Ace Ninety Skank aka S90 Skank is my hit pick. This record was the first Big Youth 45 I brought. In my opinion, there’s nothing like it.
The tune was recorded in the mid-seventies for Keith Hudson. Big Youth aka Jah Tooth is at his very best on this with trademark vocals like ‘Jah wa wa wa’, and a spoken word intro complete with motorcycle revs. The title refers to the Honda motorcycle that provides the atmosphere for the intro.
On the same day right around the corner, he cut ‘Chi Chi Run’ and a few more tunes for Prince Buster.
The rhythm is deep, throbbing drums, bass and organ, sparse and perfect for Big Youth to chant over. ‘Man if you ride like lightning, you gonna crash like thunder’.
I love the free flowing lyrical style on this tune and the equally joyful version from Augustus Pablo known as ‘Fat Baby’.
More info on Mikey Majestic:
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