29 August 2022

A Rose in Hand for Roseland

One more post for the hot August nights...

A friend of mine & I were discussing the relative virtues of Portishead's Roseland NYC Live album. After several listens, we both agreed that these are some of the best versions of their songs. Not all live recordings live up to the studio versions. We wondered if the venue had its own part to play in the overall superiority of these tunes. 

After listening to this mix of live recordings, I believe that the artists have more to do with the outcome than the venue. The AC/DC live set is particularly weak. It's a bootleg with the vocals almost lost in the mix. "Whole Lotta Rosie" was the best sounding track with the least audience chatter. There is a December 2009 live version from River Place floating around on UChewb if you want a better taste. But as for the subject of this post, Portishead were just fantastic live that night at Roseland because of their supreme talent.



The original Roseland Ballroom was opened in Philadelphia in 1917 by Louis Brecker with financing coming from Frank Yuengling of the famed D. G. Yuengling & Son brewing dynasty. Philadelphia had some of the toughest Blue Laws prohibiting beer sales & nightclubs from operating on Sundays. In 1919, to escape these Blue Laws, Brecker & Yuengling moved the venue to 1658 Broadway at 51st Street in Manhattan, NYC on the second floor of that five-story building, opening on December 31, 1919. Originally it was a "whites only" dance club.

The all-white, ballroom-dancing atmosphere of the club changed gradually with the ascendanc of jazz played primarily by African-American bands on the New York nightclub scene. In 1924 Piron's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra was the first "race music" group to play the ballroom. The Fletcher Henderson band played an extended run at Roseland in the 1920s & 1930s. Louis Armstrong, Count Basie ("Roseland Shuffle"), & Chick Webb followed with their orchestras. Many big-band performances were broadcast live from Roseland by radio networks; recordings survive of several NBC broadcasts of 1940, featuring the young Ella Fitzgerald fronting the Chick Webb band. That will be the starting point for  this compilation. 

 



The original New York Roseland was torn down in 1956. The venue then moved to its new home on West 52nd. Brecker attempted to maintain its ballroom dancing style, banning rock & roll or disco. Brecker sold the building in 1981 to Albert Ginsberg. Under Ginsberg's management Roseland began regularly scheduled "disco nights". As disco waned, the variety of music expanded greatly. 

 



On October 18, 2013, it was announced that Lady Gaga would headline seven shows on March 28, 30, 31, April 2, 4, 6, 2014, which would be the final performances at the venue. A seventh show was added, held on April 7, 2014, which officially closed the venue. "G.U.Y." was the final song performed at Roseland Ballroom. That song will round out this compilation.

Between Ella Fitzgerald & Lady Gaga will be much of Portishead's Roseland NYC Live along with other select tunes showcasing the variety that was the Roseland Ballroom. All recorded live at the famed Roseland Ballroom. Give it a listen. 

 

Various - Live from Roseland, NØ Comp., 2022.
 
Sugar Blues - Ella Fitzgerald March 4,1940
Only You - Portishead July 24, 1997
Mary Juana - Nelson Gonzalez March 10, 1978
Abrasions Mount the Timpani - The Mars Volta May 5-6, 2005
Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner November 16, 2010
Love on Top - Beyoncé August 14-18, 2011
Come as You Are - Nirvana July 23, 1993
Glory Box Portished
Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (Gust of Mutts & And Ghosted Pouts) - The Mars Volta
American Woman - Bachman-Turner
Over - Portishead
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC March 11, 2003
Strangers - Portishead
Kind of Bird - Gov’t Mule December 31, 1995
Earthquakey People (the Sequel) October 9, 2012
Humming - Portishead
G.U.Y. - Lady Gaga April 7, 2014...the last song ever Roseland Ballroom

Enjoy,

25 August 2022

Dub Paradise

Various - Unity Dub’s Voyage into Paradise, Liquid Sound Design BFLCD56, 2002.
decryption code in comments

Pastoral Journey (intro) - Unity Dub
Subcode - Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell
A New Way to Say Hooray - Shplongle
Last - Mere Mortals
Die Ashanti - Zen Lemonade
Dr Whooo (Live at Destination Venus) - Chillage People
Global Youth–    All of the Youth
Cleaning Fluid (Druids, Dreads, & Sadhus mix) - The Kumba Mela Experiment
Where the Wild Things Were - Sounds from the Ground
But Do You Realize? - Dub Mix Convention
Bug Dub - UVX
Roots Controller - Groove Corporation

Enjoy,

24 August 2022

How Many Victims?

On June 28, 2019 I posted "Nobody was Ready" that paired four tracks from The Last Poets - Understand What Black Is with the Dub versions from Prince Fatty's Understand What Dub Is.

Here are the other three cuts by The Last Poets & their Dub versions. 

 


Certain Images
Certain Images Dub
How Many Bullets
How Many Bullets Dub
We Must Be Sacred
We Must Be Sacred Dub

Hear the truth,

23 August 2022

The Man with the X-Ray Music

Various - X-Ray Music: A Blood & Fire Dub Directory, Blood & Fire BFCDS 904, 1999.
decryption code in comments

Step it Up in Dub - Prince Jammy
Dub the Right Way - King Tubby
Dub There - Prince Jammy
There's Dub - King Tubby
Morpheus Special - King Tubby
Extraordinary Version - Errol Thompson & Clive Chin
Noah Sugar Pan - Lee Perry
Rally Dub - Lee Perry
Cool This Dub - Phillip Smart
Bag a Wire Dub - King Tubby
King Tubby's Answer - Scientist
Shining Dub - Karl Pitterson & Clive Chin
Pegasus Rock - King Tubby
The Champion Version - Prince Jammy
Moses Dub - JoJo Hookim
Dub is My Occupation - Prince Jammy

Enjoy,

20 August 2022

Man on Board

 

Recently I posted some selecta cuts from Nick Manasseh. He is one of my favorite Dub producers, right up there with Adrian Sherwood & Dougie Wardrop in my pantheon of UK Dub. Here is a mixed bag culled from the broad spectrum of Manasseh: Roots Garden; Conscious Sounds; Rockers Revolt; Merge; Reggae Roast; & many others. 

 

Various - Manasseh at the Controls, NØ Comps., 2022.

Set 1: In Control -
Meditation Life (Dub) - Manasseh
It’s All About Dub - Pama International meets Manasseh
Babylon Outside - Nick Manasseh
London Babylon - Manasseh
Natural Melody - Nick Manasseh
Nathan the Prophet - Manasseh meets Praise featuring Nathan “Flutebo” Lee
Souljah - Manasseh
Betterment Dub - Pama International meets Manasseh
Space Disco (Space Dance) - Manasseh & Ephraim
People Rhythm (instrumental) - Manasseh
Yes Mic - Manasseh meets Praise
Dub with a Difference - Manasseh meets Praise featuring Earl 16 & Vin Gordon
I Wah - Manasseh
One Step Dub - Pama International meets Manasseh
Levi Rhythm (Dub mix) - Manasseh
Foot Petal Dub - Centry meets Manasseh
Circus Clown - Manasseh meets Praise featuring Nathan “Flutebox” Lee
In Depth - Manasseh
Ice Man Talking - Manasseh meets Praise
Brexit Blues (extended mix) - Nick Manasseh
Neither High or Dub - Pama International meets Manasseh
Meditation Life (remix) - Manasseh

Set 2 : Originals &Versions -
When Will it End - Ken Boothe & Soulove Band
When Will it End (Version) - Manasseh
Rally - Freddie McGregor
Rally (Version) - Manasseh
You Don’t Know - Danny Red
A Knowing Version - Manasseh
Dancehall Something - Bob Skeng
Dancehall Dub - Manasseh
Occupy the Session - Moodie & Manasseh
Occupy the Session (Version) - Moodie & Manasseh featuring Earl 16
Occupy the Dub - Manasseh
Last Call - Centry meets Manasseh
Last Call (Version) - Centry meets Manasseh
Praises Unto Jah - Adam Prescott featuring Rod Taylor
Praises Unto Dub - Manasseh
Too Long Victims - Blackout Ja
Too Long Version - Manasseh
No More Struggle - Manasseh meets Praise featuring Nathan “Flutebox” Lee
A Matter of Struggle - Manasseh meets Praise
A Matter of Version - Manasseh
Gold Dust - Earl 16
Herb Dust - Manasseh

Enjoy,

18 August 2022

Wild Wild Dub

Dub heals all ills.


Since I have been unable to make coherent musickal choices as of late, I decided to just keep going with these mixes. Here are some of the punks / rockers influenced by Jamaica. 

 

Select Cuts SELECT CUTS 2017, 2003.
decryption code in comments

Jah War - The Ruts
Bankrobber (Dub version) - The Clash
Wild Dub - Generation X
Immigrant Dub - Basement 5
Turn to Red - Killing Joke
One of the Lads (Dub) - 4 Be 2
Typical Girls (Brink Style Dub) - The Slits
Private Armies (Dub) - Vivien Goldman
More or Less Cut (mis-labeled “Red Beat”) - Red Beat
Death Disco - PiL
Where There’s a Will - The Pop Group
Bloody Dub - Stiff Little Fingers
Private Life (Dub) - Grace Jones
bonus track
Dubbage - China Street

Enjoy,

16 August 2022

Thanks On You, On-U

A friend of mine sent me this CD compilation to help me through recent days. I am eternally grateful. I love all things On-U & this is one I didn't have. I was not even aware of it. 

Hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. 

Released on On-U & Cleopatra 

 

Various - A Party of Dubbers & Toasters, On-U Sound CLP 9919, 1997.
decryption code in comments


Dog Park - Prince Far-I / Singers & Player
Last Sane Dream - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
A Reasoning - Creation Rebel
No Speed Limit - Playgroup
Striving - Bim Sherman / Singers & Players
Grand Prix - Voice of Authority
Ethos Design - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
Dreams are Better - London Underground
No Peace - Creation Rebel
Hoggs Might Fly - Playgroup
Vegetable Matter - Mikey Dread / Singers & Players
Slipped Disco - Voice of Authority
Earthwire Line - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
Rebel Party - Creation Rebel

Enjoy,

14 August 2022

More Dubnology

Everyone seems to be enjoying Dubnology: Journey into Outer Bass. 

Here is the follow-up.

Various - Dubnology 2: Lost in Bass, Middle Earth Recordings MIDDLE 7 CD, 1996.
decryption codes in comments

CD 1 -
Dubble - Funki Porcini
Free the Bass - Zion Train
Skeleton at the Feast - Dreadzone
Shrine Kaya Dub (Zion Train mix) - Loop Guru
Eternal Feed Back - Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor
Lookee Here (Dread at the Controls Dreadzone mix) - Transglobal Underground
Bowl - Knights of the Occasional Table
GBH (Dub) - Death in Vegas
Paraffin (Richard Fearless Dub remix) - Ruby
Stars (Mother Dub remix) - Dubstar
Nemesis (Bumpy Capers Bosh remix) - Children of Dub
YsaebuD - The Sabres of Paradise
Orderliness, Godliness, Discipline, & Dignity - African Head Charge

CD 2 -
VIII  - Main
Diamanda - Blue
Xyloid    - Alien
Born Slippy (Tel Ematic) - Underworld
Hate (Nico Dark Matter remix) - Acacia
Gatha - Seefeel
We are on Earth to Learn - Mr. Night & Mr. Day
Critical Dub - Test Dept.
Hey Ho (Tribal Drift remix) - Dub Syndicate
Mother India (Sabres at Dawn Sabres of Paradise remix)
Viv Dogana - V-Human

Enjoy,

12 August 2022

Two Weeks in Hell

 

I realize it's been since last month that I posted anything. Sorry about that. It's just that Casa Nada got invaded by the COVID.

My daughter Lao was the first victim. One of her overly generous co-workers lovingly passed the virus to several others after returning from a care-free vacation. I got it next & Black Dahlia, of course, had to share, so that put us all under. We are all immunized & double boostered, so we didn't die literally, obviously. But it was two weeks of hell.

When I regain enough energy to pretend I'm back to basics, I intend to write up my experiences under the control of this insidious vampire virus. For now I'm going to share some music that helped me serve my sentence.

For me the worst thing was that I didn't even have the energy to select the ongoing soundtrack of my life. Usually around here musick is 24/7. I wear earbuds while I sleep & orchestrate my vivid dreaming. The rest of the time I stream Spotify from the TV surround-sound or have the computer...or cassettes...or records...or CDs blaring out tunes through my stereo. The virus struck & an alien silence invaded our domain. It took me over a week before I realized I could just set my play to shuffle. I didn't have to exert the energy to choose but I didn't have to suffer from both COVID & my allergy to silence.

Mixes like the one I'm posting also were a blessing. I hope it serves you as it served me.

Various - Dubnology: Journeys into Outer Bass, Middle Earth Recordings MIDDLE 4 CD, 1995.
decryption codes in comments

CD 1 -
House of Dread - Dreadzone
Walkabout - Revolutionary Dub Warriors
Follow like Wolves (Original 12“ mix) - Zion Train
Nazrul Dub - Asian Dub Foundation
7:7 Expansion (Conspiracy mix by Youth) - System 7
Univeria Zekt (Kobaian Love chant)    - Astralsia
Brixton (Dub mix) - Renegade Soundware
Ants - Tribal Drift
School of Thought - SYT
25th Century - Timeshard
Fatta Connection - Black Star Liner

CD 2 -
Survivors - Eat Static
Mindstream (Mind the Bend the Mind Orbital mix) - Meat Beat Manifesto
International Times (Haunted Dancehall Sabres of Paradise mix) - Transglobal Underground
Bill’s Last Stand - The Woodshed
Rougher Dub (Lionheart exclusive mix) - The Rootsman
Um Baby - Knights of the Occasional Table
Lai Lah (v.1.00) - Banco de Gaia
Shape of Life - UVX
Paradigm Shuffle - Loop Guru
Rez - Underworld

Enjoy,