New Pioneers & Dandy Livingstone CDs – Out Now!
During the late sixties and early seventies few Jamaican music acts proved more successful than the Pioneers and Dandy Livingstone.
Aside from their respective UK chart hits, both consistently provided Trojan Records with superior reggae releases thoughout the genre’s golden age.
Yet for all their popularity, their respective back-catalogues have been largely overlooked with many of their most popular and sought-after works unvailable since their original release on vinyl.
These 2 collections redress the balance to some degree, with both sets featuring numerous tracks new to CD – and with previous ‘best of’ collections long since deleted, fans can at last enjoy some of the finest reggae sounds of the sixties and seventies without having to spend a small fortune.
Details for both releases, which are available from the Trojan Shop and all good music retailers, below:
DANDY LIVINGSTONE ‘THE BEST OF DANDY LIVINGSTONE’ (TJDCD561)
One of the most popular and influential reggae artists of all time, Robert ‘Dandy’ Livingstone Thompson first made making his mark on the UK music scene in the sixties with a series of fine ska and rock steady 45s, most notably ‘Rudy, A Message To You’ and ‘Let’s Do Rock Steady’.
He was later at the forefront of the reggae explosion, cutting a series of popular singles for Trojan Records, including ‘Reggae In Your Jeggae’, the original version of ‘Version Girl’ (later covered by UB40), and the chart hits, ‘Suzanne Beware Of The Devil’, ‘Think About That’ and ‘Big City’.
All of the aforementioned tracks are included on this, the most comprehensive collection of Dandy‘s recordings ever to see issue, and with the set also featuring 15 tracks previously unreleased on CD, its popularity will undoubtedly far exceed that of the only previous ‘best of’ set, released some 15 years ago.
DISC 1:
Suzanne Beware If The Devil / Rudy, A Message To You / Reggae In Your Jeggae / Can’t Get Used To Losing You (*) / There Is A Mountain / What A Life! / People Get Ready / Version Girl / Somewhere My Love (*) / Everybody Loves A Winner / Take A Message Maria / Build Your Love On A Solid Foundation / What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For / Salt Of The Earth / Come Back Liza / Raining In My Heart / Trouble In The Town / East of Suez / Don’t Break Your Promise (*) / Big City
DISC 2:
(People Get Ready) Let’s Do Rock Steady / Think About That / Could It Be True (aka You’re Jivin’ Me) (*) / I’m Your Puppet / Morning Side Of The Mountain (reggae version) (*) / Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be (*) / We Are Still Rude (*) / Move Your Mule / Doctor Sure Shot / Daddy’s Home (*) / Moma Moma (*) / Come Together / Propagandist (*) / Same Old Fashioned Way / Sweet Ride (*) / Can’t Help From Crying (*) / Confidential (*) / Jungle Walk / Blues Got A Hold On Me (*) / Take A Message Ruby (*)
(*) previously unreleased on CD
THE PIONEERS ‘THE BEST OF THE PIONEERS’ (TJDCD562)
One of the most successful groups in the history of Jamaican music, the Pioneers became stars in their native Jamaica in the early sixties before taking the European pop charts by storm in the late sixties and early seventies.
Included on this, the first serious anthology of their Trojan work in 15 years, are 40 of their most popular recordings from the aforementioned period, including their 3 UK chart entries, ‘Long Shot Kick De Bucket’, ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’ and ‘Give And Take’, as well as the original versions of ‘Time Hard (Every Day)’, as covered by2Tone ska band, the Selecter and ‘Starvation’, a song revived in 1985 by some of the UK’s biggest ska and reggae acts to raise money for the Ethiopian famine.
Mastered from the original Trojan tapes, the collection also includes 7 tracks made available on CD for the first time ever!
DISC 1:
Long Shot Kick De Bucket / Let Your Yeah Be Yeah / Time Hard (Every Day) / Samfie Man / I Need Your Sweet Inspiration / Roll Muddy River / Simmer Down Quashie / You Don’t Know Like I Know / Story Book Children / Mother And Child Reunion / Papa Was A Rolling Stone / Money Day / I Believe In Love / Get Ready / Keep Your Mouth Shut / Poor Rameses / I’ll Take You There / At The Club / At The Discotheque / Riot In A Notting Hill
DISC 2:
Give And Take / Starvation / Battle The Giants / A Little Bit Of Soap / Nine Pound Steel (*) / The World Needs Love / Message From Maria (reggae version) (*) / (Blame It On The) Pony Express / Pardon (*) / Black Bud / Personality (*) / (You Got To Be) Bad To Be Good (*) / Sweet Number One (*) / Lonely For Your Love / Jamaica Jerk Off / Feeling High / Driven Back / Reggae Fever / My Special Prayer / I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door
(*) previously unreleased on CD