Included here is something special.  Bunny Wailer’s “Battering Down Sentence” (Solomonic) 1976 7″ original press vinyl 45rpm.  Most will know this tune as “Fighting Against Conviction” from the Blackheart Man album, which many consider to be the greatest reggae album ever pressed.  This earlier version of the tune has a different mix.  The version on the flip side is outstanding.  Big up to the MIDNIGHT DREAD for maintaining this original pressing in mint condition.  It will never leave the sleeve again!

A finer collective of musicians you will never find:

Producer : Bunny Wailer

Mixing Engineer : Karl Pitterson & Chris Blackwell
Engineer : Karl Pitterson & Errol Ross

Vocals : Bunny Wailer
Backing Vocals : Bunny Wailer & Bob Marley & Peter Tosh
Drums : Carlton Barrett
Bass : Robbie Shakespeare & Aston Barrett & Bunny Wailer & Karl Pitterson
Lead Guitar : Peter Tosh & Chinna & Eric Frater
Rhythm Guitar : Peter Tosh & Aston Barrett & Michael Murray
Keyboards : Aston Barrett & Tyrone Downie & Harold Butler & Touter Harvey
Horns : Bobby Ellis & Herman Marquis & Mark West & Tommy McCook & Dirty Harry
Flute : Tommy McCook
Acoustic Guitar : Bunny Wailer
Funde : Carlton Barrett & Bunny Wailer
Bongo : Bunny Wailer
Harp : Bunny Wailer
Percussions : N. Garrick & Bunny Wailer
Congos : Larry McDonald
Melodica : Peter Tosh
Timbales : Bunny Wailer

Studios :
Recording : Aquarius (Kingston, JA)

Now this compilation is a true classic among classics.  An album that’s been out-of-print since I’m 10 years old.  ‘Wiser Dread,’ a reggae-rastafari compilation album produced by Robert Schoenfeld & Leroy Pierson of Nighthawk Records and mixed by Bunny Wailer/Sylvan Morris, was pressed on the Nighthawk label in 1981.  It was the very first in a line of deep rasta roots music albums released by the St. Louis, MO label, and includes 13 tracks of original roots recordings from the period 1972-1978.

Steven Davis, author of “Reggae Bloodlines”, has called “Wiser Dread” the “…best reggae anthology since The Harder They Come’ ten years ago.”  Each original track was recorded and mixed by pioneer studio engineer Sylvan Morris at the Harry J studios in Kingston, Jamaica. Mastering and pressing were given virtually audiophile attention. Liner notes are extensive and well researched and make use of original interview material.

Singer Jackie Brown, who features prominently on the album, spoke about ‘Wiser Dread’ in an interview with www.reggae-vibes.com.

Q: How did the ‘Wiser Dread’ (Nighthawk) compilation come about, your song gave the title to that (now deleted) album. This was back in 1981.

A: Yeah, well, I was at home one day when Errol Scorcher come an’ tell me somet’ing that they looked for me, yunno. And it was a guy named Bob Schoenfeld and another guy named Leroy Prescott (Pierson), come from St. Louis, Missouri. We go up to the hotel and meet the man dem, they make much of me, tell me them listened to my tunes dem, and they t’ink me a great writer and so forth, so fifth, and them interested in some of my music. So we make some agreement, sign a contract, and they leased the tracks. I make some dollars, y’know. Them take some tracks from Bunny Wailer an’ couple more people, Ronnie Davis (Itals) dem. And as a fact of the matter, Nighthawk was the one that sponsored me to this country, y’know. Nighthawk Records, Schoenfeld, he was the man who brought me to America. Good guy, brought me to America. Because politics did a get too hot an’ me need it to tek a lickle break, so him say, “Alright Jackie, you want to come to America, mek yu come a America”.

WISER DREAD
NIGHTHAWK RECORDS

Record date : 1981

Album style : roots, solo vocal, group vocal

Playlist :
Sang Hugh – Last Call Fe Blackman
Jackie Brown – Wiser Dread
Bunny Wailer – Life Line
The Itals – In A Dis Yah Time
Sang Hugh – Woman Follow Man
The Morwells – Reggae Party
Jackie Brown – Sheep And Goat
The Itals – Don’t Wake The Lion
The Morwells – Africa We Want To Go
Bunny Wailer – Arabs Oil Weapon
Jackie Brown – Bearded Babylon
Sang Hugh – Rasta No Born Yah
The Morwells – Cut Them Down

Producer : Robert Schoenfeld & Leroy Pierson

Mixing Engineer : Sylvan Morris & Bunny Wailer

Studios :
Channel One (Kingston, JA) & Harry J (Kingston, JA) & Joe Gibbs (Kingston, JA) 

**THIS ALBUM (VINYL LP) IS A COLLECTOR’S ITEM AND IS CURRENTLY OUT-OF-PRINT;  2 TRACKS INTENTIONALLY DELETED FROM THE MIX; ALBUM TRACKING MODIFIED SO AS TO DISALLOW POTENTIAL RIPPING OF COPYRIGHTED ORIGINAL WORKS.

The Estate of Peter Tosh is running a campaign via social media platforms.  The 4 part campaign is under the banner of “Can’t Blame The Youth.”

1) Submissions: Fans from all over the world can submit their ideas to improve their communities.
2) Members of the Tosh family will choose finalists from the most realistic and impactful submissions
3) The Tosh estate will launch a crowdrise campaign with some partner artists to raise money to fund the project.
4) The project will be launched in partnership with a local agency with oversight instructions in place.

According to the estate, the campaign carries on Peter’s legacy, and is an amazing application of the message behind the song to put the power in the hands of the youth.

Something along these lines: @PeterTosh said you #CantBlameTheYouth rise up now to improve your community! Details at www.petertosh.com

People can enter via an app on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/petertosh.

Here is a neat little piece of history.  This clipping is taken from Swing Magazine, July/August 1975 and it features a young Peter Tosh performing on stage and a reggae Top 40 singles chart which includes singles by all 3 Wailers!

…The Sound of The Century, The Midnight Dread” -The Mikey Dread custom-made Midnight Dread stingers & jingles abound (like the signature phrase above) in this 33 years ahead classic progressive reggae radio show debuting on Midnight Raver ’round midnight just before the clock strikes 1,000! Tune in for the ripened Rastaman Vibrations of “Roots Rock Reggae”, “No Woman No Cry” & other highlights like The Gladiator’s “Easy Squeeze”, Horace Andy’s “Better Callie”, Prince Jazzbo’s “Live Good Today”, coupla songs ’bout Idi Amin as well as “Even my Grandmother, she is 90 years of age, I see her rocking to this reggae rhythm, to satisfy her heart & soul, now you gonna let those good times roll” sung by Mystic M who’s Feeling Happy at the Black Ark. Hear about Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Ras Michael etc. playing at the upcoming Reggae Sunsplash in Kingston, Jamaica plus a Public Service Announcement for NORML’s California Marijuana Initiative benefit six mile Fun Run in Golden Gate Park, a big reggae show coming up at Mission High School in San Francisco… just another Sunday night in the reggae hotbed Bay Area around April 7th, 1980. Go deh Midnight Ravers go deh. It’s a radio active musical stampede.

Like Midnight Dread on Facebook ya dig? Midnight Dread now airs new shows daily via worldOneradio.org at 12am with some repeats in Doug’s Best of All Worlds noon slot (Pacific Times). Much more to see & hear here: http://www.midnightdread.com

Bob Marley as seen on his VERSUS FUNKSTAR DELUXE (Edel 1999) and SUN IS SHINING THE REMIXES (Tuff Gong/Palm 1999) cd covers, tracks from which are included in my latest metamix SUNS ARE SHINING

Burning daylight is here to back weh all foggy roads & misty mornings with a nineteen track sunny side salute to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Lee Perry, The Upsetters and many others. In line with Midnight Raver’s Millennial Milestone Fete here’s many great and scarce selections taken from DAT tape and other clean sources ready to melt away all blues and negativity in these trying times. Studio may be kinda cloudy but the speakers and dreadphones beget a brighter forecast. Everyone’s going to see clearly now that the rain is gone and Bob and buds are on the box non-stop, version ‘pon version, disinfecting the stagnant status and finding cracks in everything that need exposure and lightness. Be a rainbow too. To the rescue. Here I and I am. Spring into Summer. Suns are shining!

Check Midnight Dread on Facebook for more of your Daily Dread. Midnight Dread also now broadcasts & streams new shows daily at 12am with some repeated in Doug’s Best of All Worlds noon slot (Pacific Times). Much more here: http://www.midnightdread.com

… says the Rastaman in the ROCKERS soundtrack outtake from this 33 years ahead Midnight Dread. “The ways of wonder solve the problem” he adds over the hypnotic Abyssinians with Ras Michael version of “Satta Massagana” in this reggae film soundtrack special edition that aired live the week WORD, SOUND & POWER had its world premiere in San Francisco. Mikey Dread adds his amazing music & vital stingers to the ital radio brew. Listen & get up. Spin tunes, save & weave lives.

Now broadcasting & streaming 21st Century Midnight Dread programs daily at 12am with repeats often in Doug’s Best of All Worlds noon slot (Pacific Times). Much more to explore here: http://www.midnightdread.com

For my extra special contribution to the Midnight Raver Millennial Posts Musical Stampede I and I offer this tough and tight quick list / long view of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ most amazing performances captured live (outside of One Love Peace & Smile Jamaica) on film or video. These complete concerts or rehearsals should be made widely available as soon as possible in the fullness with state-of-the-art transfers of both sound and image at the highest standards in line with the depth of the lyrics and musicianship. Granted, a couple of these have seen some limited release in either geography or selection and thanks to YouTube can be constricted to fit on most any current receiver device but all call for bigga big up screen THX (give thanx) surround style reproduction to reincarnate every soul. Lively up Skip!

Visit Midnight Dread on Facebook for your Daily Dread ‘like’. Doug broadcasts & streams new shows daily at 12am, 6am (Pacific Times). More here: http://www.midnightdread.com

The brutal extended version of Bunny Wailer’s “Jammins” from the ‘Rock ‘n Groove’ album.  Check Flabba’s murderous riddim on this one…Deadly!

Also, Bunny Wailer in Musician magazine, written by Alan Di Perna and published November 1986 as Wailer embarks on his first US solo tour.

One of my favorite Bunny tunes from the Rock & Groove/Rootsman Skanking era.  You may also recognize this tune as “Riding.”  Really nice vibes here.  An entire song about 1) Looking for herb 2) Getting herb 3) Smoking herb.  Relax and enjoy your life vibes…

“And if the chalice is nowhere around,
Bring the kuchie come!
Bring the kuchie come, and mek we lick it til it bun,
Bring the kuchie come!”

Killer vibes from Bunny Wailer here…

Here is an article that appeared in the UK’s Guardian newspaper on June 28, 1990.

I just re-upped KAZO’s BUNNY WAILER BLACK VINYL COLLECTION!  Give Thanks.

Here is a great article by Kevin Aylmer that appeared in The Beat in 1990.

Here is a great Bunny Wailer performance from the summer of 1999.  Kudos to the taper who captured an amazing set of 37 songs.  Also, many thanks to Chico and our friends at www.reggaetraders.net for the seed.

Bunny Wailer w/ his Solomonic Reggaestra
Roxy Theater
Boston, MA
August 31, 1999

DISC 1

Swing Easy
Psalms (backing vocalists)
Soul Sister
Satta Amassagana
Red Rose
Joy in the Morning
–M.C–
Introduction
No Baldhead Jesus
Rastaman>
Blackheart Man>
Armageddon>
Burning Fire>
Rise and Shine
Liberation

DISC 2

Crazy Baldheads
No Woman No Cry
Legalize It>
Ride In>
Rockers>
Rock and Groove>
Dance Rock
Roots Man Skanking
Cool Runnin
Rule Dancehall
Rock Stone
I’m Still the King
Don Dada

DISC 3

War Monger
Until I Found Jah Love
Simmer Down>
Gimme Little Soul>
I’m the Toughest>
Hypocrite
Ballroom Floor
Keep On Movin

DOWNLOAD LOSSLESS (FLAC) AUDIO

In over 20 years of Reggae Stage Shows I’ve attended from US to JA to Europe,
featuring artists including D. Brown to Tosh to Silk to Luciano, I can’t
remember a more powerful event than this transcendent night in Boston.

This recording has had very limited circulation to this point, and this is the
first time it has been offer as bit torrent. I’m very proud of it, and I hope
some others will enjoy it as much as I have.
Jah Guide-
JMan

Read it in the news. Lee Perry’s brand new foot long forty five “Bafflin’ Smoke Signal” is the latest Midnight Dread on KTIM Reggae Rocker of the week 33 years ahead this twilight when all-time radio ‘Kay-Tea-I-Am’ fills the sky with MD reggae waves still rippling. Bob Marley’s UPRISING is one week away so The Sheriff of Trenchtown draws down The Deputy one more time to start the show. Carlos Malcolm giddy-ups “Bonanza Ska” as Duppy’s ghost town sound shows early inklings. Maytones elevate “Madness” to new levels of sanity so Madness must go one step beyond in Spanish. The Maytals celebrate that elating end of work-day feeling, Matumbi & I Roy easy squeeze out a lickle more loving, Sheena Spirit & The Third Eyes boisterously boost JA sounds, while Pulse, Spear, Dennis, Gladiators, Selecter & many others chime in. Just another Sunday night on San Francisco bay area radio when public service programming dominated the dial as Midnight Dread, one of the only musical offerings in that time slot, was actually delivering the service folks needed most. Marley may be the new Sheriff in town but Lee Scratch Perry dons his spectacles & hard-earned Popehat while brandishing his holy staff rodly correcting the powers-that-be right in front of a Swiss Bank as he declares The Vatican City of Inequity bankrupt & Reggae the New World Order:

Dreadcasting & streaming smokin’ audio selections with daily 21st Century Midnight Dread programs at 12am including repeat plays often heard in Wendt’s Best of All Worlds slot when noon is high. Wake up with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising curated by Doug everyday at 6am (all Pacific Times). Explore more Midnight Dreadness here and with MD on Raver.

Here’s the cover and one of the scarce photos reproduced inside. First issued by The African Publication Society in London in September 1981 and written by Professor of African History Dr. G. K. Osei. The 44 page booklet is 5 1/2 inch by 8 1/4 inches. Includes sections entitled The Island Of Jamaica, Saint Marcus M. Garvey, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie, Marley’s Early Life, Origin Of Reggae, The Original And Later Wailers, Marley In The USA, Marley And Africa, Marley And WLIB & WBLS, Illness Death And Burial, Marley The Man, and Tributes To Marley featuring quotes from Marcia Griffiths, Skill Cole, Judith Mowatt, Member of JA Parliament Anthony Spaulding, Edward Seaga, and The Workers’ Party of Jamaica. It features over 30 photos, many not seen elsewhere. Dedicated in part to Jacob Miler. Natty & nice. Smile Jamaica since smile never out of style. Screwface underground. Smilin’ Skip & Big Neck Security:

Midnight Dread selects the “Top Six ‘Unreleased’ Bob Marley Videos” (outside of Smile JA & Heartland Reggae) plus reviews “The Sacred Scrolls of Bob Marley -A Dread In The Life- Bob Marley on CD by Doug Wendt” *Facebook Midnight Dread updates *Daily radio shows

33 years ahead Midnight Dread has just learned its station KTIM is being sold. What to do? Produce the finest program ever as if it’s the last. Hit the airwaves hard and ask for calls where truth can be told more privately, where freedom of speech still resides. Management has made clear there’s no show next week so The Pioneers blast MD off with a scarce and smokin’ stepper “Allright On The Night”, still alive Bob Marley and recently gone-a-Zion Jacob Miller wait in the wings with their best live performances, Twinkle Bros offer the upwardly mobile uptempo 1975 rocker “Natty Dread Up Town”, Princess Buster lays down the law to her Prince, Rita Marley makes known the perfection of “The Beauty Of God’s Plan”, Bunny Wailer’s got a burnin’ “Love Fire” goin’ brighter with Culture, Tony Tuff does the opening number from the unreleased soundtrack to WORD SOUND AND POWER, and The Iranian Students hoist “Khomeni Skank” high with Ken Boothe as President Carter tries to free the U.S. hostages. The behind-the-scenes drama unfolds like a Ray Gun just nominated for Prez or a commercial radio regular reggae show, both popular and sponsored, but that ain’t the way they play the game inna Babylon. Mental slavery infects the owners as much as the owned. Hate needs oxygen. Love’s on fire! On August 11th 1980 it’s Bunny to the rescue:

In reality Midnight Dread survives the changeover and is back broadcasting in two weeks. In big news a lot is going on. Ronald Reagan’s fresh Republican campaign is out there striving for votes following his late July 1980 GOP Convention acceptance speech. On the air I’m ignoring the whole phenom as did many who knew Gov. Reagan very well, not believing for a moment that the country would possibly elect such a man to become its leader. Many boomers enjoyed the actor when he hosted the dramatic GE THEATRE TV show in the 1950s with the sponsor’s slogan “Progress Is Our Most Important Product” but he’d changed a lot since then. I personally witnessed when the “if it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with” helicopter he ordered flew over UC Berkeley spraying tear gas that wafted uphill into old folks’ homes causing major health issues and death. Later I saw his troops surround scores of random peaceful folks on Berkeley’s University Ave. just going about their business who were then loaded onto buses and imprisoned for days in Santa Rita without charges. Reagan made his bloodbath comment three weeks before unarmed students were ceremoniously gunned down at Kent State and then Jackson State in May 1970 effectively using the intimidation of violence to stop progress. The former liberal head of the Screen Actor’s union now primes the reactionary pump. When the full truth about Alzheimer’s comes out we’ll probably learn the damage starts a lot earlier than imagined. Mental slavery may also be a physical condition. Listen to the antidote from the love perspective Princess:

So outside the joy of hearing this program’s great Jamaican music singing with flair and passion to many chronic conditions and issues, in another real world it’s the precious middle class that’s about to be cancelled. To be poor is not a crime but to make a decent living is on the way out. “Voodoo economics”, George H. Bush’s 1980 portrayal of Reagan’s policies, will soon run things for decades. In August of 1980 Ronald’s ‘handlers’ are about to make a secret deal outside proper channels with Iranian officials over the long festering US embassy hostages. President Jimmy Carter, who’d have continued to make alternate energy a major program and may have quasi-legalized herb in his second term, was being sabotaged. The GOP promise to foreign government reps to wait until their guy is U.S. President to get a better deal is a replay of how they undermined the already completed 1968 Paris Vietnam/U.S. Peace Agreement to get Nixon in. Subsequently the carnage of that undeclared war needlessly lasted 5 more years. Meanwhile commercial radio’s another rough business where cash dictates desires. Government’s neither a business or a family despite Reagan’s proclivities. Its job is to provide justice, defense, and promote the well-being of all. Dollars can distort motives. Elect those who want to re-define Public Service as Profit Service and you’ll get similar leaders who don’t even know what government is for. People Power needs to take flight. As Sugar Minott sings so beautifully here in “Dreader Than Dread”, “People dem a worship material things, some of them don’t even want to let Jah in… back weh this here mood with your ism”, Rita Marley later echoes with her well-charged love analogy “she is a bird, he is the sky, he loves the space, she loves to fly”. Stop cheating, launch freedom, let it uplift:

Dreadcasting & streaming steamin’ musical hotcakes with daily 21st Century Midnight Dread programs at 12am including replays often heard in Wendt’s Best of All Worlds high noon slot. Become conscious at 6am with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising curated by Doug everyday (all Pacific Times). Explore more Midnight Dread sights & sounds here.

The ROCKERS film soundtrack album was originally designed as a two record set. This top notch reggae radio program plays several tracks cut from the actual single lp release like “Honeyball”, “Waiting For The Bus” & two versions of “Satta Amassagana” plus the unadorned “Jah No Dead” with just Burning Spear and the sea. Prince Lincoln & The Royal Rasses get the royale Midnight Dread Radio Mix for their crystal ball prediction “Mechanical Devices” as you thumb through yours. Toots knows “Gola Silver” calls for ‘share up, split up & throw out’ for the opener, Dee Sharp & Johnny Osbourne sing for more love, Eric Donaldson’s for warm love so Bullwackie haffe “Mash It Up”. Misty In Roots know “Mankind” not so kind after all (like Rusty Zinn recently sang) as they go deep alive and dread on March 31st, 1979 in Brussels. “If you’re not conscious of the present, you’re like a cabbage in this society”-Misty In Roots:

The Mount Salem Church sings “The Water Is Power” in another stunning ROCKERS soundtrack outtake which sets up The Mellow Larks seven inch praiser “Hallelujah Time (Time To Pray)”. Soon Roy Richards sets a wicked tempo, Roy Shirley emotes like no other winner. “If your window pane ain’t rattling, the bass ain’t up enough!” adds host Doug Wendt in this extraordinary radio show with constant steppers so you never break your stride, just like the line-up of Jamaican stars in this vintage wide angle ROCKERS soundtrack poster:

Dreadcasting over the air and online daily 21st Century Midnight Dread programs at 12am including replays often heard in his Best of All Worlds high noon slot and where one can also become conscious at 6am with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising, all curated by Doug everyday, all times Pacific. Many more Midnight Dread sights & sounds here and on this blog’s Midnight Dread page. Go deh. All of dem.

33 Years ahead Midnight Dread uncorks another scorchin’ set of chunes with this education through music around the reggae world in 80 minutes segment from late September 1980. Mention is made of Bob Marley still being expected to be out on tour with Stevie Wonder in a coupla weeks as news of Skip’s sudden debilitating illness remains fairly well hidden. From Scotty’s “Sesame Street” to Petah’s “You Can’t Blame The Youth”, The Mighty Diamonds “No Opportunity For The Youth”, & Jimmy Riley’s fierce “Tell The Youths The Truth” backbeat sounds take no prisoners only lovers. The Heptones are on the “Road Of Life” with Bob Marley providing “Work” as Desmond Dekker joins in a well charged “Workout” with The Pioneers. Along the way Bunny Wailer serves up his recent singed singles “Tugawar Game” & “Crucial” while I & Neville’s eye keep getting dreader than dreader:

Bim! Listen up for King Perry, Upsetters, Lyn Taitt & The Jets, a new single from Nadine Sutherland, a wicked youthful 16 year old Scientist fresh dub-out, a Living Dub from Winston Rodney the Burning Spear, Dillinger live in London in 1978 performing “Woody Woodpecker” plus The Overnight Players off their Babylon Destruction album hailing up “Toussaint L’Ouverture” arriving like an atomic blast; all adding up shots of inoculation for a very lively-upped time machine riddim parade. Gone clear without any apology.

Dreadcasting over the air and online since September 30th 1979 dreader 21st Century Midnight Dread programs air daily at 12am including replays often heard in his Best of All Worlds high noon slot and where one can also become conscious at 6am with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising, all curated by Doug everyday, all times Pacific. Many more Midnight Dread sights & sounds here and on this blog’s Midnight Dread page. Go deh. All of dem.

Bunny Wailer AKA ‘Cyber Ras’ just released a 3-CD box set of 50 tracks titled ‘Reincarnated Souls:  50th Anniversary of the Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae Music’ on the Tads Record label.

“No one has ever done this. These are 50 tracks that have never been heard before…It’s very symbolic and significant to our existence…musically. It’s a very strong album. It’s gonna do excellent, as far as the Grammy awards are concerned. I’m just focusing on making what is good for music for people to ‘full-joy’,” Wailer recently explained to The Jamaica Observer.

The 3-CD set retails for $69.99 and can be purchased through www.ebreggae.com.

Fresh from two weeks of filming Lee Perry for Island Records and in San Francisco scouting possible locations for his ‘political satire’ modern western “Dread At The Control” with mini-cabs instead of horses, foundational 1970s music filmmaker Don Letts visits Midnight Dread to reason on his films & the UK scene. Don was the original legendary DJ around 1977 at London’s Roxy Club where he shot Super 8mm films of many acts some of which became fodder for his widely distributed “The Punk Rock Movie” followed by “Rankin” featuring reggae-fied artists. The last two years Letts upgraded to 16mm as he worked closely with The Clash producing both their “London Calling” and “Bank Robber” promotional videos as well as documenting their White Riot Tour with The Slits, a fantastic female rock reggae group Don managed & engineered. Don mentioned his JA father’s UK sound system as instrumental in his love for Jamaican music. Letts plays several pre-release tracks off an advanced cassette he brought over from England including the first ever play of General Echo. The conversation moves on to many other English music movies and when asked about the plethora of UK reggae groups selects Aswad as the one currently “carrying the swing”:

Midnight Dread’s first show at the start of its second year on air begins with its first airing of the amazing dub side of Stevie Wonder’s “Masterblaster (Jammin’)”, his Hotter Than July 45 which has just broken into the US Top Ten singles charts this week. It’s followed by Bob Marley’s “Jammin” foreshadowing the hoped for shortly upcoming Wonder/Marley tour finales. An ad for “Rude Boy” the Michael White movie on The Clash airs during one voice break. Bunny Wailer’s new 45 “Cease Fire” gets all skippy from the shrapnel in the air. Don Letts also refers to recent shoots he did for Black Uhuru for a 90 minute film centered around their recent concert in Jamaica at Zinc Fence and their life there as well as an hour on Toots & The Maytals. He also reveals that Creation Rebel’s Starship Africa lp is not an actual soundtrack as it says on its cover but merely wild sounds looking for the capital to make a movie around. A finished film called Babylon stars Brinsley Forde from Aswad while showcasing about their best instrumental ever, the flim’s fiery “Warrior Charge” featuring heavy horns men Tromie & Bami:

Dreadcasting over the air since 1979 & online since 1996 dreader 21st Century Midnight Dread programs air daily at 12am including replays often heard in his Best of All Worlds high noon slot and where one can also become conscious at 6am with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising, all curated by Doug everyday, all times Pacific. Many more Midnight Dread sights & sounds here and on this blog’s Midnight Dread page. Go deh. All of dem.

Many thanks to our good friend and Wailers aficionado Joe Bailes for sending us these rare singles by Bunny Wailer.

Also included are several articles on Bunny’s Blackheart Man from MELODY MAKER 1976.

Bunny Wailer AKA ‘Cyber Ras’ has released a 3-CD box set of 50 tracks titled ‘Reincarnated Souls: 50th Anniversary of the Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae Music’

“No one has ever done this. These are 50 tracks that have never been heard before…It’s very symbolic and significant to our existence…musically. I’m just focusing on making what is good for music for people to ‘full-joy’.”

Wailer, who is 66 on April 10, said the album commemorates Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence and is produced by his Solomonic Productions.

The collectors box set is composed of 3 CDs featuring 50 album tracks some which may sound familiar, some not. A handful of tracks appeared on Bunny’s Communication LP, albeit with slightly different mixes and titles. Several others were recorded for 2009′s Combination, Cross Culture, and Unite projects (Unite was never released as a studio album).

Of the Unite project, Wailer explained to the Jamaica Observer in 2009 “that album is a very serious political statement. Unity is the only area of recovery from what we are experiencing presently in Jamaica, violence and crime and gun crime and people killing each other for no reason. And then the people who are the ones who planted the seed seem to be disassociating themselves from the ugly fruit that is bearing, which is very very unfair.”

While Bunny explores the genres of hip-hop and R&B on the set, it is the songs recorded during the Unite sessions that showcase the Bunny Wailer we all know and love.

Of the opening track “National Errors” Bunny has stated “We have national heroes but you have errors, who are the so-called politicians who are errors in our lives. So I made a song about the ‘National Errors of Jamaica’. Them not dealing with Nanny, them not dealing with Bogle, them not dealing with Marcus, them not dealing with Sam Sharpe, them not dealing with William Gordon, them not dealing with Norman Manley and them not dealing with Bustamante, make them national errors of Jamaica.”

The 2 DVDs included with the box set off two separate but very interesting and intruiguing conversations with the Blackheart Man. DVD1 features a conversation with Bunny Wailer and the late Lloyd Brevett about the Wailers, Skatalites, and Trench Town. DVD2 features a phenomenal moment from Rototom where Bunny faces off with Chris Blackwell about his alleged unfair treatment Of The Wailers & Bunny Wailer.

Here is a clip of that astounding, yet cringe-worthy conversation.