RIP reggae archivist, writer & champion Steve Barrow, 1945-2026

Sadly Steve Barrow, co-founder of archival reggae label Blood & Fire, has passed away. He'll be greatly missed. 

One of the best friends roots reggae and dub ever had, Steve Barrow was a record collector, writer and DJ who ran the Daddy Kool record shop selling Jamaican music in London's Soho district starting in 1975. Building an impressive vinyl collection while amassing a deep knowledge of the breadth of Jamaica's vast musical exports, Barrow lent his expertise to Trojan and Island where he assembled crucial compilations of important overlooked recordings before co-founding the influential Blood & Fire archival label in 1993. 

Barrow and his Blood & Fire crew helped kick-start the 90s resurgence of interest in dub by releasing an unbroken string of brilliant collections, showcasing well-chosen gems from King Tubby, Keith Hudson, Horace Andy, Yabby You, Glen Brown, The Congos, and others in tastefully designed packages that were always informatively annotated and drawn from the best available sources with a portion of the proceeds going to artists/producers responsible. The superior quality of Blood & Fire's output forced more established labels to rethink how archival compilations were done. Suddenly, it was no longer sufficient to knock out bootleg quality comps with a slap-dash sleeves, sans accompanying notes and session credits – everyone had to raise their game. 

Steve Barrow was also the co-author (with Peter Dalton) of The Rough Guide To Reggae Music, the first authoritative and comprehensive reggae guide covering the entire history of the music and related subgenres as well as providing insightful profiles of key players. Rest in power Steve, you'll be greatly missed. Check out a few interviews with Steve and a few of his boffo collections. 

 

Midweek Mixdown: On The Wire with Steve Barker

Check the ace dub heavy mix put together by Steve Barker for his On The Wire show of Sept. 10th archived right here. 

New Pornographers Trio shares tunes from Continue As A Guest album

Watch Carl Newman and pals perform three New Pornographers' songs off Continue As A Guest after a vinyl shopping trip.  

Get a limited colour vinyl copy of Continue As A Guest by the New Pornographers via Bandcamp right here. 

The New Pornographers on tour... all dates with Wild Pink

Apr 19 Asheville, NC – Salvage Station

Apr 20 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse

Apr 21 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina's

Apr 22 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall

Apr 23 Dallas, TX – Studio at The Factory

Apr 25 Austin, TX – Paramount

Apr 26 Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre

Apr 27 St. Louis, MO – Sheldon Concert Hall

Apr 28 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room

Apr 29 Kansas City, MO – The Truman

Apr 30 Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre

May 03 St. Paul, MN – The Fitzgerald

May 04 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall

May 05 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall

May 06 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall

May 08 Cincinnati, OH – Memorial Hall

May 09 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

May 11 Detroit, MI – El Club

May 12 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

May 13 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom

May 14 Norwalk, CT – Wall Street Theater

May 15 Boston, MA – Royale

May 17 New York, NY – Brooklyn Steel

May 18 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer

May 19 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

May 21 Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom 

Sheila Rickards Meets King Tubby 12" is out now!

Sheila Rickards' roots reggae gem "Jamaican Fruits of African Roots" is back in circulation momentarily as a limited-run 12" from Shella Records. 

One of roots reggae's most haunting grails is finally available again! Sheila Rickards' spine tingling vocal performance, "Jamaican Fruit of African Roots," comes with earth shattering dubs by King Tubby, (Prince) Philip Smart and the Aggrovators, plus a scorching new flute-enhanced version by UK maestro Diggory Kenrick. Get the new Sheila Rickards Meets King Tubby 12" directly from Toronto's Shella Records right here. Have a listen below.

Midweek Mixdown: Ancient Archive of Sound's Glen Brown Special

Remembering reggae great Glen Brown – who passed away Oct 4 – with a 2-hour version excursion from AAoS.

Glen Brown Special track listing:

1) 2 Wedden Skank - Glen Brown
2) Africa 12" mix - Sylford Walker & King Tubbys
3) Jah Power version - King Tubbys
4) Black Dub - King Tubbys
5) Do Your Thing - Ritchie McDonald
6) Whole Lot A Sugar Down Deh - Prince Hammer
7) Only Love Can Make You Smile - Gaby & The Cables
8) Va Va Voom - Carl Masters
9) This Ya Year For Rebels - Glen Brown
10) Jah Jah Bring Everything - Jah Glen
11) Natty lead The Way - Richard McDonald
12) Meditating Our Own Way Of Life - Frank Aird
13) Boat To Progress - Glen Brown
14) Festive Season - I. Roy
15) Festival Rock - Tommy McCook
16) Dub To Progress - God Sons
17) Father's Call - Ewan Gardener
18) Scattalight Rock - God Sons
19) School Call - Glen Brown
20) Yahama Dub - King Tubbys
21) Telavid Drums - Glen Brown
22) Realise - Richard McDonald & Glen Brown
23) Dread In A Babylon - Glen Richards as Jah Glen
24) Thief In A The Kitchen - The Hungrys
25) Check The Winner - Glen Brown
26) South East Rock - Glen Brown
27) Genie Dub - Dean Beckford
28) Determination Skank - Don D Jr & Bobby Ellis
29) Youths Of Today - The Shalimars
30) Dance Good - Johnny Clarke & Glen Brown
31) Lamb's Bread - Sylford Walker
32) Dub In African - King Tubbys
33) Bread Dub - King Tubbys
34) Nation Dub - King Tubbys
35) Save Our Nation - Glen Brown & Glenroy Richards
36) Music From Southside - Tommy McCook
37) Chant Down Babylon - Sylford Walker
38) One One Cocoa - Gregory Isaacs
39) Do It Again - I. Roy & Glen Brown
40) Do It Again Pt 2 - King Tubbys
41) Neck Tie - Joe White & Glen Brown
42) Dubwise - King Tubbys

R.I.P. Glen Brown, 1944-2019

Sadly,  legendary Jamaican producer/vocalist Glen Brown passed away Friday in New York. He'll be greatly missed. 

Midweek Mixdown: Ancient Archive Of Sound

Here's a mystical selection of vintage Vivian "Yabby You" Jackson 45s and dub plates. See tracklist below.

Yabby You dubwise selection
1. King Tubbys Rock - Prophets & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
2. Dub In Zion - Prophets & King Tubbys (King Tubbys Dubplate)
3. Warning Version - Prophets & King Tubbys (Forbes 45)
4. Tubby's Vengeance - Prophets & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
5. Flour Blow (Original mix) - Dillinger & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
6. Flour Blow (Version 2) - Dillinger & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
7. Love Of Jah Version - Prophets & King Tubbys (Globe International 45)
8. Love Of Jahoviah Version - Prophets & King Tubbys (UMR 45)
9. False Dread - Prophets & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
10. Cleo's Dub - Cleopatra Williams & King Tubbys (Hot City 45)
11. Riding Forward Dubwise - Tommy McCook & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
12. Magnum Version - Rankning Magnum & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
13. Amagideon version - Willi Williams & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
14. Mount Zion Dub - Patrick Andy & King Tubbys (Grove Music 45)
15. Repatriation Rock - Prophets & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
16. Judgement Style - Jah Stitch & Prince Jammy (Jammys 45)
17. Sister Gene Dub - Jah Pops & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
18. Chalice Dub - Prophets & King Tubbys (Prophets 45)
19. Upsetter's Vengeance - Wayne Wade & Upsetter (Prophets 45)
20. King Tubbys Special - Wayne Wade & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
21. Living Style - Tommy McCook & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)
22. Rally Dub - Prophets & Upsetter (Prophets 45)
23. Love Thy Neighbours Version - Prophets & King Tubbys (Vivian Jackson 45)

Happy Birthday King Tubby

Remembering the late great dub innovator on his day with David Rodigan's audio documentary.

Early Scientist dub recordings excavated

Who exactly didn't want you to hear this dubwise companion to Flick Wilson's School Days album isn't exactly clear – well, apart from the Scientist himself maybe – but the long unavailable Scientist sides created at King Tubby's Dromilly Road studio are well worth investigating for dub fans keen on tracing back the source of Hopeton Brown's mixing style.

The technically astute Brown, who developed his rep as a first class engineer while building transformers for King Tubby 4-track operation, would eventually find fame as a innovative mixer during the dancehall peak of the early 80s after he moved to Channel One and began working with Junjo Lawes and the Roots Radics. 

What we have on The Dub Album They Didn't Want You To Hear! (DKR) is an altogether more rudimentary roots-oriented selection which shows the Scientist's debt to King Tubby and Bunny Lee rather than the next-level sonic trickery for which he would later become known with albums like Scientist Meets The Space Invaders, Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires, Scientist Encounters Pac-Man, etc. The 10 track LP, with nine Flick Wilson dubs and one from Wayne Jarrett's What's Wrong with the Youths, still makes for an enjoyable listen. 

Those with a taste for Scientist's earlier classics like Introducing Scientist: The Best Dub Album in the World, Heavyweight Dub Champion and Showdown At King Tubby's will find lots to like on this newly uncovered artifact but those expecting some mind-blowing revelation may be setting themselves up for disappointment. Have a listen below.

Solving the Sheila Rickards mystery

In the heart of Kensington Market on Thursday April 4, Double Double Land (209 Augusta) will host the launch party for the much anticipated Jamaican Fruit of African Roots by Sheila Rickards, the first release on Shella Records. The limited edition vinyl 10" EP is the culmination of a 10 year search for the mysterious vocalist by Shella label founder Chris Flanagan after discovering her music in a rural thrift store in Canada.

The intriguingly off-key vocal track to King Tubby's heavyweight "Goldfinger" dub was previously known primarily to collectors of obscure reggae and deep-digging Canuck DJs who've happened upon the War Zone compilation LP (left) assembled for sale in the mid 70s by Monica's Records on Eglinton West in Toronto.

Carefully remastered and reissued on high quality vinyl, the newly packaged 10" includes two additional vintage dub instrumentals, an a capella version and full liner notes. You can order a copy of the Jamaican Fruit of African Roots 10" directly from Shella Records (see links below).

Even though the 10" EP might seem a bit pricey at $20 USD plus shipping, don't sleep on this one. With celebrity UK broadcaster Gilles Peterson already hyping it  like a new Galliano joint on Brownswood, the entire pressing run may sell out before word spreads to dealers that there's also a documentary film in the works.

Our man Flanagan discusses the origins and progress of his epic fact-finding quest following the clip...

"Jamaican Fruit of African Roots is the lost vocal cut to one of King Tubby's most dramatic and devastating dubs from the 1970s. It was never released in Jamaica, but housed on an obscure compilation released only in Toronto in tiny quantities in the mid 70s.

This reissue – if you can call it that – is the culmination of a 10 year obsession to try and find out more about the song's enigmatic singer Sheila Rickards. It all started in a musty Canadian thrift store with the discovery of an incredible 10-cent record credited to "Shella Record".

The singer's voice was unlike anything I had ever heard in Reggae before and sparked an international quest to find the lost siren. Beginning in Toronto where the record was pressed by local label Monica's in the mid 70s, I quizzed producers, collectors and reggae artists, all of whom were as mystified as I was.

Traveling to Jamaica, I tracked down legendary producer Bunny " Striker" Lee who recorded the song in 1975 with a full line up of Aggrovators, some of the most talented musicians who ever worked on the island including Robbie Shakespeare, Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon, Bobby Ellis, Ansel Collins and others. -

Bunny revealed that Shella Record was in fact Sheila Rickards, a Greenwich Farm Jazz singer from the Mento era who began performing as a child with artists like Lennie Hibbert and Carlos Malcolm.

He had not seen her since she vanished in 1975 after they worked on this song at Harry Js and later voiced the track at King Tubby's infamous Drumillie Ave studio. -

Despite tracking down many of the musicians who played on the song, Jamaican Jazz artists from the era and even Sheila's family, Sheila's whereabouts remained a mystery.

Hearing rumours of her relocation to Los Angeles or New York, I headed to the States desperate to find out what happened to this remarkable diva. Each clue proved to be a red herring  leading to a dead end. Now working with a private detective (and part-time ghost hunter) I hope to have more answers soon. The search has been filmed from the outset and will culminate in the documentary film Shella Record, A Reggae Mystery." Chris Flanagan, Shella Records Toronto -

There will be a sneak preview of Flanagan's upcoming film documenting his search for Sheila Rickards at the Shella Records Launch Party on Thursday (April 4) at Double Double Land starting at 7:30 pm. Expect a suitably tough selection of vintage reggae jams provided by the Pressure Drop Crew, DJ Earl Grey and guests.

LINKS
Shella Records site
Shella Launch Party FB page

Happy Birthday King Tubby