None Shall Escape The Judgement

Don't let the title of this post put you off - I haven't gone all Scottish-Cardinal and started handing out damnation and promising hell-fire on account of archaic and ill-thought-out opinions based on nothing more than dogma, tradition and 3,000 year old moral codes. Twat. But I digress, this is about another of my charity shop finds and an excuse to post a couple of cracking tunes. 

I picked up a 45 of Egyptian Reggae by Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers this week for 50p. Not a track I was familiar with; to be honest I bought it because: a) it had the word 'reggae' in the title, b) it was in lovely condition for a 34 year old charity shop record, but mostly c) because it was cheap. 

So I took it home, stuck it on the turntable and gave it a play. It was strangely familiar so I did a little research and thanks to Wikipedia I found out that it was indeed a cover of the Johnny Clarke tune None Shall Escape The Judgement. 

I've got the Johnny Clarke version on a couple of Trojan Compilations and its a cracking track, but what I didn't know was that Clarke's version was also a cover. Thanks to the wonderful Duff Guide To Ska site I found out that the original was by Earl Zero and the Duff Guide page tells a rather sad tale about how he wrote the song but ended up not even being credited as the writer on Clarke's hit version of it. A little bit of searching on YouTube turned up this clip from the film Word, Sound & Power - not a film I've seen, yet. I'll be seeing if I can put that right ASAP.

By complete coincidence I also came across another instrumental version this week too. I've been listening to a lot of Ernest Ranglin recently, his Boss Reggae album is absolutely sublime and this week I got the Below The Bassline album which is also bloody magnificent. This is from Below The Bassline.

So, there you go: four cracking versions in one blog post. Much more enjoyable than the page I was tempted to write about a bigoted old man. A man who represents an organisation that denies millions of their followers the right to protect themselves against AIDS, that forbids women made pregnant by rape to abort an unwanted child, that has routinely and deliberately covered up the most sickening child abuse. A man who now thinks the biggest threat facing this country is gay marriage. Like I said: twat.

Postscript: I recently picked up the Owen Gray album Forward on the Scene and found this gem using the same riddim: 

There's a list of other tunes which use the None Shall Escape The Judgement riddim here: when I say 'list' I actually mean 'shopping list', as an incurable anorak I'm going to have to get myself all of them!

Post-postscript: Another vinyl purchase led to the surprise discovery of this slice of wonderfulness from Sly & Robbie and Bunny Lee:

And another one! 

Dread, but not dreadful.

Every once in a while you come across an unexpected gem tucked away on the b-side of an extremely unpromising single. This is one such gem. The a-side is Big Seven by 'hilariously rude', cod-reggae singing, pretend skinhead Judge Dread (yes, pretend - he had long hair for God's sake!) You may have gathered that I'm not exactly a fan of Alexander Minto Hughes. Whilst I applaud him keeping reggae just about on the radar of the British record-buying public for quite some time, it's just a shame he did so with such atrocious tunes. 

Of course the God-like genius that is Prince Buster is partly to blame, having started the whole thing with his Big-5 album. Big-5, however, was just continuing a long and fine tradition of rude reggae; Alexander's Big-every-other-number were just Carry On films & seaside postcards transmitted to vinyl, except without the charm or wit. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way about Mr Dread, a quick poll of Twitter users when asked for 3 words to describe Judge Dread resulted in the descriptions "boring, sexist claptrap" and "pile of shite". OK so I only polled two people but I'm sure they are representative; after all the Daily Mail prints polls based purely on their fevered, frothing, 'you couldn't make it up' imagination. Quick note to Mail sub-editors: you could make it up, in fact your paper frequently does.

So here it is: The Judge Dread Sound with Dread. A cracking little slice of hammond-driven skinhead reggae which, after the slightly too jaunty opening bars, pops along nicely with some choice reggae guitar & drumming helping it on the way. And no vocals: the perfect Judge Dread tune!

SFR Soundsystem 03032012

I didn't do my usual show on Saturday due to having had a complete git of a week during which I did no preparation at all for it and also had a major attacks of the miseries. Thankfully the wonderful Nikki stood in at very short notice and delivered a cracking show. I've been trying to find time all week to type up Nikki's playlist and can only apologise that it's taken me until 5am on Thursday to get this up here. I'll type it up fully later & add some links but here's the playlist, better late than never (sorry Nikki):

Faith, hope & charity shops.

I haven't written a blog post for a wee while although I was tempted to start another blog anonymously where I could describe how being a chronic depressive made you lethargic and idle. But I couldn't be bothered. I don't intend to go into that sort of detail here; might get round to the other blog one day but as an attack of the miseries fades there doesn't seem to be much point in re-visiting the Dark Side. 

I suppose the fact that I'm feeling inclined to write a blog post again is a good sign that I'm on the mend, even if it is likely to turn into a bit of a rant about charity shops. Now please don't get me wrong, I'm not against charity shops per se and indeed I'm a huge fan of grabbing a bargain whilst also helping out a good cause. In fact given that Mr Cameron and his cabal of cocks are seemingly determined to freeze (i.e. reduce) my pay until I retire, I may well have to rely on charity shops just to keep me clothed. So, given that I applaud their aims, love a bargain and may well end up clothed in cast-off brown slacks and cardies, what could I possibly have to rant about? I think if I had to give my gripe a name I'd call it the 'Oxfam effect'. 

I'll start with an example. I recently spotted the album Jerusalem by Alpha Blondy & the Wailers at a charity shop in town at the price of £6. Not a bad price for a good album in decent condition but given that pennies are tight I didn't buy it immediately. I don't begrudge the charity concerned the money, I was just a bit hard up & decided to wait and see if it was still there on pay-day. However, having mentioned it to a mate at work who also collects records I discovered that the Oxfam shop further up the same road had the same album for £20 (in slightly worse condition). Now I had to have it; my reasoning being that someone would see it in Oxfam then wander down the road and see it for less than a third of the price and snap it up. A search on Popsike didn't throw up any results for the album but I would say £6 was a good price but £20 was ridiculous; either way how on earth can Oxfam justify charging more for vinyl than you'd pay at a record fair? 

Here's another example, admittedly it's hearsay but the chap who told me this tale is a decent bloke who was genuinely shocked at his treatment: John took 2 boxes of books into his local Oxfam shop; at a conservative estimate they would fetch upwards of £100. They took his donation gracefully enough and he left wallowing in the glow of self-satisfaction from a good deed done well. On the way out of the door he spotted a book he fancied priced at £1. He checked his pockets - 80p. "Can I have this book for 80p?" "No." He remonstrated that he'd just given them at least a ton's worth of books but they were unmoved. They patiently explained that their shop was run as a business and it wasn't their policy to give discounts. Fair enough if he'd just wandered in on the scrounge, but given the circumstances I'd say there was a distinct lack of charity in their attitude.

I'm no expert on the charity shop industry but I always understood that they had business rates waived due to their charitable status. Again, I must stress that I'm not against these shops doing their best to maximise the amount they raise for their respective charity but there does seem to me to be something of a contradiction in charity shops being run along the same lines as any other money-grubbing, profit driven, capitalist venture. If I want to pay top-dollar for records there are any amount of places I can buy it, I'd rather like charity shops to remain the cuddly, lovable emporiums of bargains they on the whole are at present. I'd really miss the well-meaning but slightly befuddled pensioners who staff them if they were replaced by thrusting young retail-warriors. I'd miss the 'oh, have you got a gramophone' style comments I sometimes get (repeatedly from one particular lady!) My worry is that the other charity shops will see the prices Oxfam are charging and fancy a piece of the action. Shopping for music is miserable enough when you're skint without the Mrs Miggins Home For Wayward Cats shop pricing me out of the market too. I'm not scaremongering either, my favourite source of bargain vinyl now has a 'music guy' who prices up the records. Thankfully he know bugger-all about anything about but heavy metal so the decent stuff still gets priced sensibly & shoved away amongst the Jim Reeves albums. As a final thought, does anyone, anywhere actually own a Jim Reeves album that they bought and hung on to? I am absolutely convinced that every  single charity shop that has more than 20 records in a box has at least one copy of 'Gentleman Jim Reeves'.

Here's a couple of my recent charity shop bargains, hoping there will be many more: 

SFR Soundsystem 25022012

So, here's the playlist for tonight's show. Typing this up and listening back at the same time - to see where I went wrong! Didn't feel like one of my better shows for some reason. Spilling coffee everywhere half way through probably didn't help to be fair! 

Played two tracks by ska bands from Indonesia; both good tunes but I have absolutely no idea what they were singing about. Not that that really matters, after all, how many opera fans speak fluent Italian (or whatever language operas are in) and actually understand what they're warbling about? Hoping to collaborate with another SFR DJ on a one-off pre-recorded World Music show at some point - not on a Saturday night though - watch this space as those with very little imagination say. 

More Rocksteady than usual in this week's show, possibly reflecting a busy week & me choosing more laid-back music to listen to in the evenings. Also played more cracking tunes from the Do The Dog label; pay-day soon - feel a little shopping spree coming on (sale now on). Enough waffle - here's the playlist:

1. Jimmy Cliff - Ska All Over The World
2. Madness - The Young & The Old
3. Too Many Crooks - Headline
4. Souljah - Sudah Sudahlah
5. The Authentics - Untukma
6. Prince Jazzbo - Crab Walking
7. The Upsetters - Croaking Lizard
8. Max Romeo - One Step Forward
9. Arthur Kay & the Originals - Warska
10. Pama International - Burn Down My House
11. No Doubt - Everything's Gone Wrong
12. The Dead 60's - Riot Radio
13. Stacked Like Pancakes - Mr Sane
14. The Beat - I Confess
15. ETTIN - Try To Pretend
16. The NoMarks - Apathetically Yours
17. The Viceroys - Sometimes
18. Nicky Thomas - Lay Lady Lay
19. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Corner Stone
20. Niney the Observer - Blood & Fire
21. The Ethiopians - The Whip
22. The Pyramids - Prisoner Of Alcatraz
23. The Mighty Offbeats - Don't Judge Me
24. Jeramiah Ferrari - Fatty Man
25. The Selecter - Jackpot
26. Prince Jammy - Fist Of Fury
27. Flight 404 - Stop That Train
28. The Silvertones - Sweet And Loving Baby
29. The Maytals - Pomps & Pride
30. Jim Brown - See Him Deh
31. The Caroloregians - Hootchie Corner
32. Laurel Aitken - The Ska Is The Limit
33. Baba Brooks - Girl's Town Ska
34. Prince Buster - Train To Girl's Town
35. Mark Foggo's Skasters - One
36. 3 Minute Warning - Weekend Waster

Ooh, Coldplay. Great!

It's the Brit Awards tonight. I know this to be true because my Twitter timeline is full of people (myself included) slagging off the annual attempt by the media machine to pretend it gives a shit about music and not just the money to be made by feeding us the same tepid, uninspiring, pseudo-edgy cack they celebrated last year, and the year before that. The BBC News website's lead story on the Brits at this precise moment tells us "Adele, Ed Sheeran, Florence and the Machine and other big names from the music world gather for the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena in London." Dull, dull, dull.


Despite living in an area not exactly blessed with opportunities to see 'big names from the music world' perform, I personally wouldn't give up a Tuesday evening to watch that parade of pap. Not that such a bonanza of the boring would ever be held in the provinces; heaven forbid the London-centric world of media-friendly mediocrity ever venturing out of their cosy little world of back-slapping banality.


There will be the usual Brit Awards clichés trotted out tonight. Expect some 'outrageous' behaviour by some fame-hungry wannabes who mistake getting pissed and making an arse of yourself for actually making a statement about something. This is the musical equivalent of mediocre boxers trading handbags at a press conference: something for the media to froth at the mouth about but with as much genuine feeling as an air-kiss from a distant aunt at a wedding you didn't want to attend in the first place.

Apparently Coldplay are nominated for an award too but don't ask me which one. I made the effort to look up the nominations but really couldn't be bothered to read beyond the first two so I didn't get as far as the category Coldplay are in, 'Band most likely to make you become Amish' perhaps? Even the Outstanding Contribution to Music award failed to make me feel any more favourably towards the Brits. I'm aware that some people will violently disagree with me on this, but Blur have not made an outstanding contribution to music. Don't get me wrong, they're OK and have made some agreeable enough music, but personally I'm not a big fan. They are in good company though; previous winners include Cliff Richard, Status Quo and Queen. They're all safe but dull too.


There are wonderful things happening in the real world of music. There are people out there making music for the love of it. There are people making music that matters - music with a message. Others make tunes that are quite simply joyful. I wouldn't expect to see either of these on the Brits.


So I'm avoiding this year's Festival of Faeces. I'm avoiding Twitter for the rest of the evening. Much as I'd love to join in the slagging of the Brits I fear I'll just end up irritable and ultimately as bored by the slagging off as I would have been by the event itself. As soon as I've finished this little rant I'm off to put a film on. About now, actually. T'ra.


ps Seems I missed James Corden too. That's cheered me up!

SFR Soundsystem 18022012

I had the great pleasure of following my son Danny onto the 'airwaves' tonight. My playlist duplicates his a little - we both played Bombskare, The Specials, The Maytals & Prince Buster. I like to think this shows we both have incredibly good taste rather than a lack of imagination! 

I couldn't resist playing the version of Double Barrel from TOTP introduced by Tony Blackburn that I referred to in an earlier post this week; likewise the following 2 songs from Nicky Thomas & Freddie Notes were in a similar vein. I also referred to Drewvis in a blog post this week & played him tonight just to remind everyone how brilliant his stuff is! 

Bang the Skillet favourite Life Is Good always goes down a storm on my show. They are touring the UK later this year & are looking for gigs to fill the schedule - if you know anyone who wants a brilliant ska band to play their venue, please point them in the direction of http://www.bangtheskillet.nl/ Plus, if you fancy helping a great ska band get their album out there, visit: http://www.sponsume.com/project/bang-skillet-mad-about-ska

Last, but perhaps most importantly, I got the opportunity to play my first track off the Specialized charity album: Urang Matang's brilliant interpretation of The Specials' Why. Please get behind this project with your tweets, posts & most importantly your wallets! It's going to be an awesome album & is for a very, very worthy cause. Full details at: http://www.specializedcharityalbum.co.uk/ - the line up is stellar & the clips & tunes I've heard so far have been absolutely brilliant.

Right, enough waffle; here's the playlist:

1. Bombskare - Panic Button (live)
2. Derrick Morgan - Forward March
3. The Scrucialists - Forward Riddim
4. The Skamonics - Tainted Love
5. Second Time Lucky - Drink, Sleep, Repeat
6. Drewvis - Therapy
7. Dave & Ansel Collins - Double Barrel
8. Nicky Thomas - BBC
9. Freddie Notes & the Rudies - Rudexious
10. ChainSka Brassica - All Day Long
11. Too Spicy - Wasted Brains
12. Popes of Chillitown - Dalking Man
13. Madness - Drip Fed Fred
14. The Beat - Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret
15. The Specials - Pearl's Cafe
16. Urang Matang - Why?
17. BANG The Skillet - Life Is Good
18. The Aggrolites - Life Is Good
19. Easy Star All-Stars - Great Dub In The Sky
20. Prince Jammy - Shaolin Temple
21. The Soulsteppers - Death Comes
22. The Moon Invaders - Don't Touch The Dog
23. The Bullets - Explosion
24. The Simmertones - Over The River
25. Chris Murray - All-Nite Dinah
26. The Skints - Bright Girl
27. ARTS - Poker Face
28. The Upsetters - Kaya Skank
29. Dave Barker & the Upsetters - Do Your Thing
30. The Skatalites - Nimrod
31. Ernest Ranglin - Liquidation
32. Prince Buster - Hard Man Fe Dead
33. Toots & the Maytals - Louie Louie