John Masouri

"All of the songs on the Sweet And Dandy  LP were originals except for ‘We Shall Overcome’, and every hit mentioned above was included except for ‘Do The Reggay’. Also present was the gospel-powered R&B number ‘I Shall Be Free’, the lively dance tracks ‘Bla, Bla, Bla’ and ‘Alidina’, a slow ballad called ‘I Need Your Love’ and the rousing ‘Oh Yeah’, on which they call for a reconciliation. It’s been more than half a century since these tracks were first recorded, and this viny

"The Gay Lads were described as “the greatest singing group in the West Indies” after recording this 1970 album for Beverley’s. That was some accolade considering the competition, and especially since Bob Marley and the Wailers were also part of Leslie Kong’s stable at the time. The Gaylads, led by Harris “BB” Seaton, had established themselves as regular hitmakers at Studio One, and were at their peak when walking through the doors of the Beverley’s Record Den in Kingston wh

"‘007 (Shanty Town)’ had kickstarted his run of hits in the UK two years earlier, but it was ‘Israelites’ that propelled him to international fame. Both singles originally appeared on the Beverley’s label owned by Leslie Kong, who was the most successful Jamaican record producer of the early reggae era. The Kingston born Dekker made his debut for Beverley’s in 1963 and remained loyal to Kong thereafter. Both men were then rewarded handsomely when ‘Israelites’   became the fir

"Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’ was the first international hit by a Jamaican artist, but in truth it was a cover of an American song recorded in London and released on a UK label. British pop fans didn’t get a taste of the real Jamaican sound until three years later when first Prince Buster, then Desmond Dekker, broke into the UK Top 20 with ‘Al Capone’ and ‘007 (Shanty Town)’ respectively. Whilst Millie and Buster soon fell by the wayside where British chart success was c

It’s been forty-five years since reggae producer Dennis Bovell took Dub Band stalwarts Nick Straker and John Kpiaye, together with...

This is the album with Sister Nancy's best-known hit on it - the iconic Bam Bam , which can still be heard in reggae dances and playlists...

I was honoured to write the liner notes for VP Records' important new retrospective of Hugh "Red Man" James' mid-to-late 80s' dancehall...

.At last! Thanks to director Martin Disney for commissioning me to write the liner notes for this first official release of Bob Marley...

EXTRACT Cocoa Tea is sat on a small wicker chair in Bobby Digital's front garden. It's mid-afternoon and the studio hasn't come to life...

Bobby Digital is a key figure in dancehall music's international breakthrough. When I first visited him in the early nineties he'd...