I first started collecting originals back in the 90s. I was working six days a week and taking home decent money. One of my favourite haunts was Daddy Kools, which by then was on Berwick Street in the seedy streets of Soho. The owner of the shop was a highly unpleasant man so I used to know what day he didn’t work on.
I would head down on those days and usually it was the same guy working there. For some reason I never asked his name and he never asked mine but we were on nodding terms. Every time I would go in he would say, “Right, horns and harmonies then…”. To this day that sums up my record buying!
One of the many tunes he sold me was this one. It is a perfect example of downbeat, chanting-style roots. With thick horns and a healthy slice of bongos, this is as good as it gets!
The African Brothers consisted of Sugar Minott, Tony Tuff, and Derrick Howard. I don’t think they recorded a great deal of tunes, but those they did were of a high standard. Their tune ‘Righteous Kingdom’ is almost impossible to find on original.
I’m not really sure what kind of money this tune goes for. I believe it was reissued on the Black Roots label with a rubbish version instead of the mighty one on the original. It is also on the reissue LP called ‘Want Some Freedom’. It is just a lovely piece of roots.
Plattsie Onevoice (London)
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