Blank Label Special

Slim Smith / Lester Sterling | EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE / REGGAY ON BROADWAY | 1968 | HIGH NOTE RECORDS | Matrix UN 504 A & FRS 7676 (B) | The golden falsetto of Slim Smith backed with a cool and deadly instrumental by Lester Stirling, (from Discogs) "the last founding member of The Skatalites still with the band until he retired from the group in December 2014." See below links for more info on alternate versions and to hear this killer double AA side shot))))))))

One of the wonderful things about Blank Label Special is diving beneath the mystery of the vinyl's surface to discover the song, the artist and the moment in time of each recording. Take for example todays blank hitherto unknown to me - until this very morning when shazam revealed the song to be WINSTON GROOVY | STANDING AT THE CORNER | YOU SEND ME | a double bucket o reggae soul on the NEWBEAT label | 1970 Lacquer Cut At PYE STUDIOS | Produced by LAUREL AITKEN Matrix # NB 053A-1G. | Mystery unravelled | LISTEN below

Here's a mystery disc! Anyone know this one?

Merlene Day (Merlene Webber) - Cha La La | Cut Throat - the Music Merchant | DIAMOND | G-001 | 1970 This mystery disc has had me scurrying around the internet, shazamming and searching deeper than ever to verify - especially the b-side which I am not absolutely sure is "Cut Throat" (can anyone help here? - You can listen to the link below, - a recoring of the peppy instrumental b-side, which I have called Seven's Theme.) You can also here the original Cha La La - I Need You by the Shuffles below. Let the blank adventures play on...

THE GAYTONES - TARGET | PATSY FIND SOMEONE | High Note Records # HS -037 This rarity - labelled inexplicably as "Pop-A-Top" is an absolute cracker with an interesting history for so many reasons: The A-Side is an instrumental, which is generally not the case with Jamaican singles of this time. Target by The Gaytones is also known as Musical Fight by The Crashers. Youll know why its called that when you listen to the link below. Find Someone is an expression of yearning from one of skas best known female vocalists Milicent Patsy Todd who partnered with the great Stranger Cole as half of the musical duet Stranger & Patsy for years.

Justin Hines with Tommy McCook & The Supersonics | Persian Cat | Once A Man | 1967 Treasure Isle | Matrix # TI-7017 |

The year is 1972 and toasters are all the rage. Man called 'Junior' reading from the great DJ's page: U-Roy Junior: Please note that producer Rupie Edwards commissioned a handful of recordings from another DeeJay, misleadingly named Hugh Roy Jr. (these were voiced in England), who did some toasting over a few of his rhythms and the two should not be confused. + So HEAR here this musical rampage | https://www.discogs.com/Errol-Dunkley-Darling/master/668613

Merlene Webber - Cooyah (How Nice It Is) | Sound Dimension - Sing a Simple Song | Studio One | 1969 | This rare 45 - with African vibes on one side backed with a mash of the American Funk of Sly Stone and New Orleans' The Meters on the other - shows the expansive influence of music from around the globe on Jamaica | Thanks to Carl Finlay over at Downbeat Special who helped Identify this 45 for me - this morning! LISTEN | https://soundcloud.com/dr-7/1-only

Only in Jamaica could a cigarette ad become a top ranking musical expression | The Swinging King | Without Love | Ken Booth | 1968 | LISTEN https://www.discogs.com/Ken-Boothe-Swinging-King-//6417647

MYSTERY blank | Treasure Isle ST-57289 | Can you help solve this one? It's a DJ unknown to me over the Hopeton Lewis track 'Testify' LISTEN | https://soundcloud.com/dr-7/st-57289

From our colleagues at Downbeat Special

Delroy Wilson | You Keep On Running/Call On Me | 1971 # MER 171 | Two up tempo reggae shots from Jamaica's first musical child star who began his career at age 13, cutting his first recorded set of songs for Coxson Dodd at Studio One in 1962 | Wilson logged soulful hits in ska, rocksteady and reggae genres and was honoured by the Jamaican government with a special plaque in 1994. He died a year later at the age of 46.

Here comes the new rocksteady sound in 1969 with Vic Taylor, backed by Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, bringing you to tears with a tale of love lost. Flipside is Black Coffee, a classic instrumental driven by the squinky keys of Winston Wright. A gem. | Matrix # DYNA TIS 634-1 | Vic Taylor's obituary from the New York Times | https://www.nytimes.com//06/25/a/vic-taylor-singer-56.html

Clancy Eccles | 1968 | Guns Town | Darling Don't Do That | Apart from the YouTube clip below - I can't find any record online of this 45 though the individual songs appear elsewhere. Notes below suggest it was recorded at Studio One but label likely On Blue Cat or Clan Disc with a re-release in the UK on Trojan or Pama. | You'd be hard pressed to find a more doleful rudeboy lament than Guns Town....

Prince Francis | Rocking the President | One of the finest Studio One DJ tracks of all time that comes out of the gate swinging hard on the Liquidator/I'll Take You There Riddim. The B-side is a killer version of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart by Freddie McGregor - without the stringcheese/synth added in the version below. A double-sided cracker! Extra points for the backward print job - How did they do that?

Lloyd Williams "Reggae Feet" | Dennis Alcapone "Nanny Version Skank" | Supreme Records SU-10023 | 1970 | Coxsonne Dodd greets a new decade with this perfect pairing of a soul shouter tribute to the new reggae sound by Mr. Williams and Mr. Alcapone's boasting and toasting over Larry And Alvin's 1968 classic "Nanny Goat." A true 'dubble attack' indeed. | Note the ubiquitous "scorcha" seal of approval!

Clancy Eccles | Feel The Rhythm | Theophilus Beckford Easy Snapping | New Beat Records | 1968 | This well loved and well marked up scorcher 45 postively reeks of Jamaican musical history | The amazing producer and singer Clancy Eccles (from Wikipedia bio) "Eccles had a Jamaican hit in 1961 with the early ska song "Freedom", which was recorded in 1959, and was featured on Dodd's sound system for two years before it was released. It was one of the first Jamaican songs with ...socially oriented lyrics. The song discussed the concept of repatriation to Africa, an idea developed by the growing Rastafari movement...In 1967 He scored a hit ...with his own song "Feel The Rhythm", one of several records that were instrumental in the shift from rocksteady to reggae." From: http://old.skabook.com Easy Snapping was recorded for Coxsone at Federal Records in 1956 for Studio Ones first ever recording session. Michael Turner writes in Beat magazine in 2001, The song was recorded for Coxson Dodd in 1956 at Federal studio, but at the time recordings were pressed onto soft acetate for sound-system use only." This hard popping remake from the intital "Sprong" intro rocks straight from the gate! "Here I come again to shock you in your brain!" More reading and links will be posted below.

The Upsetters | Ring of Fire | 1972 | Scratch's musical caravan takes a side trip to the country to cover this Johnny Cash classic with trombonist Vin Gordon blowing out the tragic tale comparing a love lost... to a burning barn. Flip on the original single by Chenley Dufus - I Bet You Don't Know on the same 'Beat Down Babylon' riddim. But no vocals on this disc - the b-side is a sparser version of the A side. Check in for more info soon.

Games People Play | Winston Francis | The Kicks | The Gladiators | SO 2086 | 1969 | Up tempo cover of the song written, composed, and performed by American singer-songwriter Joe South, released in August 1968 that won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. According to the Wikipedia entry for the song: ""Games People Play" is a protest song whose lyrics speak against various forms of hatred, hypocrisy, inhumanity, intolerance, and irresponsibility, in both interpersonal and social interactions between people." Amen. Flip is an obscure track from The Gladiators.

More joy from the great Delroy

Non stop Delroy Wilson from Milo Henry!

Thank you to Alex Wainwright for this blank beauty from the great Max Romeo

Thank you Rob Chapman for sharing this jewel!

Thanks for the post Milo!

Hi Jack - Jackie Mittoo | Sufferation - Trevor Clarke | Matrix SO3085 | This 1969 blank is a "double-A side" with a perky Jackie keyboard romp (the actual A side) teamed up with the hard times reality anthem that is more relevant than ever in pandemic times. "What in this world am i to do? What a sufferation on this land!" My pressing sounds as hissy as the sample below.

A sweet share from Rob Chapman

Posting all of your fine submissions here!

Thank you for this beauty!

Sharing all the posts as I work out the page architecture here | This is an unusual gem...

Thanks for this | A reminder to all visitors to post yor blanks here!

One of my favourite singles took me a while to actually listen to. It came in a shoebox full of singles purchased at the Aberfoyle flea market near Guelph Ontario, decades ago. I would return to the box every now and then and this was one of the last records I spun from the pack. Jamaica Underground | Sound Dimension | Matrix# SO.3017 Studio One. A more haunting and lyrical flute solo you won't find anywhere. Something about this song sums up everything I love about Jamaican music. Ken Parker on the other side with When You Are Gone. Plays like a dream!

Imagine my delight finding this gem at the Goodwill Servces second hand store on College Street in downtown Toronto, back in 2005. To my ears this was an unknown classic by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Will add more information soon: Matrix # etc. B side is version. Condition is quite a bit better than the recording below. Enjoy!