Category Archives: The Mighty Diamonds

Mega Mighty Diamonds Salute, Ska & Rocksteady Precisely 33 Years Ahead Midnight Dread #22 June 2nd, 1980

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After rocksteady followed ska there was more room in the newly minted reggae sound for harmonies to shine through. The Mighty Diamonds forged their heavenly three part vocals during that key period, as the 60s turned 70s, and uncorked joyful eruptions of listening epiphanies everywhere. In this newly mastered premiere radio program Tabby, Bunny & Judge sing one of their very first gems “Mash Up” as well as perform spectacularly on several other scarce seven inch singles & dubs, like this personal favorite “Identity” with its refrain about the people being astray as lonely sheep. The Diamonds were in the rough; tough and tight somewhere nearby tuned in, recovering from a long flight from Jamaica into Northern California and preparing for rehearsals with Phone Bill, local reggae pros, for an upcoming massive major venue West Coast tour put on by Turk Arsenault for Strictly Rockers International (tour flyer below) starting a few days later in Santa Cruz. The Mighty Diamonds were set to play the Oakland Municipal Auditorium, the same venue Bob Marley had just played his last, what turned out to final bay area concert the previous October. Reggae is on the move like never before in California & the around the world and I & I Are There!

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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.

Mikey Dread Salute, Live Tosh & Toots + seven inch gems in Midnight Dread #21

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Here’s Peter Tosh live at The Roxy in L.A. in 1979 plus Toots & The Maytals live just a few days before this 33 years ahead Midnight Dread aired its fierce radio show Mikey Dread Salute on KTIM, the natty North Bay noise, plus a cavalcade of seven inch Jamaican singles from Debonair’s “Across Trench Town” and The Heptones & Lee Perry’s “Sufferer’s Time/Dub” to The Mighty Diamonds’ “Release The Chains” single mix of “Gotta Get Away”. It’s the week Saturday Night Live did a skit on KTIM radio but in their version of the station it was ‘K-Time, All-Time, All The Time’ as every new minute is announced with glee & nuance. Meanwhile on the real KTIM Sunday night brings reggae music in droves minute by minute with the week’s Reggae Calendar promising a free Memorial Day “Last Blast On The Grass” in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at Marx Meadows with Jah Love & Sweet Tommy in a benefit/signature gathering event for NORML & CMI-80. The absolute highlight of the program is Joe Higg’s heartfelt rendition of his amazing love song “My Devotion (Has A Definition)”. Definitely! One Love every One.

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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.

“Jah DJs DJ Jah” – DAT Master DW Archive XCI – Give Praises

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The first DAT compendium from the Doug Wendt archive to be posted anywhere arrives exclusively through Midnight Raver. Curated, mastered, and sequenced onto Digital Audio Tape in the mid-1990s from original long playing & fairly clean album vinyl sources. Rise and meet Jah. So Jah Jah say. I and I know. The DJs say Amen. Walk with Jah Love. Love Jah with all my heart. Jah me right. Live-icated to Jah.

Midnight Raver’s Midnight Dread page: http://midnightraverblog.com/midnight-dread/ Broadcast regularly from San Francisco’s KUSF & KFOG into the 1990s, Doug airs new shows daily: http://worldOneradio.org/ 6am, 12pm, & 12am Pacific Time

PRESSURE, GUNS, and HERB Midnight Dread March 24, 1980

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Take off the pressure Johnny Gunman, ska tissue is forming. Here’s Part One of a two hour non-stop radio scorcher, the future a rapidly gaining drrreeeeeeeeeaaaad past. Opening MC intro by Ras Michael from the Sons of Negus. Tune it and bloom it.

Midnight Dread on Facebook ya dig? The program erupted in 1979 from its progenitor, “The Reggae Explosion” KTIM AM/FM radio show, which ran from 1974-1977 on the same commercial North Bay Area spot on the dial. Later it was heard on 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 of the week Pacific Times 12am with some repeats sprinkled in Doug’s Best of All Worlds slot every day 365 at noon.

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)