Ben Music Vault: We need some loving, that's for sure

Hello people,

New post tonight full of roots nuggets for your enjoyment.
When I read the news I see much violence and hatred these days so we will focus on love, be it physical or mystical as it seems that we lack of this.
The title tune is a nice little 12' coming out of Canadian Big Mac Soul Power label.
Not much info about this one, the label seems to have issue a pair of LP's and some 7' and 12' as we can see on Discogs : http://www.discogs.com/label/369955-Big-Mac-Soul-Power

Funny note : this is produced by H.C. Mc Donald and the label is named "Big Mac"...
Well, this is no burger but sweet, slow paced, conscious reggae.
The lyrics go like this :
Dark days and lonely nights
it's only for the wicked
for the wicked which blinded to love
They use their brothers they use their sisters
to get where they want to go
they don't look back
they don't care at all who they hurt, how this hurt(?)
They need love, a little bit of love
They need love a whole lotta love
...

The tune is extended but not dubwise, as if it was repeated, but no problem, you can manage the almost 7 minutes of the tune with pleasure.

Share The Up-Lifters - We need some loving - Big Mac Soul Power 12'.mp3 - 16 MB

Next tune is form one of my favourite singers from Jamaica, the one and only Winston Jarrett.
Mr Jarrett (no to be confused with Wayne Jarrett...) is a long lasting reggae star born in 1940 in Lime Tree Gardens. He began singing in Alton Ellis's Flames in the early 60's.
At the end of the sixties he recorded he formed the Righteous Flames and recorded for major producers of the island such as Duke Reid and Coxsone Dodd.

Many of his hits are hard core roots such as Wise man 12' on Warrior records, Run away 7' on Shaflames or Spanish town road on Rite sound (JA) and Write sounds (UK).
Some of them were reissued recently by Iroko and Pressure Sounds, if you want to grab some :
http://honestjons.com/shop/search/winston%20jarrett

Well the song featured here is more romantic, but still has that roots feeling, specially due to some nice percussion in the back. Laid back rhythm, gently rolling bassline, nice organ here and there and lovers lyrics :

Give more of your love little girl!
...
Your love means heaven to me, yeah
Your eyes they're always dreaming of me
Your lips means the world to me
Little girl you are my one and only, little girl
You set my soul on fire, little girl
Just rock and come in,
I know your heart is clean...

As far as I know it is the only output of this beautiful label, I dig the design!
The dub is enjoyable but quite straight forward so I just featured A side (if you want it, feel free to ask).

Share Winston Jarrett

Next tune is from a US label, quite rare one, from a band called The Strugglers, obscure bit from the very early 80's titled Light my fire (nothing in common with the song from the Doors!).

Doing my research for this post I got to know that this was originally released in Ja on the 1st Choice label.

You may grab an original copy for decent price here :

http://www.groovecollector.com/mp/used-item:-strugglers-light-my-fire-version-original-press-/r/3019749560/

It's a lovers tune but, backed by The Souls Syndicate, the rhythm i sharp. Nice dub on B side as well, enjoy!

Share The Strugglers - Light my fire 7'.zip - 17 MB

One last "love" tune and I'm gone,

This one is also pretty obscure tune, 1st release on Watty Burnett's own Rythm Force imprint.

It's a tune about a love that has ended. The singer is asking his past lover to leave and go her way as she behaved badly and cheated on him.

Burnett's baryton's singing suits perfectly the mood of the tune, what a voice!

Here you see exactly why Lee Perry added Watty Burnett to the Congos, the bass of this voice makes a perfect balance with Cedric Myton's falsetto and Ashanty Roy tenor.

The production here is classic Lee Perry style, recorded at the Ark, even if it is issued at a time when the Black Ark didn't existed any more.

Nice copy with company sleeve