clarke - Dread A Dread
Prince Jazzbo - Dreadlock Corner

Evon Jones - 4 And 20 Dreadlocks
Lee Perry - Dreadlocks in Moonlight
Roots Rockers - Moses Was A Dread Locks
Jah Devon - Move Out Of Dreadlocks Company

Born On A Monday

Buried on a Sunday. From ancient British nursery rhyme - also known as Solomon Grundy - straight to infectuous early-sixties ska song. As a bonus: two more songs that namecheck Solomon and his rather rapid decline. And as the mighty Big Youth toasts over K.C. White's Anywhere But Nowhere, and the fun duo Lloyd & Carey utilises World Upside Down by Joe Higgs, you get to hear these excellent roots tunes as well. Big up.

Eric Morris - Solomon Gundie

Lloyd & Carey - Down Side Up

Joe Higgs- World Upside Down

Big Youth - Solomon A Gunday

K.C. White - Anywhere But Nowhere

Knockout

"My face is so pretty you can´t see a scar, that makes me the king in the ring by far..." Some killer reggae from the days when boxing was still fun and the rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier held the world spellbound. Big title bouts like the Thrilla in Manilla captured the imagination on the island of Jamaica too apparently, as many a knockout reggae song paid tribute to the legendary heavyweights. Note that toasters Big Youth and Dennis Alcapone both use Burning Spear´s legendary riddim to salute Smokin´ Joe. "With the left from the right, and then the right to the left, baba keep on punching..."

Derrick Morgan - Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) MP3

I Roy - Don´t Get Weary Joe Frazier MP3

Dr. Alimantado - I Am The Greatest Says Muhammad Ali MP3

Burning Spear - Joe Frazier MP3

Tommy McCook - Tribute To Muhammad Ali MP3

Big Youth - Big Fight (aka Joe Frazier) MP3

Trinity - Muhammad Ali (Blackbeard Version) MP3

Dennis Alcapone - Joe Frazier Round Two MP3