yardie's reggae collection
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GLADSTONE ANDERSON RITE SOUND REGGAE STORY * * * /
Gladstone Anderson's (also known as Gladdy Anderson
or Gladdy and nephew of Aubrey Adams) seminal appearence on piano,
on Hopeton Lewis' "Take It Easy" from 1966, equalled to
the birth of Rock Steady. Legend has that he was the one to give the
name to this emerging sound. Anderson was born in Kingston on June
18, 1934. Around the mid 50's he was already playing for Duke
Reid and later was a strong figure inside the Ska scene. From
1967 Gladdy was more than often a member of Duke Reid's band. Other
members included top musicians as the saxophonists Tommy
McCook and Herman Marquis, the guitarists Ernest Ranglin and Lynn
Taitt, the organists Neville Hinds and Winston Wright, and the drummers
Arkland "Drumbago" Parks and Hugh Malcolm. As the sound
was shifting to Reggae, Gladstone became the core of Reid's band now
named Gladdy's All Stars. In the meantime he also cut for Harry Mudie
and Leslie Kong. Anderson' career is also linked to Alton
Ellis and Winston Jarrett.
In 1965 Alton Ellis' partner Eddie Perkins (Alton and Ellis) moved
to the U.S. and Alton decided to quit with music. But Winston persuaded
Alton to start Alton and The Flames, with Winston and Eggar "Baby
G" Gordon on harmony vocals. When in 1969 Alton moved to Europe,
Winston started the group called Winston Jarrett and the Righteous
Flames, with Eggar and Junior Green. During those events Gladdy was
there. In 1966 Lee "Scratch"
Perry worked briefly for Joe Gibbs,
introducing Gladdy's self-produced "Just Like A River".
In 1968, Gladdy played piano at Joe Gibbs' for The
Pioneers "Give Me Little Loving". Sidney "Luddy"
Crooks was the singer, just before Jackie Robinson became the leader.
Gladstone Anderson has worked on countless sessions. Among the artists
he worked with, we must list these names: Alton Ellis, Agustus
Pablo, Barrington Levy, Bunny
Wailer, Clint Eastwood, Cornell
Campbell, Dean Frazer, Delroy Wilson,
Don Carlos, Earl Sixteen, Earth
& Stone, Errol Dunkley, Glen Brown, Gregory
Isaacs, Itals, Jackie Edwards, Jimmy
Cliff, John Holt, Johnny
Clarke, Johnny Osbourne, Junior
Delgado, Junior Reid, Justin Hinds,
K.C. White, Knowledge, Larry Marshall,
Leroy Brown, Little
Roy, Lone Ranger, Michael Prophet,
Mikey Dread, Mighty
Diamonds, Peter Broggs, Prince
Alla, Prince Jammy, Ranking Dread,
Ranking Joe, Ranking
Toyan, Rod Taylor, Roots Radics,
Royals, Sammy
Dread, Scientist, Slim Smith, Soul
Syndicate, Sugar Minott, Tappa
Zukie, Tony Tuff, Toots
& Maytals, Trinity, U
Brown, Wailing Souls, Winston
Jarrett. He also released a couple of sets. Among those, there was
"It May Sound Silly" (1972),
"Gladdy Unlimited" (1977),
"Sings Songs for Today & Tomorrow"
(1982), "Get Close" (1989),
and "Peace Pipe Dub" (cut at
Channel One and released in 1993). The present set contains some material
Gladdy produced along with Roy Sinclair (also known as Blackbeard)
for the latter's Rite Sound label. Sinclair (1936) was encouraged
by Gladdy, Winston Wright and Winston Jarrett to found his own label
in the mid-70's. The label mainly released material produced by Gladdy
and/or Roy. The tracks compiled here were recorded between 1976 and
1978 and produced by both. As already happened with other sets in
Yardie-Reggae, Gladstone Anderson and Roy Sinclair's "Rite Sound
Reggae Story" was not listed under the Various (artists) / Compilation
page. Due to the former's importance inside the history of Reggae,
I decided to open this page for him. Here we have three stellar tracks
from Winston Jarrett & The Flames : the wonderful and rocking
"Spanish Town Road" plus the
Gladstone Star Band's Dub version called "Coming
From The Country", the delicate "Crying
In The Ghetto" (also known as "Too
Much Confusion") and deep "Humble
Yourself". The latter is also followed by the Gladstone
Star Band's Dub version called "Get On
Your Mark". Inside the collection there is Eddy Grandson's
"Jah Garden" followed by Gladdy's old style "Will You
Stay". Another old school styled song is delivered by The Mellows
with "Pray To Jah" and its Gladstone Star Band's Dub version
called "Give Thanks And Pray". Two tracks from the great
Leroy Smart are also collected: "What Will I Do" and the
beautiful deep Roots five stars of "Jah
Almighty". The musicians involved in these tracks are
Sly Dunbar and Carlton Barrett
(drums), Aston Barrett and Lloyd Parks (bass), Earl "Chinna"
Smith and Ernest Ranglin (guitar), Gladstone Anderson (piano), Winston
Wright and Tyrone Downie (organ), Dirty Harry and Tommy McCook (saxophone)
and finally the unique and great Skully (also known as Mikey Spratt,
Zoots Scully Simms, Scollie, Zoot Sims and Skitter).
This is a three and a half stars compilation from a five stars musician.
Even if this is a quite difficult CD to find, search for it throughout
all the legal providers. The gems offered here cannot be missed. |
1976-1978 - Jah Live - studio
- discs:1