Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One Soul

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New classic black vinyl pressing. 

More classic Reggae from Jamaica’s most important label ever. 

‘Studio One Soul’ tracks the link between American Funk and Soul and JamaicanReggae at the legendary Studio One Records. 

Curtis Mayfield, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, King Floyd, BookerT and The MGs - all these artists had a huge influence on Jamaican artists and thisalbum contains versions of songs by all of them. Featuring classic and rare ReggaeFunk and Soul cuts from the Reggae giants alongside rarer cuts, Studio One Soulspans over 20 years of classic Reggae from the Rocksteady Funk through to thedeep Roots music. 

Following on from Studio One Rockers, this second journey into the vaults of StudioOne tells the story of the important link between American Funk and Soul andJamaican Reggae. Ranging from music taken from the mid-1960s (and the arrival ofRocksteady) through to the beginning of the 1980s, Studio One Soul featuresversions of US Funk and Soul hits (many rarely heard before) from some of the manyclassic artists who recorded at Studio One. American Soul music has always been animportant influence on Jamaican Reggae. 

The beginning of the Jamaican recording industry at the end of the 1950s startedwith Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd (owner of Studio One) and a group of select in-housemusicians (originally The Skatalites) recording their own version of American R&B.Playing on the off-beat, this music became Ska.

As American R&B progressed through Funk, Soul and Disco, Jamaican music wasgoing through its own musical changes, from Rocksteady through to Reggae andRoots music. The house-band at Studio One recorded on a daily basis behind allStudio One vocalists as well as recording instrumentally in its own right.  Soul singers such as Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions (Queen Of The Minstrels)had a profound influence on Jamaican artists and many other US artists wereconstantly re-interpreted and re-worked. Artists such as Aretha Franklin (‘Respect’),Charles Wright (‘Express Yourself’), King Floyd (‘Groove Me’), Otis Redding (‘HowStrong’) were all very popular in Jamaica in the 1960s.

At the end of the 1960s, Black Consciousness became an important part of AmericanSoul music. At the same time many Jamaican artists were starting to look to theirroots. Many artists would shortly become involved in Rastafarianism. The ‘conscious’lyrics of American Funk and Soul again struck a chord with Jamaican artists.‘Message From A Blackman’ (originally by The Temptations) and ‘Is It Because I’mBlack’ (Syl Johnson) are examples of this. Through the 1970s Soul / Disco artistssuch as Barry White (‘Can’t Get Enough’ and ‘Deeper and Deeper’) and The DetroitSpinners (‘I’ll Be Around’) became the flavour of the day. The album finishes withWillie Williams’ interpretation of Ashford and Simpson’s classic ‘Ain’t No Stopping UsNow’.

Tracklist

Leroy Sibbles - Express Yourself
Norma Fraser - Respect
Leroy Sibbles - Groove Me
Sound Dimension - Time Is Tight
The Heptones - Message From A Black Man
Otis Gayle - I'll Be Around
Jerry Jones - Still Water
Sound Dimension - Soulful Strut
Richard Ace - Can't Get Enough
The Chosen Few - Don't Break Your Promise
The Eternals - Queen Of The Minstrels
Norma Fraser - The First Cut Is The Deepest
Ken Parker - How Strong
Ken Boothe - Set Me Free
Senior Soul - Is It Because I'm Black
Jackie Mittoo - Deeper & Deeper
Alton Ellis - I Don't Want To Be Right
Willie Williams - No One Can Stop Us