6 Mix: Adrian Sherwood

I'm guessing that as part of the On-U Sound 30 year anniversary celebrations, this is another example of (the rather belated) recognition of the label's, and of course Mr. Sherwood's, fantastic contribution to our musical education.

An eclectic 2 hour mix, broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music on Saturday 28 January 2012 at 22:00.

While much of it will be familiar to On-U Sound aficionados (African Head Charge, Mark Stewart, Bim Sherman, New Age Steppers, Gary Clail), there's also some tasters from Adrian's forthcoming album, and other rarities that, to the best of my knowledge, are not available elsewhere (the Congo Natty dubplate of Max Romeo's all time classic Chase The Devil and Adrian's own dubplate of Caspa's Where's My Money?).

Oh, and an Arabic version of Bob Marley's War...

Well worth a listen. And that's the understatement of the year.

1. African Head Charge: Take Heed... & Smoke Up Your Collyweed
2. Lee 'Scratch' Perry: God Smiled (Moody Boyz Remix)
3. Caspa: Where's My Money? (Adrian Sherwood Dubplate Version)
4. Codec & Flexor: Time Has Changed
5. Mark Stewart Vs. Primal Scream: Autonomia
6. Primal Scream: Ju-87
7. Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Like The Way You Should (Digital Mystikz Remix)
8. Adrian Sherwood: Untitled 1 (from forthcoming album)
9. Adrian Sherwood: Untitled 2 (from forthcoming album)
10. Bim Sherman: Golden Locks (Original Version)
11. Bim Sherman: Golden Locks (Acoustic Version)
12. Adrian Sherwood: The Law Of Man (from forthcoming album)
13. Harry Beckett: The Storyteller
14. Harry Beckett: Something Special
15. Crispy Horns: Metropolis
16. Gary Clail & On-U Sound System: Two Thieves & A Liar
17. Jeb Loy Nichols: To Be Rich (Should Be A Crime)
18. Samia Farah & Neyssatou: War
19. New Age Steppers: The Scheiße Song
20. New Age Steppers: Conquer (featuring Ari Up)
21. Andy Fairley: Jack The Biscuit
22. New Age Steppers: My Nerves
23. Mark Stewart: Gang War
24. Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Jungle Youth (Congo Natty Remix)
25. Max Romeo: Chase The Devil (Congo Natty Dubplate)
26. Adrian Sherwood: A Piece Of The Earth (featuring Little Roy)
27. Adrian Sherwood: U Are Sound
28. Mark Stewart: Jerusalem

Download Part 1
Download Part 2

Landing Party

Reminded of Radical Dance Faction by Roy Rocket's recent post, and as a result just ripped this from vinyl.

Have to admit when I first got my USB turntable, two R.D.F. albums found their way onto it fairly quickly, Borderline Cases and Wasteland. Sadly, at the time these turned out to be in the "nostalgia's not what it used to be" category, so never bothered with this 12".

Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty. This actually stands up pretty well, once you've got used to Chris Bowsher's style, and are feeling receptive to the political/social overtones.

Gary Clail sounds like Maggie compared to this...

A1 Landing Party

B1 Landing Party (Short Version)
B2 Riverwise II

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Escape

The last of the Clail triumvirate, and a fine way to round things off it is too.

Escape is not a straight lift off The Emotional Hooligan, as it's nearly a minute shorter. Sounds like they simply faded out the album version at around 3:30. What a strange decision.

Thankfully, Escape (On The Mix) redeems this miserliness, and things are rounded off solidly by False Leader (Parts 1 & 2), featuring the ever popular Marcus Garvey Dread sample from Big Youth's Dreadlocks Dread.

1 Escape
2 Escape (On The Mix)
3 False Leader (Parts 1 & 2)

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These Things Are Worth Fighting For

Until I looked carefully, I thought I had just picked up the CD version of the 12" I already own, but I was only partially right. The 12" and this CD share the following tracks:

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)

But the CD has these two mixes which are not on the 12":

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Club Mix)
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (On-U Sound Mix)

The 12" has this mix which is not on the CD, but is on the These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix) version:

These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)

Honestly, I hope no one accuses the record industry of taking advantage of those of an anal disposition, because as we can see from above this would be wholly unwarranted.

Anyway, here's the lot, I'll leave it to you to resolve any duplication...

1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)
3 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)
4 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Club Mix)
5 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (On-U Sound Mix)

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These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix)

I'd already heard the Lion Rock Mix II version of this (it's on the 12" I previously posted) so I was looking forward to the others, to see what magic Mr. Robertson had been able to weave.

Pretty good they are too.Lion Rock Mix IV really chugs along nicely, and the break around 2:10 in the Prankster Mix I really hits the spot.

Probably one for the Gary Clail and/or Justin Robertson completists, but worth a listen nonetheless:

1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)
2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix IV)
3 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Prankster Mix I)
4 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Prankster Mix III)

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Oxfordshire Market Town Defies Expectations...

I wouldn't normally look to bore anyone with the minutiae of my life, but today was such a surprise I'm willing to break my self-imposed rule on this.

Picture the scene: a sleepy Oxfordshire market town; I'm there to complete some tedious shopping (personal hygiene products etc.); the weather is unseasonably warm.

On the off-chance, I venture into a well known charity shop. I've been here before, and the audio items on offer have been the normal uninspiring candidates: Westlife, S Club 7, Kylie etc. etc.

On this occasion, however, things are different. At the front of the normally piss-poor collection of CD's is Lionrock's Carnival - I've been looking for this for ages, both on-line and in the real world. Next I discover Tripwire by the same esteemed artists. My pulse quickens (such is the banality of my life).

It becomes clear that someone's collection of early 90's CD singles has somehow ended up here. They are either a music lover who has lost the faith, or whose other half has chosen to punish them for unknown misdemeanours.

No one gives this stuff away, at least not if they are in their right mind. Here's my haul in full:

Gary Clail & On-U Sound System:

Escape
These Things Are Worth Fighting For
These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Justin Robertson Remix)

Leftfield:

The Afro Left E.P.

Lionrock:

Tripwire
Carnival

Pop Will Eat Itself:

Karmadrome
Bulletproof!

Sheep On Drugs:

TV USA
Track X E.P.
Motorbike/Mary Jane

System 7:

Habibi

Once I've burned them, and worked out what's not been posted before (or is available to purchase) I'll share my good fortune.

Charity's never been so good...

Human Nature 12"

What a cracking tune.

From the Emotional Hooligan album, his most consistent product along with End Of The Century Party.

As a bonus, you get to enjoy Bim Sherman's dulcet tones on Rumours.

A1 Human Nature (On The Mix)

B1 Rumours

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Who Pays The Piper? 12"

Yet more dance from the Bristolian roofer, although a confusing message as I can't imagine Gary being averse to the odd cheeky one.

Another track from the Dreamstealers album, probably the only other besides These Things Are Worth Fighting For that stands up for itself. Superb music though,

What can those biscuit shaped items on the sleeve be?

A1 Who Pays The Piper? (Perfecto Mix)

B1 Who Pays The Piper? (On-U Sound Mix)
B2 Who Pays The Piper? (Trance Mix)

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These Things Are Worth Fighting For 12"

Taken from Clail's Dreamstealers album, this is a pretty good track, with some interesting mixes. The rest of the album was somewhat hit and miss. Actually, it was mainly miss.

By this time, Clail had embraced dance music more than ever before, and the mixes here are evidence of that. Sadly, despite the presence of Justin Robertson on the first track on the B-side, the mix doesn't really do him or Lionrock justice, although it does pick up at about the six minute mark.

However, Clail's agit-pop is always entertaining, and this is no exception. Pick of the bunch for me? The Young Gods Radio Mix. Shame it's so short...

A1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Mix)
A2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Perfecto Radio Mix)

B1 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Lion Rock Mix II)
B2 These Things Are Worth Fighting For (Young Gods Radio Mix)

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Two Thieves & A Liar

Taken from Clail's End Of The Century Party album, it seems only right to draw to the attention of those not familiar with his body of work this absolute gem.

I wouldn't normally consider posting a single track, concentrating as I do on posting complete vinyl that I own, but given the current economic situation, the samples on this track are just too apt. I would love to know where they come from - I've read various theories, including that the voice is that of some East End gangster talking on a documentary about Canary Wharf. If anyone knows for sure, please share your knowledge with the world...

Whoever it is, they should be congratulated on their foresight - wise words indeed. So wise, in fact, that I will quote them here verbatim (the numbers shown are the timings in the track of the two soliloquies). Emphasis (in bold) added by myself.

00:12 - 00:31 "I've had a few dealings in the City, met a number of stockbrokers, and I can tell you in all my life I've never seen such dishonesty and greed. It's like a big betting shop, a bookies, a casino, where they're all screwing each other and the rest of the world."

02:45 - 03:40 "When the Jewish and Italian communities went to America, right, they landed in a new country that was ripe for organisation and for rackets. Now in this country, that's not possible, because the big power, the real money, the real rackets, have been going over here for hundreds of years; they're all stitched up, been passed on from generation to generation; and the American gangsters, right, they're still struggling to get the respectability that they're after; but we've had three centuries head start on those buggers, and look haven't we done a beautiful job of it an' all. I'll bet you, there are millions of people, right, who think that the blokes who work here in the City are really good blokes, hard working, who've got the economy of this nation deep in their heart. What a load of cobblers. It's the best confidence trick in history."

Enjoy.

Download

The Emotional Hooligan (Promo) 12"

Simply a great track, off a great album.

As a Dub Syndicate stalwart, I view this is the very lovable red-headed step-child of a collaboration; the album reverberates with Style and co.'s quality. Melded with Clail's left-leaning Bristolian-accented lyrics, still makes me smile 16 years later.

This 12", which teems with surreal dog bark samples, is irresistible. I defy anyone not to find their lower limbs at least twitching to this:

A1. The Emotional Hooligan

B1. Crocodile Eyes
B2. The Emotional Hooligan (Dub Wize Mix)

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On-U Sound...

Along with the subjects of earlier posts, there has been a common thread running through my musical life, that being the On-U Sound label/collective/sound system.

Much has been written of the genius of Senor Sherwood, and I doubt that I can add to the more erudite musings of others, so I won't try.

What I will do, however, is post some of what I hope is the finer output of said label/collective/sound system. I am sure I will also post some slightly more questionable On-U Sound productions, for the sake of completeness...

There are a number of things of which I am certain:

1. Not all of it will be to everyone's liking.
2. All of what I will post is to my liking.

Will begin with a series of Gary Clail-centric posts, not least because he is the closest Adrian and co. had to a cross-over act...