Black Uhuru could have been the successors to Bob Marley & the Wailers as the kings of reggae. Their early work, with Sly & Robbie at the controls, remains flawless. (more…)

Early hit by Barrington Levy, recorded when he was only 15 and released in 1979, five years before his huge crossover hit Here I Come changed the face of reggae. (more…)

The Bodysnatchers were an all-female seven-piece ska revival band from London and The Boiler was the chilling centrepiece of their live performances. (more…)

Not just the best live reggae album but arguably the best live album of all time, Live At Counter Eurovision 79 captures Misty In Roots at their devotional,  political and philosophical finest (more…)

Linton Kwesi Johnson’s imagined letter from Brixton Prison to his mother back in Jamaica, describing how a young black man was fitted up and beaten by the British police, is so heartbreaking I still find it hard to listen without weeping.

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The ideal song for a sunny day, from another vocal trio whose harmonies shimmer and float on a melody that sticks in your head. (more…)

A blast of sunshine, Wayne Wade’s upbeat cover of an old Paragons tune lights up any cloudy day with his sweet vocal. (more…)

With its exotic ‘Arabic’ motif, synthesised strings and syn-drums, Cairo was the only song ever recorded by Joyella Blade for the new Front Line reggae label in 1978. (more…)

This song was all over the reggae clubs in 1978 and all over pop radio the following summer when it reached the giddy heights of no.46 in the UK singles chart. It’s one of the great reggae singles. (more…)

Freddie McGregor’s perfectly produced tune soothes the senses like the musical equivalent of sinking back into a nice hot bath for a long soak. (more…)