Books

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The story of Black British music is a five-hundred-year journey from the court of King Henry VIII to the ‘Ends’ of South London; from Africa to the Caribbean to the UK and back; from subterranean shebeens and church halls to royal command performances and sold-out stadiums; and from outsider influence to domestic chart domination. It is a story that grapples with the slave trade, the prejudice of unwelcoming institutions and the bias of ignorance while ultimately celebrating the creativity and perseverance of the pioneers and today’s digital age innovators.

Hardback book. 288 pages.

Trombone Man: Ska's Fallen Genius, a serialised graphic novel about the life and times of Don Drummond.

Concept/Written by Adam Reeves

Artwork by Costantinos Pissourios

The autobiography of Tippa Irie, Stick To My Roots tells the reggae musician's incredible story - from his trail-blazing beginnings in Saxon Sound International to the Grammy Award-nominated "Hey Mama" with the Black Eyed Peas.

In this breathtaking memoir, acclaimed writer Alex Wheatle shows how music became his salvation through a childhood marred by abuse and his imprisonment as a young man protesting against systemic racism and police brutality.

This is the unlikely story of David Rodigan: an Army sergeant's son from the English countryside who has become the man who has taught the world about Reggae. As the sound of Jamaica has morphed over five decades through a succession of different genres - from Ska and Rock Steady, to Dub, Roots and Dancehall - Rodigan has remained its constant champion, winning the respect of generation after generation of Reggae followers across the globe.

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Two years after the success of '100 Days Of Dub' (book),

Martin Skyjuice Blomqvist returns with REGGAE DISCO 45.

Mind-boggling discography devoted to the Jamaican releases of Prince Buster’s productions from 1961’s Oh Carolina by the Folkes Brothers to 1977’s Uganda by Yusuf Ali & The Revolutionaries. The titles; A and B sides, are listed by year of release with matrix numbers and introductory notes for each year. 

New In Stock!

Jeremy Collingwood has done more than most in trying to set the facts straight concerning the life and music of Bob Marley. Over the years much has been written about Bob and the Wailers, much of it tailored to fit the various agenda’s of the writers, whether in books and magazines or in online forums, blogs and websites. JC is having none of it. Here he tells the story via the tale the actual records tell, focusing on the Jamaican pressed vinyl and giving full attention to the pre-breakthrough releases through the likes of Clement Dodd’s Studio One label, Leslie Kong’s Beverley’s label and Lee Perry’s Upsetter label, as well as Bob’s own Wail’m Soul’m and Tuff Gong labels.

Arguably the greatest Jamaican record producer of all time, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry was instrumental in transforming the island’s national sound throughout the Sixties and Seventies, with his unique approach to music making pushing the music beyond previously perceived boundaries.

To mark the first anniversary of his passing, the very best of his work is showcased across a number of products, all of which effectively demonstrate why Perry was widely venerated figure for so long.. 

Released in Three seperate formats:

• Boxset w/ 4LP+4CD+Book & Poster
• 2xLP set 
• 2xCD set

To mark the first anniversary of Lee "Scratch" Perry's passing, the very best of his work is showcased across a number of products in this box set (4LP,4CD, Book + Poster), all of which effectively demonstrate why Perry was widely venerated figure for so long.. 

Never Grow Old 6th Edition (2022); 120 pages, A4 paperback book. An essential guide to Studio One's vast musical output. Approximately 6500 titles are listed on 7", 10", 12", LP and CD format, with alternative versions of each rhythm.

'David Katz's in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan's collection' David Rodigan MBE OD

'For the complete picture of this musical genius you can't get better than David Katz's People Funny Boy - if you're into Scratch, it's essential' Don Letts

"The Duff Guide to 2 Tone" features over 70 reviews of reissues of essential 2 Tone albums from The Specials & The Special AKA, The Selecter, The Beat, Madness, The Bodysnatchers, and Bad Manners, as well as write-ups of their more recent records, gigs, books, and movies—which no self-respecting fan of 2 Tone should miss! (This guide also features reviews of 2 Tone-adjacent releases that you need to know about.) Ska music writer Stephen Shafer was Moon Ska Records “director of propaganda” during the 1990s and played a significant, behind-the-scenes role in making the so-called American “Third Wave” of ska happen. With a foreword by Gaz Mayall (The Trojans, Gaz's Rockin' Records, Gaz's Rockin' Blues, and co-writer of The Bodysnatchers' "Ruder Than You"), "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone" draws from over 12 years of Shafer’s reviews from his Duff Guide to Ska blog—and this collection not only provides a critical overview of 2 Tone’s ever-growing body of work, it also documents the continuing and largely unwritten history of these bands, as well as 2 Tone’s lasting impact well into the 21st century.

“Born In A Car Crash” is a guide to 1950s and 60s rhythm and blues 45s - artifacts of an incredibly fertile period of black American music and a time of signifi cant cultural upheaval. R&B was a constant thread through the complex tapestry of racial segregation, international confl ict, and the civil rights movement. The universal appeal of 1950s and 60s R&B continues to bring disparate groups of society together during incredibly divisive political times. “Born In A Car Crash” highlights essential tracks from an era of profound creativity, entrepreneurship, and inspiration. It aims to shine a light on the musicians, producers, and labels that leveraged everything they had to create music for the people.

* LAST COPY IN STOCK!

The book is a bit of a guide, just like Never Grow Old/Downbeat Special, but with obscure releases only, with plenty of label scans and liner notes, in full color with 42 pages

Last two copies in stock of this Original Hardback Rarity!