1: Trod On – Skynote Records 12″ 1977
Trod On In Dub with Ranking Trevor – The Revolutionaries
2: Disco Train with Nicademus – Joe Gibbs Record Globe 12″ 1978
Rightous Train – The Professionals
3: Send Some Rain with Clint Eastwood – Errol T Records 12″ 1978
Down Jamaica Way – The Professionals
4: Dog A Go Nyam Dog – Hi Note Records 12″ 1978
Pyarka – The Revolutionaries
Four glorious 12″s by my favorite reggae vocal outfit Culture, all killer no filler.
Text below courtesy of All Music Guide
Vocal trio Culture helped define the sound and style of Rastafarian roots reggae, thanks largely to charismatic singer, songwriter, and leader Joseph Hill. True to their name, Culture’s material was devoted almost exclusively to spiritual, social, and political messages, and Hill delivered them with a fervent intensity that grouped him with Rastafarian militants like Burning Spear and Black Uhuru. Their classic debut, Two Sevens Clash, is still considered a roots reggae landmark, and most of their other late-’70s output maintains a similarly high standard. After a hiatus, Culture returned in the mid-’80s with a lighter, more polished sound that drew from more eclectic musical sources. Yet the force of their message never softened, and they soldiered on into the new millennium.
Joseph Hill had been trying his hand at a solo career for some time before forming Culture. He first started out as a disc selector for various sound systems in his hometown of Linstead, in St. Catherine Parish. From there he joined a group called the Soul Defenders as a percussionist and part-time vocalist. The Soul Defenders worked at Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s legendary Studio One in 1971, cutting backing tracks for a variety of vocalists. Hill himself recorded several solo numbers during that time, including “Behold the Land” and “Take Me Girl,” but nothing came of them. The Soul Defenders returned to St. Catherine to work the hotel lounge circuit in northern Jamaica, and Hill floated through several bands prior to forming Culture in 1976. His cousin Albert Walker came to him with the idea of forming a vocal group, and the two quickly recruited another cousin, Roy “Kenneth” Dayes, to sing harmony vocals along with Walker.
Initially calling themselves the African Disciples, the trio hooked up with producer Joe Gibbs in Kingston, and soon changed their name to Culture. Overseen by Gibbs and engineer Errol Thompson, aka the Mighty Two, they debuted with the single “This Time” on Gibbs’ Belmont label. Not long after, they broke through with several hit singles, including “See Them a Come” and “Two Sevens Clash.” The latter was a Rastafarian vision of the rapidly approaching apocalypse, which fueled public paranoia in an already violent election year; it also provided the title track of the group’s debut album, which was released in 1977 to tremendous acclaim. Featuring other crucial tracks like “Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion” and “Natty Dread Take Over,” Two Sevens Clash was a spiritual manifesto against racial injustice and poverty. It won a huge following not only in Jamaica, but also the U.K., where the growing punk rock movement was discovering a kinship with protest reggae, and connected immediately with the album’s powerful disaffection.
Unhappy with their financial dealings with Gibbs, Culture soon split for a brief and contentious stay at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label, where they started (and never quite finished) a new album titled Africa Stand Alone; the results were eventually released as they were, without authorization. Meanwhile, Gibbs released leftovers from the Two Sevens Clash sessions on two more LPs, Baldhead Bridge (whose title song was a hit) and More Culture. By the end of 1977, Culture had already moved to Sonia Pottinger’s High Note label, and recorded three excellent albums in quick succession: 1978’s Harder Than the Rest and 1979’s Cumbolo and International Herb. Additional material from the era was later compiled on Trod On and Production Something. Culture performed at the legendary One Love Peace Concert in 1978, and later toured heavily in the U.K. with backing band the Revolutionaries (which included the young Sly & Robbie).
Joseph Hill 22/01/49 – 19/08/06
Ian
October 17, 2008 at 10:05 amExcellent. I really look forward to these roots/reggae/dub downloads on the KYPP site. Some of them are familiar but its great to hear some ‘new’ stuff. The Badoo & Toyan download is a daily fave here at work. All killers no fillers, indeed!!
Cheers
Ian
wot
October 17, 2008 at 10:45 amTalking about reggae, does anyone one remember ruts and zion train doing a peel session, covering witch hunt and others? I was homeless for the night and stopped at my mums house (how punk rock eh?) and listened to peel for the first time in years, and possible for the last time. What a night to choose.Its listed on the keeping it peel site, only under zion train but if you read the band listing it becomes obvious. As for culture, well you can’t go wrong really, cheers
Anti-Hero
October 17, 2008 at 12:33 pmI really appreciate your obvious inclination to reggae, and this is a very fine choice. After brilliant live tapes by Benjamin Zephaniah this is perhaps a proper step forward. Could you may be find some live recordings of Mutabaruka or something by this dub poet, to post here. thanks
Ian
October 17, 2008 at 3:16 pmCan I also cheekily ask if there’s any chance that you may have some broadcasts of the Dread Broadcasting Corporation that could be shared? I have two shows on CDR from 83 and 84 which have been kicking around the tinternet for a while but more would be welcome. Still have my original DBC t-shirt, size small now 😉 with the obligitary no-sleeves look.
baron von zubb
October 17, 2008 at 8:03 pmAny chance of the Royal Rasses ‘Poor Mans Story’?Or ‘Golden Throne’.
Cant find them anywhere. Maybe I got the bands wrong…
More reggae.
Its so good.
cheers.
dan i
October 18, 2008 at 8:34 amMore reggae, Yes I. Culture – simply the best. I might try and send Zion Gate 12″, one of my faves. Just keep these coming, not enough people know them.
dan i
October 18, 2008 at 9:05 amSeggs and Ruffy did join up with Zion Train for a while (they also remixed Dub Syndicate on Research & Development album). Didnt know about the peel session. Nice. I do remember seeing Zion Train at Glastonbury once and they covered No Doves Fly Here – could have knocked me down with a feather from Ian Astbury’s makeup kit! Probably my most surreal festi moment of all.
ZT did release Babylon’s Burning as a 12″ and still play a barely recognisable version of it today.
wot
February 3, 2010 at 10:25 amwell I heard from Zion Train, not because i’m such a cool well conectected guy, but because I emailed them at their website.The bbc has copyright to the sessions, and zion train themselves don’t even have a copy, and would love to hear it again as much as we do
DavidM
February 12, 2010 at 9:45 pmI heard that same ZT Peel session. From ’95 or thereabouts? Was just so cool hearing their take on Witch Hunt, and hell, just hearing the song on the radio.
Duncan
June 12, 2011 at 10:59 amI got it , just recovered witch hunt dub and suspect dub from an old hard drive .
dan i
June 15, 2011 at 6:15 pmSounds like good news Duncan
baronvonzubb
June 16, 2011 at 2:36 pmthis is an old roots fave of mine that ive now found on the net but cant seem to download
http://www.divshare.com/download/11735886-29b
Can anyone help ?
Enjoy BVZ
dan i
June 16, 2011 at 4:59 pmBaron VZ – I reckon the Golden Throne you are after is Jah Golden Throne 12″ by Peter Broggs. Much sought after nowadays – monster prices on ebay, you know the score.
Poor Man’s Story is a Fred Locks/Levi Roots tune put out by South London’s Coxsone Sound as a 12″. Also known as Voice Of The Poor. Big hit at the time.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fred-Locks-Voice-Poor-UK-orig-12-/190544286127
Do you have Royal Rasses’ Unconventional People 12″, kind of reggae disco, but wicked lyrically? Can be got pretty cheaply i think still.
The divshare tune sounds bad my friend, but only a 1 and a half minute ting – must be able to find the full track somewhere. Do you know the artist?
baronvonzubb
June 22, 2011 at 12:03 pmits a prince jammy cut with leroy smart vocal
http://higherregion.blogspot.com/2010/06/living-inna-tivoli-gardentoo-much.html
thats what it says here
thanks for info.mate unfortunatley i aint got any vinyl, i aint a collecter. mine all got nicked in the squatting days and thern i was pretty nomadic for 15 years.
im just looking for these tunes so i can stick ’em on this machine
the daft thing is im a mate of nick manasseh (ex kiss reggae dj etc) and hes got ’em all but when i asked him for a couple of tunes he just never got round to it. too busy.
i saw his original best dressed chicken yellow vinyl and almost nicked it for the dub plate which doesn’t exist anywhere else, not on any greensleeves samplers or nuffin. And yeah mine did get nicked…
cheers jake
baronvonzubb
June 22, 2011 at 12:12 pmthat is the golden throne track. sounds v different after 30 years but still great. cheers
baronvonzubb
June 22, 2011 at 12:30 pmdan ive searched yootube for those two and its a momumtous day. as they got both. after three decades…i couldnt find that ‘too much trouble’ track anywhere in the world hence the annoyingly short divshare link.
but i reckon you can find it.
cheers again
dan i
June 22, 2011 at 7:11 pmThere is a lot of reggae and dub posted up on youtube so i am not surprised you found them Baron. It’s just knowing what to look for innit? I’m sure Nick will be relieved to know his Tado dubplate is safe, he’s a man with a whole heap of music is Manasseh. One of my fave producers.
I’ll keep trying to track down the other tune. Jah bless
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 11:11 amthat peter broggs tune is a roots radics track?
off scientists vampire?
if u find either too much trouble OR the best dressed chicken dub anywhere in the digi world please gissa bell here
as they say
irie
Penguin • Post Author •
June 23, 2011 at 11:29 amI know these are not the tracks you want Baron but in case you forgot (or did not download them at the time) a load of material on this post here: https://killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=1320 Strangly dedicated to you at the time of writing the text.
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 11:45 amHello Mr P
U d boss.
Hope alls good.
I did download em but me poota went kaboom so lost them. And all the other stuff from KYPP
Great to get another chance.
And very nice of u to dedicate em to me however strange that is!!
What were you thinking??
Dan I must confess ive bought off idiot toons both those tracks cos the youtoob levels were all a kilter. And I found a b side of Chicken called ‘She Wreng’ up but it aint the dub plate, just another version
Also found a ‘Best Dressed dub’ which sounds like some white bloke with a hangover demolishing DR A with a vengence. Truely awful. Hope it aint any one on KYPP .
These things do come back to haunt me
So I really need to find the correct title of the Chicken dub plate and ‘Too much trouble’
Not even sure if that one would be listed under Leroy Smart or P Jammy.
But I really feel that 30 years of searching is nearly done.
Cheers J
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 11:54 am🙂
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 12:28 pmStill cant beleive that the whole of youtube land no one has put up the Chicken dub.
Maybe ive just made the whole thing up?
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 12:46 pmJust to prove to myself I aint nutso
I found this.
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/3107
Proves that this track by Mr Smart exists at least.
I gotta leave this alone for a bit now ….
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 1:31 pmAnd to prove I am mad…
Well I couldnt leave it alone.
Found it on filetram, downed it as a zip(whatever that is…) clicked sum tings and now ive got it.
Discovered that with the exception of this track and Prince Jammys production Mr Smart is, well, not really my cuppa….
Tally ho
dan i
June 23, 2011 at 2:14 pmAt least you found it Mr Z.
You will have to ask Nick again. I love the description of a white guy with a hangover.
baronvonzubb
June 23, 2011 at 8:39 pmjesus did u listen to it? i was being nice…
look mr d you seem to be on a ting here.
sum lyrics
hear me now hear me now starky/me a tellin you lucky yeah/me no check with informer/me no like informer/
4o day and 40 nights/ me locked away in a jail house/
******* so much for me/**** gonna set i & i free yeah
its a slow almost balladic type tune. its on studio one. dont know who or title. im guessing its about 1975?
c’mon danny bouy
thanks again and to you too mr penguin .
ur a very nice man.
how was the kypp meet up?
me dads not been so well so im making reperation for my wild and selfish youth by going up to sd smoke quite a bit, as i was that weekend. he’s alright my dad, but after that i just wanna go home so couldnt get over to the hackneys for that.
was the goss?
🙂
dan i
June 24, 2011 at 10:39 pmNo i didnt check it out, but i love the description all the same – i think we’ve all heard reggae that bad somewhere!!
baronvonzubb
June 25, 2011 at 6:11 pmso, dem lyrix ?
dan i
June 26, 2011 at 1:24 pmBwoy yu rough Baron. Mi cyaan jus reach fi lyrics from dat time yah so. I’ll let you know if i have a breakthrough mate.