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#26 2021-12-10 12:47:00
- Spendthrift
- Member
- Posts: 659
Re: Reggae
Always wondered what gave with UB40. Started great. Relevant. Original enough for a reggae band. Bringing reggae to the uk masses without getting lumped in with the 2 Tone thing.
Then almost immediately re-thought and went down the road towards playing covers of covers in stadiums. Good for the pocket no doubt but still……
#27 2021-12-10 12:50:10
- A Fine Sadness
- Member
- Posts: 3009
Re: Reggae
^ Agreed. Quickly became shite. Just that one tune for me.
#28 2021-12-10 14:48:43
- Spendthrift
- Member
- Posts: 659
Re: Reggae
Rico. Saw him at a local venue some years ago. Crowd exited to see him. Big build up.
He came on to huge applause, did one number and started to pack up.
The organiser had to get on stage and have a long discussion with him about the audience possibly expecting a bit more. He seemed completely bemused by the concept. Bless him.
#29 2021-12-11 04:36:18
- RobbieB
- Member
- Posts: 2219
Re: Reggae
I agree with your assessment on UB40 Spendthrift. As an old reggae fan I appreciated the early work of UB40 and bought cassettes of their music. In about 2008 a friend from the west indies took us to the O2 to see them live and what a dissapointment. Ali Campbell had just left the band and the evening was a damp squip. My friend was upset because she was one of the few black people there.
I was a big fan of Desmond Dekker and managed to see him live. Back in 69/70 he was a fantastic performer.
'I am a closet optimist' Leonard Cohen.
#30 2021-12-11 04:49:54
- A Fine Sadness
- Member
- Posts: 3009
Re: Reggae
Typical poseurs who made money and developed a taste for the highlife. Sometimes known as 'champagne socialists'.
#31 2021-12-11 05:22:06
- Spendthrift
- Member
- Posts: 659
Re: Reggae
Desmond Dekker. First gig I ever went to. 1989. 16 years old. I was the only person I knew that had even heard of Trojan. Any mates I had from school had discovered the joys of local underage drinking.
Wandered in on my own and made friends that I still have to this day.
And Desmond Dekker was superb. It Mek will probably always be in my Top 20
#33 2021-12-11 05:35:11
- A Fine Sadness
- Member
- Posts: 3009
Re: Reggae
Guy I mentioned in the original posting died back in the summer. A lot of my old muckers are now dropping off the twig. He used to do a bit of DJing at one of the two local black clubs, the 'Carib', which was mainstream, non-dread. The other, the 'Havana', was heavier. We used to go there circa 1978. No hassle, just slightly bemused tolerance. Went to an illegal bash in the same year, where I was offered drugs within seconds of arriving. For hard cash. That was in the wastelands of South Manchester.
Thank heaven I soon discovered those magic words 'Brooks Brothers'...
#34 2021-12-11 13:53:16
- Skipper
- Member
- Posts: 91
Re: Reggae
Spendthrift: Desmond Dekker. First gig I ever went to. 1989. 16 years old. I was the only person I knew that had even heard of Trojan. Any mates I had from school had discovered the joys of local underage drinking.
Wandered in on my own and made friends that I still have to this day.
And Desmond Dekker was superb. It Mek will probably always be in my Top 20
I saw him twice in the 90s. Apart from his strange presentation with a mesh shirt, leather jacket and beret and the fact that he unfortunately often enjoyed Remy Martin extensively before the performances, he was simply brilliant. Have very fond memories of the evenings. It Miek is also one of my favorite songs.
It Miek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5psYgYcNn5g
007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpVxwWQjIy0
Beautiful and Dangerous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7_aJzlkkDc
Intensified ´68: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rkWKHGzC8o
#35 2021-12-13 14:08:59
- AlveySinger
- Member
- Posts: 905
Re: Reggae
Coming from the mighty city of Birmingham Reggae was a big part of the City's Soundtrack. Apart from the heavy dub plates it didn't appeal to me.
In the late seventies/early eighties it was more popular with a much older crowd.
Most of the black guys I knew, who were my age, were into soul, funk and jazz. The Rasta's kept the faith though.
There were quite a few smarter Black guys who would travel around the country dancing to jazz and looking the part.
Close cropped hair with a razor side parting, small circular tortoiseshell glasses, muted check trousers and flannels, club ties, blazers with crests from Hugo Boss and tassle loafers.