Aswad ‎– Next To You - (1990)

Island Records ‎– CIDM 753, Island Records ‎– 875 963-2

Well, the sun is shining so I thought that was a good excuse as any to post up this summertime joint.

Aswad (Arabic for "black") are the UK's premier reggae group, noted for adding strong R&B and soul influences to the reggae sound. They have been around since the mid-1970s, having released a total of 21 albums.

Current members

• Angus "Drummie Zeb" Gaye – vocals, drums (1975–present)
• Tony "Gad" Robinson – vocals, bass, keyboards (1976–present)

Former members

• Brinsley "Dan" Forde – vocals, rhythm guitars (1975–1996, 2009)
• Donald "Dee" Griffiths – lead guitars (1975–1980)
• George "Ras" Oban – bass (1975–1979)
• Courtney "Khaki" Hemmings – keyboards (1975–1976)

Aswad released their most recent material in 2009, with the album City Lock. They released the singles "What Is Love?" and "Do That Thing" in the same year.

These boys are artists of the highest order.

Next To You is such a nice track, taking me back to blazing summer afternoons in the early nineties. This one's thirty years old next year. Feeling old yet?

It feels more R&B than reggae, although with reggae overtones, obviously.  The Roughneck Mix is your extended version, so investigate that if you're into the tune. The Jazz mix ain't really Jazz at all, but does make for a nice variation, being a little more piano driven. The Dimension Dub is a sample fest and also a very competent variation that's worth checking.

Tracklist

1. Next To You
2. Next To You (Roughneck Mix)
3. Next To You (Jazz Mix)
4. Next To You (Dimension Dub Mix)

Download: A-NTY.7z | Filesize: 40MB

Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper - (1994)

Columbia ‎– COL 661047 2, Columbia ‎– 661047 2

I thought long and hard about posting this one on here, it's not soul by any definition (apart from maybe where the sample the tune is built upon comes from (Taana Gardner's 1981 classic Heartbeat)).

I thought I'd post it anyway - it was massive in the clubs at the same time as the other music I post on here was. Screw it, huh?

Ini Kamoze was born Cecil Campbell on 9 October 1957 in Jamaica, and began his career in the early 1980s with serious tracks such as World a Music (Out In The Streets They Call It Murther), as sampled by Damian "Junior Gong" Marley ((son of Bob) on his 2005 anthem Welcome To Jamrock), as well as tracks such as England Be Nice.

This track, specifically the remix, blew up world wide in 1994, scoring him number ones all over the place. The original mix is really interesting, but it's all about that Heartical Mix, fusion reggae masterpiece that it is. 

Big up all crew inna de area!

Tracklist

1. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartical Mix)
2. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartipella)
3. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartimental)
4. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Allaam Mix)
5. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Allaamental)
6. Here Comes The Hotstepper (LP Version)

Download: IK-HCTH.7z | Filesize: 56.6MB

Dawn Penn ‎– You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) - (1994)

Atlantic ‎– A8295CD, Big Beat ‎– 7567-95923-2

Another boom tune, this time a reggae classic.

Dawn Penn (born 1952 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer. She had a short career during the rocksteady era between 1967 and 1969, but is best known for this track, which which became a huge hit worldwide in the nineties.

Originally recorded for Studio One back in 1967 as 'You Don't Love Me', she  re-recorded it  in 1992 for producers Steely & Clevie as 'You Don't Love Me (No No No)' and it hit BIG two years later. 

(Although uncredited, Jackie Mitto's 'Ghetto Organ' (for the beat) and Willie Cobbs' "You Don't Love Me" (for the vocals) which shared strong similarities with Bo Diddley's "She's Fine She's Mine", are both deep within the DNA of this particular song (It's really interesting to literally see/hear the evolution from a blues song to a reggae banger).

Anyway, it's a great track, the lyrics are minimal and arguably slightly repetitive, but it gets away with by virtue of being so damn wicked.

I don't much care for the remix, but it is an interesting curio. 

I go all in with the Extended Mix for maximum goodness.

Tracklist

1. You Don't Love Me (No No No) (Original Radio)
2. You Don't Love Me (No No No) (Extended Mix)
3. You Don't Love Me (No No No) (Remix)
4. You Don't Love Me (No No No) (Instrumental Dub)
5. You Don't Love Me (No No No) (Remix Instrumental)

Download: DP-NNNYDLM.7z | Filesize: 48MB

Supercat - Scalp Dem / South Central (Promo) - (1994)

Columbia ‎– CSK 6430

Perhaps dancehall tracks don't truly belong on the Soul Vendor, but May is my birthday month, and so I'm gonna break the rules a little and indulge myself in some boom tunes from my youth.

Today I'm serving up the awe-inspiring Wu-Tang remix of Scalp Dem by Supercat. 'Cat was big back in '94, with a highly influential style that can still be felt to this day (people like Sean Paul owe Supercat and his peers a huge debt of gratitude). I've always been partial to a bit of ragga but some time in 94 I started hearing this one beat (I think Jazzie B used to use the instrumental for backing music on some of his talkie bits on his Monday night Kiss FM show, back before it was crap) that got under my skin.

This beat sounded like nothing else - eerie string type vibes over some plodding drums. Kinda hypnotic, and when I heard the full version I knew it was a masterpiece. 

So there's the Wu-Tang Mix on here followed by the original Dance Hall Mix. Go Wu-Tang for maximum enjoyment, obviously.

It's backed up with the remix of 'Cat's South Central, which is also incredibly catchy, using the Outstanding loop as its basis. It's a fine track but can't touch the majesty of the Scalp Dem Wu remix.

Wu-Tang forever, baby!

Tracklist

1. Scalp Dem (Wu-Tang Mix)
2. Scalp Dem (Dancehall Mix)
3. South Central (Outstanding Mix)

Download: S-SD-P.7z | Filesize: 27.5MB

Kicking Back With Taxman ‎– Devotion (1990)

10 Records ‎– TENCD 297

Kicking Back's debut single in 1989 was Keep On Trying, which was followed up with this track featuring Taxman doing his raggamuffin thing as per their third (and final) release, the classy Everything which you can check out here.

It's hard to find info about this band but it seems it was producer John Crossley and vocalist Patcee Francis, with both having writing credits. They only released three singles, and I really like all that I've heard from them.

Devotion, much like Everything, is a great reggae/soul hybrid tune. It's sung beautifully and I dig it as much today as I did back in '91. It might have been nice if they'd seen fit to have a version without the ragga vocals of Taxman as the singing really is that nice but it ain't a deal breaker for me.

Both mixes are cool but the 7" version is the classic take on it for me, and is the version I'd recommend. The third track All I Want (Club Mix) is terribly dated and not really to my tastes. It has some rave/old skool ardcore elements but doesn't commit to that fully enough to interest my ears. 

Still, the title track is wicked.

Tracklist

1. Devotion (7" Mix)
2. Devotion (The-Motive Mix)
3. All I Want (Club Mix)

Download : KB-D.7z | Filesize: 33.5MB

Kicking Back - Everything (1990)

Ten Records TENCD 307

Kym says: This is an old 2008 post by Mick. I have it on CDS so I'm re-upping in 320 with fresh artword scans. I adore both Everything and Devotion. Both tracks are wicked. I'll be uploading Kicking Back's two other CD Singles soon as well. Over to Mick x

Featuring Taxman, Kicking Back debuted in 1990 with the single Devotion. It was quickly followed up with this release, Everything, both of which failed to make much of an impact. The only other recording I'm aware of is All I Want, which features on the flipside of the Devotion single.

Everything is a jaunty little soulful tune built on a reggae foundation. Taxman raps in a reggae style (which doesn't appeal to me personally) but the song is soulful, the melody catchy and the female vocal is gorgeous. It's worth a listen guys, it's just a shame nobody done a tax-deductable mix?

Tracklist

1. Everything (Original 7")
2. Everything (Kickin' Mix)
3. Devotion

Download : KB-E.7z | Filesize: 32.3MB

China Black - Searching (original mixes) (1992)

Big One Records ‎– V V BIG 29 CD

Version excursion!

So, Mick posted up the re-release CDS a few years ago, and, as I had it too, I've re-upped it in 320 quality. This, however, is the original mixes CDS.

I won't repeat everything Mick already wrote in his comprehensive write-up for the re-release, so this will be a quick 'n' dirty post.

I fell in love with this track from the very first time I heard it. Errol Reid's sweet vocals paired so well with the great reggae production from Simon Fung & Longsy D. It's such a wicked tune, and it did serious damage on the Reggae charts where it stayed at number one for what felt like forever! I remember listening to Rodigan on Kiss back in the day thinking "my boys have done it again!". For more info, check out Mick's original post linked above.

You really need no remixes of this classic, and nothing on this CD or the re-release can touch the original... but out of all the mixes on either release, the Soft Soul remix on this CD is the pick of the bunch as far as I'm concerned.

Anyone else agree?

Tracklist

1. Searching (Reggae)
2. Searching (Original Soul)
3. Searching (Dub)
4. Searching (Club Soul)
5. Searching (Soft Soul)

Download: CB-S-WC.7z | Filesize: 45.4MB

China Black - Searching (re-release) (1994)

Wild Card Records CARDD7

320kbps re-up!!

China Black were comprised of Errol Reid and Simon Fung. The group first released the song Searching in 1992 which stayed in the reggae chart for 12 weeks at number one and went top 5 in the R&B chart. Unfortunately, their indie record label went bankrupt and the track failed to chart in the UK Top 20. It was re-issued in the summer of 1994, when pop-reggae became the new trend in the British charts and this time made it to number four, selling 350,000 copies in the process.

Although they had good results with other singles (namely Stars) nothing came close to the success of Searching. The Original Mix by Longsy D, a.k.a. Andrew Alexander Long is the most authentic, bearing in mind the track is by nature, written as a reggae song, but the *Mykaell S. Riley Mix is, hands down, the most commercially accessible. The Ronin Mix tries, with some success, for the RnB style and Heavy Tactic go for the Dubby Trip Hop route. A song this infectious is hard to spoil but Full Force (Peter DiOrio not Bowlegged Lou) have a good go.

Birmingham born Errol Reid, has enjoyed a successful career in the music industry. Errol started singing at school and has since written for many well known artists. During his career he has appeared on many TV shows like BBC TV Children in Need, Princess Diana's Concert of Hope and many many more. During his time with China Black he toured all the major arenas of the world and sung duets with Robin Gibb on his world tour and also the late Barry White. Simon Fung turned his attention to songwriting, signing to Peermusic (one of the biggest independent publishers in the world) and working with various producers, writers and artists, such as Blue, Atomic Kitten and Natasha Bedingfield whilst also setting up his own record label as well as TV and film work.

Tracklist

1. Searching (Mykaell S. Riley Mix)
2. Searching (Original Longsy D Mix)
3. Searching (Ronin Mix)
4. Searching (Full Force Mix)
5. Searching (Heavy Tactic Mix)

Download: CB-S-BO.7z Filesize: 49.3 MB

*Trivia:

Mykaell S. Riley has worked for artists such as Soul II Soul, Courtney Pine and a host of others. He began with Steel Pulse before moving on to found the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. His career spans over twenty years, during which he has performed, produced, managed and consulted on many artists and their projects. As a professional writer/producer, his work encompasses TV, Film and Theatre, but mainly albums, over thirty of them - resulting in over nine top twenty positions, and three number ones. A Senior Lecturer in Music Production at the University of Westminster, Mykaell is also Senior Trustee for the Black Music Education Trust, a new initiative borne out of the need to document the history of black music.