Laurel Aitken: High Priest Of Reggae

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Detailed Information

  • Label: CherryRed
  • Order number: 1826713
  • Release date: 8.6.2009
  1. 1 Jesse James Start
  2. 2 Mr. Popcorn Start
  3. 3 I got to have your loving Start
  4. 4 (Sloop) John B Start
  5. 5 Shoo bee shoo bee Start
  6. 6 Hailes selaise Start
  7. 7 Landlords and tenants Start
  8. 8 Save the last dance Start
  9. 9 Walk right back Start
  10. 10 Don't be cruel Start
  11. 11 Wappi king Start
  12. 12 Suffering still Start
  13. 13 Reggae 69 Start
  14. 14 Donkey man Start
  15. 15 Blues dance Start
  16. 16 Lawd doctor Start
  17. 17 Babylon gone Start
  18. 18 Everybody sufferin' Start
  19. 19 Freedom Start
  20. 20 Pussy price (Gone up) Start
  21. 21 Gimme back me dollar Start
  22. 22 Skinhead train Start
  23. 23 Kent people Start
  24. 24 Skinhead invasion (aka Apollo 12) Start
  25. 25 Bendwood Dick Start

Product Information

By the dawn of the seventies, Laurel Aitken was well and truly established as the UK’s top Jamaican singing star. Over the years following his move from Jamaica in 1960 he had acquired a strong and faithful following in Britain and well beyond, but the recent Reggae explosion increased this many times over.

Eager to exploit Laurel’s astounding popularity, Pama Records fought off competition from esteemed rivals, Trojan and Doctor Bird, to acquire rights to issue his material, the bulk of which subsequently saw release on their newly launched Nu Beat imprint.

By the Spring of 1970, he had provided Pama with series of best-selling singles, and the hugely popular long-player, ‘Scandal in Brixton Market’, but with demand for his works showing no signs of diminishing, the company decided to collect a dozen of his most popular sides to date for what became the aptly titled collection, ‘The High Priest Of Reggae’.

Despite selling in huge numbers at the time, the LP soon became a rarity and this, added to the enduring appeal of Aitken’s work has resulted it becoming one of the most sought after Reggae long-players around, as illustrated by Record Collector’s recent valuation in excess of £200. Now, after four decades of waiting for its re-release, fans can finally obtain the LP at a fraction of that cost, with the added incentive of 13 bonus tracks from those ’69 sessions.

Tracklisting: Jesse James / Mr Popcorn / I Got To Have Your Love / (Sloop) John B / Shoo Bee Shoo Bee / Hailes Selaise / Landlords And Tenants / Save The Last Dance / Walk Right Back / Don't Be Cruel / Woppi King / Suffering Still - Laurel Aitken & Girlie, BONUS TRACKS: Reggae 69 / Donkey Man / Blues Dance - Laurel Aitken & Girlie / Lawd Doctor - Laurel Aitken & Girlie / Babylon Gone / Everybody Sufferin’ / Freedom / Pussy Price (Gone Up) / Gimme Back Me Dollar / Skinhead Train / Kent People / Skinhead Invasion / Bendwood Dick

EUR 13.99

EUR 12.99*

deliverable within 3-4 weeks (if available from supplier)