Country Reggae
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Artist:King Burnett
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Track:I Man Free
remains almost totally unknown outside the small towns and villages of northern Jamaica. Two million out of four million people on the island live in or around Kingston, so it's sounds and styles are dominant. Out in the hills, though, where people live in small farming communities and live off the land, the songs and musical styles are very different.
Some artists can "cross over", but most don't. Aston "Peanuts" Davis, Astley "Stage Lion" Dickson, Carl Dobson and Stanley Beckford could fill small halls playing their rural music, with mento influences and instrumentation, fifty miles from the capital without being noticed by "Uptown" producers.
Lee Perry, Bunny Lee and Joe Gibbs dipped their toes into the country style. This was produced by Lee Perry, and is sung by King Burnett; as Watty Burnett he sang bass on the Congos "Heart of the Congos" LP in 1977, as well as a Jamaican cover of "Rainy Night in Georgia" on Upsetter 12" in 1978.
Depending on the reaction this post receives, I may play more from this neglected genre
Comments (5)
This sounds so familiar but I must admit I haven't heard of King Burnett. I love it, especially the sirens going off in the distance.
Definately need to hear more of this.
Getting reaction/feedback is becoming more problematic as The MOG grows increasingly impersonnal.
Somewhere, somehow, I've heard this before but I don't know where or when.
You must, however, be familiar with *this* 1977 classic from the Upsetter's Black Ark. The bass voice prominent throughout, and who takes the lead about four minutes ten seconds in, singing #Quaju Pegg the callie man, sell the best callie in Seaforth Town# is Watty "King" Burnett.
Sadly, Cedric Myton and Roydel Johnson fell out spectacularly a few years back, and may not have ben in the studio together at all when Blood and Fire recorded "Fisherman Style" two years or so back
DMDM - a dub of this was released on a compilation a good few years back, probably on Pressure Sounds, so chances are you heard it there.
Ploughing through the dross is easier if you hit the "MOGs only" button on the left - I know you're not a man of the left, but you could give it a try, as it clears away a lot of the "LOOK AT MEEEEEEEE" posts
Nope. New to me. But I like it alot.