(Lovelinch 12)
In between March and August all my records were boxed up as I moved house and enjoyed my new born daughter. I didn’t have time to spend hours listening to tunes but during the rare quiet times I did wonder what would be the first one I would listen to when I set up in new flat. The answer was…this one!
I don’t know much about Errol Mais, apart from that he owned the superb Roots Tradition label which released tunes by all the artists from the Greenwich Farm area of Jamaica (Phillip Fraser, Rod Taylor, Prince Alla etc). They all have their own singing style but the music (c/o Soul Syndicate) remains the same. No frills roots, all complemented by superb Tubby dubs.
I have one other vocal tune by Errol Mais on the Roots Tradition label, the mighty ‘Read Up the Bible’, so he was far from prolific. ‘Babylon Fight Down Youthman’ is a great example of upbeat ‘stepper’ roots and as I said, the dub is hard as nails. Guaranteed to get the rootsmen (and women!) to their feet.
The B-side is no filla tune either. It features a great Michael Prophet cut on Bim Shermans ‘Blacker Sound’ riddim called ‘The Woman I Love’. A must have for any serious roots lover.
Plattsie Onevoicerevivalsound (London)
OneVoiceRevivalSound Podcast – My Year in Roots
