10th June 2013

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TUFFEST
Various Artists (1997)

Studio One SOLP 006
matrix: SOLP 06 A-1 // SOLP 06 B-1

Push Pull (Pablove Black); Jack Johnson (Magnificent Seven); Adis-A-Wa-Wa (Bobby Kalphat); Happy Valley (Rueben Alexander); Blackup (Karl Bryan & Count Ossie); Just Mike (Sound Dimension) //Heavy Beat (Cedric Brooks); High Locks (Pablove Black); College Rock (Big Willie); Consumer Sounds (Pablove Black); Everyday Skank (Karl Bryan); Roots Man Hi-Fi (Scorcher); Downbeat Special (Sound Dimension)

An excellent collection of rare roots instrumentals issued on the Peckings Studio One imprint. Along with several original rhythms we also get over-dubbed versions of some familiar classics. The majority of these titles date from the 1970s and were first released in limited numbers on 7" singles. This LP was only ever issued in a plain sleeve.

Push Pull, with keyboard overdubs by Pablove Black over Burning Spear's Swell Headed rhythm, was previously released as a 7" single on the Studio One label in 1972. Jack Johnson is an original rhythm, released by the Magnificent Seven (aka New Establishment) in 1971 on the Iron Side label. Adis-A-Wa-Wa (actually by the New Establishment rather than Bobby Kalphat) versions Horace Andy's Skylarking rhythm, and saw release on a blank label in 1972. Happy Valley by Reuben Alexander & Sound Dimension (on Burning Spear's He Prayed rhythm) was originally released in 1967 on the Studio One label. Blackup by Karl Bryan and Count Ossie originally appeared on Coxsone 7", date of release unknown. Just Mike is a version of the Soul Vendor's Full Range, recorded in England during their tour in 1967.

Heavy Beat, sometimes credited to Im & David, and instantly recognisable as Delroy Wilson's Conquer Me, was originally released on the Muzik City label in Jamaica (and the Fab label in the UK) in 1972. Also instantly recognisable is Burning Spear's Foggy Road, which provides the rhythm for Pablove Black's High Locks, first issued on a Coxsone 7" in 1972. Big Willie's College Rock is an original rhythm, released as a 7" single on the Iron Side label (but the date of issue remains unknown). Consumer Sounds was first released in 1975 on a Coxsone 7", and is an instrumental version of Larry & Alvin's Mean Girl. Everyday Skank (also credited to Im & Brentford Rhythm, or just to the Brentford Rhythm Band) is an instrumental version to Burning Spear's Call On You, and was first released as a Studio One single (but again the date of issue remains unknown). Roots Man Hi-Fi is the only track to feature a vocal introduction and may be a previously unreleased (dubplate) version of Alton Ellis's African Descendants. The set closes with a subtle dub mix of Alton Ellis's Someone, previously only available as the B side of a blank 7" single (date unknown).

Most of these tracks were subsequently reissued on the official Studio One label as TOUGHEST.

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