Back in the mid-to-late 1990s, classic Jamaican sounds of the 1960s and 70s began to appear in the American marketplace on compact disc – many for the first time – on such labels as Heartbeat, Trojan, Mango, Shanachie, Pressure Sounds, and Blood and Fire, among many others.
One of the more unusual compilations I purchased back then was a 3-CD UK-issued hodge podge of a mix – called Jamaica Ska-Kore – that spans a rather vast musical range from ska and rocksteady to early reggae, DJ, modern roots reggae and beyond [link to 2-CD version issued from Germany]. Part of the mix’s charm is its complete disregard for sequencing, as well as occasional mishaps where the song playing is not the one printed on the track listing — or a repeat of an earlier tune, which is the case for Bunny Wailer‘s live rendition of “Sound Clash,” a dancehall classic, which appears both at the end of disc one and track five of disc two:
“Sound Clash“
Bunny Wailer
*
Fascinatingly, the album from which this track was pulled — Yardie – Ultimate Sound Clash — cannot be found on Discogs. The only proof of this album’s existence, oddly, comes from Amazon.
Track Listing
“Sound Clash” Bunny Wailer
“Fatty Bum Bum” Jah Da Lion
“Keep A Cool Head” Desmond Dekker
“Monkey Spanner” Dave & Ansel Collins
“54-46 That’s My Number” Toots & the Maytals
“Freedom Fighter” Dillinger
“Hurt So Good” Susan Cadogan
“Al Capone” Machine Gun Capone
“Roots Man Skanking” Freddie McGregor
“Many Rivers To Cross” Jimmy Cliff
“Ram Goat Liver” Pluto
“Hooked” Gregory Isaacs
“Girlie Girlie” Loni Lovato
“Money In My Pocket” Sound System
“Ire Feelings (Skanga)” Rupie Edwards
“Forward Jah Jah Children” Inner Circle
“Hold On” Toots & the Maytals
“Love One Another” Althea and Donna
“My Boy Lollipop” Third World
(photo courtesy of Discogs)
