"Sound System" marks 50 YEARS OF JAMAICAN INDEPENDENCE

To mark the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence Island Records are releasing a huge box set entitled ‘Sound System – The Story Of Jamaican Music’ on June 25th. ‘Sound System’ will feature 8 CDs of glorious music and a deluxe hard backed book by acclaimed writer Chris Salewicz (author of biographies of Bob Marley, Joe Strummer and ‘Rude Boy – Once Upon A Time In Jamaica’) and featuring hundreds of photos by legendary photographer Adrian Boot. Compiled by Ramus (musical factotum at Chris Blackwell-era Island, Mango and Palm Pictures) and Paul ‘Groucho’ Smykle (dub producer who’s worked with PiL, Grace Jones, David Bowie, Jah Wobble, BAD and many more), ‘Sound System’ features 120 songs randomly programmed to ape the way a Sound System DJ might select his set on any given night. It features a wonderfully eclectic mix of R&B, mento, ska, blue beat, reggae, dub and funk and celebrates the incredible musical gift this small island has given to the world. When it comes to music and sport Jamaica certainly punches above its weight! Sound System culture first took hold in Kingston Jamaica in the 50s when local promoters would load up a truck with huge speakers and a turntable, and DJs would play the latest sounds at street parties. In order to attract the crowds the Sound System DJs were in bitter competition to play the latest, rarest cuts from the biggest artists of the day. The best could attract thousands and it developed into a hugely profitable business which thrives to this day. ‘Sound System’ is a snapshot of Jamaican culture, the soundtrack you would hear on jukeboxes, ghetto blasters and on every radio station if you drove across Jamaica. From Althea & Donna’s global hit ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ to Eric Donaldson’s ‘Cherry O Baby’ via Augustus Pablo’s peerless ‘King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown’ and The Royals’ ‘Free Speech And Movement’ there’s something for everyone here. CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

The full tracklisting of ‘Sound System – The Story Of Jamaican Music’ is:
CD1
1 Sound System Steel Pulse
2 Funky Kingston Toots & The Maytals
3 Bogle Dance Buju Banton
4 Dreamland Bunny Wailer
5 Lion Burning Spear
6 My Boy Lollipop Millie
7 Midnight Track Owen Gray
8 Dearest Beverley Jimmy Cliff
9 Jah Glory Third World
10 Cover Me Ninjaman & Tinga Stewart
11 Westbound Train Dennis Brown
12 Two Sevens Clash Culture
13 1865 (96 In The Shade) Third World
14 Natty Take Over Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
15 El Torro Roland Alphonso
16 War Ina Babylon Max Romeo & The Upsetters
CD2
1 Mash It! (Parts 1 & 2) Owen Gray
2 54–46 (Was My Number) Toots & The Maytals
3 Forward March Derrick Morgan
4 Israelites Desmond Dekker
5 Miss Jamaica Jimmy Cliff
6 We ‘A’ Rockers Inner Circle
7 Easy Snappin’ Theo Beckford
8 Sweet Reggae Music Barrington Levy
9 007 (Shanty Town) Desmond Dekker
10 Carry Go Bring Come Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
11 African Worldwide Love Dillinger
12 Herbsman Shuffle King Stitt & Andy Capp
13 Wet Dream Max Romeo
14 Hol’ A Fresh Red Dragon
15 Roots Train Junior Murvin & Dillinger
16 Confusion In A Babylon Niney The Observer
17 What You Gonna Do On The Judgement Day Prince Far I
18 Man From Wareika Rico
CD3
1 Double Barrel Dave And Ansel Collins
2 S.90 Skank Big Youth
3 Brother Noah The Black Shadows
4 No More Teardrops Eric Morris
5 Babylon’s Burning Max, Niney And Scratch
6 Check Out Yourself The Cimarons
7 Spanish Amigo Dennis Alcapone
8 Laser Beam Don Carlos
9 Ba Ba Boom The Jamaicans
10 Jah Loves Us All Linval Thompson
11 Tougher Than Tough (Rudie In Court) Derrick Morgan
12 King Tubby’s Rockers Roots Radics
13 Bammie Fe Fish Skin Flesh & Bones
14 Better Must Come Delroy Wilson
15 Loving Pauper Dobby Dobson
16 The Dog Harry J Allstars
17 Tenement Yard Jacob Miller And Inner Circle
CD4
1 Uptown Top Ranking Althea & Donna
2 Cherry Oh Baby Eric Donaldson
3 Green Bay Incident Lord Sassafrass
4 Jam Down The Observer All Stars
5 Happy Go Lucky Girl The Paragons
6 Don’t Stay Away Phyllis Dillon
7 Bangarang Stranger Cole Featuring Lester Sterling
8 Return Of Django The Upsetters
9 Herb Vendor Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace
10 Curly Locks Junior Byles
11 Mr. Babylon Little John
12 Blood & Fire Niney The Observer
13 Queen Majesty (Aka Minstrel And Queen ) The Techniques
14 D.J.’S Choice Winston Williams
15 Teach The Children Dennis Alcapone
16 One Train Load Of Dub The Observers
CD5

1 Money In My Pocket Dennis Brown
2 Move Out Of Babylon Rastaman Johnny Clarke
3 Sound And Soul Johnny Moore
4 Everything I Own Ken Boothe
5 How Long Will It Take Pat Kelly
6 Rastafari Chant Nyahbinghi Peter Broggs
7 King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown Augustus Pablo
8 C.N. Express Clancy Eccles All Stars
9 Rock Of Gibraltar The Congos
10 Joggin Freddie Mcgregor
11 We’re Gonna Love Jackie Edwards
12 Stick By Me (And I’ll Stick By You) John Holt
13 Aily And Ailaloo Max & Niney
14 Temptation The Upsetters
15 Back To Africa Aswad
16 What Those Guys Are For Beenie Man
CD6

1 Marcus Garvey Burning Spear
2 Hammering Cat Campbell
3 Breakfast In Bed Lorna Bennett
4 Night Nurse Gregory Isaacs
5 Book Of Rules The Heptones
6 Police & Thieves Junior Murvin
7 Exodus Ernest Ranglin
8 Rivers Of Babylon The Melodians
9 Bredda Gravalicious The Wailing Souls
10 Sinsemilla Black Uhuru
11 Young, Gifted And Black Bob & Marcia
12 Housewives Choice Derrick And Patsy
13 Cokane In My Brain Dillinger
14 Eastern Standard Time Don Drummond
15 Party Time The Heptones
16 My Jamaican Guy Grace Jones
CD7
1 Reggae Got Soul Toots & The Maytals
2 Sweet William Millie
3 Soldier And Police War Jah Lion
4 Ballistic Affair Leroy Smart
5 Dance Crasher Alton Ellis
6 The Harder They Come Jimmy Cliff
7 Fort Augustus Junior Delgado
8 Dreadlocks In Moonlight Lee “Scratch” Perry
9 Want Fi Goh Rave Linton Kwesi Johnson
10 Free Speech And Movement The Royals
11 Prodigal Son Steel Pulse
12 Ride Your Donkey The Tennors
13 The Russians Are Coming (Aka Take 5) Val Bennett
14 Guns Fever Baba Brooks
CD8
1 What Is Life Black Uhuru
2 Tease Me Chaka Demus & Pliers
3 Welcome To Jamrock Damian Marley
4 Oh What A Feeling Gregory Isaacs
5 Take It Easy Hopeton Lewis
6 Trouble You A Trouble Me Ini Kamoze
7 Moving Up Luciano
8 The People Ought To Know Sugar Minott
9 My Conversation The Uniques
10 Stop That Train Keith & Tex
11 Pass The Kouchie The Mighty Diamonds
12 On The Beach The Paragons
13 Warrior Charge Aswad
14 People Funny Boy Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
15 Hot You’re Hot Sly Dunbar

‘SOUND SYSTEM’ 8 DISC BOX SET TO MARK 50 YEARS OF JAMAICAN INDEPENDENCE RELEASE DATE JUNE 25th ‘12