Harlem Shuffle Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Rocksteady era combo The Bleechers put out a lot of music in a short period of time, with the entirety of their bustling catalogue recorded and released between 1968 and'71. For much of that period they were associated with the Upsetter himself, the late Lee 'Scratch' Perry, and it's two of his productions for the act that are showcased on this Harlem Shuffle 7". Originally released via Upsetter Records in 1969, and tricly to find ever since, 'Come Into My Parlour' is a jaunty, organ-rich affair in which soulful vocals and heady Hammond licks rise above a classic, late-60s Upsetter groove. B-side 'Check Him Out' is equally as alluring, with an arguably stronger vocal and more prominent guitar licks replacing the pair's favoured Hammond B3.

Review: The Harlem Shuffle label comes through with another one of its well chosen and crucial 7"s, this time from Carl Dawkins. As always with this label it is a highly sought after tune that was first only ever put out as a B-side to the One Dollar Of Music release. It's a fat and chunky rhythm with rolling drums and earthy acoustic guitars, impassioned vocals from Dawkins and plenty of sunny vibes. On the flip is 'Hot & Sticky' which is a little more upright but just as hot and steamy.

Review: The Versatiles were a Jamaican reggae group whose expression hardly matched the stereotype of a musician working in the style nowadays; they wore matching white suits and bow-ties, and worked in a more jubilant, clean-cut style than what we're used to. 'Lulu Bell' is a rare and much-sought-after original from the band, released in 1969 and not released on a single reissue since. The B-side on this reissue from Harlem Shuffle, 'Long Long Time', is similarly rare, and it lyrically urges generational communities to come together in song and dance.

Review: Standby for some more classic ska from the good folks at Harlem Shuffle. This reissue is of an essential double sider that first landed on Crystal in 1967. Crystal was owned by Jamaican producer Derrick Harriott, who also produced both of these great tunes. As well as his rolling rhythm and essential horn sounds, the tunes have outstanding vocals from the duo of Lloyd and Glen. 'That Girl' is a red hot jam that is very hard to find and super expensive if you do. On the flip, Lloyd and Glen serve up a love song with aching vocals and more big horns. An essential 7" by any measure.

Review: Here's a supremely rare slice of rocksteady from the annals of Jamaican music history. The Slickers originally released Run Fattie / Hoola Bulla on Trojan back in 1969, and it's easy to hear why it's such a sought after track. Leslie Kong's production brings out the scratchy shuffle of the guitars to perfection, while the harmonising vocals go down oh so smooth. Both 'Run Fattie' and 'Hoola Bulla' are bursting with sunkissed joy, and now the single has been repressed by Harlem Shuffle, so cop yourself a little piece of Caribbean magic and get your skank on.

Review: This killer double sided single form 1968 finds its way onto 7" for the first time ever. Back then it was actually put out as a blank label and was mistakenly credited to The Bleachers, ratter than The Race Fans who actually wrote it. On the B-side is a totally different tune, 'Bookie Man,' which is a gem in its own right. A rare sound and killer groove, it's a great yin to the yang of the a-side and this is the first time both of these have been pressed up together at the same time.

Review: Harlem Shuffle Records only deals in the good stuff and that is certainly the case again here with another killer double sider. This is also a historic first repress of the rare and extremely fine 'Good Time Rock.' A hard to find, much coveted tune, it is a rocking dub rhythm that has never before been on 7" vinyl. On the flip is another hard to find and crucial tune from Hugh Malcom who lays it down heavy and keeps you locked for the duration.

Review: Harlem Shuffle Records' mission is to legitimately reissue killer 60s and 70's tracks and it sticks to that mantra here. This tidy 7" heads all the way back to 1969 for The Cobb's 'Joe Gibbs Mood', which was procured by the eponymous Joe Gibbs, who grew up in Montego Bay then Kingston, and brings all those reggae flavours to this tune. The earthy riffs, organ leads, wobbling drums all get you deep in the riddim. On the flip is 'Hot Buttered Corn', a busier and more upbeat version that has those shimmering organs front and centre in the mix.

Review: Here comes a new V/A that toys with a great idea - there are no real "covers". Everything is a remix, so all musicians are "undercover'. Harlem Shuffle present this compilation to us as a convincing corollary. Many Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady musicians from the 1960s were fascinated by genres from jazz to rock to film soundtracks, and covered them readily. The twist is that none of these covers are of well-known pop songs; selected by expert DJ Helea, all are carefully picked to highlight Jamaican musicians' knowledge and enthusiasm for underground and lesser-known music from across the board.

Review: Harlem Shuffle present the first 7" re-release of a legendary late 60s reggae cut with a fascinating backstory. Both sides are credited to Joe Gibbs on the buttons, but there has always been debate about who is singing on 'People Grudgeful' and 'Pan Ya Machete'. The smart money is on it being The Pioneers, not least given the A side tune is a sharp riposte to Lee 'Scratch' Perry taking a pop at the group on his track 'People Funny Boy'. It's heartening to know there were beef tracks even back then, no matter how sweet the ska skank sounds on record.

Review: Dice The Boss (Hopeton Reid) is a rags to riches story in music.Coming from a very poor area in Kingston Jamaica to then emigrating to London in the late 60s where he MC-ed for Duke Vin & recorded many great records for the UK/Jamaican booming new Reggae market in its infancy on the shoulders of the Bluebeat & Ska & Rock Steady music scene. Two of those early classics are 'Tea House From Emperor Roscoe' and 'Brixton Cat'.from 1969 and 1970 respectfully. Both influential and very rare to be had on an original physical copy. Thankfully, Harlem Shuffle is here to make these gems more available.

Review: It's time to do the Harlem Shuffle once more here and lock into the rhythms of Ray Martell. His 'She Caught The Train' is something of an early reggae classic that now makes its way onto 7" vinyl for the first time. It was originally released in 1970 on the Trojan sub-label Joe in the UK and then rose to fame once more as a cover version from UB40 in 1983. The original has been on a load of compilations but has never stood alone on wax. When it came first as a single it was backed with 'Tea House From Emperor Roscoe' by Dice The Boss but here the label adds a super rare Ray Martell song in the form of 'Cora'.

Review: Since launching late last year, Harlem Shuffle Records has reissued a string of killer reggae recordings from the 1960s and 70's. Here the imprint offers up its first compilation, a 14-track selection of early reggae, dub and rocksteady hand-picked from the vaults of such legendary labels as Black Swan, Blue Cat, Duke, Doctor Bird, High Note and Trojan. It's a fine and hugely entertaining collection all told, with highlights including the easy, laidback skank of Stranger & Patsy's 'Tell it to Me', the trumpet-laden instrumental shuffle of 'Walk With Des' by Des All Stars, the Hammond-powered dancefloor heaviness of Clancy Collins' 'Brother Moses' and the prototype dub brilliance of 'Black Out' by the Hardy Boys.

Review: Harlem Shuffle knows what's up when it comes to reggae and few labels did it better than the legendary Trojan Records. The ongoing Hot Sauce series hits a fourth volume here with another red hot mix of gems from Trojan's vast vaults and plenty of classics sit next to a few lesser-known delights. Standouts come thick and fast but include a levied up vibe from The Rulers & The Carib Beats on 'Let My People Go (As The JJ All Stars)', a keys lead wobbler from The Hippy Boys on 'Wondering' and Dennis Alcapone who is in fine form delivery his patois over fat drums on 'Shades Of Hudson.'

Review: Harlem Shuffle's third volume of standout rocksteady, boss and early reggae tunes is another jam-packed collection of rare tunes, overlooked delights and hidden joys. Cornerstone labels like Amalgamated, Duke, Gayfeet, Grape, Harry J, Rio, Randy's, Treasure Isle, Upsetter and Trojan are all represented and the sequencing is masterful so that this record tells a real story as it plays out and builds the mood nicely. The results are diverse and paint a fine picture of this golden era of reggae. Here's hoping there are more volumes to come.