Although the Gladiators' career spanned more than 40 years, in my opinion, they weren't at the forefront of Jamaican vocal trios. Nevertheless, the Gladiators masterfully navigated the evolution of Jamaican music, from rocksteady to roots music to modern reggae. Like many bands, they had their heyday from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.
With the publication of “Gladiators: Roots Natty(Tabou1) For Record Store Day, reggae fans will receive a beautiful compilation of some of their early pieces from the heyday of the roots era, when Tony Robinson was still producing the Gladiators. The only exception is the opener "Give Thanks And Praise" – a rare Yabby You production. The lead vocals are by Clinton Fearon and the toast that follows seamlessly features DJ Trinity aka Junior Brammer, who passed away in April 2021. Most of the 11 tracks on "Roots Natty" are rare Jamaican singles and maxis that were previously unavailable on LP or digitally. The album also features original members Albert Griffiths, Clinton Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland. Overall, "Roots Natty" represents the essence of fine, timeless Jamaican music. The compilation undoubtedly contains one or two pieces that you have never heard before. Most people will surely know “Jah O Jah O,” one of the most rousing tracks on the album, with its dirty, fat bassline and instantly recognizable chorus. Less well-known are the Dubversion of "Till I Kiss You" or the ganja anthem "Light Up Your Spliff." With only 11 tracks in total, "Roots Natty" is a bit short, but I like everything about this release. Great Gladiators vocals, plus some bonus tracks.Dubs of "Give Thanks" and "Nyabinghi Marching." All previously unreleased recordings, extended versions, and Jamaican mixes that supposedly sound harder, dirtier, and bassier than what was produced for the rest of the Western music market.
In summary, these recordings, originally released in small, exclusive editions in Jamaica, perfectly represent the unvarnished, authentic energy of the Gladiators.
4 replies to “Gladiators: Roots Natty”
I have to admit, none of the songs on "Roots Natty" compare to my previous Gladiators highlights. "Bongo Red" and "Naturality" are my absolute top Gladiators favorites. "Bongo Red," in the old Studio One version, still blows me away the most. (Nothing more? Lemmi?) There are a few more, like "Guts" and/or "Streets of Freedom." And a lot more besides. And I definitely can't forget "Stick a Bush." Stop and rewind!
I'll start again. I can't just leave it like this. "Nyahbingi marching on + DubVersion" is currently conquering my heart. I didn't know this tune or rather this version before. Hearing it twice was enough to make it one of my top favorites. A long-kept secret has now been revealed to me, too. "Miss Till I Kiss" by U-Roy and Jimmy London is one of my greatest tunes, and belongs at almost every dance. "Almost" because I didn't always have it with me on my inna box, but basically it's always a must. I find it so crazy that I can't quite get enough of the original version by the Gladiators. But hearing it here in the Gladiators version is definitely a huge broadener for me. DubVersions, which are clearly the dominant ones on the album, I can only say that for me they definitely sound “harder, dirtier and bassier” than what I usually hear on Dubs from the Gladiators, which isn't much though.
But at Studio One there are also some really nice, dirty Dubs from the Gladiators …….. if I am not mistaken. Yes, here is DubBlog! A certain amount of dirt can sometimes be perceived as BEAUTIFUL.
I find it DubMix so good that I would be very interested to know who was sitting at the controls and gave us this beautiful version of aggressive Dub Since it is a single compilation, it could of course be different DubWizards and if it is mentioned somewhere in the review, please forgive me for overlooking it.
Greetings ……………… lemmy
Hi lemmi, somewhere it said that Errol Thompson was responsible for the Dubs responsible. However, since the Jamaicans weren't particularly scrupulous about documenting the people involved, I'm not entirely sure if that's the case. For the albums produced by Tony Robinson, Sylvan Morris was usually at the mixing desk. He might also have tinkered with the controls. If anyone knows better, please let me know!
sure, of course Ras Vorbei !
Errol Thompson and Sylvan Morris! You can hear it ;-)
No, I'm just kidding again! But it's entirely possible that the two of them had a hand in it.
Thanks for answering my question. Perhaps someone out there in the vast "InfoTarantel" network actually knows more.
So long…………… lemmi
I don't remember for sure, but I have a feeling where ras past read it
https://taxitabou1.bandcamp.com/album/roots-natty-2