Category Archives: Burning Spear

Prince of Dub Augustus Pablo Tribute with Lance Linares on 5/5/80 Midnight Dread #18

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It’s Sunday Midnight & time to become dreader than dread with a crucial overview of The Dub Organizer Horace Swaby aka Augustus Pablo. Joining Doug Wendt this week is Lance Linares, Pablo devotee & reggae radio pioneer who hosted his Friday night very popular prime time “Roots Rock Reggae” Pataphysical Broadcasting program on KUSP in Santa Cruz, California from the 1970s to the 2000s, the earliest longest continually running regular reggae radio show heard anywhere in the United States. Linares pulls gem after gem from his extensive Augustus vinyl collection to flood the airwaves with pulsing Prince of Dub masterworks while passing along vital background info on one of the deepest Sound Generals ever to come from Jamaica. Listen to the mystic & be transfixed via music unto Jah Jah. Burning Spear & Mikey Dread debut new material while Hugh Mundell, Tetrack & Israel Vibration join the Pablo posse just beyond this side of east of the river Nile where melodica & other keyboard devices open the doors of perception. X-Ray Music never sounded so good, so massive, and so wonderful. All aboard this version excursion!

This detail just in straight from Lance’s head: “I started in 1974 on KUSP but first iteration was Satta High which morphed into Roots Rock Reggae at some point in ’76 or ’77. Last show was Aug 29, 2008 I think. So 34 years or so….” Quite a run. Well you can’t run away from yourself seen. Would be nice to see Lance back on the beam soon, the master of the non-style style announcement school. In those early days of KUSP the Santa Crucial boss public radio station was right on the beach so the live sound of the surf could be heard whenever one opened the mic. His bitchin’ vintage tapes, reggae library, & comprehensive Augustus Pablo archive must be heard. Word.

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

‘Black Slavery Days: The Sound of Saint Anns’

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The album ‘Black Slavery Days: The Sound of Saint Anns,’ originally produced by Jack Ruby in 1975 and subsequently released on Lister Hewan-Lowe’s Clappers label (recently re-issued by Honest Jons) is one of those records that collectors are always looking for.  The album, recorded entirely in St, Anns (birthplace of both Winston Rodney and Bob Marley) includes black empowerment anthems inna roots reggae style by the Skulls, The Mercenarys, The Arrows, Original Survivors, with riddims provided by The Clappers All-Stars.

Clappers is well-known for releasing only the rarest, most underground, most sought after records around.  To my knowledge, they have only released <10 albums in more than 30 years, including Yabby You’s African Queen (many thanks to Randall Grass at Shanachie for that nugget).  I have previously shared another Clappers classic, 1975′s ‘Jack Ruby Hi-Fi.‘

On the Clappers albums, everything is communicated on the hand drawn cover.  Here is what is written on  ‘Black Slavery Days: The Sound of Saint Anns:’

Many groups have originated out of Ochi Rios. e.g. Burning Spear. Lots of them are totally unknown until a militant Record Company that is anti corporate decided to give the Black Breadrin a break in this time. The group Arrows is a perfect e.g. Arrows features the great Burning Spears brother Elias Rodney. Many record companies refuse to touch their songs. But we at Clappers defend Black Militancy, Seen!

Black Slavery Days was a big hit on the Ochi Rios sound system scene. Sounds such as Soulsville Sounds System used to feature it in their set. Skulls lead singer, Tony Thomas worte all their tunes. Tony used to sing with the original Justin Hinds & the Dominos group.

THE ORIGINAL SURVIVORS, Lead vocalist Jah Blue Evans began his reggae career in the original Burning Spear group. Their sound is typical of what this album is about.

“The Sound Of Saint Anns” (T. S. O. S. A.) also released as
“Black Slavery Days:  The Sound Of Saint Anns”

Record date : 1975

Label: Clappers

The Skulls – Black Slavery Days
T.S.O.S.A. – 9 To 5 Dub
The Skulls – Tird World
The Mercenarys – Third World Shuffle
The Arrows – Seek Fire
The Clappers All Stars – How Can A Man Dubwise
The Original Survivors – Come Away Jah Children
T.S.O.S.A. – Theme For Ras’g
The Arrows – Old Broom
The Original Survivors – Beautiful Land

Producer : Jack Ruby

Engineer : Phillip Robinson & Karl Pitterson

Studios :
T.S.O.S.A (St. Ann, JA)

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META MIX Midnight Dread Reggae On The River Aug 4 ’02 Headlining DJ Set closing night

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“Doug Wendt was & remains one of America’s greatest all time dj/vj’s, ahead of his time as ever, revealing that America’s no future except for a swiftly gaining past.”-Roger Steffens

I’ve DJed at Reggae On The River for twenty years straight. This is one of my favorite sets of all of them, coming between Lucky Dube & Burning Spear who closed the show in reverent fashion. It was a massively attended sacred groundation, Sunday August 4th, 2002, in the shadow of 9/11, war drums sounding, false witness rising. But out amongst the redwoods, in Piercy, California at French’s Camp there had been several wonderful nights & big days of music all on that “Unity” founded one stage. By the last evening everything was soaring. Here’s what it looked like as I gazed out at the lit up crowd of revelers, thanks to my dear friend Lee’s amazing photographs © Lee Abel www.reggaeportraits.com

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Lucky left everyone ecstatic. I saw Montel Williams walking around with his entourage in a cloud of smoke. They were based slightly up the hill front left of the large DJ booth up stage that overlooked the massive crowd. I had rehearsed this mix & was way past dready. The staff & MC were so exhausted & hoarse by that point I began almost immediately layering several sounds, clearing the palette with secret sauce… Beats & Bob Marley Be Loved grabbed & wrung out/in, folks started reacting right away, screams, even collective gasps as the mix went meta. Montel’s posse seemed to levitate as they shouted out in glee & then… well, listen. Critical Mass Lift Off! Here’s the first 11 minutes of a 45 minute meta slam jam while I & I set the stage for Burning Spear & his deep ‘Reggae Music Church’ style meditation & performance.

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Reggae On The River gets back to the garden this year, once again being held at French’s Camp in Piercy after several years of community splitting controversy & struggle. That story’s for another time & place. For now the ‘Unity’ backdrop awaits. It should be quite a show & reunion.

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MD Reggae On The River 2002 photo © Kim Sallaway www.kimsallawayphotography.com

Midnight Dread erupted from its mid-1970s Reggae Explosion KTIM radio show, debuting in September 1979 on the same commercial North Bay Area spot on the dial before moving to KQAK & KFOG, major San Francisco rock stations. Midnight Raver’s Midnight Dread page: http://midnightraverblog.com/midnight-dread/ Broadcast regularly from San Francisco’s KUSF & KFOG into the 1990s, Midnight Dread now airs new shows: http://worldOneradio.org/ Every Day Pacific Time 12am

33 Sun Revolutions Ago tonight Mikey Dread on Midnight Dread

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Immediately after performing the final two encores with The Clash (“Armagideon Time” & “Bank Robber”) following his opening set for them in their official debut San Francisco concert Mikey Dread made his way to my Midnight Dread live broadcast very early March 3rd 1980. My radio program would never be the same. Mikey brought along several original dubplates to unveil while also spinning a few sets of his reggae favorites just like the tremendous JBC DJ he’d been in Jamaica. This opening eighty minute section begins with 3 skanking-new foot long Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry forty fives just pressed in Belgium and brought over from Holland by my good friend since junior high, photographer Robert Fineman. He also took the shot of the young Mikey that night at KTIM that graces the Mixcloud link. It can be seen in its fullness by scrolling down a bit on my Midnight Dread homepage.

I mention the Upsetter’s upcoming 1980 European tour where Lee wanted to be billed as ‘Nature Survivor’s Jungle Safari with Pipecock Jackxon’ shortly before Mikey arrives and uncorks ’nuff new music! Following “Rockers Delight” he re-emphasizes its wonderfully biting anti ‘rappers delight’ lyrics by repeating them a capella style with an infectious laugh. It’s quite a take-down and take-off on the emerging hip hop scene in its infancy as framed by reggae’s higher ground masterblaster. In the same break Mikey also does a crucial job of explaining exactly what ‘toasting’ means and entails if done properly. In the last Clash song at The Warfield that evening Mikey played the role of the bank robber. In this radio show he steals everyone’s hearts.

We were on our way down the hall leaving the station’s building in San Rafael when I asked Mikey if he’d do a few custom jingles for my show and he immediately made a u-turn back to the studio, sat down, and did three killer Midnight Dread themed toasts over his Roots & Culture dubplate (the next Midnight Dread begins with one) then improvised several minutes of amazing dread bits for my radio show with no prompting, no-preparation, completely non-stop, off the top of his dreads, percolating well past 3am. Being a radio selector himself he knew exactly what was needed. His drop-ins made my show sound all-time authentic. It was crucial and done out of love for spreading the music and I’ll never be able to express the deepness of my gratitude.

Thank Jah we had a great time backstage at the first Dreadstock show several years ago in Vallejo, CA and I got to tell him again personally how much I truly I-preciated his crucial contribution to my show’s success and development. The tracks he did that night are a treasure trove and Mikey a giant in conscious roots reggae music. His entire prolific output is the essence of all-killer no-filler. Mikey passed away way way too soon. Uppermost respect for the Iternal Drrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaad!

Midnight Dread Number Ten can also be listened to it as embedded here on the Midnight Dread website: http://www.midnightdread.com/home.html

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-This is my Clash & Mikey Dread at The Warfield BGP press pass from that night

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-Mikey Dread meets Midnight Dread inna uptown Marin County clash!
Midnight Dread erupted from its mid-1970s Reggae Explosion KTIM radio show, debuting in September 1979 on the same commercial North Bay Area spot on the dial before moving to KQAK & KFOG, major San Francisco rock stations. Midnight Raver’s Midnight Dread page: http://midnightraverblog.com/midnight-dread/ Broadcast regularly from San Francisco’s KUSF & KFOG into the 1990s, Midnight Dread now airs new shows: http://worldOneradio.org/ Every Day Pacific Time 12am & some 12pms

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-The Clash & Mikey Dread performing “Bank Robber” in New Jersey same tour & hat

Forward Exactly 33 Years; Midnight Dread KTIM Radioactive Mixology!

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33 years to the day of its original Dread-cast late Sunday night/early Monday morning February 4th 1980 I mastered & digitized this eighth ever radio program off its original dolby chrome cassette. Musical curative curation that still needs airing. Several unique live-on-air radio mixes using as many sources as possible appear; supered & layered dub-wise selection without objection. Mostly recent releases. Good times for conscious sound judgement. Listen for the Pink Floyd mystery phone booth clue if you want to witness the world premiere of  “The Wall” that Thursday at L.A. Memorial Spots Arena courtesy of KTIM! “Let’s Make A Profit Out Of Our Problem” by Max Romeo & “Man Hungry” by Sugar Minott are a just a couple of its highlights:

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 (Midnight Dread debuted in September 1979 on KTIM, commercial radio in the North Bay Area.  It moved to  KQAK The Quake in 1984 & later to KFOG, both major San Francisco rock stations. Other shows/news collected here on Midnight Raver’s Midnight Dread page: http://midnightraverblog.com/midnight-dread/ Broadcast regularly from San Francisco’s KUSF & KFOG into the 1990s, Midnight Dread now airs new shows daily: http://worldOneradio.org/ 12am Pacific Time More information & other archived programs: http://www.midnightdread.com/midnight.html)