And here we have yet another Steel Pulse vinyl single, “Save Black Music” from the Grammy Award-winning album Babylon The Bandit. Overall, a mediocre effort from Steel Pulse with several outstanding tracks. The opening track “Save Black Music” is striking as the opening track. This is a different sound and vibe from Steel Pulse. Although David Hinds’ lyrics remain conscious and strong, Steel Pulse enter a horrid phase characterized by the overuse of synthesizers, which was a development that emerges in the 1980s. Still an interesting listen if you are a fan. The first track on this 12″ has a distinctly different mix. Track 2 is the instrumental and Track 3 is the LP version.
1. Save Black Music (Vocal Extended) 2. Instrumental 3. LP Version
This right here is a first. Unless you are in possession of one of Steel Pulse’s 12-inch singles, which are fairly rare to come by, you have probably never heard a Steel Pulse dub track. I’m not sure why they have not explored their own music through dub, but I do plan to ask David Hinds this very question when I do the interview (soon come I hope).
Here you have the opening track to their debut album and a real stunner. Think about it. This is the very first time that many people are hearing Steel Pulse. If this opener did not grab each and every listener by the throat, then they are just not reggae fans. It’s just that simple. Hinds’ vocal is not only pitch-perfect, but his message both positive yet apprehensive. Deep. Almost Marley-esque:
I say the people of Handsworth, know that One hand wash the other so they say So let’s join hands my bredren Make the way for our children (our children, our children) And their children (their children, their children) Ensuring that they get life’s fair share of… Equality… Doesn’t justice stand for all Doesn’t justice stand for all Doesn’t justice stand for all mankind We find society putting us down Crowning us, crowning us, crowning us, crowning us A place of Evil, OH, OH Handsworth means us the Black People Handsworth means us the Black People We’re taiklng now. Speaking Jah Jah language!
I lost many hours, maybe even days, listening to this album when I first found it. Bombtrack after bombtrack after bombtrack. “Handsworth Revolution,” “Bad Man,” “Soldiers,” “Sound Check,” “Prodigal Son,” “Ku Klux Klan,” “Prediction,” “Macka Splaff” all in rapid succession. A virtual atom bomb dropped right into the crowded streets of Babylon in 1978, coming five months after the release of their first single for Island records “Ku Klux Klan.” The album, brilliantly produced by Bob Marley’s own engineer Karl Pitterson, reaches #9 on the British charts just 10 days after its release. The band would soon support Bob Marley & The Wailers on a 12-date European tour in June and July 1978, including concerts in Paris, Ibiza, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Oslo, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Brussels. The tour kicked off with an outdoor festival at the New Bingley Hall in Stafford. David Hinds recalls:
We learned a lot of discipline on that tour that rubbed off – rehearsal, execution on stage, how to tour, stability [...] that’s when the doors really started to open for us. It has always been one of the most memorable moments of my career. To play as part of that package exposed Steel Pulse to audiences that literally were in awe of our message. Of course, being formally introduced through Bob Marley helped us tremendously. Playing for audiences, especially those in Paris who saw the force of Steel Pulse and the force of Bob Marley play on the same bill, enabled us to sell out shows every time since then.
The dub track included here is just phenomenal. Unspeakably strong. Here’s for a Steel Pulse in Dub album come real soon!
"No differences" chants Toots Hibbert & The Bredren as the herbal meditation begins in the round midnight posse circle of this 33 years ahead Midnight Dread four hour radio program. Kaya anthems abound in the multitude like Sambo Jim's deep & deeper "Collie Burning" featured in this opening eighty minute segment. Hunter S. Thompson protege, lawyer Michael Stepanian says a few words at a February 13th, 1980 NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) signature raising event for CMI-80 (the California Marijuana Initiative for 1980) held at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California just down the road from KTIM's home studio base in San Rafael. A smokin' Nigerian Reggae & Highlife band Lokoto play two great live tracks from the Sleeping Lady that same night. One of the first San Francisco bay area reggae bands Jah Love whose lead singer Josh went on to sing for Reggae Jackson (Jimmy Foot's band before The Rhyth-O-Matics) play "Jah Love", a never released studio gem from Sausalito's 'dredgetown experience' pioneeering roots rock reggae outfit. Several Marin County musicians lent a hand including Frank Hubnick & The Music Wizards, Prune Music, The Record Plant, & Wally Heider's Studio in San Francisco. Cynthia Johnson speaks live on the air for NORML. Change comes slow. So lift up you conscience & get ready for a noon high 'Light Up For Liberty' rally planned for May 13th. Don't be late for the future!
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.
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:
(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)
Steel Pulse sometimes gets a bum rap for being too “pop” or radio friendly. I could not disagree more. I am a roots fan to the core, and I own everything Steel Pulse has released. Listen to their first 4 albums and tell me they are not a roots band. David Hinds writes some of the hardest lyrics you will ever hear in a reggae tune. Take one of my favorites, “Unseen Guest,” which opens my favorite album, Tribute To The Martyrs:
“Down in the dungeon
I heard them constructing, the scaffold
Where . . . I’ll be lynched aloft high
The thoughts of me to die
Rocking like a pendulum,
Anyway it does’nt matter cause
I’ll be swinging to the rhythms of heh.
Jah Jah watch over I”
And I could go on for days quoting brutal lyrics like that. Much respect David Hinds and the Steel Pulse crew! They will always get pure love from the MIDNIGHT RAVER BLOG…
Enjoy this amazing performance from 1983.
Steel Pulse Live at Paradiso Amsterdam 26 November 1983 Good FM Recording.
01-George Jackson 02-Biko 03-Blues Dance Raid 04-Soldiers 05-Rally Round The Flag 06-Handsworth Revolution 07-Riot 08-Chant A Psalm 09-Sound System 10-Drug Squad 11-Ravers 12-Man No Sober
