The now 73-year-old roots reggae singer Horace Hinds, better known to all of us as Horace 'Sleepy' Andy, is still active. He has just released the album "Timeless Roots“ was released.
He recorded his first single in 1967 for the producer Phil Pratt. But "This is a Black Man's Country" was unsuccessful. It was not until 1970 that he had his big breakthrough. After an unsuccessful audition in Coxsone Dodd's Studio One as a duo with Frank Melody, he tried again a few days later on his own and was successful. The 70s were Horace Andy's most productive time. With his unmistakable falsetto singing style, he sang on countless classic productions for reggae producers such as King Tubby, Everton DaSilva, Gussie Clarke, Lloyd 'Bullwackie' Barnes, Bunny 'Striker' Lee, Tad Dawkins, Prince Jammy and he recorded for Keith Hudson. z. B. "Don't think about me". At the end of the 1980s, things became a little quieter for Horace Andy. Through his collaboration with the trip hop pioneers Massive Attack, he won a new generation of fans in the 1990s. In the following years, he continued to record new music. In 1999, the album "Living in the Flood" was released on Massive Attack's Melankolic label. He also recorded albums for Mad Professor, Jah Shaka and Bunny Gemini and was part of the world music project "1 Giant Leap". In 2007, he released the impressive album "Livin' It Up" with the riddim twins Sly & Robbie. As mentioned at the beginning, Horace Andy is still active and tours all over the world.
The album "Horace Andy: Showcase“ (TADs) is actually a collection of singles that were originally released in 1980 and then in 1984 by Vista in a sonically improved version. Now there is a re-release deluxe edition with 12 tracks. All well-known riddims and classics that show Horace Andy at his best. We hear a great “Shank I Sheck” riddim and “Strictly Rub A Dub“ represents the Heavenless Riddim. The next roots tunes “Chant Rastaman Chant” and “Dub Chant” leave no room for doubt, because this is the Burial Riddim. The backing band are the Roots Radics and the album was mixed by Sylvan Morris and Tad A. Dawkins. Only the opener “Cus Cus” with its “Chatty Chatty Dub“ is a Harry J. production. But somehow these details and my hearing make me a little suspicious, because the sound of the tracks and especially the 12 Dubs may also have been mixed by Scientist.
Whether Sylvan Morris and Tad A. Dawkins or Scientist mixed this beautiful album is actually secondary. Much more important is what we are offered at the end of the day, and that is simply excellent.
7 Responses to “Horace Andy: Showcase (Deluxe Edition)”
That's what I mean!
This version and especially this DubVersions are the main reason why we met here. These are (among other things) the riddims that are immortal and “unbreakable”. It always fascinates me how even such a “simple” riddim like
who in the “Bandulu Dub“ can have such a powerful and spiritual effect on me. I lie at the feet of this groove and worship it more than Haile Selassie himself. Oops, how did that sentence slip out again? I'll have to think about it again, but until then, it'll stay like this...
I don't really care who ends up with the hot Dubs mixes. Whether Sylvan Morris, TA Dawkins, Scientist or Haris Pilton … but especially in “Bandalu Dub“ Something happens again that I have to attribute to Sylvan Morris. It beeps!!! …… (occasionally but still far too often). I can't write down the words that come to mind. That would get me thrown out. (WTF)
I am so sure because Sylvan Morris is the best Dub of all time by Cuss Cuss with Lloyd Robinson, for me completely ruined. The song is still great, as it was on the first day. The following showcase style Dub For me, it is the revelation of the Gospel of Thomas (a bit of theatricality is necessary), until...
yes, until Gildo Horn interferes, or rather beeps, in the most horrible way. Since the tune is from Studio One and Sylvan Morris was the chief engineer at Studio One, he is, in my opinion, the main suspect for this brutal and underhanded rhythm murder. Sorry, but I will never forgive him for that. Otherwise, everything is fine with Sylvan and me. But if anyone knows this old original riddim without the "sputnik sound", I would be more than happy. Yes, I also have a really cool version by Harry J on a "Liquidator Sampler", of the Cuss Cuss Riddim, but before I list all the versions that I have and know of this riddim, I'll try to get to the point. (You can see the full stop at the end of the sentence ;-) ... I forgot the actual full stop ). Anyway, on with the text.
I didn't want to spend so long on the "Bandalu Riddim", it's better for the Jamaican DJs to do that, but I'm inclined to be a "wise old know-it-all" again. Or maybe I'll be proven wrong again. When and where the riddim first appeared, others probably know much better than me, but I know it in the version by Black Uhuru as "Shine Eye Gal" and that should actually be Sly and Robbie and not the Roots Radics, shouldn't it? So it's more of a question from me and I really don't want to lecture you, RasVorbei ;-)
But maybe I just made a mistake in interpretation and your announcement about the Roots Radics only refers to the “Burial Riddim”…
Yes, you can see how important riddims are (and not only) for me! You can spend your whole life with them.
And to somehow get to the point, I will write that I have not found a single weak moment in the riddims and I certainly will not find one. “Pathetic”
at the “Bandalu”. But the Dub Overall, it's just too good to put up with the beeping for as long as I did.
For me, everyone is blessed in a certain way who has all these singles with the Dubversions on the B-side
(sometimes also A-side) from the record shelf at home and then (not without a certain amount of pride) put the needle into the crackling groove.
Unlike streaming, THAT alone would be a cultural event for me.
Apart from that, I have to admit that Horace Andy really depends on how I feel that day. I don't find his falsetto nearly as bad as many others, but I only love falsetto from EEK A MOUSE!
“Wake Up The Country!” Wake Up The Town!
The Champion Sound Is Aroun' … “ EEK A MOUSE & King Kong !!!
Yeah man! I love it …………………… lemmi
“The backing band is the Roots Radics and the album was mixed by Sylvan Morris and Tad A. Dawkins.”
Hi lemmi, that's what it says on the cover of my Vista Sounds LP.
All Rhythm laid at Channel One Studio. All Tracks laid by Roots Radics Band feat. Errol “Flabba” Holt.
Hmmmh yes, I don't know if this conversation really belongs here but I can't think of a real reason why it shouldn't, except that I might want to know a bit too much. But whatever, I think this album definitely deserves more than just two comments.
I assume that you do not want to buy this album as a double album with all these DubVersions on your record shelf. If so, congratulations! You would be living my dream while I continue to dream.
Clearly, Style Scott and Errol "Flabba" Holt are almost visible in almost all of the tunes. I can practically see them in front of me, playing all of these fine riddims. Sorry if I didn't mention the other band members. But I think that they have included a few additional versions in this deluxe version to make it exciting for all of those who already have the Roots album. I don't have the Roots album but I also find this deluxe edition extremely exciting.
And I find it equally exciting to realize that “Bandalu Dub“ could NOT (!) be by Sly and Robbie, but by the Roots Radics. As an old “reggae hand” I have developed a certain expectation of myself to be able to hear the difference between these bands. Even if I have often had to suffer defeat.
Then there is this awesome version of “Aint no sunshine” on the riddim of “Best Dressed Chicken In Town” of which there is also a fantastic (vocal) version on the Doctor Alimantado album.Dubversion which, according to the cover, is attributed to Lee "Scratch" Perry. Which I found very hard to believe at first, but it makes sense. OK, I'm outing myself as a philistine in more ways than one, because of course I should have looked at my cover at home first to see who was playing the instruments on "Best Dressed Chicken In Town". It's also perhaps strange that I've never really been interested in the names of the riddims. There probably isn't even a riddim called "Best Dressed Chicken...", but I don't care, the main thing is that you know what I mean. Nevertheless, I find it strange that a riddim junky like me doesn't know exactly what every riddim is called. But I still don't care.
And Cus Cus and the Dub This should have been recorded by the Harry J. Allstars, which is what you wrote, as I just read again ;-)
And some of the information may also make you a little suspicious if you try to reconcile it with your absolute pitch.
Well, it is of course penny-pinching (or something like that) if I now also write that I have never read “Cus Cus” spelled the way it is written on Spotify.
Basically, I have the feeling that I have only been dancing around the “Bandalu Riddim” and so I would like to write something useful. I feel the same as you and I suspect most people feel the same. Dubs that the scientist was sitting at the controls. And I think it is particularly nice that there is not as much “rustling” here as with so many Roots Radics tunes and Dubs, which were considered the "non plus ultra" for a certain time in the Channel One studio. You may be able to spontaneously throw at least 10000 counterexamples onto my screen, but I know Scientist primarily without this "inhuman" rustling. The rustling sounds to me more like a rattlesnake than an engineer who knows his craft. (A small "yellow-worthy" revenge on my part against Channel No.1, who have made many good tunes - for me - unpalatable).
And I don't mind the fact that Burning Spear has worn shoes made of snake skin... (at least that's what they looked like to me). I don't need snakes. Not in the wild, not on the highway and certainly not in front of the elevators at the Eiffel Tower. But they might taste pretty good...
Ok, before I do another snake dance, I say goodbye and have fun and good feelings with “Horace Andy Deluxe”…. lemmi
Originally these ten tracks were on the album:
A1 – Cus Cus – Producer: Harry J. Johnson
A2 – Money Money
A3 – Cherry-O-Baby
A4 – Shank-I-Sheck
A5 – Strictly Rub A Dub
B1 – Chant Rastaman Chant
B2 – Babylon System
B3 – Jah Love Light
B4 – Aint No Sunshine
B5 – Something's On My Mind
The other 12 tracks are an encore. No, my album is not a Do-LP, it only has the 10 tracks mentioned above on it.
Bravo lemmi! While I was writing this I was still wondering whether I should mention the riddim of “Best Dressed Chicken In Town”. But I thought to myself: “Maybe someone will recognise it.” How could it be otherwise?: The cannasseur, er, connoisseur lemmi hears it immediately.
The “Best Dressed Chicken In Town” track is a Lee Perry production and Dr. Alimantado’s album is the very first Greensleeves album ever.
High Ras Vorbei !
Thank you very much for your additional information! And thank you for your praise! Every now and then, a little praise does me good. Otherwise, I always just praise myself ;-)
Life is not always easy as a “cannasseur” ;-)
Wonderful! I love such neologisms!
“Thank God Its Friday” by Morgen Freeman, I also know it from you Ras Vorbei ! I really like this tune ;-)
“Sun Is Shining and the weather is sweet, it makes you gonna move your dancing feet” ……. lemmi
“Ain't No Sunshine” is the riddim – “Best Dressed Chicken In Town” is the song. Originally from 1971 by Bill Withers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuKfiH0Scao&ab_channel=BillWithersVEVO
Ken Boothe's version dates from 1972:
Oh yeah!
I'm melting! I didn't know that version either. In 1972 I was still too young for reggae, but Big Six by Judge Dread was already one of my favorite tunes. But I was so "open minded" back then that I could listen to a Heino tune without any problems and without feeling bad. That's why I often ask myself today why people always want to be so "open minded". I don't see any advantages in that.
But Ken Boothe's version is also a delight for me.
Ken Boothe has one of the finest voices that has ever come out of Jamaica. And the riddim is just pure groove. I got goosebumps from the first to the last note.
If you look at the DubIf I were to listen to the version, if there is one (?), I would become a shaman without any training. That's how I put it.
Thank you for the very informative answer! ……………… lemmi