Limited edition 12″, LegsMan Records (2018)
‘She Done With Him’ by Carlton Livingston, a limited edition 12″ (300 copies), is the debut release on LegsMan Records. A new London-based reggae label started by Grant Dell and Jayman. The label aims to encompass the best Rub A Dub, Roots, Digital and Dancehall, with fresh re-licks of some of reggae’s well known foundation rhythms.
Grant and Jayman met in the late-70s in the punk scene and immediately hit it off, sharing a mutual love of reggae. Along with friends Dean and Barry Richards, they built Libra Hi Fi Sound and took all opportunities to play, including blues dances and community halls. After losing touch in the late-80s the two linked up again around 2007.
The label has been a labour of love in the making for a few years, and has finally taken shape with their first release. Grant builds the riddims, and after voicing artists, they work together on the arrangements.
Carlton Livingston began singing in church, where his mother and older sisters were active in the choir. After the family moved to Kingston he started up a sound with Lone Ranger, ‘The Fantastic Three’. His career was launched after recording a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ at Channel One, and he went on to work with Coxsone Dodd, Winston Riley, Jammys, Sly and Robbie, Bobby Digital and many more. After a move to the U.S. in the early-80s, Carlton linked with Jah Life Records, which resulted in his signature tune ‘100LB of Collie Weed’. He is still recording, touring and going strong.
On ‘She Done With Him’, Carlton sings of the heartache of a woman spurned by her lover. Grant’s relick of the George Phang produced original from ’83 is a touch slower and heavier. A nice digital style update, which if being perfectly honest I think is a bit of a tough ask, given the original is such a killer. What I do really like and have had on repeat is the dub horns cut. A smooth horn over that lovely riddim, I could happily listen to all day. Looking forward to hearing this out in its full glory on a sound. The final touch on this release is a unique watercolour sleeve artwork from artist Sil Cunningham.
The label has three upcoming releases planned throughout the year. To quote Jayman, ‘We have been blessed to be able to work with the heroes we grew up listening to. We have records coming from Horace Ferguson, Coreysan, Carlton Livingston and Lone Ranger’.
More info:
LegsMan Records SoundCloud
LegsMan Records Facebook
Sil Cunningham website
Conviction Roots
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