'Money in My Pocket' by the late Dennis Brown was originally issued in Jamaica on Joe Gibbs Music in 1978, before gaining a UK release on Lightning the following year. I initially had every intention of posting the full 12" version, complete with a brilliant and uncredited toast by Prince Mohammed (check it out here), but recently came across this wonderful live vocal performance from Top of the Pops and instantly knew it had to be the one. How great is this?
Showing posts with label Lightning Strikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lightning Strikes. Show all posts
Friday, 14 June 2013
Lightning Strikes #5 - Dennis Brown
The range of it's catalogue was diverse,
eclectic and downright odd in places (and
I've only scratched the surface over the
past five days), but Lightning Records
greatest commercial successes and critical
acclaim came with their many licensed reggae
releases, usually from the Joe Gibbs stable
and most notably with the Number One hit
'Uptown Top Ranking' by Althea and Donna. So
with that in mind, it's only fitting that I
conclude this little trawl through the
Lightning records in my own collection with
a classic reggae selection.
'Money in My Pocket' by the late Dennis Brown was originally issued in Jamaica on Joe Gibbs Music in 1978, before gaining a UK release on Lightning the following year. I initially had every intention of posting the full 12" version, complete with a brilliant and uncredited toast by Prince Mohammed (check it out here), but recently came across this wonderful live vocal performance from Top of the Pops and instantly knew it had to be the one. How great is this?
'Money in My Pocket' by the late Dennis Brown was originally issued in Jamaica on Joe Gibbs Music in 1978, before gaining a UK release on Lightning the following year. I initially had every intention of posting the full 12" version, complete with a brilliant and uncredited toast by Prince Mohammed (check it out here), but recently came across this wonderful live vocal performance from Top of the Pops and instantly knew it had to be the one. How great is this?
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Lightning Strikes #3 - Jet Bronx & the Forbidden
Day 3 of a haphazard look at singles from my
collection on the Lightning Records label,
finds us in December 1977 with 'Ain't Doin'
Nothin' by Jet Bronx & the Forbidden. It's a
red vinyl 7" that I still notice in charity shops and at car-boot sales from time to time, so I
assume that the 'limited edition' may have
run to substantially more than the 15000
indicated on the sleeve.
The band is a handy one to keep in mind should you ever find yourself in the position of putting together a pub quiz, as their guitarist, and composer of this catchy little number, is the aforementioned Jet Bronx, also known as Loyd Grossman - yep, that Loyd Grossman. I wonder whatever became of that old punk?
The band is a handy one to keep in mind should you ever find yourself in the position of putting together a pub quiz, as their guitarist, and composer of this catchy little number, is the aforementioned Jet Bronx, also known as Loyd Grossman - yep, that Loyd Grossman. I wonder whatever became of that old punk?
Monday, 10 June 2013
Lightning Strikes #1 - Lucy
Flicking through a box of my old 7" singles
recently, I was surprised to find how many
releases I owned on Lightning Records.
Lightning was a Warner Brothers sponsored
independent label in the late 1970's, with
no uniform profile, releasing novelty
singles, proto-NWOBHM, Rock & Roll reissues
and second division punk alongside cutting
edge reggae from the likes of Culture and
the mighty Prince Far-I.
From Monday to Friday this week I'll be featuring a single a day from my box, as originally released on the Lightning label. First up is Lucy with 'Really Got Me Goin'', one of two 1977 singles that form their entire recorded output. A quick glance at existing photos of the band tells you a great deal about the period; unfashionable beards, flares and long hair rub shoulders with ripped tee-shirts, short back & sides and drainpipes - not to mention a glammed up bassist with something of a Steve Priest fixation. It was a confused time! One gets the distinct impression of a band caught between two stools, forced by the changing musical climate to 'punk' their sound up a bit, resulting in a somewhat clunky, but enjoyable approximation of the burgeoning genre .
Guitarist Phil Collen went on to find fame and fortune with Def Leppard - who'd have thunk it?
From Monday to Friday this week I'll be featuring a single a day from my box, as originally released on the Lightning label. First up is Lucy with 'Really Got Me Goin'', one of two 1977 singles that form their entire recorded output. A quick glance at existing photos of the band tells you a great deal about the period; unfashionable beards, flares and long hair rub shoulders with ripped tee-shirts, short back & sides and drainpipes - not to mention a glammed up bassist with something of a Steve Priest fixation. It was a confused time! One gets the distinct impression of a band caught between two stools, forced by the changing musical climate to 'punk' their sound up a bit, resulting in a somewhat clunky, but enjoyable approximation of the burgeoning genre .
Guitarist Phil Collen went on to find fame and fortune with Def Leppard - who'd have thunk it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Greatest Hits
-
Whoever it was that said time passes more quickly the older you get was bang on the money. In October I'll have been living in this plac... -
Cosmic Appalachia isn't a descriptor that you come across every day, though in the case of Eight Point Star's 2021 self-titled debut... -
Devon Irons originally released 'Ketch Vampire' as a 7" single on Lee Perry's Black Art label in 1976, but the following ye... -
In January, a notable anniversary slipped quietly by while I was looking the other way - David Bowie's 'Station to Station' turn... -
Somehow, don't ask me exactly how it happened, I seem to have reached the grand old age of 57. Last time I checked, I could've sw...